I was in an rideshare when a gentleman with holes in his jeans and at least four missing teeth got in. The overwhelming aroma of Mary Jane’s sweet perfume was clinging to his dirty shirt with all the desperation of a lonely barfly. He looked and smelled like he was out on the streets.
Now, I always stand to gain from the insights of a casual conversation with a stranger, especially when the reciprocating party appears to have lived a hard life. So, when he brought up the topic of homelessness, my ears perked up.
I asked him, “How do you think we should fix it?”
Suffice it to say, I was shocked when he said with a completely straight face, “Take them out to the country and bomb ’em!”
“Bomb them!?” I exclaimed. “Somehow, I don’t think anyone’s going to sign off on that…”
Well, come to find out, after twenty minutes in the car with this guy, he’d never been homeless. In fact, he made it clear that he detested anyone who he perceived to have given up on their own lives… While he’d encountered plenty of hardships over his forty five years on Earth, he was of the mindset that if he could lift himself out of despair, anyone could.
Contrast that with a different gentleman I spoke with who had a clean shirt, ironed slacks and a mouth full of pearly whites. He seemed like a respectable member of society. Surely, he would agree that escaping destitution is a matter of sheer willpower and nothing more…
When we started talking, though, I quickly noticed that bad grammar was an unflattering compliment to a noticeable speech impediment. My suspicions were further confirmed when he said that he knew exactly how hard it was to “get clean” and “pull yourself up out of the gutter.” Indeed, he had been homeless before…
In fact, he spent just over four years on the streets before he managed to get a job and find a place to live. He reiterated, however, that he never would have been able to do it on his own.
“The thing that people don’t realize,” he said, “is how hard it is to get out of that cycle when you’re in it… Drugs are everywhere and they take you. I mean, there were people who had good jobs one day who ended up being homeless the next because one thing led to another and they couldn’t afford to make ends meet anymore. Not even they could stay off the drugs. You’re surrounded by it.”
He went on to tell me that he couldn’t judge anyone for the position they were in.
“The guys you see out there talking to street signs… People don’t understand–they’re doing that because they’re lonely. I mean, yeah, the drugs don’t help, but most of the time there’s something else going on; mental health and total isolation. The drugs just make it worse. People want to escape.”
“So, what’s the solution?” I asked.
Twenty seconds later, when I was starting to think I’d lost his attention to the memory of higher times, he asked, “Have you ever heard of Slab City?”
Now, of course, I didn’t want to appear ignorant, so I laughed awkwardly and nodded. Then I asked, “Do you think that’s the fix?”
Here’s what he said:
“It’s tough to say… I mean, people need help getting out of that situation. I was in it with my girl, so at least I had someone. I stayed up at night so she could get some sleep, because, ya’ know, there’s always someone tryin’ to steal your shit. Then, she would be awake during the day… It’s a lot safer during the day, especially for women. That way I could get some sleep. But, we didn’t want to be there.
“Some people just don’t want to participate in the system, though, ya know? Shit’s so expensive, and a lot of people don’t want to deal with paying bills nonstop. That’s what Slab City’s all about. It’s for people who want to live outside of mainstream society. I think it can be good for a lot of them. For everyone else, though, I’m not sure…”
With my curiosity piqued, I did some digging and discovered that “Slab City” is an unincorporated plot of land in southern California where people choose to live off-grid, with no access to utilities. For the most part, it’s self-governed, though the Imperial County Sheriff still regularly patrols the area. Also, ironically enough, the state provides a good amount of assistance to help the residents survive.
Ultimately, it appeals to people who want to live a transient lifestyle–those who make the conscious decision to sleep out under the stars, of which, there are apparently quite a few. What about those who are tied to homelessness by circumstance, though-the ones who didn’t make the choice?
For that, I have to consider the words of my toothless friend. The one who suggested using weapons of war to cleanse our cities.
“There are programs out there that people can take advantage of,” he argued. “They just might not know about them.”
“Do you think it would help if there were some kind of outreach to get the word out?” I asked.
“Oh, absolutely! You know, do that–get the word out–and then do something to clean up the drugs… I think that would help a lot.”
“So, no bombs?”
He laughed. “No, maybe we don’t bomb them… But, everyone has to understand that some people are beyond help. Like, maybe we make the changes now to help future generations, but the people who are already caught up in it might just have to live out their lives and die on the street. Maybe the best we can hope for is a lot less homeless people in the future.”
What do you think? Is it possible to overcome homelessness in the richest country on Earth? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Resources:
- Colorado Coalition provides housing assistance for those at risk of homelessness.
- Housed Working and Healthy focuses on providing culinary training and certifications to help people achieve self-sufficiency.
- Immediate Housing Assistance through the state connects those in need with resources for emergency shelter, food, rental assistance, healthcare, and more.
- Family Tree Colorado works to prevent homelessness in the Denver Metro area.
- Path Home empowers families with children to get back into housing.
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