Catch and Release

This blog has discussed numerous reasons that cause people to become homeless. I can remember several instances at the shelter when taxis would roll up, unload someone who had been discharged from incarceration or a treatment facility, and then drive away. Presto! Problem solved because the individual now had a "place to stay." Sometimes we could accommodate the person, but other times the situation was a bit more complex than just opening the doors and allowing anyone to stay.

Because we serve families, there are certain stipulations and safety guidelines we adhere to, and we are not permitted to accept any and every person, carté blanche, who shows up unannounced or is dumped on our doorstep by different providers or organizations. Nationally, this is a huge problem as a growing body of information documents the large number of people who become homeless upon discharge from hospitals and treatment facilities, jails and prisons, and the foster care system.

Ineffective discharges from institutions generate homelessness because it is a convenient means to an end. It happens when a person completes their mandated stay at a specific facility and then has no place to go, so they end up at a shelter. Unfortunately, many people are still dealing with the issues that led them to treatment and are not able to function safely in a communal environment without unsupervised or continued care.

Each case highlights the scarcity of community resources to meet the housing, health care, and other needs of individuals without personal resources, and demonstrates the responsibility of institutions to work to increase community resources. At Samaritan House, we are honored to play a role in helping people and families get back on their feet. In order to be part of the solution, here are some helpful insights to prevent homelessness pertaining to this topic:

Prohibit discharges into homelessness from all publicly funded institutions such as hospitals, treatment facilities, prisons and jails, and the foster care system. Invest in recuperative care facilities for patients without homes who require supervised medical care but are not ill enough to remain hospitalized.

Require all publicly funded institutions providing residential care, treatment or custody to secure all available entitlements for residents prior to discharge and to provide staff persons trained in housing placement assessment and assistance.

Establish assisted living type recuperative care facilities for homeless individuals who require medical, mental health and/or addiction services over a period of time in order to sustain their housing stability while they recuperate, recover, and prepare to enter permanent housing.

Create sufficient jobs and incomes, affordable permanent housing, universal health insurance, accessible health care, and other community services to meet the needs of all persons at risk of homelessness.

Ending homeless is a realistic goal if we can work and partner together by honoring and addressing the specific needs of people who require, and then are released from treatment facilities or other places. We do a disservice when we paint homelessness with a broad brush and generalities instead of examine each person's specific needs.

*information courtesy of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.