|
Sporadic reflections from the front lines serving single adults experiencing homelessness, tracking COVID, post-week of wind in Phoenix, disrupting systems and living up to the legacy of a champion. It's been seven days since my last post. 17 3/4 months of loss of smell; new scents are all less than pleasant, for example burnt popcorn.
The last week at the Human Services Campus was less traumatic than the previous one. Still we are fraught with tensions over how to connect 941 unsheltered in our neighborhood with services. And feeling helpless while a day of wind gusts (reported over 60 mph at the airport) stretched, tore, and flung possessions across streets. People hunkered down in their temporary shelters built from random pieces of materials.
After several conversations, meetings, and listening to presentations this week, today I turned off my computer and looked at my white board. There is no clear picture, diagram or formation of words that paints a clear strategy or goals for 2023. There are random notes. The P, I, H for Prevention, Interventions, and Housing.
Refrains from those meetings and conversations this week echoed in my brain. All the advocacy for more housing. Yes, we need more housing. All the anxiety over the impending end of American Rescue Plan and CARES Act funding that have provided critical resources for the intervention services, like shelter, that assist people experiencing homelessness. Yes, we need those services.
With my bag and purse in hand, I said out loud to only myself, "we have to prevent the shit out of homelessness."
Not my most eloquent thought and expression. [Read More...]
| 
