As we all know, seriously, the economy around here in Racine, and around Wisconsin, is pretty piss poor around here. There are probably 300 people who are unemployed for every job that is available. When adding the underemployed to this mix, with jobs that either pay more or have more hours, it’s probably more like 450 people per available job. This is not a statistic to be proud of.
I really don’t care what numbers that our elected officials are bragging about. All of these stats about all of these jobs being made here in Wisconsin don’t seem to be helping anybody I know. Very few, if any, are in a better situation now than what they were 2-3 years ago. My family is actually in a worse situation, and that is even considering that I’ve applied to 3500 jobs in the last 3 years, and, out of the 6 I was interviewed for, only 2 hired me, and both ended up being short term or temporary. This is a very piss poor situation.
While sure, there are a lot of things going on, that look good on paper or in theory, and makes people feel warm and fuzzy, but, I tell you, it is NOT a bed of rose petals. It’s more like a bed of rose bush thorns. Seriously. While some of this may be better than nothing, it doesn’t mean anything when human dignity is meaningless in these situations. These programs still leave a bad taste in my mouth, and leaves way too much to be desired. Please read through to understand what I’m saying, before commenting, because even though I’m not the one who is becoming homeless right now, I’ve learned a lot, as well as the fact that our housemate is the one getting into this situation, right now.
As an advocate and a resource for those who don’t have higher connections, I get asked a lot of questions, and I’ve had to make tons of calls, to the point that I had to delegate some of those calls to Mike, so we could tag team on gathering information. Thing is, it’s a long and frustrating process to get the help that is truly needed.
So, 1st step: Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization (HALO) - the homeless shelter here in Racine, WI. There is a men’s side, and a women & children side. Here are the qualifications:
- No alcohol or drug issues, with a 0 tolerance for substance usage. No exceptions.
- No sex offenders allowed, period. They do not distinguish between Romeo & Juliet vs. the classic pedophile.
- No disability or other special needs that requires too much attention. So, if you have Cerebral Palsy or something that you need help getting dressed, you don’t get an aid to come help you.
- New (and returning) people must sleep on the floor in the dining room for anywhere between a few days up to a week, maybe more.
- If you are a dining room resident, you are required to be out of the shelter from 7am to 7pm, regardless of how long your stay in the dining room is. It also means it doesn’t matter of the rooms, which can accommodate 7-10 beds, is less than half full, you still start your stay on a thin rubber mat on the hard floor in the dining room.
- Other residents in the rooms are required to be out from 9am to 2pm. No exceptions, period!
- You are not allowed to bring your own pillows, bedding, or food into the shelter. These items risk being confiscated temporarily or permanently, and could potentially get one kicked out of the shelter.
- You bust be in by 4:30pm if you want dinner at 5. If you’re lucky enough to get dinner out at a friend’s, then, back by 8pm to keep your bed overnight (or something ridiculously early like that.
- Children are NOT allowed on the men’s side, so, a single dad with his son(s) must stay on the women’s side, and while the child(ren) are allowed to communicate with others, the father must not engage with any of the residents on the women’s side, at all. If a family, which consists of a husband, wife and child(ren), the husband must go to the men’s side, and the wife must take the minor children to the women’s side, thus breaking up a family.
- The men and women are not allowed to communicate back and forth while on the opposite sides, even if they are married. So, while on one hand, they say that sex offenders are not allowed, yet possibly assume that only men are sex offenders? I’m not sure, the family thing makes no sense.
Mind you, they DO NOT provide lunch. Only breakfast, dinner, and maybe a bedtime snack, which is pending what is available. If you work 3rd shift, guess what? It doesn’t matter. You’re still required to leave the shelter for the day time hours as outlined in the rules. There is also no van to take anyone to the various places such as the Hospitality Center or where ever else that could be a good resource for people.
Homeless Overnight Sanctuary (HOST), is a seasonal overnight warming shelter that runs from November 1st through March 31st, and opens its doors at 7pm, and the participants need to be out at 7am. The purpose is, no one is turned away, so those who don’t qualify for HALO can come and get a place to sleep here, but, here again, no sex offenders and those with special accommodations may not get the help they need to get dressed/undressed. But, good news for those with substance abuse issues, this shelter will take them in, and there is a van to take people in at 7am to get to other places, though, it is not an all day service. It only picks you up in the morning to take you to a certain check point, and maybe will pick people up in the evening to get into the shelter.
Workforce Solutions Center/Workforce Development Center - they have their crash courses going on all of the time, so, you can get their services and a certificates for various things like interviewing, job search, etc. But, the courses are offered on certain days at certain times, and the open resume workshop is not always available. Also, the computers for public use to find jobs have a 2 hour time limit.
The library is another place that people can go, but, other patrons of the library sometimes complain, and, the computers there, also have time limits, so, if people want to spend full time looking for jobs, they are shit-out-of-luck. Most businesses you go to, will tell you to fill out an application online, and, they don’t all have a computer for public use to apply for their jobs. It is not exactly an easy thing to accomplish in this case.
There are programs such as Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Racine Vocational Ministries (RVM), F-Set, and the Vine Ministries which help people find employment, and they can all have lengthy processes. While these services are great, you’re not always a good fit for everyone, especially if you have transportation issues. Yes, there is the public bus system, but, if you have no money, you can’t get on the bus. That is the way it works.
Even with the rental assistance places, there are issues, there, too. So, while you may get help on an emergency basis, through agencies such as Legal Action, Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, Section 8 Housing vouchers, Racine Housing Authority, and Racine/Kenosha Community Action Agency (RKCAA), not only do you need an official eviction notice or other official thing stating your current state of homelessness, you also have to have the means that once they give you your 1 month rent, that you will be able to pay your rent on your own, and it’s a once a year thing that you can do this. So, with no employment, these services do not do you any good, what so ever.
The HOPES Center works with many of the agencies listed above, and has the Rapid Rehousing program, which helps those in dire need with rent and utilities for up to 2 years, but, you have to meet certain criteria.
- One must be homeless. Not just evicted, outright homeless.
- One must be rejected by HALO. So, now, your shelter is under a park bench, and your worldly possessions fit into a backpack, and not much more, because if you can afford a storage unit, you probably can afford rent (their logic, not mine).
- One must also be homeless for a period of time, I forget how long, before one gets this help. They have counseling for those who need it.
So, why does this stink? An alcoholic with no source of income is able to get the rapid rehousing into an apartment, without knowing if they will permanently get sober, or a drug user who has various disabilities with no guarantee to get social security can get their housing and electric paid for up to 2 years, but, a guy who is just trying to find a job to help pay toward rent can’t really get any of these things.
Why am I mad and upset? Our housemate has to leave our house. Sure, he sometimes gets under my skin. He also annoys me often. There have been times that I just wanted to choke him. Because of our financial situation, I really can’t afford to support my own family, much less other people. But. He is not a bad guy. He and Chad seemed to connect and my cats have gotten attached to him. He’s been a part of our household for almost 2 years. He likes the same food we do. Foodies, food science experiments, action movies, cats... It was something like February or March of 2015 when he first came to us, where his mother went elsewhere to live, which made him homeless to start. We helped him get into HALO then. During the week, when he had to be out, he would come over during the day to use his computer and found a perfect job for a single guy as a delivery van driver, over the road. That was in about September of 2015 when he got hired. When he got his driving job, he was pushed out of HALO since his work schedule would make it so he was not there enough to hold his bed, so, we took him in. Middle of March 2016, he was downsized, and like so many others here in Racine, he’d had a difficult time finding other employment. So, now, to have to bring him back to HALO again, damn it. I’m so mad, angry and upset, I’m about ready to cry.
For myself, personally, life has been difficult since the get go. I don’t know anything else, except for doing my damnedest to get past hurdles. That has been the story of my life. What ever things that are social issues that ought to be fixed, I have probably experienced it. This, is what makes me an advocate who can stand and fight for other people. If I ended up anything, even while still impoverished, I am a strong woman who is a true problem solver by thinking unconventionally. Remember the 90’s buzz about thinking out of the box? Well. I had 25 years experience being outside of the box. As an advocate, I am one of the stronger ones who exist, and sure, while I deserve to get paid, how do you charge someone who has less than me? I cannot do it. It would be wrong to take advantage of someone’s misfortune. The fact that I can’t do anything to change it, is what gets to me.
So many things... I started my internship, which I seriously am liking. I’m also trying to find permanent work that can support my family. Then there is my cause, Youth Voice Initiative (YVI), to fight for abused children to be better protected in court. YVI is also starting very important new campaigns. I’m also helping with other very important groups. My son is at a point in his education to think about college, and where he might want to go. But, to have this homeless thing in my face, knowing that it’s not just my housemate, but there are other friends of mine, as well as my own family who are just one paycheck away from being in the same fate, and struggling to find a job. I’m also looking into trying to turn hobbies into something that pays. But, this is me. Because of my health, I cannot work factories, stocking positions, standing in one place for hours on end, or other physically demanding jobs. It’s office work, or else.
It just looks and seems as if there is nothing... Nothing for those of us who are busting butt to find employment to prevent us from becoming homeless, and puts even more obstacles in front of people to get anything worthy. I’ve gone to different events to push for the help needed, wrote to various places whether it’s my legislators or some agency... What do I have? More talks. More public input. But where are these jobs? We. Need. Jobs. Not just any jobs. Family. Supporting. Jobs. Employ people, and the abuse issues will slow down. But, to give those who have addiction issues more help than those of us who have real potential to get out there just seems as if we are punished for being honest. Is anybody out there? Does anybody care? What’s being done about this? Anything? Nothing? Why do good people have to get all of this bullshit?
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