Editor’s note: today’s article is from contributing writer, Angela Di Filippo. If you’d like to contribute an article to Live in Everett, you can learn more here.

We know homelessness is an issue in Everett. No matter where in the city you live, you see neighbors huddling in alleys to avoid the weather, shopping carts left on the side of the road, and general proof of life scattered in our gutters. With the recent reaction to the County considering the purchase of the Hope Church on Rucker and considering CB 2304-30 being voted on this week in the Everett City Council, I wanted to take some time to share some facts about homelessness. 

First, some background. I’m a Social Worker and have been for almost ten years. This means that I have worked directly with individuals experiencing homelessness for the majority of my career. I myself have been close to homelessness thanks to the fact that I only have my income to depend on and have Type 1 Diabetes (one of the more expensive autoimmune disorders). At those worst points, I was lucky enough to have friends and family to help me stay housed until I could find a more secure situation. I also have the honor of being friends with a number of individuals who have experienced homelessness in their life. 

Now some quick facts: 

• Substance use is not the reason for homelessness; it is the result of homelessness
  

• The only resolution to homelessness is housing (which includes people staying housed and don’t become homeless in the first place) 
  

• Fear does not lead to sustainable solutions 
  

• Sweeps don’t work
  

Let’s break that down. 

Homelessness happens because someone got sick - maybe it’s the individual, maybe it’s their child or parent, maybe it’s their partner - but those hospital bills pile up, and soon the eviction notice comes. Or, it’s because of a divorce, an unexpected car breaking down, or some other unexpected (and expensive) event. Substance use comes afterward, oftentimes as a way to avoid the pain and discomfort that is synonymous with homelessness and (as is sometimes the case) untreated mental health symptoms. 

The only solution to homelessness is housing. Just like the only solution to poop on the sidewalk is access to a toilet and the only solution to thirst is water. We’re not the only community facing this issue, and other communities have solved this problem by investing in housing - and not just for the most vulnerable. Mixed-income neighborhoods have more community engagement and a greater sense of well-being for all living in those communities, and even something like rent control leads to residential stability, which also leads to long-term positive physical and mental health outcomes (especially in mixed-income neighborhoods). You may have heard about the eradication of homelessness in Finland, and, what you may not know, is that numerous communities in the United States have ended homelessness. Answers are out there; they all address the root, not the symptom. 

Fear does not lead to sustainable solutions. Homelessness is not linked to any person’s morality, and acting like we need to be scared of people lacking a home is, to me, ridiculous. That said, being on the receiving end of someone else’s act of desperation is scary. Hell, it can be terrifying. And that’s the reality many of our neighbors are experiencing on a daily basis. That’s not okay, and neither is projecting that fear on every person experiencing homelessness. We need to protect the interests of all people (and, in fact, protect the human right to not live in fear), as well as dig deep into our best selves to use our understanding that no human makes good long-term decisions based on fear, and so we cannot solve this issue using that as a driving force. 

Finally, sweeps don’t work. They just don’t. When a person experiencing homelessness goes through a sweep (many of which are not announced), all of their belongings are lost. So if that person was next in line for housing? They’re moved to the bottom of the list because their phone got lost in the shuffle. Was that person connected to treatment? All their medication is gone. Were they working with a social worker? Benefits are going to close because the letters reminding them of what they need to do were thrown out. These strategies, which are often the only solution used to address homelessness, do nothing but keep people homeless and push them back to square one. 

This issue has only gotten worse in Everett because we are not passing ordinances and using evidence-based practices to actually fix the issue. Renters don’t have protections to stay housed. There’s not enough funding for our transportation systems to make supports accessible (without people having to cluster in one area in order to actually take advantage of the ones we do have). Workers aren’t having all their rights and needs met by their employers. Ultimately, we need laws that protect those that are already housed and help our unhoused neighbors get on that pathway. Housing First strategies are effective - both in the sense that these save us taxpayers money and in the sense that they solve this issue. 

Ultimately, homelessness is connected to our economy, our zoning, our transportation strategies, and every system that intersects in our community. How we end it, is up to us, and is solely dependent on our ability to be empathetic, altruistic, and fiscally responsible.

Angela Di Filippo currently works in State Social Services and recently earned her Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with extensive training in evidence-based leadership coaching. Angela moved from North Carolina to Washington 6 years ago and has proudly called Everett her home for 5 of those years. When not helping others solve problems in creative and strength-driven ways, Angela enjoys her time painting, hiking with her terrier-mix, Indy, and eating waffles.