To The Austin Residents PROTESTING the Homeless Hotels

Dear Austin Residents,

Yesterday, I heard that your City Council was taking action on buying hotels to try to solve the problem of homelessness in your city. I was overjoyed, as this has been a vision of mine for many years - that we would have a network of hotels nationwide that could be established as residences and rehabilitation programs for people who have found themselves battling homelessness.

This morning I woke up with this heavy on my heart. As a Social Worker graduate and fellow citizen who has lived in the "middle class" most of my life, I think I understand your concerns. However, as a Christian and someone who was temporarily thrown into poverty for at least five years, I also have a unique perspective I hope to bring to this conversation. 

When I looked up the news story last night, I was sad to find the videos of some of your residents protesting. I want to offer my response to the concerns raised in hopes that a larger understanding towards the homeless population will surface and rather than protesting what you fear or don't like, many may jump in and provide help coming up with solutions to this ever growing problem nationwide.

This rehabilitation effort cannot fall 100% on your City Council. I applaud them for stepping up and being willing to take measures for solutions, but this is a systemic problem that will require  more than temporary housing. This will require a city-wide effort from businesses and residents to be able to create an economic system that will allow these individuals to transition out of homelessness to sustainable independent living situations where they are contributing to society in positive ways. 

Obviously, due to physical and mental health issues, there most likely may be a part of the homeless population who will require the mercy of the city to simply meet them where they are and provide a humane way for them to live out their life. I would think housing them in an accountable program would be a wiser solution for all over having these individuals trying to survive on the streets wherever they can find resources. 

Concerns I saw voiced (with my voice answering):

1. "Growing crime in the area" 

Rachelle: Let's see the statistics on this. Who can back up that crime in the area has increased, specifically due to the homeless causing it? Let's also define which specific "crimes" are occurring.)

2. "A quick fix solution to the growing homeless crisis"

Rachelle: This is not a "quick fix solution". This is only one step toward removing them off your streets. Your City needs your support to turn this into a successful step toward a longer term goal.

3. Fear of the homeless breaking into the neighboring houses. 

"They try to break into our houses. There are so many Ring videos where so many people are coming up to the doors already, pulling the door knobs and trying to get in just to see if it's open, some of them have been. The police are doing what they can, but there's not enough already. So, we've already had the crime. 

We try to help. People are coming out saying we're heartless, we're not.  We've already spent several years going down - we bring food, we bring meals, we bring jackets, shirts, and handwarmers and footwarmers in the winter time. We're not heartless."

Rachelle : I'm not sure the stats on this, so it's hard to speak about. Is she referencing 1-2 times this has happened, or is this an ongoing problem? Is this a result of homeless who already live in a hotel bought by the city previously? Or is she speaking in general about wandering homeless people who are currently living on the street near her neighborhood?

If the homeless are put into a program that meets their basic needs (shelter, food), I would think it would be less likely they will be going door to door for resources. We also need to know what their full story of these situations were before judging the entire homeless population. Were these people starving to death? Were they intent on committing crimes once they broke in?

KVUE says, "They plan to continue to hold protests until the city reconsiders".

Rachelle: What are the protesters specifically asking be "reconsidered"? The purchase completely or the way the purchase will be used specifically to help the homeless?

Source Video:

According to this news broadcaster, the goal is to transition people experiencing homelessness into temporary housing.

I want to encourage you, if you are reading this and also afraid of homeless hotels coming near your neighborhoods or cities,

Instead of feeding:

the assumptions,

the fears,

the stigmas,

the judgements...

Ask yourself the following:

1. Does that thought or statement truly represent ALL people who are homeless?

2. What are the facts, the statistics, to back up that judgement or thought?

3. What solution do I think should happen instead? (really think this through - try to solve the problem logistically if you were in charge and if you had unlimited resources)

4. Do I believe every human being has a right to basic needs like shelter, food, clothing, support systems, education/skills, freedoms as an American citizen?

5. Do I believe every human being does better (emotional health, safer to be around, more productive, etc) when they believe they have a purpose for their life vs just trying to survive?

6. How would my life be different if I did not have

• my family support system?
• my education?
• access to my Driver's License, Birth Certificate, Social Security Card?
• access to credit - my mortgage, my car loan, my credit cards? 

7. How would my life be different if I lost my job or lost my health (physical or mental) and could no longer work?

8. How would my life be different if I was forbidden to use any debt as a means to survive in our current economic culture? Could I pay for my own housing, food, transportation?

9. Have I ever experienced any type of trauma or illness where I can relate to not being able to focus/think long enough to productively work to sustain myself during that time? What would my life be like today if that had lasted years?

10. What professional or unique resources, training, or skills do I have that I could offer to help our city in the efforts to help this population of people who are struggling?

Well... I hear my daughter's alarm going off. It's 6:42 AM and we have to get ready to take her to her ACT test this morning. A luxury she most likely won't appreciate. A luxury many of us don't realize as such. But, most likely, if we were able to poll the homeless population and ask what their ACT SCORE was, I doubt the majority of them would have one. But what about those in the mix who do? What about the life circumstances that have knocked them down to where they are now? Shouldn't we be at least trying to build a sustainable social economic system where there is at least a ladder with levels from the bottom to the top? 

Truth be told, many of us are in the middle or top - and it can take one moment to knock us all down. I've been there... thankfully, we never were on the street - but for the grace of God and the generosity of many people who helped our family; but, for four years, I was keenly aware that we were two college educated people, who had done all the things, and yet here we were teetering on that edge.

If you are not familiar with my SOCKS.team blog, I invite you to read some of my posts there. I have tried to be vulnerable to my real emotions I have worked through as I have been trying to give help to people for over thirteen years now. I have not covered most of the stories, but hopefully there are enough on there to help you start to think about these things in new ways. Hopefully, you too will be inspired to do more than just give some money here and there, pass out some sandwiches on holidays, or send your extra food to the local food pantry.  We must get out of our comfort zones and be boots on the ground to help our each other... homeless or not.

Please stop protesting your City Council, and instead, come to the table with real solutions and offer to help where you can. This will require more than money; it requires systems - which will require compassionate, generous, and ingenious citizens to help serve their community. 

Gotta run,

♥ Rachelle Suzanne

 "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard."

Proverbs 21:13 NKJV