Mai Le: A place to call home

In our country, the homeless population is one that is commonly misunderstood and easily ignored. As a result, innovative and thoughtful advocacy has been rare despite the staggering number of homeless people in every major city and even in less densely populated areas. However, Philadelphia is leading the way in solving the complicated crisis with a relatively simple solution. The city is tackling this problem by providing the homeless with a home.

Unfortunately, the public often views the homeless population as idle, unintelligent and generally unworthy of rehabilitative services. And so there is little recognition of the lives these people led before mental illness, disability or substance abuse took over their existence.

Like anyone else, these individuals have interests and aspirations. But unlike most people, they have also suffered some sort of severe trauma. In short, they are truly the victims of an inequitable economic, social and political system.

Until I became involved with the Home First program, I never truly understood the core roots of homelessness. An incredible project under the umbrella of Horizon House Homeless Services, Home First attempts to conquer substance-use issues and mental illness by providing a homeless client with his own apartment. Given a stable place to live, a client will then be able to muster enough courage and motivation to finally address the destructive aspects of his life, whether they may be schizophrenia or an addiction to crack cocaine.

The agency correctly identifies that a mental illness or a substance-use issue has no bearing on how one will maintain an apartment. By recognizing that everyone, including himself, is worthy of a home, clients may then realize that they too are worthy of a better, healthier life.

The philosophy of providing a home for the homeless as the initial step is both ground-breaking and incredibly simple. Certainly the only way to eradicate homelessness is to provide them permanent, personal places to live.

Furthermore, Home First is realistic in that it sees addiction to drugs and alcohol as problems that cannot be overcome quickly. Rather, the Home First staff is well aware that a client's battle against addiction is actually a cycle that takes time and involves both relapses and progressions. Utilizing a harm-reduction philosophy, consumers are encouraged to use in a safer manner if they are unable to quit right away and go "cold-turkey." By understanding addiction in this pragmatic way, both the staff of Home First and its clients are able to forge stronger, more candid relationships with each other.

It is amazing, the amount of healing that can occur with the simple notion of home and family. The overwhelming feelings of care, pride and confidence that accompanies residence for these clients parallels the dedication, sincerity and passion of the Home First staff.

Of course, problems do not immediately disappear the moment a client moves into an apartment. Drug use still occurs. Mental illness does not automatically decrease. But, with one less odd against them, the formerly homeless are proving that logical, simple solutions are worthwhile and can be overwhelmingly effective in helping them rejoin society.

With Home First celebrating the success of over a 100 individuals housed this month, it is time for more cities to recognize and implement an entirely revolutionary way of treating what is an old problem.

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