BLOG — How to Help the Homeless

People with poor mental health are more susceptible to three factors that can lead to homelessness: poverty, lack of support system and impaired judgement. In turn, homelessness worsens mental health. It is draining physically and mentally to have no routine, high stress and exposure to the elements. People with mental illness also experience homelessness for longer periods of time.

Poverty

People with mental illnesses often have trouble retaining work with a steady income or are simply incapable of working. In these instances it is vital that they be supported by a community or loved ones. Often times people are one paycheck away from homelessness and this is even more true for people with mental illness than the general population. 

Lack of support system 

Mental illnesses may prevent people from forming and maintaining stable relationships. Relationships and community are often the only thing between someone with a mental illness and a life on the street. They often push away caregivers/family and friends that are the people providing them with routine and making sure they receive their medication, eat regularly and live a fulfilled life. Serious mental illnesses disrupt people’s ability to carry out essential aspects of daily life, such as self care and household management and often need someone guiding them through these routines.

Impaired judgement

Mental illnesses can cause impaired judgement making daily life harder. It often is also mixed with substance abuse. Many people try self-medicating and end up in vicious cycles of alcoholism. This combination of mental illness, substance abuse and poor physical health makes it very difficult for people to hold down jobs and pull themselves out of homelessness themselves.

Even if housing is provided for people with mental illnesses it won’t change the cycle they are in unless they receive regular treatment and continued guidance. Homelessness is not, and should not be, the default for people with mental illness.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

During the summer, the outdoor temperatures will consistently rise, causing a great deal of discomfort at times. However, what does all of this mean for members of the homeless population? After all, they don't have access to some of the luxuries that we all have, such as air conditioning and cold water. As a result, this can cause them to become vulnerable to issues such as heat stroke, severe sunburns, and more.

Here are three different ways that you can provide assistance to the homeless population during the summer season.

Ask for Extra Help

Take the time to contact officials in your area of residence, who will be able to locate homeless people affected by the serious summer heat by transporting them to a local cooling center. These types of centers provide both cold water and a cool place for individuals to stay during the week whenever a heat alert is in effect.

Talk to Them

Don't be afraid to not only speak to a homeless person, but also provide them with bottles of water, as well as other necessities to help keep them safe and cool. These can include the following:

*Sunscreen

*Bug spray

*Moisturizing lotion

Be Familiar with Where Cooling Center Are

Knowing where the cooling centers in your area of residence are will help you guide a homeless person to a safe place to go in order to escape the summer heat. Utilize the internet and other similar services to become familiar with where these centers are located.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

Thanks to 3D printing capabilities, the dream of creating a home built in less than 24 hours and being hit with a price tag of only $10,000 could become a reality thanks to two different companies.

ICON and New Story have officially teamed up in order to help provide the city of Austin with what are thought to be the first 3D printed homes that are both up to code and able to house actual people. ICON is an Austin-based robotics company, while New Story is a nonprofit company designed to offer housing in various developing countries.

The Vulcan printer from ICON recently constructed an 800-square-foot home. While it cost approximately $10,000 to create the home, ICON hopes to bring the price down to around $4,000. It was also constructed in under 24 hours; however, the company is seeking to decrease the total time to about six hours.

Currently, the goal is to expand to other countries and construct homes in developing countries such as El Salvador and Haiti. Additionally both ICON and New Story hope to enhance the printer itself before moving it into the field in El Salvador to eventually begin test printing. The time frame for this is approximately 18 months.

New Story also works in locations such as El Salvador, Bolivia, Mexico, and Haiti to help provide shelter, according to their official website. Within the past three years, the company has funded over 1,400 homes for those families in need of shelter.

It's also hopeful that in the future, New Story will be able to share their 3D printing technology with other governments and nonprofit organizations.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

Individuals who live in the city of Austin and are currently homeless have all sorts of housing assistance options available to them, despite what they may have thought or heard previously. Many resources in the area are designed to help both families and individuals suffering from homelessness receive housing that is both long-term and sustainable for as long as possible.

Here are some of the types of housing assistance that are currently available for Austin's homeless population.

*Regardless of what an applicant has gone through in their personal life (drug use, alcohol issues, etc.), anyone who submits an application for housing assistance while homeless will be accepted.

*If an applicant has a poor financial or credit history, criminal conviction, poor absent rental history, etc., this does not mean that their application for assistance will be rejected.

*There are discretionary funds available to assist clients who either have no income or who are suffering from some type of financial difficulty. Additionally, they are provided with a reasonable amount of flexibility in terms of paying their share of the rent.

*Supportive services, such as those offering assistance with both problem-solving and engagement, are offered; however, a client does not have to participate in these types of services if they do not wish to.

*No tenant will be evicted if they use either alcohol or drugs by themselves, provided they do not have any other type of lease violation.

*Tenant selection is based on factors such as how long they have been homeless for, how vulnerable they are, etc.

*Housing units may come equipped with features that help to reduce harm, promote good health, and accommodate various types of disabilities.

*If a tenant needs to be transferred to another housing unit from the one they are currently living in due to their current living situation being jeopardized for any reason, all efforts will be made to ensure that this is done.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!