Misconceptions about homeless common in Johnson County

When you think of a homeless person, the image in your head most likely doesn't match the reality of who homelessness affects.

Your ideas probably are among a range of widespread misconceptions about the makeup of the homeless population in Johnson County. Other common misconceptions include the reasons why people become homeless and the definition of the term itself, those involved with homeless population locally say.

Shelter House resident services director Mark Sertterh said stereotypes about homeless people, such as the image of "the single male who is panhandling on the corner of the (pedestrian) mall," are a problem in Johnson County.

He said stereotypes also include the idea that everyone in this population is mentally ill or uses drugs.

Sertterh said while some homeless people do fit these descriptions, the total population also includes families with children, the elderly, veterans and others.

"People think that is kind of the face of homelessness, and while that might be the face of homelessness, homelessness does not discriminate against any age, gender, race," he said.

A total of 676 people used Shelter House, a local homeless shelter, between Nov. 1, 2013, and Oct. 31, 2014, data show. That total includes 126 children younger than 18, or about 19 percent of those who sought shelter.

The total also included 238 females, 437 males and one transgendered person.

Twenty-one percent of Shelter House residents during the past year reported having mental health issues, while 15 percent reported having substance abuse issues, although Sertterh said the number of people actually struggling with these issues likely is higher.

Forty percent of residents reported having a disabling condition ranging from mental illness to alcohol abuse to a physical or developmental disability.

Data from the Johnson County Crisis Center indicates 373 households reported experiencing homelessness at some time between July 1 and Nov. 19. In those households, 243 people were younger than 18.

To help tackle homelessness locally, an event will be held Thursday at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City. University of Iowa graduate student Jessica Larson, the Johnson County Homeless Coordinating Board and other organizations will offer resources and information at the Project Homeless Connect and VA Stand Down event, which will also offer help specifically for veterans.

Resources will include information about about services, flu vaccinations, assistance enrolling for insurance and applying for the state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as well as hygiene items, sleeping bags and other resources.

Larson helped to organize the event as part of her practicum for the UI College of Public Health in conjunction with National Homeless Awareness Week. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"What we're trying to do is gather a variety of different resources and organizations that serve the homeless population in the Iowa City community in one place," she said.

While working on her practicum, Larson said she learned about a variety of local people experiencing homelessness. Through volunteer work at the Johnson County Crisis Center food bank, she said she was surprised to encounter many homeless families with young children.

Larson said she wants to help eliminate stereotypes, including the idea that most homeless people are single men without children.

"These are your neighbors," she said. "These are people that you see around."

Bruce Clark of Iowa City, a veteran who has been homeless, said another misconception is that homelessness is only an issue for people living on the street or sleeping on park benches. In reality, more people may be one or two paychecks away from homelessness than others realize.

Clark, 57, who served in the U.S. Army in 1976, had a double bypass surgery in 2009 while he was living in Cedar Rapids. He continued to have health problems and sought treatment at the Iowa City VA Health Care System. He said that while he never lived on the street, he couldn't afford to move to Iowa City so he could be closer to the VA hospital.

Clark said a caseworker through a Cedar Rapids Veterans Affairs outreach program helped him move into Shelter House about two years ago, where he lived for 15 months.

He said when he came to the shelter, about a quarter of the population seemed to be children.

"I was shocked when I first got into Shelter House," he said.

Sarah Benson Witry, the Crisis Center's food bank and emergency assistance director, said homelessness is less visible than many people think.

She said the homeless population includes people who go to work but sleep in their cars, as well as those who "couch surf" at friends' houses as a means of shelter. She said it's not always easy to guess who is struggling.

"A lot of homelessness is very hidden," she said.

Benson Witry said there's also a misconception that homelessness is typically a lifelong issue. She said many people actually are homeless for a period of time that can be as short as a few days or a month.

The Crisis Center helped organize Thursday's event and will have a table where non-perishable food items, information about services and opportunities to sign up for some services will be available.

Anna Brett, 21, was among a group of volunteers last week who filled backpacks with hygiene items, socks, gloves and food to be given away at the event.

It can be difficult for people who are new to homelessness to find resources, and Thursday's event aims to ease that struggle.

Brett, who began volunteering with the homeless population about two years ago, said a common stereotype she's encountered is the idea that only those who visibly appear homeless are actually experiencing homelessness. In reality, she said, there are many families in Johnson County facing homelessness.

She said these families might lose their homes because of mounting medical bills, for example, and that help from organizations can help many get back on their feet quickly.

Brett said stereotypes about the homeless can make people "unfriendly" to the idea of living near an organization that offers homeless services or voting in favor of initiatives that could help the homeless. She said these stereotypes create fear of homeless people as a whole.

"I think there's ... a feeling that these people, they're transients, that they're not in our community, they come, they go, they don't belong here, but that's not true," she said. "They're locals."

Reach Holly Hines at hhines2@press-citizen.com or at 887-5414.

Project Homeless Connect and VA Stand Down event

• What: event offering resources and information for homeless people, including veterans

• When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday

• Where: Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City