By Rep. Brian Cina
Editor’s note: Brian Cina is a state Representative for Chittenden 15 (Old North End | East District, Burlington). Cina is also on the House Health Care Committee and House Ethics Panel. This commentary was originally addressed to the members of the Vermont General Assembly, Governor Scott and Administration, Lieutenant Governor Zuckerman, Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak and Administration, and Burlington City Councilors.
On Monday night, Sept. 16, while distributing a hot meal on the steps of the public library in downtown Burlington to hungry people who are currently experiencing unsheltered homelessness, I heard many stories about the brutal impact of the housing crisis on the most vulnerable. I offered to share a summary with you in hope that we can do more to provide greater safety and to reduce suffering.
A man with a disability requiring use of a wheelchair shared that he was exited from a hotel despite being eligible. Then he was told to call to get a new room. He waited on hold for hours only to be denied because there were a limited amount of rooms available. He feels that the government failed him after he became disabled. Despite paying taxes from age 14 until he was injured, he receives no assistance now, while others who may have never paid any taxes, get a room if they were ahead in line. He wants housing and an opportunity to work again in some capacity. Until then, he needs a safe place to sleep and has been unable to rest due to escalating street violence.
A pregnant woman shared that she has been staying up for days on end out of fear of getting assaulted. She grew up in DCF custody. Now her children are in DCF custody because it is unsafe for them to live with her because she is unhoused. She expressed gratitude because her DCF worker is doing everything possible to help her to find housing and to get her kids back. She appreciated treatment court for supporting her recovery. She urgently needs a safe place to rest so she can protect her unborn child and continue the work toward providing a safe home for her other children.
Many others told stories about the increased violence against people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, especially those with physical and psychiatric disabilities. They shared that the interpersonal violence takes many forms. In addition to an increase in lateral violence between those who are unsheltered, the most vulnerable are being robbed and assaulted by greater numbers of housed and unhoused people struggling with substance use disorders. Groups of high-school and college-age youth roam the streets at night attacking unhoused people in a variety of ways. A sport called hobo-hunting rewards players in a cyber-game with points for harming unhoused people in real life. Some hunters use the roof of the Marketplace Garage as a base from which they launch their attacks and raids.
Unhoused people are being treated as prey as the state puts more of our most vulnerable in harm’s way, through the mass exiting from hotels. Many people feel completely rejected and abandoned by our neighbors and by the government. One person stated “it feels like they are trying to kill us off.” Another asked “where do they want us to go?”
Although most people would prefer housing or shelter as soon as possible, they understand all too well that there is a massive shortage of affordable and accessible housing. While they are unsheltered, they want safe spaces to be. They need sanctuaries where they can camp so they can rest and find refuge. Places to belong until there are other options besides perpetual displacement and loss. These sanctuaries would need social and physical infrastructure to provide safety and to protect public health (security, water, waste management, electricity, etc.). Many offered to contribute their ideas and labor to the design, construction, and maintenance of encampments, shelters, and housing and some already have skills, training, and work experience in the trades.
Here are some government actions that we agreed would make a difference right now:
Work with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the creation of safe spaces and sanctuary zones for temporary encampments and parking with social and physical infrastructure that meets both basic and special needs in lots, on lawns, and within garages.
Prioritize paying the sheriff or other security to guard the Marketplace Garage at night instead of in the day during mutual aid food distribution.
Provide more food and supplies for basic and special needs to those experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Engage those experiencing homelessness in the design, construction, and maintenance of transitional and permanent housing, especially supportive housing options that meet any special needs.
These immediate actions would reduce the harm of the housing crisis on public health and safety for not only our unhoused neighbors, but also all other residents of our community.
I plan to continue bringing food to people at night and invite anyone interested to join us or to connect with existing efforts of other mutual aid or community-based service providers. I encourage my colleagues from other districts to share the impact of the housing crisis in your region, especially the stories, needs, ideas, and dreams of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
What else can we do right now to address the growing public health emergency of this housing crisis?
