Experiences With Homelessness Shared as Friends Without Homes Hosts its Second 'Myths and Facts' Forum in Chehalis

Jun. 9—With the nationwide homelessness crisis showing no signs of ending, Friends Without Homes certified peer specialist Lisa Striedinger organized and held the second in a series of forums addressing the "myths and facts on homelessness" last Tuesday at the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library.

Friends Without Homes is a nonprofit organization focused on providing outreach and resources to those experiencing homelessness.

Around 20 people were in attendance, including Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum and Centralia City Council member Elizabeth Cameron. Cameron currently heads up Centralia's Homeless Task Force after former council member Leah Daarud, who proposed the task force's creation last November, resigned in April.

As for the current homelessness crisis, there are a litany of causes according to Striedinger, ranging from the lack of affordable housing to inadequate drug or medical rehabilitation services.

Having struggled with homelessness herself, Striedinger chose to study the issue and become a counselor to help others escape homelessness. In her opinion, one of the biggest causes of the increase in homelessness is the general apathy most people seem to have toward those experiencing it.

One of the biggest myths Striedinger sees is that many believe those who are homeless remain homeless simply because they don't want to get a job, when in reality, some can't.

"If you don't have the documentation when you're out on the street to get that identification, then you don't get identification, you don't get the job and you don't get housing," Striedinger said.

She added many on the streets are employed but don't make enough money to be able to afford housing that's currently available due to the affordable housing crisis, while simultaneously making too much money to qualify for housing assistance programs.

Kristina Sawyckyj, a representative of King County's Health Care for the Homeless governance council, spoke and shared her own experience being homeless. Sawyckyj was a U.S. Navy corpsman who was attached to a Marine Corps platoon and injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She suffered a spinal cord injury, which ended her military career.

"With my injuries, my brother took care of me and then he went to Afghanistan. Within two weeks of returning from Afghanistan, he committed suicide. I had been living with my brother with my seven children at the time," Sawyckyj said.

She moved from Colorado Springs where her brother was stationed at the U.S. Army garrison in Fort Carson to the northwest as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) told her the best spinal cord injury recovery program was in Seattle.

"We were here and within two weeks the VA closed that program in Seattle," Sawyckyj said.

She had sold most of what she owned just to move from Colorado and was left living in her van with her family.

Living in a van was no easy challenge, especially while attempting to receive treatment for a spinal cord injury, she said. Her children were eventually taken away by Child Protective Services. Her marriage also ended.

Following those events, she fell back on alcoholism, but she met Striedinger and other friends who encouraged her to go back to school. Sawyckyj obtained her nursing license and is now currently pursuing her master's degree in public health at the University of Washington.

"I became active in the community as a nurse, out on the street with people who are suffering, who are struggling with addiction, who are struggling with medical and mental health conditions," Sawyckyj said.

Aside from substance abuse issues, many who Sawyckyj works with who are homeless right now face severe physical and mental health issues, including diabetes, dementia, schizophrenia, kidney failure and several clients who are fighting end-stage cancer. Each person she comes across has a different story.

"The lady who I just love who maybe has, I would say less than a month left, who refuses to go into housing because she has seven animals, cats and dogs, that she's in her camper with," Sawyckyj said. "That's how she wants to die, with her loved ones, which are her pets. She had to give up her housing to pay for chemotherapy because she wasn't old enough to get Medicare."

She said the lack of affordable housing is the major issue fueling not only the homelessness crisis, but many mental health issues. While Sawyckyj did suffer from PTSD stemming from her time in the service, she said she didn't face suicidal depression until her time living on the streets.

"It's always assumed that these individuals are struggling with severe addiction or severe mental health conditions. I always say, 'Well, whatever their severeness is, they need a place to live because they're not going to get better out on the street,'" Sawyckyj said.

Even those coming out of recovery programs Sawyckyj works with who are working full time and going to school can't find housing. Housing for those with disabilities is even harder to come by.

Another homeless veteran Sawyckyj works with is living with disabilities while having a felony on his record from 30 years ago for stealing a car. Despite serving his time and trying to work as a diesel mechanic and truck driver with a bad back, he's still living on the streets.

"Upstanding citizen, great Republican, awesome person, I love him to death. But I can't find housing for him," Sawyckyj said.

The forum's final speaker was "Big" Steve Nelson, who after spending the majority of his life on the streets has now been housed for nearly a year. While he was homeless, Nelson helped build the Quixote Village in Olympia, a community of tiny homes.

He echoed many of Striedinger's comments on the general population's apathy toward those experiencing homelessness.

"I've spent almost my entire life in the homeless crap because everybody turns their heads," Nelson said.

Suffering from addiction himself, the apathy didn't help as all he had to turn to then were his drug dealers. Despite people ignoring his plight, he refused to give up, a sentiment he says is shared by many still currently experiencing homelessness.

"Not all homeless people are bad. There are some that sit there and fight every single day. I fought every day and I'm an ex-drug addict and alcoholic," Nelson said.

With Striedinger's help, he was finally able to overcome his addictions and has now been living in an apartment complex in Olympia for almost a year.

Striedinger intends to hold more forums at other Timberland libraries in Lewis County, though the next one hasn't been scheduled yet.

For more information, call Friends Without Homes at 360-386-5915 or visit the nonprofit's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/worthsavin/.