by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc.®

“Do we really know the extent of human potential; even among those less fortunate than ourselves?” The Author

Most of us have heard about the growing homelessness challenges in San Francisco and Seattle. There are clear signs of it burgeoning right here in New York City and it’s likely happening in other magnet cities, too. Because of this, there’s growing pressure on those cities to address and solve the issue. Without getting into the politics of it, it would be valuable for them to start providing leadership and urgently explore the range of realistic – and more enlightening – options open to them. There are probably quite a few to be unearthed with the right will and concentrated thought.

One distinct option is to equate such distressed, ramshackle street communities
with other poor communities elsewhere in the world, where those have often fallen behind other societies for no other reason than being ignorant about their other possibilities. In such areas, well meaning individuals and non-profits have offered micro-financing with various degrees of success. It has lifted some individuals and their communities more into the mainstream. We’ve heard favorable reports coming from India and South America. Does this offer an interesting option for more advanced societies that still have to address their own downtrodden, make-shift communities?

Is it possible for community leaders to step-in and find those few potential leaders among our homeless ‘colonies,’ wherever they sprout up? People who have potential but, through the various misfortunes of life or confusing circumstances, have fallen on hard times and lost their way as they spiral downward. Once those few bright sparks are discovered – they’re often people who other homeless-types turn to for daily guidance and counsel – then local community advocates could start investing time in them.

Regular meetings could be held with them by well-guided social workers to consider small-scale, interesting options for moving their lives forward once more. At some point, they would be encouraged to start gathering some of their downtrodden friends into on-site meetings and discussions – some will participate, some won’t. Over time the discussion could get into options that their small band would be interested in pursuing: start building tiny-homes – see picture above – on nearby vacant lots, creating portable bazaar-type stalls for handmade crafts, making portable fruit and vegetable counters for their shanty neighborhoods, installing portable, make-shift kitchens to feed active members, putting together clean-up squads for their communities, and so forth. These would all spring up adjacent to their current make-shift areas.

The micro-finance – to cover basic building materials and tools, produce from wholesale markets, craft-making supplies, simple implements for kitchens, supplies and equipment for street clean-ups – would be enough to purchase what’s needed, not for incomes or salaries. Such initial micro-funding could come from local community funds and charitable donations. Those early unearthed, potential leaders would be charged – alongside their social workers – with allocating funds to the various street and building activities on a daily-weekly basis accordingly. New tiny-home communities and weekly street fairs would be publicized by local TV channels and daily-weekly journals, as their contribution toward helping to rebuild society. Any profits made from street-stall sales would be plowed back into building more tiny homes, feeding needs and new supplies as required…and not into people’s pockets.

Through such activity, those homeless people who are willing and able to contribute will regain their life-focus as they build and occupy their tiny-homes, sell handcrafts or fruit-vegetables, run daily kitchens, or keep their streets sufficiently clean and tidy until they can be reabsorbed back into society. Their tiny-home communities, which are usually on wheels, will create valuable transition places.

Those who are still unable to participate owing to physical or mental health issues should be given localized help – often with the aid of other community members – until they are ready to join a government aid facility or encouraged to return to their original homes where family members can take care of them. Given the right in-community possibilities, local, voluntary professionals will give their time and input on how to take care of such people until an individual, optimum solution is found for each one.

With the right focus and community leadership this is all possible. It just requires the right catalyst to show the way. If impoverished people in far-away places can step-up, given their minimal financial support and guidance, then it’s even more possible for the same to occur among our own growing, advanced-society, homeless population. Are you one of those who could start the ball rolling?

Again, with the right societal determination, is it possible that these current, make-shift communities will disappear altogether over time?

To find out more about a positioning and pathfinding approach, talk with: