Our views of those experiencing homelessness is part of their undoing…
When Austinites have tools like a home to regain health and stability, physical and mental health care, and job opportunities to reach our full potential, our city is stronger and everyone thrives. But, not all of us have those opportunities, especially our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
The last homeless count in Austin showed that the number of people living unsheltered on our streets — sleeping in places not meant for human habitation — increased. Due to recent changes to city ordinances and the fact that the number of people experiencing homelessness grows year over year, this population is more visible. Our community’s perception of people experiencing homelessness and living on the streets is getting worse. Business owners, community members and city leaders are frustrated. These pressures are pushing our ideals. And, despite being a progressive and caring city, we are starting to dehumanize real suffering and ignoring proven solutions.
A safe, stable home is the foundation we all need to do well physically, emotionally, socially, and financially. Like other major cities, rents and mortgages in Austin have increased more rapidly than wages, placing that foundation on shaky ground for many of us. This makes it harder to weather the life storms we all experience, like a serious illness, job loss, death of a family member, divorce or domestic abuse, and is contributing to an increase in homelessness in our region.
Sometimes you will hear someone say, “Those people want to be homeless. They chose that lifestyle.” That is a myth. If you ask someone who experiences homelessness the question: “Do you want to be homeless?,” the answer is no. People would rather not be homeless. Believing otherwise is not supported by facts, but can make it easier to ignore the humanity and suffering of those who call the streets their home.
Many people living on the streets feel defeated. I often hear, “I just don’t know how to break out and get out of this hole.” They tell stories of frustration. With long wait times for housing and shelter rules, they don’t trust the process. Some have barriers to housing, and others have been homeless for years. This life is all that feels safe and comfortable.
People experiencing homelessness do not deserve of our disdain. They deserve our compassion. They are people — our brothers, our sisters, our mothers and fathers, your neighbors — who have not been as fortunate as you or me in weathering life storms.
This negative perception of homelessness makes it easier to deploy or accept the kind of punitive tactics that we have seen in communities across the country, which simply drive the problem into someone else’s backyard. Efforts to move people around experiencing homelessness often has an adverse effect, as do measures that criminalize homelessness. Punitive tactics, such as citing people for sleeping outside without providing safe places for them to go, exacerbate the problem. The criminalization of homelessness increases the likelihood of jail time. And, we know that those who are frequently in jail are not the best candidates for housing placement or upward economic mobility. All of these measures contribute to a downward spiral that makes it harder for people to recover from homelessness.
Ending homelessness begins with a home. Cities that have successfully reduced homelessness are those that have provided real solutions, genuine paths from the streets to housing — permanent supportive housing, deeply affordable housing. They are providing crucial, lifesaving support services and health care that improve health and well-being. These tactics have proven successful.
We must advocate for real solutions to homelessness. We must come together to scale up solutions that are humane, effective and evidence-based. And most importantly, we must be compassionate. People experiencing homelessness are part of our community. They are our neighbors. When everyone can meet their full potential, Austin is stronger.
