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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2014)
street roots Aug. 15, 2014 Interrupting Isolation BY COLLEEN SINSKY Colleen Sinsky is a retention worker a t JOIN, which works to help people experiencing homelessness secure an d m aintain stable housing. factors such as mental illness, criminal history, having grown up in the foster y heart breaks each time I am system, chemical addiction, history of abuse listed as the sole “emergency and trauma, lack of assets or ability to get contact” above a blank “next of credit, lack of education, disability, etc. kin” line on an apartment application. It is Obviously the list of factors contributing to sadly not uncommon for people who have marginalization continues indefinitely. been homeless to lack even that basic If your life experience includes one or human need: a reliable person to call when more of those factors, it makes dealing with things go wrong. Of course I am honored any destabilizing impact that much more and humbled to be the emergency contact difficult Those who haven’t experienced for the folks I work with, but the fact that I poverty and are fortunate enough to have a am in that role as a housing advocate points network of support and resources might not to a larger issue of isolation among be able to imagine themselves in the homeless individuals. situation of literally having nowhere to turn. I work at JOIN, whose mission is to I know that I personally can think of dozens support individuals in their transition out of of people, friends and family in my life who homelessness through street outreach and would be willing and able to help me if I relationship building. At JOIN, we often talk called them needing help. But having about how homelessness is as much about anywhere near that level of community “poverty of relationships” as it is about support is non-existent for people who have financial poverty. The experience of grown up in generational poverty and whose becoming homeless and then existing on extended network — ii it hasn’t already been the margins of society is incredibly burnt out on helping — is otherwise alienating and dehumanizing. financially unable to help. Try this thought experiment: If you My point is that homelessness is often as suddenly experienced some major much about loneliness and isolation from destabilizing impact, or combination of- community as it is about economics. For events, how would you respond? those who are sleeping outside, life usually Loss of income, major medical diagnosis, lacks the positive human connections that death of a spouse, large debt, foreclosure, those of us “housed” individuals take for etc., often contribute to a person or family granted* Reality becomes a day-to-day becoming homeless. Now couple one or routine of existing in survival mode, more of those events with complicating C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T M Where senior and disabled adults receive the care and respect they deserve. Call us for more information (503)223-2144 1337 S.W. Washington, Portland, OR 97205 www.taft hom e. o rg 1501 NEOAVIS . .SUPPORTING STREET R O O T S ‘SINCE 2 0 0 3 possibly self-medicating, rarely being validated or feeling loved, and feeling too jaded by life’s experience to be able to hope for a better future. Our commuftity’s response to homelessness requires more than affordable housing options and flexible funding. In order to effectively interrupt the isolation that causes chronic homelessness, a shift towards a more holistic, relationship oriented and strengths-based approach is needed. We should view homeless people as complicated individuals who have demonstrated incredible resilience in surviving the hand they have been dealt. We need to empower individuals by first demonstratmg they are worth being reached out to, and in doing so begin to destroy the isolating walls that homelessness and hopelessness have constructed around them. Like all of my coworkers at JOIN, I am listed as the sole emergency contact for many of the formerly homeless people whom I work with and genuinely care deeply about When our folks are in the hospital or hospice, it’s not uncommon for us to be their only visitors. And when they pass away, we grieve and honor each of them by carrying their memory forward with us. This real and compassionate level of authentic human connection is as necessary as housing.
