Homelessness in DeKalb County has become the number one catastrophic problem locally. It has become more challenging than illegal drugs, which were prime subjective discussion material several years ago. This includes marijuana as well.
The homeless in DeKalb County -– the good, and the bad, and the ugly. Just recently, I spoke with my sister, Lucy Foutch, who reflected upon the homelessness in her residential town of Hermitage. To paraphrase, she vividly remembers waiting in a department store’s check-out line while watching the homeless customers push their loaded and unpaid shopping carts out the front door. To paraphrase Lucy: the store employees would not stop them from exiting the building because the store’s employees and customers were terrified that’ they would be shot.
Homelessness affects all of us and it’s not someone else’s issue. It has a ripple effect throughout the DeKalb County community. It affects the availability of healthcare resources, crime and safety, the workforce, and the use of tax dollars.
Are homeless members dangerous? Research shows ”substance abuse is often a result of homelessness rather than a cause. Conclusively, a person who is homeless is no more likely to be a criminal than a housed person (living in a house) with one legal exception - camping ordinances.” wrote www.commerce.gov.
With each former and passing day, the local yearly situation has escalated. Yet, throughout, the homeless keep finding ways to infiltrate our primary existence. Yet, in it all, they are “homeless…not harmful,” wrote homeless poet Twista Jaye. (See below).
Yet, where are these homeless adventurers and their camps? According to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray, “The local homeless are only looking to ‘have a roof over their heads,’ especially those who permeate abandoned houses and other non-occupied buildings. This statement of the homeless living in abandoned houses is undocumented and a false and inquisitive statement, per Sheriff Ray. The local homeless live in outdoor settings, and they avoid inhabiting building structures.
Subjectively, local homeowner and local resident, Debra Smith Black, found several homeless persons living in her family’s yard on South Third Street, downtown Smithville. She kindly asked them to leave the premises, which they obliged without incident.
In response to the total number of the homeless persons who have transferred to our County, the Sheriff continued, “Right now, I have no idea” how many homeless persons we have living in DeKalb County.” Contrarily, the cumulative numbers seem to change daily. “Today, there are less than 1,000 homeless persons throughout the County,” Ray added.
“The homeless pass through (DeKalb County), like it, and stay here,” Ray continued. They come from everywhere,” The homeless majority live in downtown Smithville. “That is where the most trouble is now.”
Resuming, “They just want to live this way!!! And, they beg for money,” the Sheriff exhaustedly said. Scattered throughout the county, a majority of the homeless live outdoors adjacent to Walmart. On another noted location, Ashley Owen Morris remembers another homeless camp located in the Golf Club vicinity of Smithville.
In retribution, “The homeless can be arrested on unlimited charges,” commented Ray, “But how are they going to pay the court costs? They don’t have any money. And, they can’t live in tents forever.”
If not in compliance with the law, they can be fined or arrested and transferred to the Homeless Shelter in Cookeville by Jail employees. Observantly, there is no transfer Homeless Shelter in DeKalb County.
I asked the sheriff if the homeless live in unfurnished “For Sale” or “For Rent” houses in our county, and he quickly responded, “NO.” So, conclusively in DeKalb County, most all homeless persons live outdoors. They have not been found hibernating in vacant locales.
My friend, Michael Young, explained earlier that the “Mayor of Los Angeles just issued a ‘State of Emergency’ to help fight the growing homeless problem there.” The Rand Study was conducted from September 2021 through October 2022. The total number of homeless in Los Angeles County last year was 69,144, which is “in crisis mode,” wrote the New York Times.
The U.S. cities with the most homeless people today are:
· New York City 78,604
· Los Angeles 56,257
· Seattle, WA 11,199
· San Jose/Santa Clara 9,706
· San Diego, CA 8,167
· San Francisco, CA 8,035
· Oakland/Berkley 8,022
· Santa Ana, CA 8,022
· Phoenix/Mesa, AZ 6,614
· Washington, DC 6,521
The inquisitive question is: What is the personal hygiene of the global homeless population? “The homeless population faces significant barriers to self-care and personal hygiene, lack of access to clean showers, laundry machines, and handwashing facilities. However, lack of hygiene is a big issue among people living in poverty and may increase the risk of infectious diseases,” wrote Medline Plus.
“Being homeless is difficult,” wrote www.wikihow.com. “But, if you find yourself lucky enough to be living indoors in a shelter, you have eliminated a constant issue – maintaining your personal appearance. Keeping clean and presentable are key elements in getting ahead and getting to where you need to be.”
Another prevailing question remains, “Is homelessness serious in America?” The revealing answer is “Every night, more than 300,000 men, women and children in the United States stay in homeless shelters (DeKalb County does not have one.) An additional 200,000 or so spend each night unsheltered, whether on the street or in other locations, such as subway trains, vehicles, etc.”
Also, the universal homeless population, including DeKalb County, needs the following hygiene items (Merry Christmas!) The various hygiene items you might include/gift are:
· Kleenex
· Tooth brush and paste
· Soaps and body washes
· Tissues
· Bandages, especially Band-Aids
· Sunscreen or lotion (The higher the number the greater the sun protection)
· Lip balm
· Hand wipes
· Other assorted body wipes
· Feminine hygiene products, including menstrual protection
· Underarm deodorant
· Anything else you’d like to give
If you would like to give any item/items to the homeless in DeKalb County, all items can be left with the City of Smithville Police Department, 104 East Main Street, Smithville, TN.
“Feel our lives as homeless people for a moment…Taste it through our lips…Know it through our touch…Experience it through our words,” quoted Homeless Poetry.
On another note, the Lifetime movie HOMELESS TO HARVARD: The Liz Murray Story, released in 2003, tells the story about a homeless high school girl who is accepted into Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. A true story, the protagonist, Liz Murray, received her Bachelor of Science degree from Harvard and her Master of Science degree from Columbia University in New York City. Today, she is a teacher and a motivational speaker.
Her entrance into being admitted to the two Ivy League Colleges was that she was awarded an academic scholarship from the New York Times, especially targeted for needy students.
Regarding Homeless Shelters offerings, “As the name suggests, a Homeless Shelter is a place that provides temporary housing to people who don’t have a place to stay. In addition to living quarters, some shelters also provide homeless individuals with basic necessities like food, water, and clothing.” Remember that in DeKalb County, we have NO Homeless Shelters. Our homeless population is immediately taken to a Cookeville homeless shelter facility.
The binding trust here is the poem, HOMELESS, NOT HARMFUL by Twista Raye, written on November 1, 2000. While composed 23 years ago, the feelings and sensitivity are basically the same. It reads:
“Homeless, not Harmful
Jobless, but Hopeful
Penniless, not hurtful
Won’t steal, will work
Won’t hurt, will work
Won’t scare, will work
Looking for compassion, not violence
Seeking employment, not nonsense
Gaining hope, not property
I am Homeless, not Harmful.”
