Glenn Letham’s Post

🏘️ In many cases, communities are set up to manage homelessness, but not to end it for everyone who is experiencing it. Communities are proving that they can only end homelessness if they have systems and investments realigned around getting to zero ⬇️ Learn more about how #HomelessnessIsSolvable: https://bit.ly/49HqKxb

We know that activating our severe weather response protocols often results in harder work and longer hours for the service providers who expand their services. We are deeply thankful for your time, effort, and care in these times—especially over holiday weekends.     We also know that this is not the ideal state for the homelessness response system, which is why improvements are part of our 5-Year Plan.  

One of the really nice things about All Home's framework for how to plan investments around homelessness is that it recognizes a simple reality: you cannot decrease unsheltered homelessness without preventing more people entering (or returning to) homelessness. There is no question we need more permanent, deeply affordable homes. There is also no question that we need interim and temporary solutions that reduce harm and provide safety. Where the public sometimes doesn't see the full picture is that a good deal of the crisis is fueled by first-time homeless experiences and people who return to the street for a variety of complicated but addressable reasons. This plan has been around for a bit, but it's worth sharing just to help people see an important part of the picture in California - the critical, ongoing necessity of dramatic increases in prevention. https://lnkd.in/gV_D6FuA

Every year, almost 40,000 young people reach out to homelessness services for assistance. The Federal Government needs to make the safety and wellbeing of this group a national priority. We proudly support the Home Time campaign to fix our housing system for children and young people with nowhere to live. Numbers of 15-24-year-olds seeking homelessness assistance by state/territory: 12,854 in NSW(33.9%), 11,026 in VIC (29.0%), 5,654 in QLD (14.9%), 2,514 WA (6.7%), 3,082 in SA (8.1%),1,422 in TAS (3.7%), 669 in ACT (1.8%), 1,190 in NT (3.1%)  Visit Home Time website to join the campaign and learn more. #LegislatetoEndChildPoverty #Nochildinpoverty #ValuingChildrenInitiative #FixHousingForYoungPeople#HomeTime https://lnkd.in/gFQav4r2

Homelessness is one of the most pressing issues facing the country, and without drastic action things are only going to get worse. Our latest blog, "A chance to end homelessness - Glass Door’s Election Asks", spotlights: 💡 How rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg 💡 The work that Glass Door delivers to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness 💡 Our top three asks of the next government, underpinned by data and insights from our front-line services Head to our website to give it a read: https://lnkd.in/ecT2CbFx

Criminalizing homelessness fails to address its root causes, such as the lack of affordable housing and access to services. Instead, it penalizes individuals who have no alternative but to sleep on the streets. Fining people who can't afford housing only exacerbates their situation, leading to incarceration and further instability. In Grants Pass, with over 600 homeless individuals and only 130 shelter beds, the problem persists. Shelters, like the Gospel Misson in Grants Pass, can pose risks to mental health, promoting religious conversion and unpaid labor. Often there is an adversarial relationship between staff and the clients leaving many with no safe place for shelter. Shelters can pose physical health risks like requiring complete sobriety despite the dangers of a sudden detox for long term substance users. Working at a shelter during the pandemic I saw first hand how quickly illness spreads in such a close environment. Shelters are often unable to accommodate families with more than a few kids making it even more difficult to find resources for a family struggling together. As a dog owner having to say good bye to a pet I love so dearly just isn’t an option. Yet we expect those experiencing homelessness to just give up their pets for a temporary shelter bed that may not be available the next night. Forget the emotional and mental support that pet might bring to them. This law, and others like it, seeks to criminalize an individual experiencing homelessness for their existence. It further ostracizes them from society. This law is cruel. It is an unusual punishment applied exclusively to those experiencing homelessness. Rather than criminalizing individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, communities should prioritize creating effective programs and policies. The "Housing First" model remains the most effective approach. Expecting someone to improve their mental health, overcome addiction, or address financial struggles while sleeping outside is unrealistic. Stable shelter is a fundamental human necessity. Growing up in poverty I saw first hand how a discriminatory legal system can cause harm; a reality that was reinforced working as a social worker. I hope to continue to advocate for an individuals legal rights regardless of their socioeconomic status. It should not be a crime to sleep in public while homeless. Especially when communities have consistently failed to provide other safe and affordable alternatives.

This week’s City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson hearing marked the beginning of Supreme Court case proceedings with life-changing consequences for those we serve—by potentially allowing for unhoused people to be fined or arrested for sleeping outside. We must stand firm in our commitment to protecting our vulnerable unhoused neighbors. Research shows that the solution to the homelessness crisis is creating more affordable housing, not criminalizing homelessness. As we wait for an official ruling to be issued, be sure to read National Alliance to End Homelessness’ brief comparing criminalization as an approach to the homeless crisis with increased investment in homelessness services. Spoiler alert: strengthening homelessness services is the best path towards reaching functional zero on homelessness.

We can solve homelessness through housing. Vs. We can force homeless people into camps. The momentum behind forced camps is growing partly because we have been messaging that we can solve homelessness through housing for over a decade, and the public continues to see homelessness growing! People don't believe us. The 2024 election season will only amplify the momentum for forced camps.