Reflections on My Homelessness Brief to City Council

A need to “do something*.” 

So many of us, on the issue of homelessness in Regina, sensed a need for action.  Many of us were not sure how to respond, since it is a complex matter.  We like to be sure our response is “right,” since being on the wrong side of an evolving solution has consequences.  We may easily become immobilized by our indecision.

Our failure to do something may commonly be related to our attitudes towards risk.  Engagement in a political cause is always fraught with disagreements, sometimes with people of long-standing friendship.  Choosing to align with some as we step into the “unknown” risks some censure by others.   Safety, we think, lies with inactivity.  Let’s just wait a bit longer; maybe greater insight will emerge soon and we will feel more confident in our decisions to act.

Choosing to engage, then, is a choice of what to do and a choice of choosing one possible strategy over another.  We are often subject to the leadership influence we perceive in others.  In many such situations we know much less than we should about both those who purport to lead and the fuller understanding of the issues about which we know action is required.  The question, then, of choosing to act is not simple.  A failure to act may hinge on a hope that, with more time, we may get more clarity.  Hence we rationalize our failure to act and we often miss the opportunities available to us at critical points in personal and social struggles.

I sense, then, that a willingness to act in many situations reflects some deep personal characteristics.  I’ve mentioned one’s attitude to risk-taking, but our choice to act may also relate to degrees of personal confidence.  For those with relatively little experience in politics, say, how is it that some have more confidence than others?  Is it primarily based on experience, and possibly some pattern of proving to be right in the past?   And what about deeply held beliefs, and the past adoption of belief systems?  Confidence surely does emerge for many people from values and beliefs that can be viewed as the rational bedrock upon which we structure a fuller pattern of actions and reasons.

For me, in this case, a choice to submit a brief to City Council did reflect a willingness to risk.  But it also was based on some depth of understanding of the issues, as I made clear in an opening paragraph; I had years of experience with people who could easily slip into homelessness.  But there was more.  I have lived much of my life in the context of teaching and advocacy of values, both secular and religious.  In this particular case, I simply knew (believed) it was the right think to advocate for “the poor.”  It was time to step out of my cushy comfort zone and “do something.”  To some friends I did express a degree of doubt?  What do we really know about the Housing First  model we were being encouraged to support? In the end, a friend reminded me somewhat of the history of the movement and his sense that it represented a proven approach.  That comment nudged me in the direction of action at a moment when I might of, again, chosen to wait and withdraw.

I detail some of this here because I think all of us, having good intentions to do the right thing, are so often immobilized by any number of reasons for inaction.  If only we had more personal experience.  If only we had better understanding.  If only we had more confidence.  And yet, in life, we are forced to act and make decisions since time does not stop to wait for us.  It is so easy to miss the opportunities to act… to “do something.”

So I Did Something!

Afterwards, I must admit, there was some regret at my performance.  I did not perform to the level I had intended.  Emotions overtook my intentions to be fully rational and persuasive.  My stepping into the unknown did point up a latent emotional weakness.  I would take this into account another time, and choose to act a bit differently.  Yes, we do learn from experience.  But with no action, there is no experience.  I am pleased I chose to act and now have that added experience.

Our choice of leadership to follow

In meeting with Dan Leblanc, Peter Gilmer, and other representatives from church groups, we received some guidance on how City Council operates and a suggestion on how we could proceed:  (1) proceed to act on the basis of what we know to be right, (2) swamp City Council with an overwhelming presence, and (3) demand action to follow-through with a proven plan to address homelessness through budgetary action.

Those gathered, and those attending other such meetings, were roused to “do something*.” I chose to opt for in-person presentation… just one of about 70 who responded likewise.  Leadership, strategy, and organization were effective.

I chose my arguments.  I supported the call for financial commitment on the basis of the perceived strength of the model being advocated by our group.  However, my appeal emphasized proactive solutions in addition to simply more current responses to the current crisis.  I claimed that causes are complex but rooted significantly back in family and community, often fueled by feelings of despair resulting from dysfunctional family life. This argument, or my attempt to shape the call for action, was based on my personal experience.  And, I could have said much more, if given the time.

In my mind, I knew something of the subculture of survival, of behavior patterns and lifestyles that often emerge in a culture of poverty.  I knew something of how destructive lifestyles can so easily undermine integrity of the person, of family relationships, and onward into the communities.  I made a statement that money is not the answer unless it can effectively promote inter-personal attempts to rescue people and help turn lives around.  This is no small task.  I understand this in the context of personal family experience over many years.  Housing itself is a necessary, but not sufficient, solution.

The underlying hope is that a particular strategy, known as Housing First, is effective and could be adopted locally with the desired results to bring significant change.  There is evidence that the approach, developed years ago in New York City and now implemented widely, provides an effective solution.  But, for the most of us presenting briefs, we do not have personal experience with the strategy, nor have we explored in any depth just how it might be adapted to our local situation.  So, in a sense we were acting “on faith.”  This faith was in a strategy we only knew a bit about; it was a strategy recommended by those who were choosing to advocate for something they believed in.

My on-site experience

This was my first attempt at civic politics.  I sat and listened as brief after brief was presented, mostly an emotional litany with pleads for local government to save us.  When my time came to speak, I was already deeply affected by the emotions of the day, and later sensed my presentation as a failure as I fell victim to emotions that interrupted my intention for careful analysis and assurance that possible funding would allow for effective support that could, in part, be provided by churches and other community support interventions.  Deep-down I know that evolution of a workable system would take time and can only become effective through refinements based on experience and continually adapting strategies to local realities.

Willingness to understand perspectives

Clearly there is reluctance by the city to simply “throw money at the problem.”  Meanwhile, the provincial Social Services system, financed massively and staffed by professionals, are seemingly unable to meet the expanding demand for services.  I do have sympathy with Council Members in choosing an appropriate response to the demands being put forward.  While we may have chosen to back a particular strategy, one can also choose to recognize the complexity of decision-making.

In the end there was no money allocated by Regina City, but federal funding was announced to partially address the needs within days.

But this does not mean we should return to our inaction, again.  If the cause is right and just, there are many alternative ways to act.  The issue of dealing with poverty will not go away; our personal responsibility to be involved in acting also does not go away.  On that latter point, again, my value system kicks-in.  We must, individually, assume levels of personal responsibility to shape the world around us.

What, now, might be other steps forward?

Here are my thoughts on guidelines for proactive action:

1. Importance of home, family, and more.  Traditionally for most of us, life preparation is a home- and culture-mediated process. In terms of values, schools traditionally function in support of home and culture.  If these are not effective, then why must we press for something much more… something, perhaps, imposed through some form of centralized government that could set-aside the traditional roles of home and local culture.  While strategies that attempt to balance home, community and centralized governments surely exist, our polarized communities have groups fearful of notorious approaches (say Naziism or Russian/Chinese Communism) that have been attempted in the past with disastrous results.  Such fears, often stoked by social media and conspiracy thinking, may also be a smoke-screen to justify closed-mindedness and withdrawal from exploring creative solutions.   So, in affirming value of home and local community, how do we realistically and appropriately both affirm the importance of home and local culture with the importance of societal policies and government interventions?  We do need to sort through the beliefs of people and proceed with care and clarity.
2. Recognizing appropriately the indigenous issues.  Locally, there is general agreement that most of our local homeless people are indigenous. Much as been made of colonialism in recent years, of the effects of mismanagement and abusive conditions in residential schools, but as these possible direct effects recede over time we must recognize that we are increasingly dealing with the effects of a post-colonial and post-residential schooling problems.  To the degree that home and community environments may now be dysfunctional, these are the present realities contributing to lack of adequate nurture and preparation for life.  Put another way, we must recognize that hopes of resolving the current issues around homelessness lie in the present and future quality of home and culture.  While we cannot deny the sources of problems of the past, should we not realistically be attending now to those more immediate factors that lie within our reach for promoting change.
3. The importance of housing.  Whether indigenous or not, those who are homeless are not living a normal life; homelessness is not only abnormal, but subnormal. This much the Housing First philosophy seems to recognize.  Development and recovery for individuals struggling to do better is only possible if there exists a basic level of safety and stability.  We are told there is much evidence/research to support this reality.  Leadership will need to understand all of this in some depth.
4. Simplistic views of rational behavior.  We often assume that everyone is rational and personally capable of managing their lives if they would only have the will and discipline to do so.  In contrast to the fields of psychology and psychiatry which are focused internally on the person, the social sciences tend to look for external sociological causes for behaviors (and the view that these factors are impediments to self-sufficiency and personal success). As we attempt to determine the effects of external conditions on the development of an individual, we must also recognize that we normally gain skills and wisdom for life in the more immediate context of personal relationships, especially those of family caregivers and close community.  Beyond this is the shaping reality of the larger culture (or pervasive subcultures) that increasingly dominate and give direction in our lives.  Clearly, quality of life is mediated by close family and the larger community/social interactions which represent the traditional nurturing environments for life-preparation.  Why does this nurturing environment not function as it should, now, for so many people?  There are reasons, of course.  Should we not be focusing on what lies within the immediate family and social contexts of our lives as we search for solutions?  Are there not also ways to help prepare youth, for instance, to deal adequately with the larger social influences?
5. Considering the role of religion in societies.  Whether viewed in secular or traditional terms, our value systems are inherently religious in nature.  The role of religion and personal faith do shape both our community life and personal lifestyle. It is largely true, but not broadly understood, that religious beliefs and, specifically, Christian teaching and i its deals, have shaped to a large degree our Western values and social commitments.  Indeed, what we regard in the West to be secular these days is largely the product of our past Christian influence.  There is much evidence, too, of the personal renewal possible as individuals reorient their lives from being preoccupied with themselves towards having genuine concerned for others.  In spite of the historic effect of Christianity in our own culture, Christians to often withdraw from effective public advocacy and too comfortably isolate themselves from the dynamic of active societal and cultural engagement.  If we have been the source of social improvement in the past, there is surely a role for such still today.  But what forms might this take?  What options might appear to be worth pursuing locally in dealing, for instance, with our current poverty and homelessness issues?
6. Taking mental health issues into account.  Mental health problems are clearly a cause of family and subculture dysfunction. The reasons for such problems vary, many being preventable, and others treatable and manageable in degree.  Support for those who suffer, and for their families, could be the subject of greater attention in the interests of family/social breakdown leading to homelessness. In how many ways might it be possible to give pro-active support to help thwart the downward spirals?

As I put this analysis to print, I wonder how widely my analysis here might resonate with thoughts of others.  While we may recognize that alternate viewpoints exist, there is clearly strength in finding people of like mind to help reinforce, critique, and further clarify our thoughts.

A call for dialogue and networking

I think we could do well to find ways to better engage in dialogue around assessment of need and development of strategy.  Again, in this context, I’m personally drawn to “proactive” strategies.  Many do exist, many could be strengthened through greater focus on what is already present, and new creative strategies can yet be developed.  How can we engage more effectively to strengthen lives, families, and communities?  How can we appeal appropriately to government to strengthen their roles in this approach to poverty?

If this bit of analysis can bring these issues and possibilities to some broader attention.  I will be pleased.  I will feel that it has not been in vain to attempt to “do something.”

*  Note:  I chose, above, to use the phrase, “do something,” in part because of the title of a book published recently by the conservative, Preston Manning.  It reinforces, I think, a call for both wings of the political spectrum to become more active around the values we hold in common.

First published:  2022/12/21
Latest revision: 2022/12/22