“Direct Aid” should be called compensation pay or reparations, depending on who you’re offering to.
The word “aid“ is insulting. Poor people have been at the effect of war, colonization, resource stealing and greed. To suppose that one is being a benefactor by offering structured and conditional help to the people one has already taken so much from is difficult at best.
As a population, we the unhoused consist of about the same ratio of intelligent or not so much, crazy or sane, traveled, or not traveled, savvy, or not so much — as the rest of the population. The fact that so many people will not trust us to say exactly what would help us has been in the way. The Contributor staff and volunteers all know this. They have resources on offer, but they know that we know what is best for us.
Resource Sharing
As a rule, the people who are really working hard to try to solve problems like homelessness are not typically the people who created the problem. I am ever grateful to those who are able to put in that much volunteer work, and just hard work in general to help the world.
Yet, I do see that the large majority of us unhoused have solutions at hand. Money certainly helps almost everything. If asked to write a proposal on what we would like to do with a meaningful amount of money, I think you would see creativity, suppressed dreams and abilities come to light.
Poor people have learned a lot of behaviors that protect us. One of them is allowing you to think of us as helpless, dumb, or somehow, not entitled. I agree with the author when she states that the puritanical values are what drive our workforce. If we were to say that we wanted work to be fun, that we wanted to be on our own schedule, that we could serve our community best by having more free time, these things are not allowed to the boots on the ground workers. Unless you are selling The Contributor! And writing articles. And looking for news that might inform or help people. So no, don’t take our paper away please. See that word, please? We have no right to make demands.
In a free world
In a free world, people, passing by a stranger in a coat, who is obviously living outside, might show some curiosity. They might wish for a safe environment for a soul, so that deep traumas or other forms of loss can be repaired. But most of all, they would see each person as a free agent.
Someone who can help solve their own problems, but who might need a little love, community, inclusivity. I do believe it is a myth that we can just pull ourselves up by your bootstraps. I have tried. I have lots of broken laces to show you. We need each other. And that is a good thing.