Not Just for Sleeping or Bathing: Spaces for Building Connections
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This article is part of the 12th issue of LEAP — Voices of Youth e-letter. Subscribe now.
In Taipei, there are two non-profit organizations that provide free spaces for the homeless so that they may take a bath, wash and dry their clothes, and more. In addition to functional purposes, the spaces also serve as important locations where social workers can initiate conversations and establish relations with the homeless population. In fact, whether the facilities are fully equipped is actually secondary to creating opportunities for interaction between people, offering reassurance to those who feel vulnerable.
The family-style layout serves as a living space just for women
Things would never be looking up for me while I live at the park. I came to live at this place because I am determined to change my life.
The Homeless Taiwan Association [1] founded Tan-Xin Yuan, a living space for homeless women only to act as a temporary place to call home. Although the government does provide separate living quarters for homeless men and women in public shelters, the mobility of women, however, is limited due to safety considerations. This is because the male homeless population greatly outnumbers that of females at such institutions. Besides, women residents may feel uncomfortable or unsafe when male residents begin bickering or causing disturbances after too much drinking.
The Homeless Taiwan Association saw the need for homeless women to live with peace of mind and collaborated with corporations to establish a space accommodating only women who once lived on the streets. Tan-Xin Yuan takes at most six people at a time. In principle, each resident may live here up to six months, but this requirement may be adjusted according to individual circumstances. Each resident has their own bed as well as a key, so they may come or go freely without curfew restrictions.
Ms. Meizi, fifty-nine-year-old, moved into the space in April. She used to live at the Menjia Park, where food was available, but bathing facilities were difficult to find. It was also noisy, and she could not save any money. She said: “Things would never be looking up for me while I live at the park. I came to live at this place because I am determined to change my life. Now, I do cleaning chores at the hospital during the day. When I return to Tan-Xin Yuan at night, I can take a shower and sleep well, and have enough energy for tomorrow’s work!” Her salary as a cleaner allows Meizi to save up money gradually, which will eventually enable her to find outside housing to rent.
Social worker Yu in Tan-Xin Yuan periodically holds one-on-one conversations with each resident, discussing their next savings goals and checking their current work and living conditions. The life counselors accompany residents to medical appointments and organize group social activities at Tan-Xin Yuan. Ultimately, it is not just a place to live, but a place that offers companionship.
A combo-style restaurant: A space for the homeless and the public to make connections
After you step inside The Place, we hope that you may feel comfortable, while seeing this community of people from your own perspective.
Do You A Flavor [2] has set up a restaurant behind Taipei Main Station named “A Clean, Well-lit Place”. In collaboration with the government, it has developed its own business model. The Place offers meals for the general public with reservations as well as showering and laundry facilities for homeless people. Initially, The Place invited only homeless women that organizers personally knew, becoming the first place in Taiwan mainly for homeless women to gather.
As Do You A Flavor became acquainted with increasingly more homeless people, The Place became open for use by homeless men whom members of the non-profit group know well to maximize the usefulness of the space. Though homeless women overall agree that this space should be open to more people, some women who dislike coming into contact with the opposite sex have frequented The Place less, as a result.
In addition to frequent visits by the homeless, The Place also sees visits by diners interested in the topic of homelessness. Do You A Flavor social worker Lo Ching-ru said: “People who come to The Place to eat already know something about Do You A Flavor. At The Place, guests eat and chat, while homeless men and women watch TV on the side. Everyone does their own thing, and there aren’t too many emotional ups and downs due to the presence of some homeless people.” While Tan-Xin Yuan is open to only social workers and residents, The Place welcomes people of different identities to gather. Lo Ching-ru said: “After you step inside The Place, we hope that you may feel comfortable, while seeing this community of people from your own perspective.”
Exceeding functionality, elevating human interaction
With the establishment of any social welfare space, the “Not In My Backyard Effect” frequently follows. However, the two spaces mentioned above did not experience such expected reactions from the local community. The landlord who rented the space to the Homeless Taiwan Association previously had leased it to an NGO serving disadvantaged women. As a result, there is more or less a shared understanding of the homelessness issue instead of an attitude of reluctance. Without pause, people on their way to work or school walk by The Place, which on the outside does not look like an institution serving the homeless. People often stop by and ask questions out of curiosity without raising any protests.
Tan-Xin Yuan provides a transitional living space for homeless women in the city, while The Place offers a temporary place of respite and cleaning facilities for men and women. The social workers at both places also offer consultations on medical, employment, and legal issues for the homeless. Moreover, homeless individuals can chat with each other in the same space, helping resolve problems as well as offering companionship and support.
The two spaces make it convenient for people who live on the streets. The staff primarily addresses the psychological needs of the homeless and does not set up rules excessively just to make it easier for management purposes. With human dignity as the core value, the needs of every individual are considered, allowing people without homes to experience freedom, warmth, and security.
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Note[1] Homeless Taiwan Association is a non-profit organization formed by a group of front-line personnel serving the homeless population. It endeavors to cultivate the homeless population to become self-reliant. Offering guided-tours and various activities, the organization hopes to help connect the homeless with the general public.
Note[2] Do You A Flavor is a non-profit organization that works to empower the homeless. In addition, the organization designs fun and simple activities for the public in advocacy of homelessness, to lower the threshold for public awareness and promote interpersonal exchanges.
LEAP — Voices of Youth is a monthly e-letter with a focus on the progress for gender equality and women’s status in Taiwan, including the LGBTQ+ community and gender issues in schools. Click here to subscribe.
Also in This Issue:
She calls the streets “home”: The story behind a homeless woman
Ms. Hsu leaves home to get rid of domestic violence. The woman on the street gains the feeling of security and a chance to be her true self.
Author&Photographer: Chen Wan-zhen
A journalist and photographer who understands the society and introspects herself by constantly listening to people from varying backgrounds. Chen double majored in Philosophy and Communication Studies.
