Leona Smith believes that things happen for a reason. But when increased car payments made it impossible for her to keep up with her rent two months ago, she started doubting this credo. She was soon evicted from her apartment -- and found herself homeless. Smith transformed her white car into a portable home -- storing a cot, alarm clock, briefcase, laundry bag and a week's supply of clothes within its doors. And, all the while, she continued to work. Now, Smith, 47, sits comfortably on her own tan couch, in her own North Philadelphia apartment. "You ask yourself, 'What did I do? What did I do wrong,'" she said simply. And though Smith was never technically homeless on the streets, there is a sizeable population around campus that spends its nights outside. Whether impacted by drugs, excessive bills, mental illness or a host of other issues, many find themselves out in the cold trying to survive on the streets of University City. And over a year ago, the Crime Prevention Unit of the Penn Police identified homelessness as one of several problems within the University's boundaries that needed to be addressed immediately. Penn, the University City District and the local police all have programs in place to help those on the streets get back inside. Experts, however, question the effectiveness of these programs at decreasing homelessness around campus.
The culture
While meandering in and around the streets of campus, it's impossible not to notice someone homeless or begging for loose change. A Penn Police survey -- conducted the night of January 31 -- found that there were 12 homeless people in its patrol area, from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from 31st to 43rd streets. Despite these numbers, experts say it is hard to accurately measure the level of homelessness around the University. "We really have no idea what homelessness is like in and around Penn," said Dennis Culhane, an associate professor of Social Work. Many of the area's homeless do not fit the stereotypical mold of what homeless people should look like -- they're not disheveled and unkempt, carrying their belongings in a shopping cart. Culhane asserted that as a result, the number of homeless in this area goes underestimated. "We don't necessarily know who is homeless," he said. "One of the most telling facts from research is that most homeless people are not visibly recognizable as homeless." In fact, while those on the streets may not know where their next meal is coming from, Culhane noted that they still make sure to find a shower. "People who are homeless spend great attention and time making sure they don't look homeless... people spend a considerable amount of time and a share of their income on personal hygiene -- buying soap, razors, shaving cream, keeping clean clothes," Culhane said. Culhane, who analyzes homeless populations and housing options for the mentally ill, adds that a third of the homeless population is employed and most are homeless for less than a month. And though the reasons for homelessness are complex, alcohol and drug addiction, mental illness and depression, traumatic experiences and outright poverty ultimately land many on the streets. And Smith, now several months removed from living in her car, found out the hard way that nobody was immune to these problems. "I always wondered how people could become homeless," Smith admits. "I used to think it was only because of drugs... but I found out as a law-abiding, decent citizen, that it could happen to you." Culhane, who spent many nights in homeless shelters as part of his doctoral dissertation, said that University City bears witness to two distinct problems: street homelessness and panhandling. "Panhandling is not homelessness," he emphasized. And while some panhandlers are homeless, the fact remains that many are not. "It's important for folks to realize that these people are legitimately extremely poor," Culhane said. "They're not faking poverty."
Finding a solution
And as the prominence of the homeless population became more pronounced several years ago, helping the homeless population around Penn became a job for the University, the UCD and the local police, among others. Penn started the UCD over three years ago to improve the quality of life around the University, trying to attract city and suburban residents to the area as a destination spot. Penn Police now act as "first responders," working with outreach components of UCD and Project HOME to encourage more of the area's homeless to spend nights in shelters. Project HOME works to help the homeless of Philadelphia through outreach programs. While Culhane noted that Philadelphia has a central intake shelter on Broad Street, UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said that the homeless are taken to a number of shelters throughout the city. Penn Police Corporal Joseph Fischer says that those living on the streets pose a potential danger to the community -- some are mentally unstable, some have uncontrollable addictions and some could become violent. "Obviously, if we have these people congregating in our area, we have the potential for crime or panhandling," he said. Police officers approach homeless on the street, offering shelter and contacting the Outreach Coordination Center if the person agrees. The Center sends out a team trained to care for the homeless. And according to a city ordinance, people are prohibited from lying on the sidewalk, sitting too long in public places or aggressively panhandling. "We have to at least get them up and moving," Fischer said. "We'll allow them to leave -- they're entitled to that, but we just can't let them lay somewhere and sleep out on the street." And in the winter months, Code Blue situations -- when temperatures are deemed too dangerous for the homeless to spend the night outdoors -- make this task particularly important. But while the University -- through the actions of the UCD and the Penn Police -- is working to help combat the problem of homelessness, Culhane admits there is only so much the school can do. "The University is just one of many complex players who provide jobs and impact quality of life," Culhane says. "It's a national problem and it needs a national solution." While much of Penn's and Philadelphia's efforts focus on outreach services for the homeless, Culhane says that the shelter system is "short-term action [that] does not substitute for a long-term plan." Instead, Culhane advocates that affordable housing be developed for low-income residents.
Feeding addiction?
The most visible element of homelessness or poverty, in the eyes of many Penn students, is being asked for change. Penn Police, however, tell students to refrain from handing over that extra dime, warning that they could be doing more harm than good. "I stress to students, to faculty and to staff, when you see someone panhandling, one, don't give them any money, and two, call the police," Fischer urged. The police have the experience and expertise to get the homeless food and shelter and donating loose change could possibly be feeding a dangerous addiction, Fischer warned. But College freshman Andrew Schwartz said that he sometimes gives spare change to panhandlers, depending upon his cash supply and his mood. Schwartz, who took Culhane's class last semester, says he now has a better appreciation for the plight of the homeless. "People tend to see homeless people laying on the street and you see this dirty, shabby person sitting there and you kind of discount them," he said. But, "these people are real people with real problems."
Reaching Out
Mark Roberts, 39, has real problems. Wearing a denim jacket and a baseball cap to mask his white hair, he sits outside 30th Street Station, waiting to board a UCD outreach van bound for a shelter, smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves. "I lost my house this morning," he says, then pauses. "I feel like a piece of crap right now," he continues, his voice escalating. "I'm scared to death, I just want some help." In a program less than a month old, the Safety Ambassadors of UCD are expanding their outreach services to include 30th Street Station. Ambassadors who receive special training from Project HOME, are labeled as members of the outreach team. "The main thing about this program is to try and find out what their needs are and to try and get them met," Fenton said. With the aid of an outreach van recently donated by Penn, ambassadors patrol the station, encouraging the homeless to spend the night in a shelter and providing them with transportation. Out of the 46 Safety Ambassadors, Steinke said that about eight are trained in outreach. While patrolling University City, these ambassadors can approach the homeless on the streets and offer them services. According to Fenton, last year roughly 60 homeless people would spend their nights at the train station. And this year, that number has been reduced to about 35. Ambassadors patrol the aisles, benches and booths of the station looking for people they suspect are without a home. "I ask them if they're waiting for the train," Ambassador Veronique Beasle said. "If they say they're not, I ask them if they need services." Usually, the Outreach van makes two to three trips from the station to a shelter, bringing in anywhere from a handful to a dozen people in need of help. "Right now we're at a point where when we come in people know we're here to help," Fenton said. "When they see the University City District coats, they see a friendly face." Ambassador Eric Powell has been noted by his colleagues for easily eliciting the trust of the area's homeless. "If you can only reach one, one at a time," Powell said. "That's all I want."
Sidebar: Group works to bring people 'HOME'
Georgiana used to live on the streets, lugging around her life's belongings in a shopping cart. And she has the scars to prove it -- losing nine of her toes to frostbite. Georgiana sought medical care and, as a result, eventually grew stronger. And until recently, she was an instrumental member on the board of Project HOME, a Philadelphia organization dedicated to combating homelessness. The institution, established in 1989, coordinates efforts to develop affordable housing, increase education and employment opportunities for the poor and increase access to quality health care. The group's goal is "to enable men, women and families to break down the cycle of homelessness and poverty," said Sister Mary Scullion, executive director and co-founder of Project HOME. "I attribute Project HOME's success to Georgiana and many other people like her," Scullion said."She demonstrated that with the right kind of opportunity, people really didn't want to or need to live on the streets." The Project HOME office, including several rooms for the homeless, is located at 1515 Fairmont Avenue, but its services extend throughout the city. The organization works to help coordinate the outreach efforts of Penn and University City and is actively involved in University City's most recent efforts at 30th Street Station. "The goal is to have [the homeless] get the best service that's most appropriate for them," said Genny O'Donnell, the outreach services coordinator for the outreach division of Project HOME. "Sometimes that means a shelter, sometimes that means a recovery house. Everybody's different and the system is big enough to accommodate the different types of people that need service," she added. O'Donnell encourages students to learn more about how to combat homelessness. "Our attitude is the more people know, the better off everyone is," she said. Scullion's job is one that never ends. In fact, she sleeps at a shelter designed for men recovering from substance abuse. The North Philadelphia shelter is a "clean and sober residence" for people to come and "get back on their feet," she said. When the shelter was first built, neighbors were skeptical about the type of resident Project HOME might attract to the neighborhood. So Scullion, to ameliorate their concerns, agreed to live in the North Philadelphia shelter. "They said they would be able to support the project if I actually lived there, so I said I would," Scullion said simply. Scullion has now been working with the area's homeless for 26 years, an experience that she considers educational and enlightening. "I've learned a lot about courage and the resilience of the human spirit," she said, adding that she's learned about "the way poverty can be a form of institutionalized violence that really takes its toll on the lives of people." And she encourages others to get involved as well, to take the time to build a relationship with a homeless person. "And by building a relationship with that person, it empowers that person to get back in the mainstream," she said.
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