Beggars can’t be choosers. It’s a cliche most of us believe without much thought or consideration. But what if this mentality is actually making homelessness worse? What if the very people who are trying to assist those in need are offering inadequate services or “helping” in ways people on the streets are not asking for? Josiah Haken, the CEO of City Relief in New York, believes getting people off the streets and into sustainable, productive lives requires a more tailored approach. City Relief is connecting people experiencing homelessness to specific services and resources that actually offers the help they need. Haken explains that many people never get help because they don’t know where to look, or they are mistreated by some organizations not suited for the job. Giving people options makes the path off the streets more accessible. By meeting people where they are, taking time to assess their real needs, and empowering them to make their own choices again, City Relief paves a more dignified road out of homelessness. People in need are able to explain their situations, ask for specific services, and select from an array of options City Relief provides. Born to missionaries in Africa, Haken frequently met orphans knocking on the door of his parents’ home, begging for food. These experiences seared compassion for the poor into his heart. “My work today here in New York has been influenced greatly by my childhood. Experiencing different cultures and different languages, and the needs of the human beings who are all around us changes the way you see the world.” After moving to the U.S. as a freshman in high school, Haken set out to find where he belonged in this new world. It wasn’t until his early twenties that he started to wonder what he could contribute to society. So, he started by washing dishes at a soup kitchen but felt a dissatisfying distance from the people he was serving. He wanted to connect. Eventually, he started working in the church, but he still felt like he wasn’t active enough in the lives of hurting people. After discovering City Relief through a church banquet, Haken knew it was work he could connect to, work that would allow him to get to know the people he was serving. How Can I Help You? One of Haken’s more striking character traits is his commitment to quality of service for people who aren’t expecting five-star treatment. City Relief takes buses to the streets and goes anywhere people are most in need. It is anything but business as usual, offering concierge service to people who can’t afford it. “By going to the streets and meeting people where they are, we can build instant credibility with folks who are struggling…No strings attached,” Haken says. Meeting people where they are without a pre-programmed agenda enables City Relief to gain rapport and navigate larger conversations about each person’s specific needs. This is not a common strategy. Many shelters and homelessness services fail to consider the unique nature of each person’s experience with homelessness. Thus, many are lost in the cracks of a shoddy, catch-all approach. Haken says many places treat guests like dependents. “If you greet your guests like they need you, it creates a power struggle dynamic, where you say, ‘what do you want?’ instead of ‘how can I help you?’” Law enforcement is not doing any better than homelessness services. Haken believes that most police officers have good intentions, but they are often tasked with “corralling” the homeless instead of assisting them. If the goal of city officials is to get people on the streets “out of the way,” their motives are not just unethical; they are sabotaging the work. “Because we don’t understand homelessness and because we blame homeless people for being homeless, the police end up being forced to play a disproportionate role in homeless engagement than they should…If all you have is a hammer, everything you see is a nail…The police are the hammer, and all homeless people are the nail.” Treating the homeless like criminals does not help them become healthy, productive citizens. It only serves to shame and ostracize them, often forcing them further down the rabbit holes of poverty, mental illness, and addiction. Haken asserts that society should be working to understand people on the streets, not strong-arming them into change. The way the homeless see the police is the key to a paradigm shift. They feel the same fear and suspicion toward law enforcement that they feel toward humanitarian services. If they don’t feel confident that police are allies, people on the streets will see them as enemies. Haken believes part of the solution is for more police officers to start volunteering and attempting to understand the realities people on the streets are facing. By developing empathy and demonstrating compassion in a public way, police can change the narrative. They can build trust and develop relationships that lead to solutions. Becoming allies is no easy task. It will take time and dedication. But if the impetus is placed upon the homeless to bridge the gap, it will never be closed. Most of them do not have the luxury to spend time and money on better PR. Just as with leadership in homelessness services, it is incumbent on lawmakers and law enforcement to reach across barriers and show homeless citizens that they care. Beggars Can be Choosers Haken is a street concierge. His philosophy is a healthy reminder for all of us. People on the streets are humans, not statistics. They have unique dreams, goals, challenges, and needs. The longer they are treated like second-class citizens, the more difficult it is for them to trust that anyone cares. It drives them away from the very lifelines that could save their lives and change our cities forever. No matter our level of prestige or influence, we can choose to treat the less fortunate as honored guests. We can provide people experiencing homelessness with something most of us take for granted: options. Maybe beggars can and should be choosers. We can return the dignity of choice to people on the streets. And it might be as simple as asking, ‘how can I help you?’
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