Homeless: A view from the streets in Kent | Part III

Homelessness – it is a word, a tragedy and an issue that reflects the complex problems facing our region, state and nation.

Every school district, city and community has homeless adults and children living in a nearly invisible world of streets, parking lots, doorways, porches and cars.

Kent, as the sixth largest city in the state, has had a fast-growing population of home less people since the Great Recession hit in 2008. There are government officials, religious and humanitarian groups trying to bring assistance to those who have fallen on tough times.

This story is the third of a three-part series on homelessness and living on the streets in and around Kent.

 

In the previous two installment in this series, 51-year-old Orville Tate and a 50-year-old man who is referred to as J.T. because he asked that his real name not be used, described the experiences they have encountered on the streets in Kent and around the region.

J.T has been working for about a year and is no longer homeless. He spends much of his off time helping the homeless.

Tate has been homeless since 2009. He lived for a period of time in shelters, but now survives on the streets day and night.

Both told stories of men and women who are surviving tough times, and others who have given up. J.T. stated alcohol and drug abuse are a major factors for many who have lost hope. He added some of the homeless simply drink so they don’t feel anything.

“They are always trying to be numb, and it takes more and more to do that,” J.T. said.

Each man said there are services available to help the homeless, but the problem is both deep and wide and not easily addressed by a government or humanitarian groups.

“There are a lot of facilities out there you just have to go find it,” J.T. said.

 

Youth on the Street

J.T. and Tate both described a growing problem of teenagers living on the streets in the Kent area. Along with teens, there is the serious trouble of drugs.

According to J.T., there are kids who have a home who come to live on the streets for a weekend or a week as a party. A check with official sources confirmed the statements J.T. and Tate made about some of the kids living on the streets.

“These kids are doing stuff you wouldn’t believe,” J.T. said. “There is so much meth and stuff out there and it is so easy to get for them. They go out and do that and they’re strung out for at least a week afterwards.”

Tate said, “I have people come up to me all the time, ‘you wanna to buy some weed, wanna buy some meth you want to buy this, you wanna buy that.’”

J.T. said there are “12 to 14 year olds out on the street thinking it is cool. I know a couple of them (that) their parents want them to come home and they won’t go home.”

Both Tate and J.T. said drugs and alcohol are easy for kids to find on the streets.

“It’s out there and it is easy to get,” J.T. said. “Right in the parking lot of the library.”

J.T. feels many of the people getting picked up by police on the streets are homeless alcoholics who need help, but the drug dealers disappear when an officer is near.

The numbers of youths on the street is a moving target as it is with adults.

“The younger population is really out of control,” J.T. said. “I am talking about the ‘wanna-be gangster kids.’ Most of them don’t need to be on the streets. About one of three need to be there.”

J.T. estimated there are about 500 homeless on the streets in and around Kent, and “at least a third are kids. Of that third probably less than 20 percent need to be on the street. Meaning their parents kicked them out and don’t want them to come back. The rest can go home at any time.”

J.T. added something needs to be done, “to make these kids want to get off the streets.”

A Giving Community

J.T. and Tate stated that Kent and surrounding communities try to help homeless in many ways. There are food banks and emergency shelters. Catholic Community Services provides many services along with numerous churches and government agencies.

Willows Place is an organization that has for many years been working with the homeless.

Members of the Kent United Methodist Church along with other churches and groups hope to found a day center for the homeless in Kent.

“There are a lot of good people around trying to help,” J.T. said.

Tate said panhandling shows how giving the community is in Kent and Covington.

“In a four-hour period I could make a hundred dollars easy,” Tate said. “I had four or five jobs I got (while panhandling). I wasn’t out there to rip anybody off. I just needed enough to get me through.”

The two men both hope a day center is part of a solution, but each said the system for the homeless is designed to fail.

J.T. described abuse of food stamps where homeless people can take their stamps to certain stores and exchange them for money, which is used to buy alcohol or drugs. He said most of the stores participating in this activity, which is illegal, are in Seattle, but there are some in the Kent area.

“If you’re going to help these guys, help them,” J.T. said. “That’s why this day center is such a great idea. The boredom (from being homeless) leads to drinking and doing drugs to pass the time.”

J.T. and Tate said about two out of 10 are really trying to get off the streets. Many of the rest have given up and fallen into a cycle of daily alcohol and drug abuse.

“It may not have started out with alcohol or drugs, but it ends up there,” J.T. said.

Tate said he would like to volunteer to help others when he gets on his feet.

“You have to find a need for these guys,” J.T. said. “I don’t think you would have to go crazy, just get them a job where they feel like they have a need in society. I am not saying giving them 20 bucks an hour, that’s not feasible. But give them some use in life, instead of handing them stuff, which is food stamps in general. They need a reason to live, and it is that basic.”

 

 

Homelessness – it is a word, a tragedy and an issue that reflects the complex problems facing our region, state and nation.

Every school district, city and community faces homeless adults and children living in a nearly invisible world of streets, parking lots, doorways and cars.

Kent, as the sixth largest city in the state, has a fast-growing population of homeless people since the Great Recession hit in 2008. There are many groups, including government, religious and humanitarian that are trying to bring assistance to those who have fallen on tough times.

This story is the third of a three-part series on homelessness and living on the streets in and around Kent.

In the previous two installment in this series, 51-year-old Orville Tate and a 50-year-old man who is referred to as J.T. because he asked that his real name not be used, described the experiences they have encountered on the streets in Kent and around the region.

J.T has been working for about a year and is no longer homeless. He spends much of his off time helping the homeless.

Tate has been homeless since 2009. He lived for a period of time in shelters, but now survives on the street day and night.

Both told stories of men and women who are surviving tough times, and others who have given up. J.T. stated alcohol and drug abuse is a major factor for many who have lost hope. He added some of the homeless are in a state where they drink so they don’t feel anything.

“They are always trying to be numb, and it takes more and more to do that,” J.T. said.

Each man said there are services available to help the homeless, but the problem is both deep and wide and not easily addressed by a government or humanitarian group.

“There are a lot of facilities out there you just have to go find it,” J.T. said.

Youth on the Street

J.T. and Tate both described a growing problem of teenagers living on the streets in the Kent area. Along with teens, there is the serious trouble of drugs.

According to J.T., there are kids who have a home who come to live on the street for a weekend or a week as a party. A check with official sources confirmed the statements J.T. and Tate made about some of the kids living on the streets.

“These kids are doing stuff you wouldn’t believe,” J.T. said. “There is so much meth and stuff out there and it is so easy to get for them. They go out and do that and they’re strung out for at least a week afterwards.”

Tate said, “I have people come up to me all the time, ‘you wanna to buy some weed, wanna buy some meth you want to buy this you wanna buy that.'”

J.T. said there are “12 to 14 year olds out on the street thinking it is cool. I know a couple of them (that) their parents want them to go home and they won’t go home.”

Both Tate and J.T. said drugs and alcohol are easy for kids to find on the streets.

“It’s out there and it is easy to get,” J.T. said. “Right in the parking lot of the library.”

J.T. feels many of the people getting picked up by police on the streets are homeless alcoholics who need help, but the drug dealers disappear when an officer is near.

The numbers of youths on the street is a moving target as it is with adults.

“The younger population is really out of control,” J.T. said. “I am talking about the ‘wanna-be gangster kids.’ Most of them don’t need to be on the streets. About one of three need to be there.”

J.T. estimated there are about 500 homeless on the streets in and around Kent, and “at least a third are kids. Of that third probably less than 20 percent need to be on the street. Meaning their parents kicked them out and don’t want them to come back. The rest can come back at any time.”

J.T. added something needs to be done, “to make these kids want to get off the streets.”

Giving

J.T. and Tate stated that the Kent community tries to help homeless in many ways. There are food banks and emergency shelters. Catholic Community Services provides many services along with many churches.

Willows Place is an organization that has for many years been working with the homeless.

Members of the Kent United Methodist Church along with other groups hope to found a day center for the homeless in Kent.

“There are a lot of good people around trying to help,” J.T. said.

Tate said panhandling shows how giving the community is in Kent.

“In a four-hour period I could make a hundred dollars easy,” Tate said. “I had four or five jobs I got (while panhandling). I wasn’t out there to rip anybody off. I just needed enough to get me through.”

The two men both hope a day center is part of a solution, but each said the system for the homeless is designed to fail.

J.T. described abuse of food stamps where homeless people can take their stamps to certain stores and exchange them for money, which is used to buy alcohol or drugs. He said most of the stores participating in this activity, which is illegal, are in Seattle, but there are some in the Kent area.”

“If you’re going to help these guys, help them,” J.T. said. “That’s why this day center is such a great idea. The boredom (from being homeless) leads to drinking and doing drugs to pass the time.”

J.T. and Tate said about two out of 10 are really trying to get off the streets. Many of the rest have given up and fallen into a cycle of daily alcohol and drug abuse.

“It may not have started out with alcohol or drugs, but it ends up there,” J.T. said.

Tate said he would like to volunteer to help others when he gets on his feet.

“You have to find a need for these guys,” J.T. said. “I don’t think you would have to go crazy, just get them a job, where they feel like they have a need in society. I am not saying giving them 20 bucks an hour, that’s not feasible. But give them some use in life, instead of handing them stuff, which is food stamps in general. They need a reason to live, and it is that basic.”