February 11, 2021 — Out of sight isn’t out of mind.
“Oh look how clean that stretch of road is!” Much better than the eyesore of ‘homeless’ people and their belongings, right? “I’m so glad the city could clean this up and get all those people into safe shelter…”
Wait.
That isn’t how this works.
What do you mean?
Last night was a pretty balmy night compared to most this time of year and there were a whopping 62 beds available throughout Salt Lake County!
Woohoo!
Wait.
Not woohoo?
At 62, last night’s number of vacancies far exceeds the number most winter evenings.
That isn’t nearly enough. Not even close.
By our boots on the ground estimate somewhere over 200 people were displaced today, more than triple the amount of beds available.
So where did they go?
A few blocks this way, a few blocks that, they scatter to avoid arrest and harassment. They haul their belongings with them on their backs unless community members step up to transport them and their property somewhere else. Anything that was left behind unceremoniously removed by dump truck.
But seriously, where will they go?
Wherever they can find.
Not to anywhere stable.
Not to anywhere safer than where they were “camping” in a busy area near food and restroom facilities under the streetlights which provide some sense of security.
They go wherever they think might give them some peace until the next push.
When will the next push be? Tomorrow? Next week? Where will they go then?
This seems like a vicious cycle, because it is.
There are THREE winter storms over the next three days. Please keep this in mind as you join me in following up on how many beds are available over the next weekend, knowing that these people–many on disability, many veterans are trying regain some sense of stability right now in a new location just down the road.
Some of these folks desperately want to earn their keep and get gainful employment, but lack the identifying documents or the existence of warrants or criminal charges related directly to being an unsheltered person hold them back.
Some already are working, some you would never recognize as being “homeless” if you saw them on the street.
Some are being forced into making decisions that no one should have to make to survive.
But, survival has to be the priority.
Survival is what gets them through each day.
There are many individuals with mental health concerns, which are exacerbated by this kind of upheaval, who are reeling right now with the potential to act out or lash out as a trauma response.
Young and old, medicated and not, healthy and frail; all were forced to scatter with so few resources currently available. Just as long as they are not visible, right?
I can’t stop thinking about this.
I won’t.
We are taking action. We are making change. We do this, because we have to, we can’t look away when our vulnerable friends need us.
If you’re willing to join our outreach and assist in whatever ways you can, these folks need all the support they can get. Find out more at Unsheltered Utah or join our group
Unsheltered Utah where we coordinate for donation drives and distribution. We are working to develop long-term solutions because this isn’t right.
