unsheltered homeless an unforgettable
experience
have you experienced homelessness I have
with shame fear despair helplessness
hopelessness when I was 19 years old
while caring for an elderly woman live
she was bedridden I was comfortable
until she died I didn’t plan for this
day to happen when suddenly her family
member who never visited nor did I know
existed appear and took over putting me
and my two-year-old daughter out on the
street
I felt misused shameful and afraid I
abandoned my daughter to my mother
I found myself drinking alcohol with me
not to feel the feelings from the
thoughts that were going on inside my
head I would ride the bus all night long
needing to feel safe I was introduced to
other drills at the age of 23 I entered
until my first of 12 recovery facilities
in great denial I was tired of living on
the street I was arrested many times for
stealing are being homeless praying
drear’s
I really wanted to mean Lord if you get
me out of this I will do better but each
time that I was released from jail I
have no home to return to so I would end
up right back where I started
only to experience the same
incomprehensible demoralisation I became
depressed
and suicidal 21 years experience with
homelessness I felt hopeless I didn’t
July 10th 1998 I was arrested for the
last time and I have remained sober and
these experiences have motivated me to
be committed to eradicating homelessness
it was the latter part of October 1999
while in my 12th program mandated by the
courts facing four and a half years in
prison the night before my medical
doctor’s appointment
I felt sad tired drained what seemed to
be uncontrollable thoughts when the
medical doctor walked in and said how
you doing miss Stevens I broke down and
I was clinically referred to Augustus
Hawkins mental health center arriving
back to the 12-step program I was asked
to sign on the dotted line
that I did not want mental health
services I refused November the 2nd 1999
arriving to my first mental health
appointment to be told that my
appointment had been cancelled and
rescheduled in 30 days I hit the counter
demanded that somebody is going to see
me today
you see nobody really understood the
courage it took just to walk through the
doors of the Department of the world but
jacket rather the receptionist she was
nice she spoke softly she said have a
seat miss Stevens I’ll find someone to
see you two nice ladies came out several
times approaching me gently and they
would say don’t worry we’re gonna find
someone to see you hours pass 2:30 p.m.
an angel up here
dr. Lorraine oven she set with me until
after five o’clock to you and she asked
questions like what brought you here
what do you need
what are your desires she exercised deep
compassionate listening I have not felt
she diagnosed me with major depression
and post-traumatic stress disorder and I
left the feeling relieved arriving back
to the program I was told to pack my
bags because I had a returning than a
health appointment I’m facing four and a
half years in prison on a three-year
joint suspension with an enhancement a
probation officer from Hale and I’m
mandated to be there the fire one day I
called dr. almond and she’s scheduled to
see me immediately and I remember
arriving the court now facing a
probation violation when the prosecutor
came out and said very impressive report
that was submitted to the court by dr.
almond the courts later mandated need to
continue to see dr. almond she and I
together built a founded Foundation
which I stand upon today she was my
today in the County of Los Angeles there
are over 47,000 homeless what a growing
rate of individuals families youth small
children under the age of six Los
Angeles ranks in the top three of the
world when it comes to homelessness
homelessness is no longer concentrated
in Skid Row it has grown and people
continue to fall into homelessness every
single day in Los Angeles County 33
percent of that 47,000 that’s over
15,000 right here in South Los Angeles
my community our community 36% of our
women 62 percent are african-american 25
percent of chronically homeless 24
percent suffer with a mental health
challenge we talk in decades of neglect
resulting in a housing crisis continue
poverty a lack of Economic Opportunity
homelessness is a serious problem in the
County of Los Angeles but it is
extremely grave in South Los Angeles and
that’s dramatic it’s a crisis that we
can no longer ignore when I think about
solutions I am reminded of my own
personal experience you know solutions
such as the housing first model housing
doesn’t stabilize someone right away we
need support and our needs they’re all
different
you see we all came in on different
I remember when I required a section 8
voucher I had 60 days to find a place to
live 6 days with bad credit and eviction
time is running out and one more time
shame and fear has be paralyzed so I
rented the unit that I had never seen
the inside I gave that property
management company $2,500 Oh for a place
that I had never seen and I remember I
have the keys ride to that apartment and
walking up those stairs can’t han
thinking how stupid I was for giving
those people my money and praying lord
please let this be a decent place for me
to live when i unlock that apartment God
had done for me what I could not do for
myself it was a beautiful place but
looking back if only the section-8
advisor had exercised compassionate
listening but no each time but I would
call her she would say you better hurry
up and find a place are you gonna lose
your voucher what ha and many others
need our providers and agencies to
exercise compassion to listen cultural
understanding to be empathetic because
just as I said we all come here on
different boats we just all end up on
the same shoe our needs truly are all
different [Applause]