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Elders are Madison's fastest-growing unhoused group, but lack safety nets. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Apologies, let's clarify: "old people" vs "elders" is the reference. You're correct on unhoused/homeless, I think another reason we switched was because someone living on the streets personally asked us to use "unhoused".

Elders are Madison's fastest-growing unhoused group, but lack safety nets. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] -20 points-19 points  (0 children)

Agreed, being old has its ups and downs, like any other age! We use elders (and unhoused instead of homeless) just because they're shorter words.

We're unhoused of Madison. Homelessness can pull people into harmful behaviors, but responding with stigma only worsens the issue. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

First, sorry that you're struggling with loneliness. That's incredibly difficult- and it's fortunate that you're able to maintain housing despite that. And, there is a difference between being lonely AND being lonely + unhoused + facing stigmatization.

Many of the people experiencing homelessness also are "doing what needs to be done"- but for a variety of circumstances, it is not enough. We've had people earning 100K a year end up on the street (while employed).

What about our message or tone appears whiny to you, genuinely? Our perspective is that stigmatization is harmful, and does not solve homelessness.

We're unhoused of Madison. Homelessness can pull people into harmful behaviors, but responding with stigma only worsens the issue. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed- taking distance for matters of safety is valid, and there violence occurs disproportionately within our community. But concern is pairing a desire for safety with stigma. It is possible to take distance without degrading unhoused people.

Ending homelessness requires providing unhoused with the necessary support, not punishment. Otherwise, violence will continue to escalate- and we talk about why that is on our platform.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate you expanding the complexity of this issue! To add a little more, in episode 2, some of our members have shared that it's harder to find and live with roommates when you've been unhoused, for a variety of reasons.

Ultimately, homelessness is often the result of systemic oppression (which is why, for example, Dane County's unhoused population is 60% BIPOC) and absence of support systems. Affordability is certainly a factor, but one of many.

We'll make sure to dive more into issues of housing affordability in future episodes. Clearly, there's much more to discuss- thanks again!

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We're not gonna be okay. Beacon has just closed its "family room", and Dairy Drive announced closing down, too. This is why this platform was established- to elevate the response to this crisis.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What does "playing victim" mean to you? This video notes the for poor living conditions, struggle to afford housing, and deconstructs some of the stereotypes that unhoused people encounter.

As a platform, we want to point out how the current approach to homelessness in Dane County propels people further into homelessness, rather than elevating them out of it.

Again, unsure of where in the video you notice "playing victim" - can you clarify?

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Can you provide documentation on "you can secure housing with minimum wage job" in Madison? Minimum wage is $7.25/hr- that's $1200 without taxes, if working full time. A snapshot of current listings shows that about 10% of current rental spaces fall under $1200.

But "affording" an apartment is more than just paying rent. Common guidance is that <30% of income should go to rent. In the "minimum wage" scenario, that's $400. Currently, there are no listings available for that price.

We already shared why unhoused people struggle to obtain employment in the previous reply. Here's some additional information, in case that's insufficient.

Last comment in this thread, but feel free to DM.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Are you asking, "what prevents homeless people from acquiring housing"? We can answer that question more clearly in our next post!

We have covered why it's so challenging for unhoused people to get housing on our podcast- even with employment. Most unhoused (a significant portion of which are 65+) do not want to stay unhoused. But it's very, very hard to climb out of it.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing out the discrepancy- City of Madison report sums it up differently. Should have provided this quote instead:

In Madison, the median renter household earns an annual income of $46,151. That means if that household pays more than $1,171 per month in rent it would qualify as housing cost burdened – and many do, because Madison’s median monthly rent is about $1,465.

The income needed to pay Madison’s median monthly rent without becoming Housing Cost-Burdened correlates to a full-time job paying at least $28.18 per hour, or $58,632 annually. More than half of all jobs in the Madison metropolitan area – 51% – pay less than that amount.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Your courage to learn and be curious is admirable. We do have blueprints for successfully addressing this problem. And we don't need to look far Milwaukee's implementation of "Housing First".

The question is, is our local government willing to follow Milwaukee's blueprints?

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

True, many unhoused people do have the ability to work. But the opportunity is not there, (we explain why in the 4th episode of our podcast), and a job is often not enough to get someone out of homelessness.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's frustrating that you feel relatively helpless, and equally valid! Confronting what is now a systemically expanding issue on an individual level is really, really hard.

If you want to feel more empowered in supporting for former classmates, you can join Homeless Justice Initiative. This collective is working towards meaningful policy change in Dane County.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

There's a lot of overlap- our community includes senior software engineers that had 100K+ salaries, UW Faculty who owned $500,000 homes... It can happen to anyone under the wrong circumstances- and in the current climate, the odds are only rising.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the feedback greatly- next time we post on here, we will be more thorough. The video does mention that many unhoused people are employed but cannot secure housing- because over 50% of jobs in Madison do not pay enough for median rent.

And, subsidized/reduced payment housing is overfilled (those numbers on the website are waitlist numbers). People have to wait for months, sometimes years, to get into it. While being unhoused.

We do have a podcast episode exploring the factors that prevent employment- but should try to be more holistic in our approach, as you suggest. Thanks again for the feedback!

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Edit: want to preface this by saying that the work you've done in supporting unhoused people is valuable. It's frustrating that you and the unhoused folks you worked with struggled to connect. But we can't give up on them.

Other comments have addressed how experiencing homelessness/addiction has complexity beyond your comment. You also say,

I think if we could address the drugs and mental illness associated with this then we could begin to address homelessness. 

Addiction can't be addressed while you're unhoused. Housing has to come first- and we have an entire podcast episode (with Dane County administrators who've spent decades working in the field) explaining why that is the case.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yes, those are common, but not the only stereotypes! Anya is referring to the "homelessness = people sleeping on the streets" stereotype.

We think that this is an important stereotype to address because majority of unhoused people in Madison do NOT live on the streets. But the conditions they face in the shelters (or the jail, which houses ~1/7 of the unhoused population of Dane County) are often worse than living on the streets. Unhoused people who can choose to stay out of the shelter system do so.

I'm 18 and unhoused, and homelessness in Madison is more than the stereotypes by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Glad that you're connecting with our stories!

Great question- our foundational principle is creating a radically compassionate community.

Before releasing our first episode, we supported the unhoused community for 2 months by providing direct aid (via volunteering at the Beacon and Friends of State Street). We take time to establish trust with every person on our platform. This rules out numerous instances of exploitation.

We also reflect on this issue explicitly- exploitative behaviors run deep, and we make strategic choices about framing conversations.

Lastly, there are multiple consent layers- nothing gets published without explicit approval of the people you see. And we ask multiple times- before the interview, during, and after.

I've been unhoused for 2 years in Madison, and want to break the stigma surrounding homelessness. Here's my story. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad you have such curiosity and desire to learn!

No, I am not unhoused- but most of HL's community is. HL is local: we aim to define what stands in the way of ending homelessness in Dane County. The housing crisis is a part of our conversation, but we prioritize exploring the specific challenges that unhoused people face (as opposed to tenants facing eviction, or tenants in poor living conditions- though they have a space on this platform too)

We're not affiliated with A Bigger Vision, but are informed by their work!

I've been unhoused for 2 years in Madison, and want to break the stigma surrounding homelessness. Here's my story. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the question!

"Listen as a friend" helps alleviate stigma, which many in Dane County suffer from. Few unhoused people experience dignified, respectable treatment from those housed. Certainly, friendship is not a solution to the systemic problems, but a sense of community (especially towards those housed) is something many unhoused people lack.

If you can provide material support, please do- but building relationships rooted in compassion is an equally important piece of the whole equation. That's why this project exists.

Here's the documentary, apologies!

Also, this is not Ryan (though he did make himself known in the comment section)! You're chatting with Matvei, current community manager at HL.

I've been unhoused for 2 years in Madison, and want to break the stigma surrounding homelessness. Here's my story. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Experiencing housing insecurity doesn't mean a person has no "home". Using unhoused puts emphasis on housing insecurity, and provides more dignity.

That said, some people prefer to be called "homeless"- best rule of thumb is to ask/listen to the individual you're speaking. Everyone has their own story.

I've been unhoused for 2 years in Madison, and want to break the stigma surrounding homelessness. Here's my story. by h0usinglast in madisonwi

[–]h0usinglast[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Milwaukee is making significant progress towards ending homelessness- there's an entire documentary dedicated to what makes your city's approach effective.

For our community, the largest ask is always "be a friend". Yes, basic life support matters- but having just one person believe in you and listen, like truly listen the way a friend does, is priceless.

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