On the surface, homelessness in Johnson County is hard to see.
There aren’t small tent cities where people have been forced to sleep outside. No huddled masses are sleeping on sidewalks or park benches.
But throughout Johnson County, those plugged into the fight against poverty are aware of the homeless problem the community faces. A growing number of people have no home of their own, so they’re crashing on the couches of family or friends, sleeping in their cars or living out of hotels.
One of the most powerful tools to combat homelessness is permanent supportive housing, and Johnson County leaders are working to establish it in the county. But those with Kids in Crisis-Intervention Team, or KIC-IT, say they’re fighting against public perception and lack of options.
“There is a lack of awareness and a lack of reality for most people who live in Johnson County not really understanding or knowing that homelessness is an issue in our county,” said Katie Sparks, executive director of KIC-IT. “We don’t have parking lot tents, we don’t see homelessness, so we don’t think about it actually existing.”
KIC-IT has been working within the Johnson County community for nearly 10 years to address the crisis. The organization collaborates with other groups and agencies to support young people, ages 16 to 25, who are struggling to break the cycle of homelessness.
The staff offers case management to support clients and create plans addressing their struggles. A drop-in center is available where people can do laundry, get a meal, use computers and socialize with others. Pantry and hygiene items are also available to those in need.
The organization has connected with private landlords who would be willing to partner with them as they work toward a housing solution, relationships that have been invaluable, said Jenna Martin, development and engagement manager for KIC-IT.
“We have a couple of partners where they have rentals,” she said. “That’s where we’ve found the most success.”
As KIC-IT has focused on the myriad root causes of homelessness, they’ve also been driven to establish supportive housing for people in the county.
Supportive housing is a permanent option for people who need assistance in a variety of areas, including personal support services, medical assistance and counseling. The idea is to allow people to live independently, while also providing the resources they need to be successful. They would work with groups such as KIC-IT on managing a budget, meeting goals with employment, and caring for social, emotional or mental health needs.
“The structure is basically an apartment-style building with main offices on the main floor,” Sparks said. “As homeless people come to us for services, it allows us to safely shelter them as well.”
Supportive housing has gained popularity throughout the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2019 reported 369,293 permanent supportive housing beds available, compared to 188,636 beds in 2007.
In places where permanent supportive housing has been established, studies show success in reducing homelessness over the long term. A 2020 paper published in The Lancet Public Health journal looked at supportive housing studies conducted in high-income countries.
Analysis of those studies showed that permanent supportive housing interventions increased long-term housing stability for participants with moderate support needs and high support needs when compared with usual care, according to The Lancet.
The increase in supportive housing beds were found to have lowered the number of chronically homeless individuals by 20% since 2007, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Johnson County has no such option at this point, something that surrounding counties such as Marion and Bartholomew already have.
“We have zero options when we have clients come to us. When they come to us and are truly homeless, we end up sending them to a hotel,” Sparks said. “We’re talking a bed, a bath and a microwave. It’s better than nothing, but it’s not really a home.”
Sending clients to a hotel is expensive and requires an increasing reliance on financial donations, Martin said. And it’s only a temporary fix.
“As we’re trying to find that solution, that monetary support will allow us to partner with area hotels as we try to get a roof over people’s heads,” she said.
Thus far, efforts to establish supportive permanent housing in the county have been fruitless. So KIC-IT has focused its initial work in raising awareness among the community on the homelessness issue. Social media outreach has been effective in quick-hitting education, and KIC-IT has conducted meetings with government officials and local churches to emphasize the homelessness issue.
The fear is that the ripple effects from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will greatly increase the issue, Sparks said.
“We already are seeing more people coming to us now, and more will probably be coming when the eviction moratorium is lifted,” she said. “My hope through all of this is that people realize we have a need, and COVID is only going to make that need greater. We need to figure out how to prepare as a community for families who face homelessness.”
