Spontaneously Disappearing Homeless People
Mystery Incorporated to unmask national housing villain and find missing tax money
Below is a conversation I had with the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) several years ago. The numbers are direct quotes from the representative that I spoke with.
Hi, I was directed to y’all from the city services website. I’m calling to find out about housing options.
- What’s your question?
Well, I’m low-income and experiencing housing insecurity. I guess I’m trying to find out what my options are.
- Are you a New Orleans resident with proof of residency?
Yes, ma’am.
- Are you disabled?
No, I’m not.
- Do you have any dependent children?
No, it’s just me.
- The only program you’re eligible for is the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section-8.) The waitlist right now is about seven years and we have over 30,000 families waiting for assistance.
Seven years… okay. Umm, how do I get on the waitlist?
- The waitlist is closed. We have too many people applying.
Are there any other programs you know of that help non-disabled adults without children?
- No, ma’am.
Ok. Thank you.
*click*
The funniest part of that exchange is that theoretically, I would have been eligible for housing assistance this year, if I had been able to get on the waitlist back then. Funnier still, my situation now is far worse because I wasn’t assisted at first need. Even being on an unbelievably long waitlist would improve my outlook about the future.
If you’re curious what the New Orleans Section-8 waitlist looks like today:
The Housing Authority of New Orleans has 20,000 families on this one waitlist. This list has been closed for 7 years; believe me, I’ve kept check.
The Public Housing program in New Orleans only services seniors, families, and the disabled; there’s a waitlist. The Project-Based Voucher Program only assists families, and only if the waitlist is open.
Now, what’s interesting is HANO only references families in the Section-8 explanation; no mention of any other eligible people. In fact, the entire page for this program only references families until you scroll to the FAQ drop-down menu, and most of those drop-downs only reference families.
“… unless the public notice states otherwise” wasn't always there. That wording around eligibility has crept up across the nation for housing programs. I’ll get into why further down.
States have no clue how many families, let alone individuals, have a need for housing assistance, because, opps, they have no systems in place to collect this data. That’s an intentional policy choice.
It’s why states close the housing waitlists.
If there’s a cap to measurement of need, the data will only reflect reality of need up to the capped amount. Anything beyond that cap is ignored. Excess need is rendered invisible. This deliberate kink in the social services system allows politicians to ignore dire housing priorities in our communities, and ensures continued lack of funding.
States and federal agencies don’t want accurate data about housing, nor do they want this information to be a part of public record, where it is accessible proof of program collapse. If we don’t collect data on the number of housing-insecure and homeless citizens in our country, they disappear as far as the government is concerned.
Spontaneously disappearing homeless people—America’s greatest magic trick!
I’d say step right on up!—but we’re already standing in the middle of the circus. We are the circus performers, in the inhumane show called the USA. Last week made the circus reality palpable for a lot of folks who did not, previous to the election, see the flashing neon sign.
I read an essay yesterday that said fear is a wannabe fortune teller. The writer’s accompanying doodles lamented that anxiety lies to us, and fear can’t tell us what’s coming. That we should be comfortable not knowing the future; you know, vibe things out.
Try telling that to the poor, hungry and homeless in our country. Make sure to say it with a sweet face in a slow, joyful tone. Next, say it to the barely existing middle class. And really emphasize it when speaking to Native folks, Black folks, Arab folks, Asian folks, LGBTQ+ folks, disabled folks, single mothers, the elderly, immigrants, students, activists, creatives…
Fear and anxiety are telling you that something is very wrong with this world. Do not bury your fear and anxiety about the future. It’s justified. You should be concerned. Your body should have alarms going off because if you didn’t, you’d miss the flashing neon sign.
You know what the sign says?
The waitlist is closed, forever.
“… unless the public notice states otherwise” language has been added to housing program eligibility over the last decade because the nation’s housing waitlists are never going to reopen.
We know national housing programs are full of families, seniors, and the disabled by the millions, with millions on the waitlists.
We know that millions more are blocked from joining housing waitlists. We can base that on homeless shelter occupants, point-in-time counts of homeless folks living on the streets, and the sheer volume of people living at and below the poverty line (a woefully outdated calculation that doesn’t accurately weigh the high impact of housing costs; also an intentional government policy.)
We know that housing insecurity and homelessness have spiraled out of control. And the waitlists are all closed. The shelters are full, and most charge to hold a bed; it’s not free anymore, hasn’t been for a long time.
There’s nowhere for people to go.
Makes me, someone experiencing homelessness, wonder why the hell I’ve been paying higher and higher taxes for 26 years. As a freelance copywriter, I pay at a higher tax rate than millionaires and billionaires. Those same millionaires and billionaires buy extra vacation homes from taxpayer-funded government contracts and subsidies. I can’t even get on a housing waitlist for help 7 years in the future.
So, the next time you hear someone say there are housing programs available, or that people experiencing homelessness want to live on the streets for funsies—please refer them to this post.
Alternatively, tell them Laura Gentle said they’re a fucking moron.
Mystery Incorporated won’t be unmasking the US housing villain due to national security reasons, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security. As for the missing tax money, $849.8 billion was found in possession of the Department of Defense. No charges have been filed.
