Perceived Causes of Homelessness
The Impact of Policies on HomelessnessHomelessness is not a new issue in Durham. There have always been programs to address the needs of homeless people, both from governmental and non-governmental sources.
The religious community plays an active role in providing assistance to those in need. They provide on-going basic services such as shelter and food, and they help people seeking job training and housing. Durham Rescue Mission, St. Philip's Episcopal Church and its Community Kitchen, Housing for New Hope, and the Durham Community Shelter for H.O.P.E. were among the religious organizations or church-affiliated organizations mentioned in many interviews. Genesis House, another program, provides childcare services for residents who are working during the day and has a job-training program.
Mental health services for those with mental health issues and substance abuse are provided by The Durham Center. There is an outreach worker in the homeless shelter who identifies patients in need and refers these patients to The Durham Center for treatment. TROSA is a non-profit center for people seeking substance rehabilitation in addition to housing, and provides treatment, job training, and employment at their own company-run endeavors.
Physical health services are provided by Lincoln Health Center. They have a Health Care for the Homeless program, where staff pay visits to the Shelter for H.O.P.E., and provide free medical examinations for Shelter for H.O.P.E. residents. They also refer patients to Durham Regional Hospital if they need hospitalization. The Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center also provides treatment and transitional housing for homeless veterans.
Like TROSA and the Durham Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army runs a job-training program that focuses on increasing job skills for homeless people, and has been quite successful in helping participants increase their employment potential. Durham Technical Community College and the Chamber of Commerce provide training for homeless school children.
The Presbyterian Urban Ministry provides financial assistance to pay for rent, electric bills, and heating needs. This can be viewed as a type of homeless prevention service. Durham Housing Authority has made great efforts in providing more low-cost housing.
As for the role of local government, service providers have different opinions about the extent of its effort in addressing housing issues. Some felt that it is making a good faith effort in that area, and is very effective in expanding public housing. Other providers think that it is quite far from achieving the real needs of the housing demand in Durham. "The city really works best for the slum lords, but not for the residents, not for the citizens. And I think that the citizens should be their number one priority. And they haven't been for a long time."
Most service providers appear to have limited information about the past and present programs and projects in Durham that address the needs of homeless people. Some providers were familiar with project names, but did not have further information about them. It is quite clear that there is a lack of collaboration among services for homeless people in Durham. This limits the benefits homeless people can derive from these services. Another issue that was raised by service providers is the difficulty in maintaining some of the programs/projects that were undertaken in the past or are currently in place. Some programs were successful but had to be terminated due to a lack of financial resources, staff and facilities. The overall idea conveyed by service providers is that they have done what they can, but to change the situation of homelessness in Durham is still a challenge.
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Perceived Causes of Homelessness |
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