Malixole Sikhungo
Cape Town - While housed residents deservedly desire a homelessness-free environment, the homeless folk on the other kerb desperately wish to be free from homelessness.
With that in mind, we long for literally the same thing – from a mirror-image angle. Yet, we still struggle to find each other. How do we get to the bottom of the deadlock and effectively address our mutually beneficial wishes?
I strolled barefoot along the homelessness avenue and progressive substance addiction for several years.
Eventually, I managed to cross the divide – to obtain a Bachelor of Laws degree with 10 distinctions. I’m hunting for a spot to do articles of clerkship to be admitted as an attorney of the High Court of SA and ultimately inspire even more homeless communities. Together, we will get to the bottom of this limbo.
First off, let’s admit that strategies to address homelessness that worked in the past have proven ineffective.
There’s a pressing need to innovatively and inclusively devise tools and methods to address homelessness and root it out permanently.
An effective strategy to reduce homelessness rests on close and mutually beneficial ties among housed residents and homeless communities, ties which consist of two complementary elements: community partnership and problem solving, which are unlikely to be achieved without mutual trust.
Homeless communities adamantly and unshakably believe that authorities use homeless individuals as means to their (officials’) ends. Similarly, housed residents often feel unsafe among homeless communities.
Stakeholders need to establish and maintain a positive relationship with homeless communities in the quest for meaningful engagement with and co-operation from homeless individuals.
As the saying goes: “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
I reckon residents should consider involving homeless and formerly homeless individuals right now to find effective methods to solve the homelessness problem.
Civic associations or similar structures are a perfect vehicle for this purpose. Regular, meaningful engagements between civic associations and homeless communities could revive trust among the parties and ultimately find long-term solutions. But, again, how do we get the homeless’ buy-in?
The first step is to let book-knowledge officials take a back seat for now and tap into the existing “expertise” of formerly homeless (and perhaps, homeless) folks and residents instead.
Building trust will not happen overnight and requires patience and ongoing efforts from each side.
A certain level of trust needs to be achieved before we can assess the needs of each community – housed and unhoused.
Residents’ structures are well-positioned to foster meaningful conversation with the homeless and they need to consider pooling their resources and energy to accommodate this process.
To ensure constructive engagements, I’d recommend that the process be facilitated by people who have lived experience and first-hand knowledge of challenges faced by unhoused residents.
A typical example: a formerly homeless individual would conduct consultative meetings with the relevant homeless communities to elicit and identify their main concerns and proposed solutions to the problem.
Those concerns and proposed solutions would then be tabled in the main meeting sessions with relevant civic associations’ representatives for consideration.
The main objective is two-fold: to identify facts in issues among the groups and, most importantly, to use the formerly homeless’ personal testimonies to encourage homeless folks to commit themselves to rehabilitative programmes etc.
Problem-solving is limited only by the imagination, creativity, perseverance and enthusiasm of those involved.
Conversations between the housed and the unhoused residents through representatives of each side would be helpful in identifying concerns and appropriate remedies to abate the homelessness issue.
Co-operative relationships will strengthen the bonds of trust and may pave the way to referrals for help.
The homeless would then be put in touch with reputable organisations to deal with each challenge they may be facing and ultimately get them off the streets for good.
“Most good things have been said far too many times and just need to be lived.”
It’s time residents’ structures and the homeless themselves consider compromising and focusing on the bigger picture – a homelessness-free environment.
Compromising in this context should never be equated to defeat, given that this is a win-win strategy for residents and the homeless alike.
Sikhungo is a spokesperson for U-turn.
Cape Times