This past Tuesday I got the opportunity to do housing inspection with Everett Lewis who is the executive director of Gulf Coast Housing Initiative. He oversees Homeport I and II, which are apartments for veterans who are homeless. We spent the morning going in each apartment to inspect every room and make sure there are no needed repairs. As we go in each apartment I notice a few things that stood out to me in the homes of these veterans. There are two veterans in particular who haven’t adjusted to their living arrangements and it shows quite well when you step in their home.
As I step inside the third apartment I noticed that there seems to be a bed made out of covers on the living room floor. It turns out that this man has been sleeping there since he moved in six months ago. I asked myself, “now what is this man doing sleeping on the floor when he has a bed in his room?” Then I remembered what Kenney has been telling me since my stay here and that is, “imagine moving from our home to being homeless, now imagine being homeless and having to adjust back into a place of your own.” This man represented that 100% because he has been on the streets for a number of years and that is what he was used to, sleeping on hard ground and living in the elements. Of course I didn’t react because I couldn’t imagine what he is going through and the adjustments he faces because I’m so used to my lifestyle that at times I think everyone would love having everything I have. I don’t think one bit that this man isn’t grateful for all the amenities that this apartment holds, but it takes time to adjust to any new lifestyle.
The last apartment that we had to inspect was a woman’s. She is the only woman veteran who is living amongst majority men in this complex. As we step inside I notice marks that looked like scratches on the inside by the door. She goes on to explain her story of feeling afraid that she is being watched and could be attacked at any moment. Therefore she uses a knife to put between the door and the paneling on the inside to make her feel safe. This is a side effect of PTSD that she got while she was deployed and was being sexually touched by the other men who were in service with her. She says that she knows that she is safe, but it gets to her sometimes. Everett tells her that they will place a keypad with a code that only she and Back Bay Mission will have to make her feel safe in her home. That was reassuring to know that these veterans are being taken care of, unlike the many homeless veterans that live on the streets every day.
I can’t help but be anything but blessed while interning here because I hear many stories of how people ended up where they did and it can truly happen to any one of us. It has gotten hard at times to feel like my “little ole self” is not enough to guide those who are in need, but I know without people like me and places like Back Bay Mission on this earth there wouldn’t be any help at all for those down on their luck who just need a hand up.
