The Hidden Differences Among People Living on the Street
File Photo: Terry McDonald of SVdP in Lane County
By Tom Peterson
Terry McDonald, the former Executive Director at St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, Inc. toured The Dalles in 2021, providing advice about how a small volunteer group in The Dalles could go about delivering services here.
McDonald oversees programs to fund social services and address the needs of an increasing low-to-no-income population. He’s a bit of a phenom in the nonprofit social services and thrift industries and had been at it for 54 years.
In short, McDonald knows what he’s doing.
Part of his success is understanding the people he has been serving.
While assessing the situation in The Dalles in 2021, McDonald explained there was a hierarchy to houseless people - and emphasized they are not all the same but do breakdown into several groups that are useful to understand.
20% are moving up, are willing to change their lives, and have come to some revelation to improve their place. They have a history of drug and alcohol use but their main barrier to becoming housed is income. These people have the best chance of success, McDonald said.
65% are situationally houseless, meaning a life-altering event such as domestic violence, job loss or medical emergency has put them on the street. These folks are functional but need assistance to regain a residence to live.
The two groups above are the people that agencies such as Mid-Columbia Community Action Council can most easily help and see the best success.
However, 10 to 13% are chronically houseless where they have lived on the streets for more than a year and commonly have addiction or mental health challenges or both. These are the houseless people that we see on the streets of The Dalles on a routine basis. They are unable to follow the rules of transitional housing situations. In essence, McDonald said these were the people who could not abide by the rules in, for example, a pallet shelter. And yet, these people will continue to live in communities on the street and in public spaces for years.
5% - the lowest percentage - are criminals relying on property crime. McDonald said these are the houseless people that go unseen as they operate at night and shy away from temporary housing and rules. "This population will grow if not treated," McDonald said. "It will get worse,” he said noting police and jail cells can provide an interrupting moment for these people who are on a course toward an early death.
For those 10 to 13 percent who are chronically houseless and can't make it in a structured environment, he recommended day services that included showers, a place to wash clothes, access to a bedroll, and food in a safe environment. He said those basic services can remove enough anxiety for a houseless person that they have a chance of seeing themselves past the next hour and possibly in a better place. And it is only with those moments, that people have the time and clarity to take a step to improve their lives.
He said these elements that provide clear thinking had to be in place for a houseless person where they can move up the tiers toward permanent housing and employment. He said such a facility had to be well managed while rules are enforced and he pointed out that “you have to have enough public resources - money and motivation - to deal with it.”
Understanding Your Own Reaction to Houslessness
History and research show that fear and misunderstanding often lead people to avoid, exclude, or attempt to eliminate what feels threatening, even as humans also can readily demonstrate empathy and curiosity.
If you feel uncomfortable around unhoused people, is it because of safety concerns, sanitation, or because their lifestyle challenges your idea of what a “normal” community looks like?
How much of your fear comes from stereotypes about addiction or crime, and how much is based on actual experiences?
When is Your Safety or Another’s at Risk?
When encountering someone who is unhoused, the key is to focus on behavior rather than appearance. Signs that a person may be a harm to themselves or others include aggressive or threatening language, erratic movements, visible intoxication, or actions that put them in immediate danger, such as stumbling into traffic or handling objects unsafely. By contrast, many unhoused individuals are resting, carrying belongings, or asking for food or money — behaviors that, while sometimes uncomfortable to witness, are not physically dangerous to you or others. Approaching each situation calmly, keeping a safe distance, and observing what the person is actually doing can help you feel more confident in distinguishing between someone in crisis who may need emergency help and someone who is simply surviving in public space.
