OUTREACH STORY #10: Housing Extends Lives! Outreach Extends Lives!
They stood together in their particular spots day after day, not having much to do, not able to do much, as they both were suffering and struggling with chronic illnesses.
They ate together in soup kitchens that adhered to the shelter’s or church’s schedules, not theirs, eating meals that filled their empty stomachs and were satisfying but weren’t the healthiest for their particular needs.
They sat together in bus shelters, resting their weary bodies day after day, rarely taking a bus, but always confused by the times and dates because they all seemed to blend into one long continuous moment.
They lived together day after day, missing vital appointments and inconsistently taking their medications that called for consistency and special dietary requirements.
This was a couple I knew years ago. This was their lives of Aaron and Sandra (not their real names). They both were HIV-positive. They both had seizures. They both struggled with multiple other medical and physical complications that resulted in tonnes of ambulance rides and hospital stays.
In the early 2000s, the homeless sector in Chicago set up a program to get those deemed “chronically homeless” off the streets and into permanent supportive homes. They developed a Vulnerability Index (VI-SPDAT - Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) to determine who's most vulnerable. In a massive effort, social workers and outreach workers from all over the city went under bridges, onto the trains, into the parks and visited shelters to discover who was the “most vulnerable”. Invasive questions were asked about their physical health, mental health, criminal history, ER visits and trauma. Once the VI form was filled out and submitted, the powers that be calculated and compiled a list of Chicago’s most vulnerable chronically homeless people.
Those who made the top of the list were given priority for housing. It was a Housing First program. It was supposed to immediately take people off the street and immediately place them into homes, eliminating all the barriers to housing. They would also receive ongoing support to sustain their tendencies. It was supposed to be quick and efficient. I wrote “supposed” because there were still barriers, it was still complicated and got more complex as the initiative developed due to more oversight and “red tape” by the powers that be. Despite the program’s shortcomings, people who wouldn’t have been housed ended up getting successfully housed.
When these VI surveys were done, this couple made this list. Sandra was ranked no. 1, she was deemed the most vulnerable person experiencing homelessness in all of Chicago. Aaron was high up on the list as well (top 20), also making him one of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in all of Chicago.
I had the honour of knowing and walking alongside both of them.
Housing creates healthier lives!
Outreach creates healthier lives!
When people experiencing homelessness have chronic illnesses, their health only worsens, lowering their life expectancies. Ambulance rides are frequent. Hospital stays are frequent. Housing lowers the frequency of these visits and improves people’s health. Chronically homeless people, like these 2, were called “frequent users”. A study was done where they calculated the yearly cost of these repeated trips to hospitals, and as a result, these “frequent users” were given awful labels: such as “million-dollar clients”.
Housing improves the health, well-being and life expectancy of those experiencing homelessness. Having a place to call your own helps create routines and structure, as homelessness can often blend all the days into one. Housing can provide greater security and protection, lowering the chances of people's medicines getting lost or stolen. Having a place to call home creates consistency in taking meds, eating, drinking and getting to appointments. And for those interested in or worried about Chicago's and Auckland's economy, providing permanent supportive housing for "frequent users" ends up costing taxpayers a lot less money!
This citywide Initiative meant that this couple's chronically bad health and decades of homelessness created an opportunity for them: Permanent Supportive Housing! Making this dream a reality wasn't easy, and this is why Outreach Workers play an important role in ensuring the people who did qualify didn't miss out on their opportunities.
Outreach Workers help put a face to the name (or unique number). We establish trust between them and their newly assigned social workers. Due to the constant moving and relocating of rough sleepers, we make sure the connection isn't lost. We help them keep their appointments. We visit them during their hospital stays. As they wait, we assist in meeting their needs with food, clothing, blankets and other lifesaving necessities. We help make sure all their paperwork is done and turned in. We advocate for them behind the scenes. We help them view the house. We help them get furniture in the house. And then, eventually, the extremely satisfying day arrives and we help them move into their place.
And I had the absolute pleasure of doing this with Sandra and Aaron!
I won't create a false narrative to say everything was perfect and rosy after they received their keys. After years of rough sleeping and shelters, moving into somewhere enclosed isn't the easiest to adjust to. They occasionally gravitated back to the streets for a while, but at least they had a home to return to. Housing didn't prevent the ambulance rides, but it did slow down the frequency. Housing didn't make illnesses and pain go away, but it did enable them to monitor their health a lot easier and it did make life much more comfortable for them.
In the end, Aaron passed away and Sandra ended up having to live in a 24-hour healthcare facility. In the end, death and sickness can't be stopped and people need more holistic care than what a Permanent Supportive Housing program can offer. In the end, I'm glad I was able to journey with this resilient couple and help them live a few years in a place they were able to call their own.
If you follow Jesus, here is my challenge: The Church has often missed or ignored the stories of the downcast and suffering. We need to acknowledge that one of our greatest sins is our indifference, our silence! We need to open our ears to their voices. And listen! And Act! In Love!
Jesus made it abundantly clear that his followers should be leading the way in responding to the needs that surround us. This is what "loving our neighbours as ourselves" means. When Jesus spoke about being the person we clothe, house, or visit in hospitals, he called us not to be indifferent about or ignore our neighbour in need. When Jesus spoke about how the rich man ignored Lazarus who lay at his gate, covered in sores, he told us the "poor are blessed and His Kingdom is theirs" and we should always be loving and compassionate to our neighbours in need.
To read more about my reflections on Outreach and why I believe it's needed, please click this Link: The Eclectic Path of an Outreach Worker: Reaching Out to Those Experiencing Homelessness
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