10+ Innovative Ideas to Help Homeless Americans
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
We avert our eyes when we walk past them. We dismiss their "Please Help" signs as “scams." We warn each other not to give them money to support their “habits.” We blame them for their “choices in life." Or, we offer up obvious solutions that they should “just get a job.”
All easier said than done so we should rethink the myths about the causes of homelessness and have greater compassion for our fellow citizens who have fallen on the worst of times.
Challenging Myths About Homeless Americans
Addiction and mental health challenges can be critical factors in this crisis. Still, many of our nearly 600,000 fellow Americans who are homeless are families, Veterans, women and children escaping domestic violence, and elderly. People experiencing homelessness also often include teens kicked out of their homes for being LGBTQ, young people who aged out of the foster care system, and people suffering from sudden illness, disability, and job loss. Many homeless Americans work or have worked all their lives. But they don't make enough to pay ever-increasing rent.
Employment and Education Do Not Always Prevent Homelessness
Since employment is not always the panacea for homelessness, you may say, 'They should just continue their education then.' But with an average price tag of more than $35,000 a year, pursuing higher education can often push people, especially young people, into homelessness. Temple University's Hope Center conducted a pandemic-era 2020 survey that revealed 14 percent of college students were homeless, 52 percent of two-year college students, and 43 percent of four-year college students experienced housing insecurity.
Housing options are not much better for their Master's and PhD-holding instructors and professors. As the American Federation of Teachers reported, 33 percent of adjunct professors have experienced housing insecurity.
How Do We Help Our Fellow Americans Escape Homelessness?
Once homeless, escaping it can take months to years. While shelters can provide emergency solutions, some homeless Americans I have spoken to say they prefer the street due to personal safety and others concerns. Housing First Initiatives are often effective, but other factors such as local politics could impede long-term success. But the most apparent reasons many working people are under threat of homelessness are; rent is too high, and wages are not keeping up.
Here are 10+ innovative solutions:
1. Affordable Housing
No matter our political persuasion, those who care about ending homelessness should give HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge her flowers for allocating $30 billion to build affordable housing. While this is an enormous step toward ending U.S. homelessness, some money may not reach the most vulnerable without third-party oversight.
2. Consider Third-Party Agencies to Provide Oversight of Homeless Service Organizations
Is there a pay-for-performance approach to these grants, and are these often large grants awarded all at once or after a measurable performance period?
Perhaps this is what the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), in partnership with federal agencies, already does. Either way, I encourage anyone who cares about our neediest fellow Americans to read USICH's ambitious plan to reduce homelessness by 25 percent.
3. Amplify The Work of Innovative Organizations
Organizations like Community Solutions, Pallet, and Shelters to Shutters are combating homelessness innovatively.
Community Solutions' Built for Zero Movement is operating in 105 communities, and 14 communities have achieved Functional Zero to decrease homelessness. Shelters to Shutters is removing barriers to solid employment by training and hiring homeless Americans for leasing and property upkeep. These employees also live in the properties they help manage. Pallet also employs those in recovery to manufacture their cooled and heated tiny home shelters.
4. Reduce Artificial Intelligence Barriers to Re-Employment
Job descriptions can be daunting to the most qualified applicants, so how does someone experiencing homelessness get the chance to apply? Add to this: Artificial Intelligence. The AI Revolution is upon us, but some algorithms are weeding out candidates based on race, age, and other factors. Human beings don't deserve judgement from each other or a machine.
5. Publicize Housing Resources Like HUD Exchange to the General Public
While there are numerous data and training resources via HMIS to assist those working to end homelessness, it was not easy to search and find the HUD Exchange, a national state-by-state database of organizations and contacts fighting homelessness.
We must publicize this resource on social media and with improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
6. Re-Brand Section 8
There are stigmas associated with Section 8 housing vouchers, as many private landlords refuse to accept them. Large property management companies can be more amenable to Section 8. Still, these companies may also be concerned about driving away full-paying tenants or not collecting rent until a tenant moves in.
Here are a few considerations:
- Re-brand or rename Section 8 as affordable or moderate income housing. In cities nationwide, hardworking civil servants like teachers, police, and fire personnel often need help to afford rent.
- Involve big tech and encourage large property owners to consider apps like Flex that allow renters to split rent over two payments Support from HUD and or banks could help property managers feel more at ease about participating in the app.
- Urge large property owners to include referrals to a national database for rental assistance in communications before resorting to often illegal evictions.
- Provide more significant support to nonprofit legal services to mitigate illegal evictions.
7. Dispel Myths About Homelessness With National Ad Council PSAs
Public Service Announcements may be a tall order because of stigmas, but what if the Ad Council released PSAs about those who overcame homelessness? This effort may change many hearts and minds about homeless Americans.
Invisible People's Mark Horvath has been doing this work for years on social media. Still, his message of compassion also needs a larger and more captive audience of traditional media, including press, radio, broadcast, and cable television. Hovath's ongoing message may even need a little support from celebrities.
8. Crowdfund Rental Assistance/Expand HMIS ID Card Capabilities
In times of crisis, the American Red Cross collects donations from millions of Americans. With the possibility of greater sympathy for people without housing via national PSAs, we can supplement HUD funding and perhaps speed up the application process for those at risk of homelessness with an online approval code issued to referred clients. In addition, organizations could use crowdfunding to help buy short-term tiny house/space units like those provided by Pallet or Everyone Deserves A Roof (EDAR). HUD could also expand the capabilities of the HMIS ID card to include crowdfunded accounts attached to approved service providers and their clients. Funding from individual donors like those collected at HandUp could complement government and corporate support to get our fellow Americans into permanent housing.
9. Highlight Corporate Philanthropy With Mobile Shelters
Mobile shelters could be an alternative to traditional shelters that many homeless Americans avoid due to safety and other health issues. In collaboration with corporate partners, HUD and FEMA could refurbish retired or old municipal or school buses to offer medical/mental health, communications, and/or food resources.
10. Reduce Medical Student Debt In Exchange for Clinical Rotations With the Homeless
The high cost of American healthcare education also leaves doctors, nurses, and clinical social workers
in training burdened with debt. The average medical school debt is a massive $200,000 per year. In addition, med students may be more than willing to complete clinical rotations to care for some of the most vulnerable patients in exchange for significantly reduced student loans.
11. Extend the Temporary Use of FEMA Trailers To Veterans and Families Regardless of Disaster
During times of disaster, FEMA works quickly to help people find shelter. This same level of rapid deployment could help homeless Americans that rely on safe parking sites.
12. Duplicate The Foster Care System for Elderly Homeless Americans
Recent news stories have highlighted how some families have "adopted" elderly homeless Americans. These Good Samaritans are on to something that could operate like a national foster care system for seniors.
We can all make a difference in the fight against homelessness by changing the hearts and minds of more fortunate Americans, establishing more private/public partnerships, and enacting innovative ideas.