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It’s not homelessness, houselessness. It’s houses people need. A home is an abstract idea, a home is a setting, it’s a state of mind. People need houses; physical, tangible low-cost structures.
~ George Carlin
Last month I was aimlessly scrolling through the many daily news alerts I receive and came across an article on BuzzFeed about homeless individuals sharing the things they wish other people understood. I have been at Frederick Place since day one but what I read surprised me and I instantly knew I had to share a few of the things that are relevant to our community.
1. There are different levels of homelessness. The first level is not having a place of your own, but family or friends have allowed you to stay with little to no rent. At Frederick Place we refer to this level as “couch surfing” The second level is living in your car, a cheap RV or tent. The third level is the worst as you have no help, no car, no job at all. We call this one living somewhere not meant for human habitation. Our community’s homeless population is not visible as it is in large cities but trust me, they are out there during all seasons.
2. Homelessness can happen to anyone. All that stuff you have, your job, your home, your partner, your pets, and your car are just one bad day away from going up in smoke. The average American does not have savings and if you lose your job, it only takes a few missed rent payments to receive an eviction notice. Countless residents have had an eviction or two and that makes it extremely hard to rent in Rhinelander. Our hope is that one day Rhinelander will have affordable housing that makes paying rent easier. We currently do not have the low income housing the community needs. That is not a criticism, just a fact.
3. A person can face homelessness for good decisions as well. Standing up for yourself at work is a good example. We have had our fair share of individual, moms and dads who left an abusive to protect themselves and their children. children. They often walk out of that nightmare with nothing more than the clothes on their back.
4. It is not as simple as just get a job. Not having a permanent address makes it nearly impossible. The job seeker also needs presentable clothes for an interview. If the employer has a uniform the newly hired person must purchase said uniform. Transportation becomes an issue if their new employer is not in the immediate area. Having no savings and purchasing a car prior to their start date is impossible. Call a cab? Around here a cab is $4 to $7 for one way. We have a limited cab vouchers to be shared with all. What usually happens is they go to FSET (Food Share and Employment Training) and chat with a wonderful woman named Ruthie for cab vouchers. They can also chat with her about interview clothes. Ruthie is one of our true heroes for sure.
5. Having a job on any shift other than daytime it is hard to stay in a shelter because they kick you out for the entire day and you cannot return for a meal until late afternoon. We do not have this problem as we are open 24/7. However, a graveyard shift worker has a hard time sleeping during the day with all the hustle and bustle going on.
6. Losing most of your material possessions can be the worst part of being homeless. A lot of the stuff represents memories and accomplishments.
7. An even worse situation is having to walk away from your pets or place them in shelters hoping they will still be there when you are back on your feet. One of our past residents had to put his cats in the animal shelter and it broke his heart. Unfortunately, his two cats were adopted prior to his being ready to bring them home. We shared a love of cats, so we talked about his often. Funny stories of antics always resulted in him wiping his eyes.
8. Not all homeless individuals have issues with substance abuse. They are not all homeless because they spend all their money on their addiction. Yes, we have had plenty of residents that lost everything in the past because they chose to use whatever money they had to feed their inner demon. We also receive residents coming straight from treatment. These are often people with families and friends that love them, but just could no longer watch them destroy themselves. They have often reached a point where the words of their loved one mean nothing. They need to show them that they serious and doing everything in their power to remain clean and sober. We also have residents arriving straight from treatment at the recommendation of their counselor because they know we provide a safe place to continue working on themselves. That extra time can lead to long term sobriety. Being a part of their recovery is one of my greatest joys.
The quote from George Carlin is part of a stand-up he did on his ideas to solve homelessness. The solution he put the most emphasis on was getting rid of golf courses and putting low-income housing in that space instead. He was obviously not a fan of golf. He also discusses something he calls N-I-M-B-Y; Not in My Backyard. Bill and Carol Miller embraced their vision of providing help to our homeless the same year George did that stand-up. They did experience NIMBY when searching for a house for their vision. Part of the roadblock was a misconception that Frederick Place would be like the stereotypical gymnasium with a sea of bunk beds filled with people just like they see in the media. This is not a criticism. Before I started working at Frederick Place the same image came to my mind when hearing "homeless shelter." The proximity of children was also an issue. Rhinelander’s homeless were hidden unlike in larger cities. If all one knows about homeless individuals was what they saw in the media, it is understandable there would be concern about a shelter in our little town.
One of our greatest accomplishments has been showing the community that we have made good on a promise we made. We have kept our word to the community by enforcing our zero tolerance policy. Zero tolerance infarctions are grounds for immediate termination of stay, and people do not get a second chance if in violation. However, they are given 30 minutes to an hour to leave the property. Examples of these offenses are alcohol/recreational drugs (soliciting/selling or purchasing), weapons, harassment of any kind, violence, abusive or threatening behavior, or pornography.
An indication that we have kept our word to you is the ongoing support Frederick Place receives. As we like to say…We could not do what we do without all of you!! Thank You!!
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