Point-in-Time Count: Perception of Homelessness Reinforced
The annual point-in-time count of homeless people starts with a flurry of activity. A steadily rising number of men migrate into City Union Mission's chapel, where the survey is conducted, leading to a room filled with 150 people. I fully expect my perceptions of homelessness to be reinforced; I expect to see and talk with hard-working, clear-eyed individuals down on their luck, without health care, without a good job or money to make ends meet...and alone.
In one sense they are just like the people I work with every day, except they lack necessities like a home, a job, health care, transportation.
Vickie Riddle, the survey coordinator with Homeless Services Coalition of Greater Kansas City, interviews one of the men to show us survey takers how it's done. After our last instructions we spread out across several tables to conduct interviews about health conditions and lifestyle behaviors in an open room with everyone in earshot listening to the most private information that no one with a choice would dare answer.
The 2011 annual Missouri survey results (PDF) show the depth and extent of homelessness and poverty in the Kansas City area. This year's survey is nicely structured to connect with individuals to provide services or counseling.
The men proceed because it's the required activity before chapel, before dinner and a bed. They know the routine but occasionally a security person comes through to provide instructions to people to stay seated, stay in line, over here, and not too close. One security manager whispers in my ear that the shelter residents don't need to participate in the survey - they can just get a ticket for the dinner and a bed. That news caused about 5 guys to walk up asking for a ticket without having to take the survey. I'm reassured as the number of men asking for a ticket without the survey dwindles. I can get back to conducting surveys.
Each of the nine men I surveyed in three hours showed the most calm disposition to the survey. Each listened to the question and answered thoughtfully, patiently to very personal questions, even to insulting questions such as "Do any friends, family, or other people take your money....use your drugs, drink your alcohol...?" They must be accustomed to answering these questions because not a single person took offense nor displayed an attitude. Not a single person refused to answer a single question even "Do you ever do things that may be considered to be risky like exchange sex for money, run drugs for someone, have unprotected sex, share a needle?"
To a person each one answered all the questions, took their ticket and walked on.
During the interviews I tallied five chronically homeless men, one disabled person, one with substance abuse problems and three military veterans. They varied in ages 30 to 64, mostly Black, English was their first language except one man. Some were homeless for two months, others for several years. They carried canes, lacked teeth, one man had a speech problem, one reiterated his problem with seizures -- where do I specify that condition on the survey? One had Medicaid, another Medicare health insurance or VA health care benefits, but the remaining had no insurance. Three answered they go to Truman Med when they need health care or are not feeling well. One man mentioned he was in the process of applying for insurance - "part of the new Obamacare health insurance plans?," I asked. "Yes," he said.
My hat is off to the shelter residents -- people who are homeless -- who endure these crowded conditions, metal detectors, and plastic mattresses. All for a hot meal and a bed away from the cold elements for another day.
In one sense they are just like the people I work with every day, except they lack necessities like a home, a job, health care, transportation.
Vickie Riddle, the survey coordinator with Homeless Services Coalition of Greater Kansas City, interviews one of the men to show us survey takers how it's done. After our last instructions we spread out across several tables to conduct interviews about health conditions and lifestyle behaviors in an open room with everyone in earshot listening to the most private information that no one with a choice would dare answer.
The 2011 annual Missouri survey results (PDF) show the depth and extent of homelessness and poverty in the Kansas City area. This year's survey is nicely structured to connect with individuals to provide services or counseling.
The men proceed because it's the required activity before chapel, before dinner and a bed. They know the routine but occasionally a security person comes through to provide instructions to people to stay seated, stay in line, over here, and not too close. One security manager whispers in my ear that the shelter residents don't need to participate in the survey - they can just get a ticket for the dinner and a bed. That news caused about 5 guys to walk up asking for a ticket without having to take the survey. I'm reassured as the number of men asking for a ticket without the survey dwindles. I can get back to conducting surveys.
Each of the nine men I surveyed in three hours showed the most calm disposition to the survey. Each listened to the question and answered thoughtfully, patiently to very personal questions, even to insulting questions such as "Do any friends, family, or other people take your money....use your drugs, drink your alcohol...?" They must be accustomed to answering these questions because not a single person took offense nor displayed an attitude. Not a single person refused to answer a single question even "Do you ever do things that may be considered to be risky like exchange sex for money, run drugs for someone, have unprotected sex, share a needle?"
To a person each one answered all the questions, took their ticket and walked on.
During the interviews I tallied five chronically homeless men, one disabled person, one with substance abuse problems and three military veterans. They varied in ages 30 to 64, mostly Black, English was their first language except one man. Some were homeless for two months, others for several years. They carried canes, lacked teeth, one man had a speech problem, one reiterated his problem with seizures -- where do I specify that condition on the survey? One had Medicaid, another Medicare health insurance or VA health care benefits, but the remaining had no insurance. Three answered they go to Truman Med when they need health care or are not feeling well. One man mentioned he was in the process of applying for insurance - "part of the new Obamacare health insurance plans?," I asked. "Yes," he said.
My hat is off to the shelter residents -- people who are homeless -- who endure these crowded conditions, metal detectors, and plastic mattresses. All for a hot meal and a bed away from the cold elements for another day.
Comments