Why do some Des Moines homeless people avoid shelter? A new study finds out, plus other takeaways

Imagine having a roommate that you don't get along with or a situation that makes coming home a bit more uncomfortable and tense.

Now take away privacy and sometimes a bed, then add a rotation of about 50 roommates to the mix.

"You would prefer almost anything to that," said Drake University political science professor Matthew Record. "It's a lot to put on somebody."

The city of Des Moines' Homeless Coordinating Council requested the study from Record, sociology professor Elizabeth Talbert and a team of undergraduate students to better understand the experiences of people living unsheltered in Polk County. It examines why individuals face barriers to shelter and permanent housing in Des Moines and provides a platform for people who are homeless and unsheltered to tell the community how best to help them.

Homeward, the county's homeless planning organization, published the results on Tuesday.

The team conducted 152 surveys of persons experiencing homelessness and were living unsheltered in Polk County, and 37 in-depth interviews of the same population. Planning for the project started in February 2022, and the team took surveys and interviews from June to October. Funding for the study came from Drake University, Wells Fargo, the city of Des Moines, Polk County and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

More:More people in Polk County are homeless, and for longer periods, data shows

Drawing from firsthand accounts and research, the report also presents recommendations to "improve homeless services, create system-wide change, and ultimately reduce the number of our neighbors living outdoors," according to the study.

"People want to be able to feel human and dignified in their lives even when their lives are very difficult," Talbert said. "Dignity is a big part of what people are seeking every day, and a lot of the structural ways we are dealing with homelessness … are not supporting that in the same way that people really feel like they really need it."

Here are the top takeaways from the study:

6 barriers to accessing shelter

Of 152 respondents, 30% were interviewed downtown or at the Central Library. Another 16% were interviewed at an encampment. A quarter had been living outside for more than a year, and another quarter, more than five years.

Researchers identified six barriers that keep people from accessing shelter: physical conditions of the shelter; rules and routines; perceptions of shelter staff; problems with other shelter clients; gender-specific barriers; and apathy and the "precarious balance of daily survival."

When people were asked why they choose not to access shelters, the most common response was "problems with other people." Another 25 people said it was due to safety concerns.

Respondents discussed issues such as cleanliness, sanitation and crowding as their reasons for hesitation. Multiple people said their experiences reminded them of being in prison.

“The dorms are … it’s like, if you’ve been to jail… Yeah, it’s the same beds and everything," Bill, a man in his 20s, told interviewers. "And then there’s fifty guys in a room. … It reminded me more of being in jail than any, anywhere else I’ve been in.”

Researchers used pseudonyms for respondents in the report to protect confidentiality.

Others said their mental health issues with PTSD, depression or schizophrenia were barriers to sheltering in a congregate setting. Likewise, respondents said they found it hard to coexist with others battling mental health issues at the shelters and that it sometimes led to issues such as fights, which made others feel unsafe.

“You can’t put like a regular person with a mental person with someone that came out of prison with someone elsethat is a drug addict," Johnny, a man in his 30s, told researchers. "You can’t put those four together. So you’re gonna have chaos in there every, every time.”

Many respondents told researchers substances like drugs and alcohol were often present in shelters.

More:As Des Moines' homeless population grows, the city grapples with solutions

Giving up 'dignity and self-determination'

Talbert and Record said many of the deterrents to people seeking shelter had to do with giving up some amount of dignity and self-determination. Respondents cited things like curfews, rigid schedules, and rules that are "possibly necessary but often poorly enforced, unclear, changeable," the study said.

While the average person may be surprised to learn people refrain from accessing shelters, especially in instances of extreme heat and cold, Record said there is "coherent logic" behind the decision.

"And the answer is that they don't get to live a dignified existence if they choose to go through the shelter system, or at least, they don't perceive that they get to live a dignified existence," he said. "They're giving over a lot of self-determination: The right to choose who they're going to be around, the right to choose how they spend their day, when they eat, how they eat and whether they get to have their cell phone. A lot of things get handed over, a lot of things that an adult would value for their own life."

More:A guide to shelter, housing resources for people facing homelessness in Polk County

A man in his 30s who identified himself as Barry said the only benefit of the shelter was that it provided a safe space, but he eventually figured out how to create a safe, small community outside.

The other benefits, he told researchers, aren’t worth it: "I don’t know what’s going on with the staff (at the shelter). They used to help and stuff with like housing and stuff. They don’t do it no more," Barry told interviewers.

Talbert said another thing the team learned was that there's no one-size-fits-all solution.

"Looking at this population as diverse as any other population is really important, too, in kind of assessing what to do as a community," Talbert said.

People want sustainable, permanent housing

Almost all survey respondents said they want a permanent home — such as an apartment or a house — that is safe and affordable and allows them to bring pets and family, according to the study.

Only two people out of those surveyed said they wanted to live in a tent or RV.

Talbert said while it's true many don't want to come to a shelter, a shelter is not a permanent solution — and people would prefer self-determination and a permanent home.

"They need housing with support and they need housing that's going to stick around even when their job doesn't pay enough for rent that week. It's not the same as saying 'Oh yeah, people aren't ever going to want to leave their tents,'" Talbert said.

More:It's not just low incomes and housing shortages: Here's what causes homelessness in Polk County

Study addresses short-, mid- and long-term solutions

The study pointed out multiple solutions for the short-, mid- and long-term to help Des Moines' unhoused population.

Two short-term solutions included addressing comfort and accessibility issues at the shelter, including reexamining the configuration of overflow rooms, as well as creating an outreach and action plan for each unsheltered individual in the community.

Some mid-term solutions included:

• Construct or create warming stations as an alternative to an overflow emergency shelter.

• Start transitioning to a norm of low-barrier, non-congregate living emergency shelters.

• Improve the physical conditions of shelters to include ways to mitigate overcrowding and sanitation concerns.

• Create resources and spaces that address gender and family-specific concerns, such as exploring a women-specific shelter and spaces for trans individuals.

• Strengthen relationships between the organization, staff and clients by offering consistent training and shared values and hosting listening sessions for both clients and staff.

Long-term solutions included:

• Strengthening regular data collection practices and instituting more opportunities to analyze the data.

• Investing in affordable permanent housing and permanent supportive housing.

• Asking for frequent input from unsheltered individuals and frontline providers. Using the expertise of frontline staff when making high-level decisions about Polk County.

Survey: 'If you could tell someone in charge how to help people who are living outside, what would you say?'

According to Talbert and Record, in the last question of the survey, what people who are homeless would tell someone in charge, most answered: "be kinder/more compassionate."

One respondent said, “Put yourself in our shoes and go what we’re going through before telling us what to do and doing anything about it. I guarantee they wouldn’t be able to live how we do."

Another 26% of respondents mentioned that they needed more resources generally, including more food, more survival materials, and facilities where they could take care of their bodies and their clothes.

One out of five respondents who answered the question said a simple “help us,” or a variation on this sentiment, the study said.

Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2. 

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why do some Iowa homeless people avoid shelter? New study finds out.