The Financial and Social Impact of the Un-Housed

Guest Blog for Fairlight’s Nonprofit Insights Series

Author volunteering with his family during the pandemic.

When I began volunteering with the Downtown Streets Team (DST) during the Bay Area Fall lockdown, I initially thought I would be engaging with homeless people on the streets of Berkeley and Oakland. While I have seen homeless people in San Francisco and Oakland over the years and occasionally handed out food, I did not understand the financial, social and justice impact that being unhoused has on all of us.

The DST model is unique because they work with those who are both un-housed. living on the streets and those who are in temporary shelters and they partner with the team members to beautify the community around them. You may see DST members, who are volunteers, wearing brightly colored yellow shirts and green vests sweeping

Last November and again in December, my family and I prepared snack bags for members of the Downtown Streets Team. Through my supervisor at DST, Julian Buchwalter, I learned that the most important part of the snack bags would be a personalized card or letter of encouragement to Team Members. We had the chance to personally deliver the bags and meet briefly with team members outside during the late fall lockdown.

We met Pamela who has been a DST member for several years. She said she used to have a house in Oakland and was in the military.  However, due to disability from the military, mental health issues and alcohol problems, she lost her house and lived on streets. She started as a volunteer with DST and slowly she learned how to apply for her military benefits, and she moved up the ranks as a DST staff member who now supervises other DST members.

When we asked Pamela what she most wanted people to know about DST members, she said “we are human beings too. When you walk by us on the street, know that we are human.” She said DST was very helpful in reaching out to her and treating her with dignity and given her a purpose and a job.  Pamela also said the word “homeless” has a stigma to it – as if you are not human and are less of a person. The word “un-housed” feels less de-humanizing.

We are human beings too. When you walk by us on the street, know that we are human

~ Pamela, DST Leader & formerly unhoused

Julian told us that many of the DST members had stories where they owned homes or had jobs but there may be a traumatic event, a health issue that prevented them from working and hospital bills they could not pay.  Many of the young people my age may not be aware that the cost of housing in the Bay Area has become very expensive. There are a lot of wealthy people living around here but also a lot of people who cannot afford rent. 

The East Bay Times cited a city audit of Oakland which says the city spent $12.6 million removing, cleaning and managing homeless encampments over the past 2 years.

The social impact is even greater. Chronic homelessness leads to post traumatic stress and an increase in mental health and physical health issues. If more people are using up our county health services, this impacts all the citizens of the county, not just the unhoused. This issue can also lead to businesses and companies wanting to leave Oakland, Berkeley and even the San Francisco Bay Area because of the lack of services and costs to businesses.

But what can we do?

First, we should push our local politicians to build more affordable housing so more people can access it. DST’s research says that 63% of team members cannot afford rent on a permanent basis and 37% do not have the income.

Downtown Streets Team, “The Truth About Homelessness”, www.streetsteam.org /causesMythsMisconceptions

Second, we should again push city leaders to have more job training with stipends available while people look for a job. It is difficult to get a job when you do not have a permanent address and where you do not have access to showers and clean clothes. 

Third, we should partner with models like DST that are working to help unhoused people have a purpose and a partnership in their own success. Hiring DST members to clean our streets and beautification projects will help them take care of themselves.

Lastly, one of the projects I am personally working on is building a website to house our virtual community closet. If you have jackets, blankets, coast and other clothing you wish to donate, please contact me so I can add it to our virtual community closet and connect you with DST.

If you would like to donate cash immediately, please visit the DST website here.

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