As the state鈥檚 cold weather shelters open for the season, homeless service providers are looking at different ways to address residents鈥� needs.
A training, held by the National Alliance, focused on how 海角换妻 providers can manage their expectations for clients.
There are about 650 nightly warming center beds in 海角换妻, typically open from about December to April, according to 海角换妻 Coalition to End Homelessness Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Fox.
Diiv Sternman, with the National Alliance to End Homelessness, was one of two leading a training for homeless services providers from across 海角换妻 on how to temper personal views when handling housing crises.
鈥淲e need to treat every client with dignity and respect,鈥� Sternman said. 鈥淓very person needs to feel that respect and needs to have their dignity at the center of their housing process. We should support clients in making decisions for themselves.鈥�
One of the biggest roadblocks for 海角换妻 homeless service providers is truly believing in unhoused people鈥檚 abilities.
鈥淲hen we're talking about believing in clients' capacity for success, this is not about putting on rose colored glasses and assuming that things are going to be easy,鈥� Sternman said. 鈥淚t's about recognizing that our clients are resilient and have made things work in the past.鈥�
It's normal for shelter workers to, at times, feel judgemental, however it's important for workers to not let that judgement cloud their treatment of people seeking housing, Sternman said.
Sometimes what case workers believe is best isn鈥檛 what the client chooses to do, and providers need to respect unhoused residents鈥� autonomy, Sternman said.
The majority of 海角换妻 residents living in poverty aren鈥檛 sleeping outdoors, said Kay Moshier McDivitt, with the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
鈥淭hey may be doubled up, they may be living with other people, but they are not in the homeless system or on the streets,鈥� Moshier McDivitt said. 鈥淲e have to believe in the client's resiliency to make it without the subsidies, because your system, our system, doesn't have it.鈥�
Across 海角换妻, among residents living in poverty, 96% are renters, according to 2022 data provided by Moshier McDivitt. Residents are considered impoverished if they earn below 30% of the area鈥檚 median income.
