Let's Talk Tuesday: Eliminating Homelessness Inside and Out

Eliminating Homelessness Inside and Out

Welcome and welcome back. It's another amazing day in paradise. Thank you so much for being here.

There is a quote by Malcolm X that says, “Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when people get angry, they bring about a change.”

What reflection over time taught me about this quote is that Malcolm X wasn’t talking about changing others. He was talking about changing himself. The Malcolm X who was murdered wasn’t the same Malcolm Little who went to prison as a youth. He invested time in changing himself.

I mention this because of one of the experiences I had serving on the Joint Wake County/Raleigh Homelessness Task Force. I presented a version of this plan in June 2023 and it was mostly ignored if I acknowledge the snide comments that were made. To be completely honest, I was offended first, then pissed. I felt deceived and used. Because this is how I view my expertise versus theirs.

Thankfully I know enough to check in so I can address the needs behind the feelings. And because the mental model I’m building my life on is based on the humanity of all people, I knew I needed to bring a solution to my anger. I have been in a battle with myself on what to do and the direction came, do it yourself!

Shortly after I received that direction there was an ad that came across my screen for a movie called, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. A story about a community that decided they were going to adopt the children who were the hardest to place in the foster system. 

Seeing the trailer was like validation that challenging things can be done, that the solution is community and that all it takes is one person to start a movement to bring positive change. That person is me! I truly believe that with my compassion and expertise, Raleigh has the potential to be the Possum Trot of Homelessness. 

Here are the main things to know about what I'm working on:

• The name of the organization I’m launching is called The Coalition for Compassionate Housing. It is build on an elevated system of thought on how homelessness should be eliminated. Mental models are the foundation of a system, based on the Waters Center for Systems Thinking. They prove you can’t “fix” a broken system, you have to build a new one starting with a new mental model. The Coalition for Compassionate Housing is built on a new mental model.

• Definitions:

• Coalition: noun

• a combination or alliance, especially a temporary one between persons, factions, states, etc.

• a union into one body or mass; fusion.

• Compassion: 

• noun

• a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

• verb (used with object) 

• Archaic. to have compassion for; compassionate.

• Compassionate: 

• Adjective

• having or showing compassion: a compassionate person; a compassionate letter.

• granted in an emergency: compassionate military leave granted to attend a funeral.

• Obsolete. pitiable.

• verb (used with object), com·pas·sion·at·ed, com·pas·sion·at·ing.

• Archaic. to pity or have compassion for.

• Those without housing need places to live that meet or exceed their needs NOW, not in 2 years. The reason I say two years is because that’s the length of time to collect data for the pilot program the city is launching. If homelessness is increasing daily with that solution in place, what will it look like in 2 years? 

•  The solution is NOT affordable or low income housing. It is compassionate housing, housing that meets the need NOW. That is the first step to eliminating homelessness. Add to a home: mentors, therapy if needed and educational resources which includes the impacts of brain development, nervous system regulation, trauma and nutrition is game changing in moving people from broken men and women to strong children (yes, strong children). These are essential steps to move from poverty to prosperity.

• This plan not only meets but it exceeds the immediate needs of those without housing while traveling upstream to address root causes of homelessness. Having experienced this first hand and watching my son flourish despite our challenges, I know this information is not available to the general educated public. 

• We start with compassion. Remember, by definition the word compassion means, “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” Our strong desire moves us to alleviate the suffering.

• There are no comparable opportunities like the one I’m suggesting. NO ONE is addressing homelessness from the aspect of eliminating it, internally and externally, especially in a compassionate, sustainable, practical way that preserves the autonomy of the citizens they’re working with. Too many people need housing and food insecurity to exist to finance their own housing and food security. 

• We seek to move people from poverty to prosperity versus from one level of poverty to another.

• We guide people to attain and maintain the highest level of nervous system regulation, the state of “rest and digest” versus existing in a constant state of “fight or flight, freeze or please”

• We provide paid training and insurance

• We establish guidelines and boundaries to success, not threats based on transgressions

• We empower people with the knowledge to grow and prepare their own food so they will always be food secure as long as they have a small space to grow

• We present Intellectual Property that no one else has with information no one else talks about: gratitude journal, book, manual and workbook

• We train mentors so at least one is provided for all participants, this is someone who can see the brilliance in our unhoused population despite their bank accounts and can support their vision of life beyond homelessness with them

• We solicit the community for funding to rent property from land owners and purchase homes.

• A New Mental Model 

• Everyone is of infinite, intrinsic value.

• Everyone's an expert at something.

• The behaviors you see, especially, in those without housing, is a reflection of the brilliance of their nervous systems striving to keep them safe. Introduce the gift of Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change:

• New Information equals

• New Habits equals

• New Life

• Children are products of their environment; simply put, they learn what they live and live what they learn.

• Those who work in organizations addressing homelessness need a plan to transition to other careers.

• As a community, we need to Love ourselves enough to move from our own poverty to prosperity, internally and externally, in order to lead others to do the same.

• There is enough for all to flourish abundantly without taking away from someone else’s bounty!

The Overview

• Defensibility: While this has never been done before in this way, it is being done. Housing first is a nationally recognized model that works. We’re just doing it in a way that gives people autonomy, helps them achieve parasympathetic activation of their nervous system (rest and digest) and invites people to live the life of their dreams. 

• My Unique Insight: My son and I have been without stable housing in Raleigh for the last 5 years. We have spent 12 of the last 16 months living in our car. We both are flourishing nevertheless but that’s primarily because of the understanding I have of me and my son’s brain development, nervous system regulation, trauma and nutrition. I am able to navigate our experience successfully despite being without stable and secure food and housing. 

If you ask Wisdom how he feels about it he will tell you it’s boring because he’d like to be in a house but it’s also fun because we do a lot of fun things together including visiting parks, pools and Marbles. It’s something special to go through this with a child and see him thrive.

• Target customer (for services): Those without a stable, long term place to stay, starting with those who are completely unhoused then those in hotels and shelters based on their needs

• Target customer (for mentors): Business owners, church members, concerned community

• Executive Team: The Leadership Circle would be made up entirely of those without stable housing (7-10 people); some are housed, some are not; we have the time and the passion to help ourselves and others in our situation

• Go To Market Plan: 10 days to complete comprehensive plan to prevent and eliminate homelessness from a trauma informed, liberating perspective

• Develop partnerships to create an event during the month of July called “Christmas in July” and another for the months of November and December called “Merry Homesgiving”

• Traction: It has to be recognized that there are two main groups of people who will benefit from this opportunity: those without stable housing and those with stable housing. End of story. Who else will benefit? Business owners? They’re usually among the housed.

• The Plan

• Step 1: Generate initial $20K (or more) from citizens for private use

• Recruit and house the leadership circle for 10 days, plus provide stipends for work ($12-15K)

• Airbnb or hotel

• Stipend based on expertise (up to $1K for 40 hours of work)

• Register as a nonprofit

• Get legal paperwork done 

• Create Comprehensive Plan

• Part 1 contains temporary residences: hotels, airbnbs, etc.

• Part 2 contains long term residences: already built 

• Part 3 contains affordable housing options at 60% AMI or below for permanent housing, includes 

• Planning process to build affordable housing units

• Funding opportunities

• Land to build on or structures to renovate

• Businesses and organizations to partner with

• Part 4 contains the infrastructure for The G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew (“gathering elect talent to make a difference”) to minimize crime

• Part 5 contains how community can get involved 

• Step 2: Generate $750K

• Rent facility for The G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew to work on

• Get first citizens in temporary housing

• Implement mentorship training program

• Step 3: Generate $250K monthly for sustainability

• Step 4: Launch L.U.V. Life (the project The G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew will work on) so donors can receive a credit to utilize the premises; 

• Step 5: Find other locations for L.U.V. Life

• Determine who manages and who leads the creation of the next

• Recruit more members of The G.E.T.T.M.A.D. Crew 

The Conclusion

• Lyrics to Mr. Wendal by Arrested Development

• Here, have a dollar

In fact, no brotherman here, have two

Two dollars means a snack for me

But it means a big deal to you

• Be strong, serve God only

Know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits

That's the poem I wrote for the first time

I saw a man with no clothes, no money, no plate

• Mr. Wendal, that's his name

No one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one

Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum

Until I had the chance to really get to know one

• Now that I know him, to give him money isn't charity

He gives me some knowledge, I buy him some shoes

And to think blacks spend all that money on big colleges

Still most of y'all come out confused

• Go ahead, Mr. Wendal

• Mr. Wendal has freedom

A free that you and I think is dumb

Free to be without the worries of a quick to diss society

For Mr. Wendal's a bum

• His only worries are sickness

And an occasional harassment by the police and their chase

Uncivilized we call him

But I just saw him eat off the food we waste

• Civilization, are we really civilized, yes or no

Who are we to judge

When thousands of innocent men could be brutally enslaved

And killed over a racist grudge

• Mr. Wendal has tried to warn us about our ways

But we don't hear him talk

Is it his fault when we've gone too far

And we got too far, cause on him we walk

• Mr. Wendal, a man, a human in flesh

But not by law

I feed you dignity to stand with pride

Realize that all in all you stand tall

• Go ahead, Mr. Wendal

Mr. Wendal, yeah

Lord, Mr. Wendal

Raleigh has lots of Mr. Wendals, Ms./Mrs. Wendals, even little Wendels. It’s time to stop grouping people collectively and see them as individuals. Then put them in homes. Compassion is where it starts.

Thank you again and in advance for being here. If you'd like to be a hero, please contribute any amount at any stage of the experience. To contribute to my business please check out my professional business card for ways to support the work I'm doing either with a donation or a purchase.

If you'd like to jump right in and help me generate that $20K please check out my personal business card for ways to send money. Thanks again and continued success. Enjoy the amazing day you're creating. Peace...