Homelessness is a Trauma That Sticks With Those Who Experience It

By Linda Shaw

My move to the Family Promise of Sussex County’s Sparta location affected me in a way I never dreamed of. It wasn't the new location, the change in scenery, sharing an office with a different co-worker, or even my new responsibilities. It was leaving Newton with the last box. I turned to look at my former desk and felt like I had lost my safety net.

I had been to Sparta before, so I wasn't making the move totally blind. But it was letting go of something familiar that was unsettling.

Sparta was an unknown.

I knew it was something of value, but I really couldn’t experience it unless I gave up what was in my hand. What do you do? How does a homeless client choose? What barriers might keep them immobile?

Fear paralyzes.

If you have no experience with the homeless population, you may have a difficult time understanding how trauma can affect an individual long beyond the original event. You may find it hard to rationalize why someone may choose to remain homeless. Why they may refuse to ask for help. Why they choose to remain in their current situation.

Having lived experience in this area, I was able to relate to what happens in the mind of a homeless individual in these circumstances. I lost my house to Hurricane Sandy and a subsequent fire, and was homeless for two and a half years. Even after I moved into my new home, I had just a snack tray and a folding chair for the first six months because of that fear. Will something happen to my home again? Is this really mine? Will someone or something happen to take it away?

And the big fear – Am I better off without anything so that I don’t have to go through disappointment again? At least I have “something” that no one is going to take away from me.

We must look past what our eyes perceive as a hopeless individual. A real person, with needs just like yours and mine, is buried somewhere underneath fear and trepidation.

About Family Promise of Sussex County

The mission of Family Promise of Sussex County is to secure housing stability and sustainability for those in crisis…because everyone deserves a home. Our vision is that every individual and family shall have a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. We offer many services and a dedicated team of individuals that are available to assist our clients in attaining these goals. To learn more or get help visit us at https://familypromisesussex.org or our offices in Newton, Sparta and Sussex or contact us at 973-579-1180 or fpsc@familypromisesussex.org.