Service Groups and Faith Alliance
June 21, 2022
Meeting Minutes
Homelessness in Apex and Cary
Attendees:
Nicole Bernard, Elliott Brooks (Street Outreach Specialist with Triangle Family Services), Jim Ahler, Officer Kenneth Ragland, Danica Coleman, Kevin O’Brien (Pastor, Apex Baptist), Sam Kim (United Church), Nancy Wakeley (Peak City Exchange Club), Jesse Thomas (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), Deb Vinci
Introduction:
Nicole introduced Elliot Brooks from Triangle Family Services, who will build on last month’s presentation on Homelessness:
Understanding the Traps of Homelessness – Responding to Extreme Poverty with Empathy, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Housing First Strategies
What poverty does – psychologically and understanding how to work with this
Types of Interventions:
· Prevention – can be a simple one-off thing like the paying of a bill, etc.
· Diversion – lost their housing which is addressed with temporary shelters; often just a little bit of assistance and case management and then they can get back on their feet
· If they fall through these first two safety nets, there are likely barriers that require some additional support such as drugs, alcohol, transportation needs, job requirements, etc.
Housing First – This program is focused on housing being the first thing to address. Once this is addressed it allows them to then be employed, deal with mental issues, provide safety, food storage options and place to store documents,
Existing perceived solutions to homelessness:
· Need to make better choices
· Need to save money
· Need to be clean from substance abuse
· Morally weak
The Cost of Poverty
· Very expensive to get out of the cycle because they don’t have resources to do this
· Always playing catch up in the poverty cycle – too poor to save – Their experienced trauma impacts their financial choices
· Trauma and Spending – Saving doesn’t happen if you can’t plan or predict future – survival mode
· Substance Use – out in cold Meth/alcohol is your friend keeps you warm and feeling safe as you can stay awake (to protect yourself) and it is an escape
· Viewed as a benefit
· Sober or using – both are options…Using is often a choice to keep going
Let’s Enter into This World – Elliot walked us through a powerful visualization projection of someone entering homelessness and all the traps that they go through without support.
· Choices are not available.
· Shelter or Assistance often equal judgment
· Saying “No” to help is often the only power and form of control that they feel they have
· Do not judge based on what I would do.
· Love and caring.
· Allow people to be human again.
· Systems need to be built on building people up rather than within the constraints of our systems.
They need to be SAFE and SHELTERED before they can receive help with other issues.
QUESTIONS:
Is the requirement of obtaining a job in 2 weeks common for receiving shelter? Not as much but in rural areas more so.
Food and Financial vulnerability – Jim Ahler- our folks in WWCM are housed – Do we have shelters in Apex? There are no shelters in Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, or Fuquay. No emergency shelter for white flag. No severe weather shelters. There are no buses in Apex to move homeless to Raleigh shelters.
Do shelters in Raleigh require that you have to be received in by a certain time. They are “overnight only” based on weather. Coordinated entry system for extended shelter and this is list based.
Nicole said we are doing survey to churches and schools (in July) to try to gather data on where there may be needs. Then use this data to provide a white flag shelter or improve availability of transportation to a shelter. Homeless Cat 1 if living in woods or on the street. Data on staying with folks that are runaway subject to trafficking is separately tracked.
Couch surfers have failed prevention/diversion – Caring Place at Dorcas helps with this.
Elliott receives referrals from HUB and uses Western Wake to investigate homeless encampments. Triangle Family Services offers case management without housing options. Rapid Housing requires individuals to have income. She partners with organizations to provide food.
Needs would include: Food (easy to open, nonperishables), water, bug spray, batteries (D and others) are needed and could be collected and given to Elliott.
Barriers: service animals (Emotional Support Animals) are not received well for housing. Pets only– pit-bull or rottweilers not usually accepted in affordable apartments. Proof required that the animal is well behaved and not aggressive or would damage property. Service Animal letter is necessary.
Elliott Brooks contact information: 919-501-8504 ebrooks@tfsnc.org