How to Help Unhoused People in Your Community
According to EndHomelessness.org, there are approximately 550,000 people experiencing homelessness in the US today.
Many charities have been started to attempt to end or lower homelessness, yet since 2013 the number has stayed more or less the same.
Helping the unhoused can be done in more ways than just donating money to big charities.
Oftentimes that money won’t go directly to helping the unhoused like you want it to because these charities have overheads to cover and staff to pay, etc.
Instead, here are ways that you can ensure that you’re really helping the unhoused, and above all, being kind when doing so.
Helping the Unhoused with Money
Find local organizations
Look for grass roots and ground-level organizations that really provide for the unhoused in your local area and make sure you know who they cater to and how you can help. Working in tandem with them can help you to make the best and most impactful actions.
You can often find these groups on Facebook and by Googling “Grassroots Homeless Aid” + your city name. Here in Atlanta, we have a few grassroots organizations like Atlanta Homeless Relief.
Donate necessities
Whether to unhoused people in the street or in a shelter, donating necessary items can make all the difference in the world to someone’s quality of life. Socks, jackets, blankets, toiletries, food, and more. These could be your own second-hand items, or bought especially for donation.
Bring them to a shelter or put them directly in the hands of the unhoused people near you and read the reviews of the shelter beforehand.
Be considerate during the holidays
Giving gifts for families with children, or even gifts full stop can be a beautiful and meaningful gesture that shows the unhoused that they’re people too and deserving of the joy that others have.
Poverty is not a crime and can absolutely destroy someone’s mental health. Being kind and giving joy is something that will make can make the unhoused people in your community feel human again.
Offer aid
Aid can come in the form of helping unhoused people find a shelter, employment, government assistance programs, giving gift cards for groceries or food, or even a bus pass. You can also just give them cash. There’s a negative connotation with giving unhoused people money because at some point, we’re all told they’ll just use it to do drugs or buy alcohol, but that’s not for you to guess or assume. Cash is the single most helpful thing you can provide most unhoused people with. However, there are many ways that you can help a person in a simple one-off.
Free Ways to Help Unhoused People
Offer your time, if you don’t have spare cash, you can find opportunities that need to be filled to help augment mutual aid groups’ service to the community. Finding some time in your schedule to regularly volunteer is a great way to assist organizations in getting aid to people who need it.
Helping out at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter will truly impact them positively. These organizations often have tight budgets and not enough volunteers, so your time and effort are invaluable to them. You can help serve meals, look after kids or old folk, or simply be of good company.
Volunteer for an outing organization
Some volunteer groups will have events. Taking unhoused families out to someplace like the zoo or even a movie can help them gain a sense of normalcy. See if any volunteer groups offer things like these.
Raise awareness
Every shelter and organization needs donations and volunteers to run. Raising awareness is free and will help your common goal be reached. You can raise awareness without spending a cent by social media or word of mouth.
Host a class
Whatever hobbies you have, you can teach a class on them! It will be something fun for the people in a shelter to do, and you can form bonds. Sewing, kickboxing, square dancing, you name it. You can even help teach professional skills to help adults find gainful employment.
Offer a service
Your profession can come in handy by being offered free for people in a shelter or on the street. Offering legal advice, doing their tax return, a free haircut, maybe even a free check-up.
Tutor Children
Kids, teens, young adults, even grown-ups can want to focus on their education. You can help with whatever level you feel comfortable to, and make a difference that way!
Just be kind
No matter what you choose to do, whether that be something on this list or off it, remember that these are people too. They’re just like you - they have dignity, personalities, thoughts and dreams. You may be the only person that gives them the time of day on any given day - be kind. Learn their names. Ask them how you can help.
Policy and Legislation to Support to Lower/End Homelessness
American legislation does very little to help the unhoused. When it comes time to pick someone on the ballot, ask them if they support measures like:
Federal Housing Assistance
You may have heard of Section 8 housing, which is a housing choice voucher that helps low income families, the elderly, and the disabled buy housing in the private market. Ask if your legislators support federal or state housing assistance, and what their stances are. Ask for specifics and push them to do so after election season is over.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) decreased the number of homeless individuals by 7% since 2007. It is a program that helps chronically unhoused people obtain vouchers for housing, and helps with financial support to help facilitate transition to permanent housing. It’s considered an intervention service that helps bridge the gap between the overwhelmingly bureaucratic voucher system and voluntary support services to help get plans for those who have been unhoused for a long time.
It requires funding and facilitators that come from public funding. Make sure your legislators support it.
Housing First initiatives
PSH is considered a Housing First Initiative, but it is not the only one. Ask legislators what their Housing First plans are. Some cities, such as NYC, have a Housing First principal that allows people to get housing identification, rent and move-in assistance, and get assigned a case where they can work with someone that specializes in getting unhoused people access to a livable unit.
Extra Information & Fact Checking
Do you organize or work in a sector that helps lower homelessness in your city? Do you disagree with any information above, or have extra details to add to it? Please let me know by commenting below so I can update the article. I am not an organizer, just someone doing research and have some experience volunteering. I want to be the most help I can be.