Affordable Housing
“Your violin has only two strings,” I say. “You’re missing the other two.”
It is here that the unlikely friendship begins between Mr. Lopez and Mr. Ayers. We hope you are enjoying The Soloist. We also trust that your previous discussions exploring the topics of joblessness, homelessness, and mental illness will continue and that your research will become more defined leading into the Town Hall Meeting on April 1st.
The Town Hall Meeting will allow you to discuss these and other related issues with your peers and MSU faulty and community members. Additionally, The Soloist’s inspiring story has been selected for the 2009 Freshman Summer Reading, and Steve Lopez will be MSU’s Fall 2009 Convocation speaker. Furthermore, the story of Nathaniel Ayers and Steve Lopez will be released as a movie on April 24th. To meet Mr. Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers, click the link below:
The second way of dealing with the mentally ill is a little more laid back in a sense. It is a very long process and could take many years to get to the point of medication. In this process you need “consistent outreach and introduction of services at the client’s pace, that is what is key to engage people in treatment” (Provision of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services). This method shows the individual their options and allows them to choose for themselves. Giving them space and independence lets them put things together on their own, but this can take a lot of time.
On a positive note, they develop trust with the person showing them the way. For example Steve and Nathaniel, in “The Soloist,” develop a friendship over time because Steve gives Nathaniel options so that Nathaniel feels as if he is making the decision on his own. Developing trust is crucial with mentally ill homeless people, because frequently somewhere in their life that they have lost that. It is common when they are overwhelmed with their illness that they burn bridges and lose connections with family or friends. “Social support and family networks of these individuals have usually unraveled”( O’Sullivan 4). Family members usually lose contact because they do not know how to care for an individual with mental illness. It can be physically and emotionally draining to provide the right care. According to Mr. Ragins, a psychiatrist who provides Lopez with information in the novel, the overall message for this way of treatment is that you must “treat the person and not the disease” (Lopez 57). You must develop a strong friendship and be extremely patient.
One thing that Lopez did bring to light is the social programs that are available to the homeless and mentally ill. Though there are clearly not enough resources to take in every homeless person on the street, there are many organizations that are working to end homelessness as efficiently as funds allow them to. Homelessness is largely an urban occurrence, existing mainly in big cities and in high concentrations. There are between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness nationwide (www.pbs.org), and not nearly enough resources to help each person. In Los Angeles there are several social programs that appear to be on the right track to helping the homeless. Lamp Community, the place where Nathaniel spent a good deal of time, has been active on Skid Row for 23 years. It is based on the belief that housing is the first major step to recovery and that having a home is more likely to bring success to all areas of life for the homeless. They work mainly with the mentally ill homeless population, believing that they are the most at-risk individuals; whereas most shelters feel the mentally ill are unstable. Another L.A program called the Housing First Program works with families, mainly single mothers with children, to get them into affordable housing and stabilize them enough to get them into the work force.
All of these services depend on the individual’s will to change their life. No one will force them into treatment or housing; they must actively seek assistance themselves.
Homelessness is a vast and on-going issue, and it seems like it will never be solved; but it is small organizations like Lamp and individuals like Steve Lopez, with the initiative and will to save a life, that truly make a difference in the lives of the homeless.
In the book, Steve Lopez continuously tries to get Nathaniel to stay at Lamp, a downtown Los Angles agency that works with mentally ill homeless people. Homeless centers such as Lamp get the homeless off the street and into their own rooms. Keeping the homeless off the street keeps them from danger, gives them a sense of ownership, and more importantly keeps a roof over their heads away from harsh weather. While living on the streets, the homeless are exposed to violent crimes and drug use. Many homeless are beaten or robbed of whatever they have by other homeless people, or anyone in general looking for trouble. Providing free housing for the homeless gives the homeless a sense of ownership and somewhere to keep their things. This basic amenity of having somewhere to call home gives hope to the homeless and helps them get started on making a life for themselves. Even at a basic level, housing gives them somewhere to go to get away from the weather and have a warm bed at night.
Once on the street and without a home, it is considerably hard for anyone to afford a place to stay. Housing is extremely expensive, and in today’s economy it can be very hard for someone who has nothing to be able to make enough money to afford somewhere to live. If the homeless are given a second chance with free housing it can provide them with somewhere to stay while they work on getting jobs and making money without having to worry about paying rent. Eventually, when they are able to make enough money, they will be stable enough to look for somewhere to live on their own independently.
joseph.guerri Reply:
March 6th, 2009 at 11:17 am
@karissa.skogg, I agree with you, Karissa, on many points throughout your blog such as giving the chronically homeless free housing will “keep them from danger, give them a sense of ownership, and keep a roof over their head from weather”. But there is a more important aspect of giving the homeless housing which you have overlooked. As we have learned from reading Million-Dollar Murray, the chronically homeless population is very small (about 10 percent), and accounts for most of the cost regarding homelessness. It’s not paying for a place for them to stay, but for their medical bills. Gladwell’s essay recounts one man who had recently been released from jail and in just six months of living on the streets had a bill of one-hundred thousand dollars in just one hospital. The concept of free housing for extreme cases of homelessness is good in theory, but must be updated and regulated to meet a practical standard.
Before the logistics of free housing are discussed, the need for this provision will first be debated. While many want to see a practical housing plan take the homeless off the streets for their safety, others see it a way to save money and not have their tax dollars going towards their free medical care. The rest of the population would rather free housing not be imposed because there are families who cannot afford the house they are in and it would not be fare to give someone who is not attempting to work shelter. But regardless of people’s opinions the underlying fact is that the chronically homeless are costing our cities vast amounts of money on the wrong cause. Free housing for the select few who are running up million dollar tabs in medical care is proven to dramatically reduce their price on society, while possibly creating environments that are conducive to treatment.
Many of the chronically homeless have lived on the streets for years and decades. In this amount of time one can lose sight of reality and forget what is best for their health. In The soloist, Nathaniel Ayers found refuge and comfort on the streets of Los Angeles. When Lopez approaches him with an offer of a place to live Ayers is very apprehensive. But as the story progresses, he is more willing to give the new situation a try. Though many homeless might not think they want a place to live, it is only because of the length of time they have been living on the streets. If one is in a living situation for a long amount of time, it is natural to not want change.
In your essay, you say that property is very expensive in this turning economy, but they are rapidly dropping. According to WalletPop, property values have fallen 17 percent in 2008, one of the largest decreases in the history of the United States, and it is expected to keep falling. This is a great chance to purchase property to build the housing complex able to hold the eligible homeless cases.
I agree that an apartment of their own will create an environment that will allow them to get their life in order, but not without guidelines and expectations. A recipient of free housing should be required to hold a job (perhaps as simple as janitorial work) and work ten to twenty hours a week to begin with. They will receive an allowance to spend on what they choose so that they feel like their work is earning them something. They will be monitored closely and if they veer away from the simple rules too many times, they are no longer eligible for the program, regardless of the cost they impose on society while on the streets.
These provisions will help the homeless not take their new home for granted and give them a sense of responsibility. There is much reason to use the method of free housing but should be viewed as a privilege, not a right. This is the time to take action while property value is low, which will further decrease the price of housing someone for free. Free housing, if implemented correctly, will help the chronically homeless, as well as every American taxpayer.
It’s depressing to learn that a large percent of the homeless population suffer from mental illness. The Soloist is a poignant story and it is amazing how much Lopez helped Nathaniel by simply being his friend, and how much Nathaniel emotionally touched Lopez. However, not every homeless person with a mental illness has a person who will invest that much time into them. Also, in some parts of the story, I disagreed with Lopez’s actions when he manipulated Nathaniel into doing certain things. His intentions were good. He wanted Nathaniel to have a better life. Yet, although Nathaniel had a mental illness, he was still an adult and had certain rights. A person, mentally ill or not, should never be forced or manipulated into doing something that they don’t want to do. Mental illness is something that doesn’t just go away. It should be treated. Those homeless people who want help and want to be treated should be given a helping hand. However, they should not be forced.
“As the year turns over, room B-116 remains a shrine but does not become a home. Nathaniel sleeps in the tunnel. Skid Row is largely unchanged, and i begin to lose faith. In him. In Lamp. In myself”(Lopez 192). Here, Steve’s will upon Nathaniel has run riot, thus leaving his level of serenity exactly proportionate to his level of expectations. “Nathaniel will probably never be happy on my terms or by my definition, but maybe that’s my problem rather than his” (Lopez 138). Given that quote, what is it exactly that is keeping Steve working with Nathaniel? It appears to me Steve is not doing much more writing on the column, but becoming a “big brother” for Nathaniel. Some may say the reason Steve is doing what he is doing, is because he is seeing progress with Nathaniel. There is progress, i see it as well, but at the same time Steve has an obligation towards his family and his job. I believe feelings and relationships run deeper than what I can explore in this paper. Could it be possible that Steve could think he is in the wrong profession now?