In a homeless shelter of CA, my hope turned in despair

Emergency shelters are thought to be safe shelters. The Calfatters investigation revealed a different reality. Patrick Hogan, a man interviewed for the series, shared why he and many other home -free Californians are reluctant to stay in shelters.

In the spring of 2017, I became homeless. I have been living in Orange for several months while working for Temp agency. But in March, I had to move from the house I lived in, sold and sought asylum near the Santa Anna River.

For the next 10 months, I made friends, went into battles, witnessed the misconduct of the police and the indifference of politicians. There was a cruelty that the homeless inflicted on each other, including violent relationships, rumors and harassment. There was also great kindness from both homeless and surrounding communities.

Then came a judge of the US District Court David Carter with a Temporary restraining order delay cleaning and a Require Orange County to come up with a plan to deal with the crisis. For the homeless community, Carter was a hero and what was once a complete distrust of power has become a goddess for the homeless.

After a year and some strange months, the county reveals its slap, ineffective plan-not to help the homeless as they claim, but to deliver the county of such homeless and in every way that they can.

Two quotes stuck in my mind when The river bed was eventually cleared In 2018, one, from Judge Carter, until he visited the river bed for the last time, saying, “Everyone will receive a home.” Then he waved on the crowd and he was gone.

The other quote came from the then leader of the Orange Andrew County, as the homeless passed from 30-day motels to shelters. “If people are not ready for a home, the home we provide them will become a crack houses,” he saidS Last summer, plead guilty for assignment of $ 13 million From the elderly dining program Vietnamese people.

As for Carter’s quote, he had to say “hardly anyone will receive a home” because this is the reality of this today. Honestly, why are you accommodating them? The shelter system today is designed to isolate, depression, infantile and thwart those who are unhappy Enough to enter them.

That’s right, I said enough misery.

Here’s how shelters turn hope into despair. They will promise any kind of support for guests to find a home. What does that mean? It means nothing because your navigator doesn’t really find you a home, they only Help providing a voucher – Sometimes.

Take Nicole L., who was in the shelter of the army of salvation on and beyond more than five years. Instead of pointing her in the direction to get a voucher, Nicole had to go down and find her own, which she believes she found with relative ease. Nicole felt that she was misled to hold her in a facility. And this mood is reinforced by many of those in the shelters in Orange County.

This is the beginning of despair. The non-holding and constantly changing rules in the shelters-rules that are intended to keep us stored, controlled and beyond the balance. This includes leaving permission, searching, when we return, restricts possessions, has no food from the outside and without visitors. The complaint processes consist of no action after being written, but instead include revenge for their submission – everything from losing personal possessions to exit a program at any given moment.

These types of policies seem to be the norm. Once you are expelled, you receive a return date of 30, 60 or 90 days, so passing through a rotating door is part of the experience. The shelters are often called either the relationship employee or the police officer who has indicated you and informs them that you have been expelled. Sooner or later, the police will contact you with an immediate search or search disorders that are designed to do one of the two: to bring you back to non -profit shelters for making money or letting you out of the city.

It was before Proposal 36The plan of vertical voters of the prosecution approved last fall.

Combined with the shelters are their cousins, the converted motels. Although not able to house as many people as possible, they can still Make an impact on clearing the streets of homelessS However, these mini-enlargements are far more insidious and dangerous. They are covered by rules that restrict guests’ movements and isolate them without visitors, without food in the main building and various restrictions designed, such as shelters, to turn you from an adult to a child.

If you are already in a state of depression, this is now deteriorating and the hope you have felt, and you finally get inside, is quickly printed from the isolated place where you are now stored, but you should also be grateful.

Many of those I talked to – and even I – sometimes affect the days of the river bed. There was more freedom of movement, more a sense of community, people who care for each other, including people outside the homeless community. There was a real sense of belonging.

Yes, there was uncertainty. Yes, there were thieves, and sometimes violence against each other. But every day you can go to a camp and ask for a drink or something to eat and not be rejected. We helped each other.

Now it looks like those whose job it is to help have such indifference. It is no wonder that people are in shelters for three to five years before receiving residential vouchers. And there is literally no help after you receive a voucher. It is up to you to find a place that will accept it.

So the question is: What can we do to improve it? How can we make the shelters more efficient in finding permanent homes for the non -smoking?

# 1, which would have the most large impact that makes shelters more effective is supervision. Officials can make the supervisory panel that has some teeth and calls for a proper process when someone is expelled. Stopping police recommendations for shelters will also help as this usually begins a stay of a person with a sense of resistance.

Transparency. Too long the counties dilute the deaths of homeless people along with Apparently there is no accountability of money pouring into shelters. This, combined without follow -up after providing housing vouchers, leaves the shelters to do and say whatever they want. And who will say they are wrong?

But let’s admit it. Even if you have been able to do all this, there is still a giant hole in this decision, which, if removed, could bring to future homeless reasoning: homes at affordable prices.