Together We Can : Build Community by Addressing Homelessness

There are so many problems that need fixed, especially with the current pandemic. Everywhere we look something needs addressed. Even a saint, with noble intentions, would struggle finding where to begin. Many problems are societal and cannot be fixed by an individual. Solving these requires a strong community working together. Unfortunately, many current problems weaken our communities. As such, doesn't it make sense to address issues that will strengthen our communities first.

Currently in the tri-county area of Boxelder, Cache, and Rich, a there is a dramatic and unprecedented rise in homelessness. In the last three years it has increased 195.5% as more people move into the area. Even though unemployment rates are at a record low, wages remain stagnated, and housing costs to continue to rise. With this trend the shocking rise in homelessness is likely to continue rising if we don't intervene. The higher it rises the more difficult it will become to achieve a strong and thriving community.

Do you know how many people in your community have experienced homeless? The numbers may come as a surprise. A survey of members of the tri-county community indicates more than 28% of people have been homeless. Many were lucky enough to have family or friends preventing them from sleeping somewhere "unfit for human habitation" while they were homeless. While not being out on the streets is a huge plus, it does not negate the other negative aspects of homelessness like additional stress and the extra emotional and monetary resources that are required from these individuals to obtain the same quality of life as someone with a home. All these resources could be better spent enhancing their lives and those of our community if they were able to obtain basic necessities, like housing. We can think of it like owning a car for transportation. If we can buy our car outright, then we can save all the resources that we would need to expend for interest or extra insurance premiums. We could also look at how much more expensive a bill becomes if an individual needs to take out a payday loan to cover. The amount paid easily triples.

So let's say we are sold and want to help people get back to being contributing members of our community so we can work together on unlocking our greater potential. That is great, we have some extraordinary people and organizations in the tri-county region currently working on it! There are three big ones that receive funding specifically for homeless services. These are BRAG, CAPSA, and the New Hope Crisis Center and they are trying to make sure homelessness is a rare occurrence that is brief and doesn't repeat itself. There are many aspects that go into different components at different stages that are used in working toward that goal.

There are six main components as shown to the left. Each is important and they all work together in order to help reduce homelessness. For instance, having an emergency shelter is important to help those finding themselves in need of one; however, it only helps to remedy one of the present symptoms without treating any of the underlying causes that lead them to need an emergency shelter. Addressing the cause will help prevent the homeless crisis and shorten the period when it does occur.

We have an amazing informal group called Families Feeding Families that helps fill the shoes of the prevention and diversion department. We can find them on Facebook. They work with families who are at high risk of becoming homeless by working with landlords and utility companies to come up with arrangements giving families a chance to sort out financial difficulties without becoming homeless in addition to helping those that are already homeless. Help may take the shape of providing food or fuel assistance one day and providing rental and deposit assistance the next.

The main organizations also offer similar services that help the homeless find housing and preventing at risk families and individuals from becoming homeless. There is an old saying, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." While it is good to have the 'cure' preventing it will always be better. On the other hand no matter how good our prevention plans are or how much effort we put into resources to rapidly rehouse the homeless it does no good without people knowing about and participating in them and that is where you and me can do a world of good!

Jess Lucerio, in a study considering homelessness in the tri-county area, identified one of the issues was community engagement due to a lack of awareness and this is one area each and every one of us can help improve. Statistically, with 30% of the population having experienced some form of homelessness in their life it is highly improbable that you have not known someone or been personally affected by homelessness. Did you know at the time who to contact? Have you or someone you knew ever had a financial crisis and been unsure how you were going to pay rent to avoid eviction? Did you know where to go/where to send them for help? Maybe you can answer yes to these questions and that is amazing. Unfortunately, there are many who don't know but also don't even know how bad homelessness has become in their own community. That is something we can fix and if you have read this far then you are on the right track. With that in mind let's go over some simple ways you can help!

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Familiarize yourself with the services offered in the area.

Did you know that BRAG office and FFF both offer housing assistance to those in need? If you answered yes than you have been listening... or well... reading! Both organizations offer help with rent and utilities that can help prevent homelessness and offer assistance to get people back into housing if bridge to homelessness has already been crossed. CAPSA deals specifically with women and children suffering from abuse including housing for these individuals. These groups also offer a lot of other services that I would highly recommend we familiarize ourselves with. Who knows maybe you will find a new way to help that you never imagined by joining the FFF Facebook group!

Utah Families Feeding Families : https://www.facebook.com/groups/241456672677027

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Spread the News

If you are a landlord, you are on the front line and are likely one of the first people to know one of your tenants is suffering from some kind of financial hardship. Late or missing rent payments are an easy indicator but there are others. You want paid and we need your help! If you didn't before, now you know about some nifty resources out there. Use that knowledge by passing it on to your tenants that are in need. Removing the need for an eviction is an all-around win for everyone. Go a step further and contact some of these agencies directly and ask them how you can help. Renting to someone who has been homeless might appear to be a scary prospect; however, agencies like BRAG have programs that help ensure the rent gets paid. Helping your community can also help you! Okay, so you're not a landlord? I hear you, neither am I, but do you know a landlord? How about someone who pays rent? What about someone who is homeless? If you answered no all of these questions, please contact me directly. I want to know what rock you are living under and how to get there. Doing study in an area where no one is homeless, and no one pays rent would be fascinating. If you can answer yes to any of these questions you can still help. Spread the word. Talk to landlords you know to raise awareness. Talk to people in your neighborhood that are renting and anyone suffering from homelessness. One person can't fix this problem but an entire community working together can.

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Continue Learning

Working together we can make improvements, but we need to keep learning. Situations and problems shift and change as much as the people who make, suffer from, and fix them do. Most of the statistics and images I used were taken from an amazing study done by Jess Lucero, PhD working in collaboration with the Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) and Bear River Local Homeless Coordinating Committee. The findings were released this year in a paper called Homelessness in the Bear River Region and it is a very good place to start, especially for someone who is not familiar with the topic. There are plenty of questions still left unanswered and ideas to try. Ask questions, find answers, and add your voice to the discussion.

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Cited Works

Lucero, J., Shuler, A.B.T. (2020). Homelessness in the Bear River Region: Estimating the Extent of the Problem and Identifying Implementable Solutions. Bear River Association of Governments, Bear River Local Homeless Coordinating Committee