By Lourdes Medrano for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Arizona News Connection, reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service Collaboration.

For more than three years, 23-year-old Baneen Albotaify bounced from one friend's house to another, sleeping on couches or in laundry rooms while working on her college degree. The stress was high, but she couldn't afford a place of her own.

"I was really depressed. I was always in survival mode," says Albotaify, who lives in Tucson, Arizona.

After a friend told her about I Am You 360, a nonprofit that provides housing for young people, she applied for the program and her life began to change for the better. Albotaify is currently living in a studio apartment in a 10-unit building run by the nonprofit, alongside other formerly unhoused folks. She now works as an electrical technician and, after taking a semester off school, she plans to continue college in the fall.

By year's end, Albotaify and some of her fellow tenants are slated to move into a new I Am You 360 housing project: an eco-friendly tiny house village currently under construction that, when completed, will include 10 homes, a water-harvesting system, and a community garden.

"We want to set them up for success," says Desiree Cook, the nonprofit's founder and executive director.

Success, for Cook, means integrating unsheltered young people back into society as well-rounded productive citizens. With a place to live, Cook says, these young people will no longer be continually victimized in the streets. While living in the tiny houses, tenants will have access to not only various tools that will help them forge a new life, but also common spaces where they can build community.

"There's a difference between giving someone a house and giving them a house so that it can be a home," Cook says.

The tiny-house village will be Tucson's first, but in recent years, cities from Seattle to Los Angeles to Madison, Wisconsin, to Austin, Texas, have turned to these affordable and energy-efficient living spaces to shelter people experiencing homelessness. Although programs and resources vary greatly, tiny houses are usually a step up from overnight shelters and short-term transitional housing, because they can provide shelter for longer periods of time, and act as a bridge to permanent housing.

I Am You 360 settled on a construction method known as insulated concrete form for its tiny houses: interlocking modular foam blocks that are stacked and then filled with concrete. This method appealed to the nonprofit because it's more energy-efficient and more durable than wood-frame houses, which will mean more utilities savings for tenants in the long run.

"We want our homes to be more sustainable, so they can be here for generations to come," Cook says.

But housing advocates say the tiny house trend (like all proposed housing solutions) is not an end-all to homelessness if it doesn't include access to services people need to stay healthy and keep a roof over their heads.

"A lot depends on whether it's part of a coordinated strategy to reduce homelessness or just a form of shelter that's put out there with nothing else," says Steve Berg, vice president of programs and policy at the National Alliance to End Homelessness. "I think that's the key today."

The nation's homeless population totaled about 580,000 on a single night in January 2020, according to an annual survey by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Slightly more than 34,000 were unaccompanied young people, and of those, 90% were between the ages of 18 and 24. In Arizona, nearly 11,000 individuals were unsheltered.

The HUD count does not reflect the changes brought about by COVID-19, which exacerbated homelessness across the country. Berg says outreach workers have noticed a surge in the unsheltered population since the pandemic began. The 2021 count is considered incomplete because many cities did not conduct one, and HUD has yet to issue a 2022 report to Congress.

Still, these official surveys only include people staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing, bus stations, parks, and other temporary sites (not those like Albotaify, who are living in homes that aren't their own). Many are young people who age out of the foster care system at age 18 and end up living on the streets.

"We have to remove the temporary housing mindset," Cook says. "It should be about permanent housing so that these kids can thrive."

Cook's desire to help young people experiencing homelessness or foster care is rooted in her own experience. During her struggles with drug addiction, she became unhoused and was incarcerated, and four of her children were placed in foster care. After being released from incarceration, taking steps toward recovery, reuniting with her children, and getting married, she decided to lend a helping hand to a young population that she says is often stigmatized.

"Society has done so much damage to these kids," she says.

Cook established I Am You 360 in 2014 to provide free hygiene products to foster group homes. Seeing the other needs of foster youths motivated her to incorporate a housing component into the nonprofit's programming. Having a safe, affordable place to live is a significant step toward achieving stability and self-sufficiency, Cook adds.

Studies have shown that stable housing is key to people's overall well-being, too. That's something Albotaify can attest to. Last year, after moving into the 350-square-foot studio that was her space alone, her stress levels dropped, and she was able to focus on school and make up courses she had failed.

"It was honestly a dream come true," she says of her new home. "It has given me a lot of stability and improved my mental health."

Future tenants who are not already in the program (or living in the apartments) must be between 18 and 22 years old when they move into the 450-square-foot houses. They will pay $1 per square foot in rent, which includes utilities, and they can stay for two to three years. Half of the rent they pay during this time will be set aside in an escrow account, and when the young tenants move out, they will get that savings back to put toward the down payment on a house. I Am You 360 connects residents with nonprofit partners to guide them through the process of buying their first home and help find housing assistance programs that fit their needs.

In the next five years, the nonprofit plans to purchase the studio apartment complex it is currently renting and expand to build a second tiny house village modeled on the first.

The 10 young people who currently live in the apartment complex frequently gather at the I Am You 360 headquarters in a lounge filled with green, yellow, and orange furniture. Affirmations printed on colorful paper grace a wall next to a mirror, to encourage self-esteem development. "I am somebody," one states. Given the trauma they've endured in their young lives, Cook understands how difficult it can be for them to relearn how to trust others and themselves, and stop expecting the worst.

"We have to turn all that around, so that they're looking at the glass half-full, rather than half-empty," she says.

While temporary housing is important, Berg said that to help lower the number of unhoused people, it's imperative that tiny house programs across the country also incorporate access to a wide spectrum of services, whether on-site or through partnerships. That's why I Am You 360 offers assistance through partner organizations to help tenants find employment assistance and medical, behavior health, and other services.

The tiny house village will be built on land owned by I Am You 360, next door to the nonprofit's headquarters. This could facilitate more on-site program operations-like resident workshops on employment, education, financial literacy, and life skills-that don't require outside coordination or transportation.

Eventually, the former tiny house tenants will be living on their own, so Berg stresses the importance of connecting graduating program participants with landlords who will rent affordable housing to program participants, as well as help finding employment and obtaining medical care after leaving the tiny house village.

Cook says she spends much of her time working to raise awareness about the value of investing in the housing program. She says rising inflation in the past couple of years has already increased the cost of building each tiny house from $40,000 to $75,000, which makes fundraising to build them even more challenging but all the more important. The city recently allocated $500,000 to the nonprofit, an investment derived from federal stimulus funds. The money, Cook says, will go a long way toward providing housing for young people like Albotaify.

"This program gave me a safe space to live in peace," Albotaify says.

Cook emphasizes that people becoming unhoused is a community issue, not an individual failing. So possible solutions will come down to the investment and collaboration of communities.

"It's going to take all of us to work on it together," Cook says. That will take time, but the goal is to build a sustainable future rather than a quick fix. "It takes community compassion to invest for a long-term change."

Lourdes Medrano wrote this article for YES! Magazine. Medrano is an independent journalist in southern Arizona, where she writes about immigration, underserved communities, the environment and other matters of importance in both the United States and Mexico. A 2020-21 Knight Science Journalism fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she has written for various publications including the Washington Post, Undark Magazine, The Atlantic and Audubon Magazine. She speaks English and Spanish. Reach her via Twitter at @_LourdesMedrano


get more stories like this via email

A new poll shows homelessness is an important issue to voters in Connecticut and nationwide.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness' latest poll shows it is a top issue for voters, behind the economy and crime. Connecticut saw an eight-year drop in homelessness, but the last two point-in-time snapshots indicate it is growing again.

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said voters across the political spectrum want to address the root causes of homelessness rather than have punitive policies.

"We see folks starting to understand the connection between housing affordability and homelessness in a different way," Oliva explained. "Homelessness is the result of systemic inequities and systemic challenges, and not about individual decisions."

A commonly sought solution for homelessness is building more affordable housing, which elected officials and candidates at different levels of government are discussing. Vice President Kamala Harris is proposing an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and incentives for builders selling to first-time homebuyers. Former President Donald Trump wants to open federal lands to build more affordable housing and shut out illegal immigrants, though home loans for that population are rare.

However, misunderstandings about homelessness could prevent solutions from being realized. Among voters and elected officials, Oliva noted there are misconceptions about homelessness stemming from a person's choices only, not other systemic issues. She pointed out another misconception is about the connection between homelessness and crime.

"People who are experiencing homelessness are more often the victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators," Oliva stressed. "When those two issues get conflated, it really seeks to dehumanize people who are experiencing really traumatic parts of their lives."

Given how each level of government affects homelessness, Oliva feels the election has high stakes for how the issue is shaped going forward. Since many government institutions might have an assortment of Democrats and Republicans in charge, she said they must come together to develop solutions for ending homelessness.

"We have to find places where we can find some common ground and really educate our elected officials about not only what their constituents want, but what actually works to end homelessness in their communities," Oliva emphasized.


get more stories like this via email

New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system.

The state consistently ranks high for high housing cost burdens on renters and homeowners. The New York State Comptroller reported about 52% of the state's renters have a high housing-cost burden.

Hae-Lin Choi, District 1 political director for the Communications Workers of America, said it can be attributed in large part to big, corporate landlords.

"When corporate landlords roll into our communities, rents spike, hidden fees add up and basic maintenance goes out the window," Choi asserted. "This is not just 'business as usual.' I think what we're seeing is exploitation, plain and simple."

State and federal legislation could rectify the problems, but Choi suggested the political landscape has prevented it so far. She cited federal lawmakers like New York Congressman Marc Molinaro, who are bankrolled in part by real estate companies and have voted down federal affordable housing bills.

At the state level, "good cause" eviction and other tenant protections are working to keep housing costs reasonable.

Some experts feel congressional Republicans are tanking affordable housing efforts under the guise of helping everyday Americans.

Caroline Nagy, associate director of housing for the Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, pointed to the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act. She said the bill, introduced by House Republicans, could have made it more expensive to become a homeowner.

"What this bill would have done is actually order the Federal Housing Finance Agency to increase borrower fees for people who don't have a 20% down payment," Nagy explained.

She added the bill would have decreased borrowing fees for vacation homes and investment properties. All House Republicans voted to support the bill along with 14 Democrats, but it failed in the Senate. Another bill would bring back a Trump-era program beneficial to wealthy investors, at the cost of affordable home prices for working families and minorities.

By Corrie Aune for Yes! Media.
Broadcast version by Edwin J. Viera for New York News Connection reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News Service Collaboration

First, my brother passed away and then my mother," says Charles Jones, sitting on a blue metal folding chair in Philadelphia's Breaking Bread Community Shelter. "I needed somebody to take care of. And I needed somebody to take care of me."

Jones pauses and clears his throat, wiping his eyes. "I get emotional about it," he says quietly, looking down at the black Labrador retriever sleeping at his feet. "Midnight has done so much for me. I really don't know what I'd do without him."

Breaking Bread Community Shelter serves individuals experiencing homelessness in Upper Darby, a township on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It is the only shelter in the area to welcome guests along with their "Three P's": pets, possessions, and partners of all genders.

A few years ago, Jones was in a car accident that left him unable to work. As a result, he lost his apartment and began living on the streets. During this time, Jones left his service dog, Midnight, in the care of a friend. Every day, for months, he would take the bus to visit Midnight.

In addition to his role as an emotional support dog, Midnight is also trained to care for Jones in the event of a medical emergency. Jones suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and relies on Midnight to bring him his medication and phone during cardiac episodes when Jones is unable to stand.

When Jones finally secured a spot at a shelter that allowed service animals, he found the staff to be confrontational about Midnight's presence, despite the dog's status as a service animal. Eventually Jones was evicted from the facility.

After sleeping in a storage unit for two nights, Charles and Midnight visited the Breaking Bread Community Shelter in search of food. They were immediately invited in for coffee and a meal. Soon after, Charles and Midnight secured a room in the shelter, shared with two other guests, and were able to move in.

"The first day we came, the staff called us by name, even Midnight," Jones shakes his head, emotional once again. "They told me they had my back. I felt like I was in heaven."

Once securing a bed at Breaking Bread, Midnight was given vaccines and other medical care from volunteer veterinarians in the community. "I owe this place everything," says Jones. "We've got a whole new family here."

An Impossible Decision

"Approximately 10% of people experiencing homelessness do so with service animals, emotional support animals, or companion animals," according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. However, very few homeless shelters currently accept pets. This means that many unhoused people are forced to make the often impossible decision between safe shelter and staying with their pet.

Additional research by the Alliance indicates that many choose to remain with their animal, even if that means sleeping on the street or staying in a violent situation. According to the Urban Resource Institute, "50% of domestic abuse survivors would not leave an abusive home unless they could take their pet with them."

Biana Tamimi, a veterinarian and the director of shelter medicine at the Animal Care Center of New York City, believes this decision is only natural. Tamimi explains that for many people, an animal is more than a pet-they are a member of the family. Over her years of veterinary care in New York City, Tamimi has witnessed animals providing critical companionship, comfort, and trauma healing to people experiencing homelessness or poverty.

"I have met so many unhoused people who say there's no way on Earth they would give up their animal. [Their pet] is their reason to get up in the morning, a reason to go out and look for food," Tamimi says. "We all know what it feels like to come home after a hard day and pet your cat or have your dog jump on your lap and give you licks. Imagine in the darkest time of your life, having a companion that's been with you for years suddenly taken away. We never want that to happen to people."

The Interconnected Health of Pets and their Owners

In addition to her role at the Animal Care Center of New York City, Tamimi serves as a co-lead at The Street Dog Coalition, an organization that believes the well-being of the pet and the owner are inextricably linked. At pop-up street clinics across the nation, the Coalition provides free veterinary care to pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, while also offering social services and medical resources to owners. This model of care is known as the "One Health" approach. Attributed by many to 20th-century veterinary epidemiologist Calvin Schwabe, the One Health movement has gained popularity in recent decades.

"One Health is a way of providing care that recognizes the connection between human health and animal well-being," Tamimi explains. "Practically, what these clinics look like is a veterinary team working alongside human health care providers. For example, I'll be examining the animal, and maybe there's a psychiatrist with us, and we're having a conversation as a group."

Tamimi shares that, often, the focus of the appointment is first on the pet, utilizing the human-animal bond to help the owner feel comfortable.

"People want their animals to get the care they need," Tamimi says. "One of the biggest benefits [of One Health clinics] is getting someone through the door who might have a lack of trust with housing providers, with health care. ... We use that bond with the pet to facilitate the human getting care for themselves as well."

At a recent New York City pop-up clinic, Tamimi recalls a man who brought his cat to the clinic, concerned that she was developing asthma. Through conversation with the man, Tamimi and the volunteer social workers at the clinic discovered he was a heavy smoker, which was likely causing his cat's breathing issues.

"That was a great opportunity to discuss how the owner could smoke a little less," Tamimi says. "He didn't realize his smoking was causing this problem, and he said he didn't want to do that to her. ... Our team was able to say, 'Let's tackle this problem together, because you're going to be helping your cat and yourself.'"

To Tamimi, this illustrates the effectiveness of the One Health model and the power of the human-animal bond to positively influence a person's life.

"Pets keep their owners grounded. They keep them well, especially in really dark times of isolation and stress," she continues. "Humans can get through the most challenging times of their lives because they have an animal there with them that relies on them. ... That interconnectedness is really valuable."

In Texas, a Safe Space for Pets and Owners

The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center in Dallas is also working to keep unhoused people with their pets. The nonprofit has 20 dog kennels in its 750,000-square-foot center, along with shaded walking areas and a full-service grooming room. Recovery center clients are also provided with free dog food, leashes, and toys.

David Woody, a social worker and the president and CEO of The Bridge, says that in his experience, if a client is offered a spot in a shelter that does not welcome their animal, they often refuse services.

"Here at The Bridge, we've developed a real sensitivity to that kind of experience," Woody says. "Through the kennel program, we offer dogs a safe space while the guest gets their needs met as well. We take care of the whole person, and the canine is just as important as anything else."

Channon Cavazos, kennel manager at The Bridge, explains that often, guests open up to her about their trauma while talking about their pet. This allows the team at The Bridge to better serve the client's individual needs.

Cavazos says there is nearly always a waitlist for The Bridge's pet-friendly shelter services. In the coming years, she hopes to expand the kennel program, allowing more Dallas residents to receive shelter without being separated from their animal.

"There are people who will wait on our waitlist for weeks at a time because they can't part with their animals. A lot of these people have been through a lot. The last thing they want to do is get rid of their animal," Cavazos says. "I would love to see a kennel in all homeless shelters so that no one has to part with their animal to receive shelter."

Mobilizing the Public

Feeding Pets of the Homeless, a nonprofit working across all 50 states, provides food and medical services to the animals of unhoused people. Since it got its start in 2008, the nonprofit has provided more than 2 million pounds of food as well as medical care to more than 30,000 pets.

"When we first started, our clients would tell us they were giving their pet half of whatever food they could find," says founder Geneveive Frederick. "And we knew this wasn't healthy for the person or the pet."

Feeding Pets of the Homeless relies on donation sites across the country to collect pet food and supplies from the public. These donation sites are located in hair salons, doctors' offices, pet shops, and other small businesses. The food and supplies collected then gets distributed by social service centers like domestic violence shelters and food banks. Feeding Pets of the Homeless also offers financial support to unhoused clients whose pets need urgent medical care.

The majority of the organization's clients are women, Frederick shares. She highlighted that, many times, unhoused women are at greater risk of violence and rely on their animals for safety.

"Even the smallest dog can alert them that danger is coming," she says.

Additionally, she mentions the high suicide rates among people experiencing homelessness. For some people, pets can provide a reason to seek help, even when they feel hopeless.

"For many [unhoused people], they've lost all hope ... but they reach out to us because they feel responsible for their animal," Frederick says. "Programs like ours can give people hope that somebody out there wants to help them, and their pet, in their time of need."


Corrie Aune wrote this article for Yes! Media.


get more stories like this via email