From Income Inequality to Inadequate Healthcare, Systemic Issues Fuel the Homelessness Crisis. Here’s How Hennepin County is Leading the Way Toward Real Change.
When the question of how to end homelessness arises, the responses are often overwhelming and contradictory. With homelessness continuing to increase and no clear solution in sight, it’s hard not to feel discouraged. Every day, countless people find themselves just one crisis, one traumatic event, one missed paycheck away from losing their homes. For me, that’s a real fear I face every single day. I’ve been homeless before, and being homeless again is by far my biggest fear.
Public perception of homelessness is full of varying opinions, but unfortunately, it often leans toward harmful stereotypes. Too frequently, homeless individuals are unfairly judged through these negative lenses, reinforcing biases that only deepen the crisis we’re facing today.
When I think of my own experience with becoming homeless, there is really no single answer to “why” or “how.” There were many contributing factors. I was young, barely an adult, poor, and very naive, and I stepped into a situation that quickly turned into the first piece in a domino effect. While in college, I had to move quickly after the end of a lease. I ended up renting from a slumlord who doubled my rent – refusing to honor a lease renewal on a rent-stable apartment.
The Reality of Predatory Landlords and a Broken Housing System
I had no idea at the time the kind of hell that was waiting for me. For starters, the man put a sledgehammer through my living room wall. He turned off my heat and electricity in the middle of winter in hopes he could freeze me out.
What’s more? It wasn’t until later that I realized how common my experience was. It wasn’t just a bad apple in a mostly good apple tree. It was a rotten apple tree. I spent almost a year in housing court, hoping that even a crumb-size piece of justice would be served. However, I had no legal representation, and the courtroom was packed. And I mean packed as in shoulder to shoulder, out into the hallway, sitting on the floor. Myself and hundreds of other families were fighting to stay inside their homes. This wasn’t a bad apple situation but a huge rotten tree situation.
Tumbling I went, stumbling from one shelter to the next. Left and right social workers told me there were no services available to me. I was either too poor or not poor enough. Not disabled enough. Too educated. Not educated enough. Too young. Too old. Months came and went, and I heard stories about folks who had been there before me – some for 7-8-9 years in that shelter.
Homelessness is a Symptom of Larger Systemic Failures
Homelessness is the product of a complex web of systemic failures. While individuals may become homeless through various circumstances, specific factors—like income inequality, low wages, a high cost of living, lack of affordable housing, inadequate healthcare and mental health services, and insufficient social security and disability benefits—make it even harder to prevent or escape homelessness.
The first step toward change is acknowledging this reality, as difficult as it may be. We need to set aside harmful myths about homelessness and understand that it stems from deeply rooted structural issues that demand dismantling and rebuilding.
Hennepin County is one of the very few places in America that has successfully considered these facts and recreated a system that can work. They learned that ending homelessness required many different strategies, and more so, a system of strategies that work together in unison—collaboration is key. Hennepin County identified the major root causes of homelessness, as well as when and how best to support and prevent homelessness from occurring in their community. This is how they do it.
The Power of Prevention: Adult Representation Services (ARS)
One of the primary ways to end homelessness is, of course, preventing it in the first place. This is where Adult Representation Services (ARS) comes in. ARS provides a variety of services to their community. For those who are facing eviction, legal representation helps people stay in their homes. In our new documentary, “America Can End Homelessness: Hennepin County Proves It’s Possible,” Brian tells Invisible People how he was able to receive two months of rental assistance through ARS when he was unable to pay his rent during cancer treatments. Without ARS, Brian may have found himself on the streets with cancer.
The fact that this is a very real possibility in many other cities across the states is a scary reality. For many people, the only thing standing between them and homelessness is a GoFundMe fundraiser, and we deserve better than that.
In addition to ARS, Hennepin County also includes affordable housing initiatives, eviction prevention programs, community outreach, and low-barrier access to shelters and permanent supportive housing all as part of their system to end homelessness. For those navigating through these services, Hennepin County also offers peer navigational support, which provides guidance to those seeking assistance within the system.
Long-Term Investments in Affordable and Supportive Housing
With a $98 million investment in 15,000 supportive housing units and long-term investments in affordable housing, Hennepin County understands that affordable housing is the foundation for a stable life. With mental health services, addiction treatment, and job training all offered through support housing, the program aims to help tenants build a stable life while providing long-term affordable housing – this is not just about ending homelessness now but also securing their future.
Additionally, outreach programs do more than provide guidance and services. They build relationships because healthy, trustworthy relationships open doors to solid support and understanding.
I want to emphasize that a crucial and integral part of their strategy is to ensure all of these programs work in unison with each other. It’s about making sure that it works every step of the way. Hennepin County does what many cities have failed to do – they listen carefully to those who are using their programs. They understand the invaluable expertise and insight of those who are and have been homeless. Only through this approach can a city truly comprehend the complexities of homelessness and how to address it from every angle.
Perhaps one day, someone like Brian wouldn’t need eviction prevention services, and there would be a system in place to protect us when we’re suddenly unable to work because of cancer treatments. Unfortunately, that day is not today. But perhaps Hennepin County can provide us with the spark of hope we need to continue pushing a little further to make things a little better for all of us, one day at a time.
