Connections: "Anthony - A Voice for the Homeless"

by Lauren S. McClintock

For over a third of his life, Anthony had what most people only dream of – he drove fancy cars, wore flashy clothes, and traveled to every corner of the United States. Anthony currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and I recently spoke to him at the place he now calls home – the 'My Brother’s House' homeless shelter, located just off of Philly’s trendy, high-class, and extremely popular South Street. Having lived such a dichotomous life, Anthony is able to provide a very candid picture of homelessness. I asked him to talk and that’s exactly what he did. For over an hour, Anthony soliloquized, touching upon everything from his personal experiences to what he believes are the perceptions the non-homeless population has about the homeless population; from how the system has helped the homeless to how it has hurt them; and, most importantly, what volunteers like you and me can do to help.

Anthony was somewhat vague about the details of his past; however I do believe the following to be true. Anthony grew up in Southern New Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia. When he became old enough to live on his own, Anthony headed out West. He had always loved the water so often times chose to live by the sea. He spent a lot of time living in San Francisco, but also dwelled in many other cities ranging from Las Vegas to Chicago, to New Orleans and Miami, and everywhere in between. While living his somewhat nomadic lifestyle, Anthony held many jobs in quite a few different trades; such as landscaping, construction, and screen printing. Traveling was his passion and he did everything he had to do to see the country. After 15 years of moving around and serving a sentence for a crime he did not share with me, Anthony returned to South Jersey to see his family and settle down in the Philadelphia area. At this time, he was a bit down and out (perhaps a result of his incarceration), and did not feel he received the support he needed from his family. They showed him “tough love” in an attempt to have him pull his life together; Anthony said “tough love” doesn’t work on him and his family should have known that. In addition, Anthony injured his knee and ankle, resulting in several surgeries and a permanent disability. Feeling abandoned by his family, becoming newly disabled, and receiving no income except for disability, Anthony really had no options.

Shortly after his return home, Anthony stepped into what he considers the first level of homelessness - living with friends; and bouncing from house to house, apartment to apartment. While he did manage to sleep with a roof over his head every night and have a place to shower and relax, he did not have his own home. He never knew if he’d have that same home to sleep in the next night, he had to abide by the homeowner’s rules, and had no ownership or authority over anything in these dwellings. However, Anthony eventually exhausted all his options and was forced to join the ranks of what the non-homeless consider homelessness to be – living on the streets and spending nights in shelters. Anthony said he never had to dig to the bottoms of trashcans to find food, but had, at times, eaten food sitting at the top of a pile of trash in a waste basket. As odd as it may sound, there is a difference and the depths (literally) to which one will go to find food says a lot about how far into homelessness one is.

Anthony is no longer living on the streets and currently lives at the 'My Brother’s House' homeless shelter, which is part of the Bethesda Project organization. The organization provides Anthony and many others with three meals a day, a cot to sleep on, a shower to wash in, and a social worker to provide guidance and assistance to those trying to get out of homelessness. At present, Anthony is focusing on saving money and getting himself physically healthy. Once the doctor visits, remaining surgeries, etc., are complete; he will look at the next step. Anthony congratulates the Bethesda Project and says it does do an excellent job at helping the homeless population. In fact, Anthony congratulates the entire city of Philadelphia, stating that out of all the cities he’s lived in, Philly definitely has the best resources for the homeless and the greatest understanding of their needs. (That statement is the only indication to the fact that Anthony may have been homeless in those countless other cities he lived.) This doesn’t, however, come without criticism. While many good things are being done, Anthony thinks “the system” really needs to reflect on its programs and find ways to improve them. He feels that instead of allowing a bunch of “rich bureaucrats” to make 100 percent of the decisions and suggestions for freeing a population from a lifestyle they themselves will never know, the homeless population should be given more of a voice. Mostly, Anthony criticized Philly’s Section 8 housing, which is basically privately-owned housing that provides rent assistance to low-income single persons and families. He claims the same number of people who applied last year, applied this year; which means applicants aren’t getting their homes and the homeless numbers aren’t improving. He also says that he’s been trying for 3 years to get into Section 8 housing. I don’t know the details of exactly what steps he’s taken or the Section 8 housing application process, but I do know that Anthony is a singled disabled person, a population the Philadelphia Housing Authority says is considered a priority when assigning Section 8 housing. However, for most people coming out of homelessness, Section 8 housing doesn’t provide much of a benefit. They still have to pay rent, and so what little income they receive usually goes to cover rent and barely provides enough for other living expenses. Anthony suggests that rather than putting the homeless into a situation that doesn’t help them save money, programs should be created to provide the opportunity for the homeless to work for their homes. For instance, if people work on the construction of these housing plans, they should be able to live there for free. Their labor is more valuable than the price of rent anyway. To make sure no one abuses the system, there should be a “one strike, you’re out” policy. This not only helps the building organization to save money, but it also helps the homeless person to build a bank account, develop skills to possibly find a job, and provides them with a place to live. Furthermore, Anthony says “the system” needs to be more honest. They always talk about resources they will provide, but when you try to access them, they aren’t there. He also frets that a lot of homeless shelters or outreach programs are too institutionalized and aren’t much different than being in jail.

Another barrier the homeless have to work against is the stereotypes people put on them. For instance, many homeless are there as a result of mistakes they made sometime in their lifetime. Back in 1978, Anthony was incarcerated for a crime. Since then, Anthony has been completely free of crime, drugs, or alcohol; but that one instance is used against him time and time again. He gave me this analogy: If you’re a little kid and you go into your mom’s closet and steal some clothes to play dress up, she will be mad at you; she might even push you. However, she won’t lock up the closet and never let you in there again…for the rest of your life. The general public, however, does not assert the same type of forgiveness to criminals. Being crime-free for 26 years, should indicate that he will not commit a crime again; but, unfortunately, that one incarceration has been held against him for almost three decades. The next barrier is often found when the homeless seek to find a home of their own. Even if they have a job and money at this point in time, landlords are often very reluctant to rent out property to someone who was once homeless, for fear he or she will once again be in a situation in which he cannot pay the bills.

Unfortunately, many of us are not in the position to make major changes to “the system” in hopes of bettering the opportunities the homeless have to remove themselves from the situation they’re living in. But, there are a few things we can do to help this crisis and, even more so, to help individuals turn their lives around. Anthony said that a lot of shelters in Philadelphia are overflowing with clothing donations and other items, and they seem to have things in order as far as providing food and a place to sleep. He said what they need the most is someone to listen. If people show a genuine interest in a homeless person, it will go miles in helping to turn that person’s life around. Most people are in that situation because of something horrible that happened in their life. Something that made them lose faith and caused a lot of emotional suffering. So while the food and clothing donations are needed and very much appreciated, the homeless are asking that volunteers take more time to get to know them on a one on one basis. They ask that we provide them with time, an ear, and knowledge and advice. These small things can help to put more people on the right track – the same track Anthony is on.

If we all take a moment to get to know a homeless person, it will do wonders. Not only will it give them confidence and a feeling of worth, but it will also allow them to realize their dreams. Just a little bit of our time can have a positive impact on someone that will last a lifetime. Eventually, Anthony hopes to move into New York City and own a vending stand, selling New York City memorabilia and souvenirs. He no longer wishes for the huge things in life; but says he’ll be happy with a wife, a one-bedroom home, and small dog. Because Anthony has found people to listen and give advice, he has a lot of confidence and I do believe these goals will be met.

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