Unmasking the Hidden Homeless: A Call for Collaboration in Counting Sheltered Homeless Families
Welcome to our latest edition of "Eviction Space," where we delve into the often unseen reality of homelessness, specifically focusing on sheltered families in Chicago. In this issue, we shed light on the challenges in counting sheltered homeless families and the imperative of collaborative efforts to unmask the hidden faces of homelessness.
Behind the bustling streets of many cities lies a hidden reality—the sheltered homeless families. In crowded homes, they seek refuge, often under the radar, facing the threat of eviction for the extra mouths they shelter. This feature story explores their struggles, emphasizing the need to bring their challenges to the forefront of our awareness.
Challenges in Counting:
Accurate counting is the first step toward effective solutions, but counting sheltered homeless families presents unique challenges. Many remain unseen, not participating in traditional counts, creating a gap in our understanding of the true extent of homelessness. In this section, we dissect these challenges and highlight the importance of a more inclusive approach.
Nothing will change without the accurate count. We need to redefine the different forms of homelessness. Each form needs to be handled differently, but most importantly, having an accurate count will allow us to put resources in the right place.
Think about it. When we do one-size-fits-all for homelessness resources it looks something like this:
Nothing changes when resources are misallocated. Some get too much and some people don't get enough. The federal, state, and local budgets get thrown off and this causes the citizens to not see anything for a period (I'm going to refer to this period as a freeze). During that freeze, everything gets worse, which puts us behind when it comes to helping and the help costs more. This can be remedied by getting accurate counts. You can get accurate counts by redefining the forms of homelessness.
The Apartment Lady: A Beacon of Support
Meet The Apartment Lady—a trusted figure in the community, providing not only shelter but empathy, understanding, and a sense of community. Discover her unique role in connecting with those who might otherwise remain hidden during conventional homeless counts.
My journey into helping families began on a serendipitous note, guided by what I believe were divine instructions. While immersed in my pursuits as a social media marketer and professor, I embarked on this path in 2014. The establishment of the The Apartment Lady Foundation Inc in 2019 marked a pivotal moment. I vividly recall temporarily residing in my attorney's office, a space I rented solely for the foundation, as I could afford only that at the time. The families we were assisting were oblivious to this unconventional arrangement, but the challenges were a testament to the dedication invested.
Over the past decade, as I extended my assistance to families nationwide, a clearer picture emerged. This extended duration allowed me to conduct genuine research and implement diverse programs, each iteration informed by the experiences of real families. Year after year, I refined and adapted the programs based on their feedback, and these families, unknowingly, became contributors to a decade of valuable research. Now, the time has come to translate this wealth of knowledge into actionable initiatives. The day I've eagerly awaited is here – the day when the families can directly benefit from the research they inadvertently sponsored.
However, achieving this vision demands collaboration. It's a collective effort that goes beyond individual contributions. Together, we can turn years of research into tangible, transformative actions for the families we aim to support.
The Call for Collaboration:
To address the issue comprehensively, collaboration is key. The Apartment Lady, with her established community trust, is poised to become a vital link between sheltered families and organizations conducting homeless counts. This section emphasizes the urgent need for collective action to unmask the hidden homeless and create a more accurate picture of the homeless landscape across the United States.
Voices from the Community:
In this segment, we amplify the voices of those directly affected by sheltered homelessness. Real stories, struggles, and hopes provide insight into the urgency of collaboration and the transformative impact it can have on the lives of the hidden homeless.
Keisha-"I have been living with my cousin for 2 years. I work and have had the same job for over 5 years. I was in a domestic violence situation. It forced me to abandon my home. The landlord filed an unlawful detainer and I didn't find out about it until I applied for an apartment. I was fortunate to have my cousin allow me and 5 kids to stay in her 2 bedroom apartment. She has her own child.
The first 4 months were so discouraging because I make about $4000 a month after taxes. I was paying half of my cousins's rent, but very depressed. My children were being bullied at the new school. I felt like we had to breathe a different way because I didn't want to make my cousin more uncomfortable than she already was. During those months I paid about $400 a month in application fees, but was getting turned down due to my eviction and credit. One month I was scammed out of $2500. I paid this guy the first month's rent and security deposit for an apartment. This was in Englewood Chicago. When I got ready to move in with my Uhaul, the keys didn't work. A couple on the block told me there was a different person every week going through this.
That was the last straw. I prayed, I cried, I begged God and then I decided this living situation was going to have to work. We will get a bigger place. I talked to my cousin and decided to pay her entire rent. Her lease is a 2-year lease. It will be up soon.
I started working on my money habits, building my credit, investing, and saving. I contacted Lashondra Graves The Apartment Lady?? and she brought so much hope to my situation. She even found me a place, but I turned it down. My cousin was a beacon of hope to my family. I didn't want to leave her behind, so we started working on our money habits. Now we are buying a two-flat together! I can't believe it! We are going to become owners.
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I would tell someone else in this situation to find a way to make it work and then work on yourself. Make sure you include the leaseholder in your self-improvement plans, maybe they want to partake. If they don't keep striving towards a goal. It was hard to live under someone else's rules, but it was even harder living in a hotel or in my car. Patience and perseverance will get you there. If you are fortunate enough to get into a program with The Apartment Lady, take all of her advice. I never had an agency care so much and fight for me so hard. Don't give up!
Empowering Change Together:
Our call to action. Explore how, as a community, we can come together to unmask the hidden homeless. Through collaboration, understanding, and action, we can empower change and ensure that no family is left without the support they need. Contact us at info@theapartmentlady.org if you are ready to work together. This call to action is for tenants, landlords, private and public organizations. Together, we are going to make a difference.
Conclusion:
"Unmasking the Hidden Homeless" is more than a call—it's a rallying cry for change. Together, let's count every individual and family in need, unveil the hidden faces of homelessness, and work towards the United States where sheltered families are no longer invisible.
1. 'I was missed': How the US counts its homeless population is flawed. There's a better way
The point-in-time count provides the leading source of data on homelessness nationwide, but experts say there are some roadblocks to a more accurate tally.
Lana "LJ" Juhala slept in the same Phoenix alleyway for over eight years. The neighbors knew she was there. The police and city workers did, too, she said.
Yet as far as Juhala knows, she's never been officially counted as part of Phoenix or Maricopa County's homeless population. She didn’t even know there was a count until a few days ago, she said.
"I'd heard about this, but no, no one ever came," she said. "I was missed."
2. The Methodology of Counting the Homeless
Charles D. Cowan, William R. Breakey, and Pamela J. Fischer
Counting the homeless population is extremely difficult because of the lack of a clear definition of homelessness, the mobility of the population, and the cyclical nature of homelessness for many individuals. In addition, homeless people are often reluctant to be interviewed, and many of them remain invisible even to the most diligent of researchers. There is no uniform method for counting the homeless, and very few good studies have been done. Three approaches have been used: indirect estimation, single-contact censuses, and capture-recapture studies. Each method, while offering some benefits, suffers from certain technical inadequacies. National Library of Medicine (NLM) Full Article Here
3. Los Angeles homeless count raises doubts about accuracy. Is it time for a new way?
BY DOUG SMITHSENIOR WRITER?
When the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority this month published a spreadsheet breaking down its homeless count by every census tract in the county, those with knowledge of Venice were incredulous.
LAHSA said there were no unsheltered people — no tents, no inhabited cars or RVs and no people living outdoors — in the northwest quarter of Venice, which is notorious as ground zero for homelessness.
It wasn’t just the number — so wildly wrong it couldn’t be a statistical error — that shocked them.
How, they wondered, had LAHSA blown the most closely watched census tract in the county, one scoured regularly by residents conducting their own tallies and more recently by a team of professional surveyors working for the Rand Corp.?
LAHSA did not respond to questions about the Venice numbers but released a statement Friday evening defending the integrity of the count. Los Angeles Times full article here
There are tons of articles on this miscount thing. I am glad that I'm bringing it back to the forefront. Thank you guys for reading this newsletter please subscribe and connect with me Lashondra Graves The Apartment Lady??
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