This chapter presents the findings of the second sub-question, which asks how PEH would like to see the city, or county, transformed to be more inclusive for PEH. During the interviews, PEH were asked what the word “inclusive” meant to them. Most did not know what the word meant out of context, but when asked how they would like to see the city transformed to be more inclusive, everybody had ideas. Overall, PEH and professionals would like there to be more accessible and comprehensive services, safe spaces, warm spaces, decriminalization of homelessness, and better system design for the inclusion of PEH. The following sections will delve into each of the aforementioned suggestions and explain how participants perceived each would make the community more inclusive for PEH.
6.2.1 More Accessible, Comprehensive Services
A common theme throughout the interviews was that PEH struggled to access services, and when they did, many participants felt that the services were not comprehensive enough to help them long-term. In addition, it was quickly apparent that issues such as documentation loss, or lack of a phone affected the services PEH were able to utilize. Due to these types of
hinderances, many suggested it would be better if there were more, better services that matched the realities of the homeless experience. For instance, Peter suggested that major retailers, such as Walmart or Target, could have an office where you could apply for a new driver’s license, or other lost documentation. He said,
“The problem is, if your stuff is stolen, you need a new license. They tell you to wait 35 days before you can come back to get your license, but when that day comes, you forget about it because you have no way of managing, you don’t have a calendar, or something comes up…you need an ID to do a lot. You can’t get a hotel room without one. Scheduling slows people down…if they had mobile locations to get ID, then the accessibility would be better. So, insurance, ID, whatever the basic needs are, you could cut down on transportation and scheduling issues.”
(Peter, 20/02/22)
Aside from that, many PEH suggested that shelters need to be more flexible with who they allow to stay. As mentioned, many shelters are exclusively for men or women, which can prevent couples or parents experiencing homelessness from staying, as they are unwilling to separate from their loved ones. For instance, Audrey, a mother of three, was not able to stay at a shelter with her children most of the time because her son was going through puberty, and could
not stay at the same shelter as his mom and sisters. Ava and David, a married couple, slept outside most nights because they could stay together. Rules such as these cause PEH to stay in more dangerous, precarious situations.
Connor, a professional, expressed concern because many services are designed as crisis response, instead of long-term, stable help to keep people from falling into homelessness again.
He said,
“I think the long-term planning piece would definitely be helpful, and then I just feel like maybe having …more robust programs, whether that’s like having more job training programs, or just having more places where people could go. Even with…the additional money we’re getting from the county, there’s probably at least three or four families that we turn away every day simply because we don’t have any space and there’s literally nowhere else for them to go…it’s pretty heartbreaking to tell some 18-year-old kid with a newborn that we have no space for them”. (Connor, 04/02/22)
Overall, PEH and professionals alike would like to see a transformation of services to be more accessible and comprehensive so PEH could be more included in the city.
6.2.2 Safe Spaces
Three PEH and one professional said they would like the city to have more safe spaces as a way for it to be transformed to be more inclusive for PEH. Sarah, a woman experiencing homelessness, and Jen, a professional, explained the different types of safe spaces PEH need.
Sarah said,
“I would like to see them put more encampments up with tiny houses downtown. It’s a lot better than staying in a tent, and to have a key to lock your stuff in. If the city would let more people be there, that would be ideal, with staff to watch it and make sure that everyone is safe, instead of telling people to leave…It takes care of the eye sore and used needles, plus the areas [where the encampments are] would be cleaner, so it would take care of everyone”. (Sarah, 21/02/22)
Jen, a professional, said she would like to see,
“Safe and free designated camping, and free designated parking. Also, safe and free place for people to use drugs. I think would be really helpful. Would it solve it? No. It would be
creating safe space.” (Jen, 07/02/22)
Both PEH and Jen’s professional insight made it clear that providing safe space where PEH are not criminalized is an important aspect when it comes to transforming the city to be more inclusive for PEH.
6.2.3 Warm Places
Aside from safe spaces, a few PEH identified a need for warm places where they would not be criminalized as a way to transform the city to be more inclusive. Peter said,
“When you’re cold outside, what do you want? Heat!” (Peter, 20/02/22)
All of the participants interviewed who experienced homelessness were characterized as being unsheltered, so heat and element exposure was something they grappled with regularly.
Mae said,
“There needs to be a place where homeless people can be to get warm in the winter and cool down in the summer, where we won’t get in trouble, and that doesn’t get shut down because we’re there.” (Mae, 16/03/22)
Clearly having designated places where PEH could escape the weather would be a positive transformation so PEH could be more included.
6.2.4 Decriminalization of Homelessness
The issue of homeless criminalization was brought up repeatedly, and it became clear that the decriminalization of homelessness would help transform the city to be more inclusive for PEH. Multiple PEH and professionals brought up this issue, and many respondents articulated a deep distrust of law enforcement, and resentment towards local vagrancy laws. Jen, a
professional said,
“The way it is now, like, we have nowhere for you to go, but you have to GO…it really does feel like criminalizing existence.” (Jen, 07/02/22)
Parks, sidewalks, parking lots, and many more public spaces have shut off hours, and many PEH have to schedule their days around those hours and rules that criminalize and displace them. As mentioned, Ava and David have to move their things multiple times a day to avoid shut off hours and vagrancy laws. It takes them about one hour each time they need to move their things because of David’s disability. When they don’t move, they get tickets or the police often take their possessions. I actually had to bring David a second copy of his transcript because the police took half their belongings, including the transcript, while they were moving from one side of the street to the other.
The decriminalization of homelessness was brought up as a way to transform the city to be more inclusive for PEH because then they could be in public space without constant threat of law enforcement and could perhaps spend their time productively to get out of homelessness.
6.2.5 System Design
Lastly, the issue of system design was mentioned as a way to transform the city to be more inclusive for PEH. Professionals and PEH discussed the importance of transparency and designing the system to cater to PEH. Due to the pandemic, many services and resources have changed formats to work virtually, but most PEH do not have access to a phone or the internet, so those services aren’t adequately reaching the people who need them. Further, while services used to be brought to encampments and to PEH, now, because of the pandemic, PEH have to go to the services. PEH expressed frustration with these system design flaws in almost every interview. Simon, a professional, exasperatedly said,
“if you don’t design the system in support of those you’re serving, but you design them in support of yourself and the players, then that’s what you get. You get a system that serves the history of the organization and not the population [you aim to serve]”. (Simon, 03/02/22)
Simon also discussed the issue of transparency with local non-profits that aim to aid PEH. He said,
“there are people in the system that are ‘poverty pimps’. They are making money off of poverty, people living in poverty, and they're taking advantage of those systems by consuming the resource and not putting it back into the mission, which is what is required in a not for profit, right? It's not supposed to benefit you individually. It's supposed to benefit everybody.” (Simon, 03/02/22)
Overall, for the city to be transformed to be more inclusive for PEH, the system design needs to cater to PEH and their needs recognizing that they don’t necessarily have access to technology or transportation to reach services. Further, local agencies and non-profits need to increase their transparency with regards to helping PEH.
6.2.6 Closing Remarks
PEH in Thurston County identified several ways they would like to see the city transformed to be more inclusive for them. These included more accessible, comprehensive services, having safe spaces, and warm places. Participants also felt that decriminalizing
homelessness and creating systems designed for PEH would help them feel more included, as well.
6.3 Empirical Chapter 3: Non-Human Entities for Negotiating Citizenship and Space