We have all had the experience of walking around a city and seeing people struggling with homelessness. Our initial reaction may be one of discomfort because seeing someone struggling with homelessness is hard for most people. A lot of people want to help, but there are so many spoken and unspoken rules when it comes to helping social causes. There is not a one size fits all to helping people, especially with a cause so complex and worldwide like homelessness.
In recent years the amount of people without homes has increased, with more than 10,000 more people in California experiencing homelessness from 2019 to 2020, and the numbers worldwide reflect them. This is a worldwide issue with different socioeconomic causes that can vary depending on the region they originated in. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that it costs about $40,000 a year for a homeless person to live on the streets. The BKRHC estimated that for 2016 to 2017, the total combined budget for services locally was around $25 million. This came out to about $5,551 per person.
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There are quantifiable measures and goals set out to hit, but what can we do to hit them? I spoke to one of the team members at Homeless Entrepreneur, Mayte Miro, and she had some recommendations.
“It is important to remember that governments and people have the same goal: to end homelessness. Their intentions are there, but the methods may vary.”
When it comes to what the average person can do to help, your money and time donations can really impact these people who are struggling with homelessness. When asking another professional working in the homeless nonprofit sphere, Lana Dalton, the Homeless Programs Division Manager at City of Aurora, she said something similar. When donating whether that be time, money, or physical items, it is best to go through a reputable nonprofit.
“Direct financial donations to individuals who are unhoused are not preferred.”
Noting this consensus, that donation to a nonprofit is ideal when wanting to help the unhoused, the next question is what kind of nonprofit should I donate to? I think a good rule of thumb is chosing a nonprofit that is transparent about their use of donations. The nonprofit you donate to should align their mission and its business endeavors. When asking Sergi, who works at BBVA in Madrid, he commented on exactly this.
“While a nonprofit needs to focus on to be sustainable, transparency of use of funds is key.”
To do the most help, you are best off donating whatever resources you have available to a reputable, transparent nonprofit. Donating to a nonprofit usually ensures that your dollar will go further and help those who need it.
Housing Help
Housing help usually consists of shelters, drop-in centers, or transitional housing. Shelters provide just that, shelter; they offer you a place to rest your head for the night, but don’t traditionally offer necessary supplies. Drop-in centers kind of do the opposite of a shelter and offer supplies but not a place to stay overnight. Transitional housing is a more involved approach to helping people get back on their feet, it tends to offer a place to stay, and resources to help get you out of homelessness. Although transitional housing is a broader term, and the specifics of the housing can vary greatly.
At Homeless Entrepreneur, we have our Launchpad Housing Program which houses homeless people and gives them resources to focus on ending their state of homelessness. This program utilizes local hostels to house people experiencing homelessness, it partners with local businesses to identify those who may need help, and it prioritizes partnering with local NGOs and government to create the most opportunities for the unhoused.
Other Homeless Support Services
This is the broadest area of help, and some churches, public charities, NGOs operate in this sphere. This might consist of clothing drives, job networks, and affordable clinics depending on the source. These are community specific and vary greatly depending on the needs of the community.
Here at Homeless Entrepreneur our solution to help people experiencing is a more holistic approach.
Our Homeless Helpline collects real-time data from and about homeless people or those about to become homeless and connects them to available resources, and aims to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Homeless Voices provides insight into the lives of homeless individuals to connect them with their community along with housing and employment opportunities, so they can grow their income and build their assets.
Our Help Program provides a support pathway to independence through incentivizing employment opportunities and fostering entrepreneurial activities. It is a holistic one-year program that targets poverty, works in conjunction with the Homeless Hostels Work program or already existing housing programs in order to create sustainable change via active citizenship, community and life purpose.
