Just a quickie but today was a good one. I think I've finally finding some services to share with people over at TC3!
I have now located free vision care (eye exams and glasses), free dental care, including dentures, and free prenatal care. It may have taken calling at least 20 different so-called 'low-income dental clinics' but free dentures exists. The resource manual is coming along quite nicely and I should be able to bring it over to TC3 within the next week.
More coming soon detailing the next step of the project!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
18 Interviews Down
Hi Blog Readers,
This is an entry of disparate thoughts:
1. First of all, many thanks to everyone who's shared their encouragement and interest in my project. Your praise for the blog and support for the challenges that this summer's work proposes has been enormously appreciated. And if you have ideas, thoughts, etc. please don't hesitate to leave me a comment note.
2. I've now completed 18 interviews with women at TC3. Each story has been so very different and yet, the frustrations with the limits and failures of health care provisions continue to resonate. In addition to the often-mentioned vision and dental care barriers, mental health care needs continue to arise. Not only is there limited access for diagnoses and support but the costs of filling prescriptions often seem to feel insurmountable. I'm going to move into the next stage of the project shortly so stay tuned for details!
3. For each of these 18 interviews, I've sat at the Tully's coffee shop directly across the street. The staff have been fantastic and most patrons seem to have no idea what's going on- it's just me scribbling furiously to catch every word the woman sitting across from me says. However, earlier this week, there was an older man sitting, drinking his coffee and working on a crossword puzzle, who kept giving me the dirtiest looks. I don't know what it was about- I was sitting with a woman who looked more 'homeless' than some of the others I've interviewed. I do believe the majority of these women would 'pass' and those of us with sustainable incomes would never guess them to be tent city residents. I just smiled back at him, despite his continued glares. Eventually he got up and left, not without shooting me one last glare. I hope my interviewee didn't notice.
Today, though, after completing one particular interview, the interviewee and I chatted a bit about what it's like for her to live in a tent city. She had already shared how she believes her interactions with medical care providers to be different because of her housing and lack of insurance coverage. She then stated that when she had stayed at a Tent City 4 location previously, she had been part of a panel of residents who spoke with community members at a new tent city location. She stated that a woman in the audience of this panel stood up and asked the tent city residents if they would be using the park a few blocks away. One panelist responded, "Well, yes, it's a public park and people in the tent city do like parks."
The audience member then probed further and said, "Well, what are we supposed to do with our children?" My interviewee shared that she had been holding the mic at this point, and had no idea what to say, so she responded, "I'm not really sure what you mean."
The woman, rather than catching onto the idea that her question might have been offensive, just repeated it verbatim. "What are we supposed to do with our children?"
Dumbfounded that someone would speak with such presumption and prejudice, the panelists were all silent. Finally, one non-tent city resident who was also speaking on the panel, vouching for the community's credibility, shared, "Well, some tent city residents have children and have raised children so I assume they'd be happy to meet your kids."
The woman I was interviewing shared this story with grace and with sadness. But not with any hint of anger or frustration or anger. In fact, she admitted that before she ended up in a tent city, she had dismissed homeless people, and probably would have shared some concerns similar to this particular accuser.
This is an entry of disparate thoughts:
1. First of all, many thanks to everyone who's shared their encouragement and interest in my project. Your praise for the blog and support for the challenges that this summer's work proposes has been enormously appreciated. And if you have ideas, thoughts, etc. please don't hesitate to leave me a comment note.
2. I've now completed 18 interviews with women at TC3. Each story has been so very different and yet, the frustrations with the limits and failures of health care provisions continue to resonate. In addition to the often-mentioned vision and dental care barriers, mental health care needs continue to arise. Not only is there limited access for diagnoses and support but the costs of filling prescriptions often seem to feel insurmountable. I'm going to move into the next stage of the project shortly so stay tuned for details!3. For each of these 18 interviews, I've sat at the Tully's coffee shop directly across the street. The staff have been fantastic and most patrons seem to have no idea what's going on- it's just me scribbling furiously to catch every word the woman sitting across from me says. However, earlier this week, there was an older man sitting, drinking his coffee and working on a crossword puzzle, who kept giving me the dirtiest looks. I don't know what it was about- I was sitting with a woman who looked more 'homeless' than some of the others I've interviewed. I do believe the majority of these women would 'pass' and those of us with sustainable incomes would never guess them to be tent city residents. I just smiled back at him, despite his continued glares. Eventually he got up and left, not without shooting me one last glare. I hope my interviewee didn't notice.
Today, though, after completing one particular interview, the interviewee and I chatted a bit about what it's like for her to live in a tent city. She had already shared how she believes her interactions with medical care providers to be different because of her housing and lack of insurance coverage. She then stated that when she had stayed at a Tent City 4 location previously, she had been part of a panel of residents who spoke with community members at a new tent city location. She stated that a woman in the audience of this panel stood up and asked the tent city residents if they would be using the park a few blocks away. One panelist responded, "Well, yes, it's a public park and people in the tent city do like parks."
The audience member then probed further and said, "Well, what are we supposed to do with our children?" My interviewee shared that she had been holding the mic at this point, and had no idea what to say, so she responded, "I'm not really sure what you mean."
The woman, rather than catching onto the idea that her question might have been offensive, just repeated it verbatim. "What are we supposed to do with our children?"
Dumbfounded that someone would speak with such presumption and prejudice, the panelists were all silent. Finally, one non-tent city resident who was also speaking on the panel, vouching for the community's credibility, shared, "Well, some tent city residents have children and have raised children so I assume they'd be happy to meet your kids."
The woman I was interviewing shared this story with grace and with sadness. But not with any hint of anger or frustration or anger. In fact, she admitted that before she ended up in a tent city, she had dismissed homeless people, and probably would have shared some concerns similar to this particular accuser.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
So timely!
I just came across this article in today's NYT. The Obama administration is launching a 'secret shopper' survey to find out how long it takes to receive care as a new patient trying to make an appointment with a doctor. They're tracking discrepancies between the access to care for someone on Medicaid versus holding private insurance. The results should be pretty interesting.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Trudging Through the System
I know, I know, I just posted, but there's some serious frustrations that I think need to be expressed. It's hard for me to talk with folks who need services and not do anything to try to help them find them. I've set about trying to compile some referrals that will be provided to TC3 so that they have an up-to-date resource. Don't worry, it won't be shared until my TC3 interviews are complete on Monday so as to retain my methodological credibility.
As someone with access to a cell phone, a desk phone with unlimited minutes, and 24 hour/day internet, I cannot even begin to imagine the frustrations TC3 folks feel in trying to find resources for medical care. Again, it becomes ever more obvious why someone would choose the ER over a phone-transferring run around. Moreover, TC3 folks are limited to three minutes on the camp phone so any time spent on hold eats up alloted minutes.
Here's my prime example trying to find pre-natal care:
1. Call Medicaid. Wait on hold for 15 minutes. Robot voice says I have at least another 30 minutes of wait time. Give up on this referral option.
2. Call Planned Parenthood for a referral idea instead. They offer free birth control and yearly exams (Hooray!) but suggest I call Medicaid. I share that it puts me on hold for an hour.
3. I search on the Department of Health website for referral numbers. I call a Downtown Seattle clinic which says they have a home visiting nurse and explain the situation and needs. They say I need to speak with WIC.
4. This clinic transfers me to Kent County WIC HQ. I've now left Seattle services behind for some reason.
5. I tell Kent County WIC person what I'm looking for. She asks for address, wonders why I'm calling Kent, and then tells me phone number for a clinic-based WIC office near TC3.
6. I call the suggested number for this clinic WIC office, only to find a recording telling me that the number has been changed.
7. I call the new number and hear a voicemail message saying that the WIC office isn't open on Fridays.
8. More than 30 minutes since beginning this process, I leave a voicemail at the local WIC office. Hopefully they'll call me back on Monday.
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As someone with access to a cell phone, a desk phone with unlimited minutes, and 24 hour/day internet, I cannot even begin to imagine the frustrations TC3 folks feel in trying to find resources for medical care. Again, it becomes ever more obvious why someone would choose the ER over a phone-transferring run around. Moreover, TC3 folks are limited to three minutes on the camp phone so any time spent on hold eats up alloted minutes.
Here's my prime example trying to find pre-natal care:
1. Call Medicaid. Wait on hold for 15 minutes. Robot voice says I have at least another 30 minutes of wait time. Give up on this referral option.
2. Call Planned Parenthood for a referral idea instead. They offer free birth control and yearly exams (Hooray!) but suggest I call Medicaid. I share that it puts me on hold for an hour.
3. I search on the Department of Health website for referral numbers. I call a Downtown Seattle clinic which says they have a home visiting nurse and explain the situation and needs. They say I need to speak with WIC.
4. This clinic transfers me to Kent County WIC HQ. I've now left Seattle services behind for some reason.
5. I tell Kent County WIC person what I'm looking for. She asks for address, wonders why I'm calling Kent, and then tells me phone number for a clinic-based WIC office near TC3.
6. I call the suggested number for this clinic WIC office, only to find a recording telling me that the number has been changed.
7. I call the new number and hear a voicemail message saying that the WIC office isn't open on Fridays.
8. More than 30 minutes since beginning this process, I leave a voicemail at the local WIC office. Hopefully they'll call me back on Monday.
I'd be ready to head over to the ER just about now too.
Some Emerging Patterns
I've now had the opportunity to interview ten women who currently live at Tent City 3. All have been incredibly kind and open, which is especially noteworthy since they're speaking with a stranger about personal health needs. And while each person's story differs- how they've ended up in TC3 and what their personal health care needs are- there have been some emerging patterns.
To maintain confidentiality, I don't want to share any of the personal stories for fear of such an experience being tied to one of the ten women but I can share some general themes that aren't necessarily surprising but are wholeheartedly saddening.
1. No income means waiting for months: While there are numerous clinics that provide sliding scale fees, often going as low as $15 for a visit, this amount, if you're someone without SSI, Medicaid or GA-U, and you have an annual income of $0, the nominal $15 co-pay is too much. There are a handful of clinics that will not refuse treatment regardless of one's ability to pay, or they use Charity Care funding, bringing a bill down to nothing. But, these are the clinics where you frequently encounter a waiting list for new clients or a several month waiting period for an appointment.When faced with these two challenges, I can imagine why it's often far more appealing to head straight to the ER, where you couldn't be refused treatment.
This is not meant, in any way, to disparage the work being done at each of Seattle's clinics for the low-income. Rather, this work sounds tremendous and should be replicated. Rather, I believe that such an occurance further clarifies the barriers the homeless face and how dire the need actually is.
2. The ER provides primary care: I remember talking to voters throughout the 2007-2008 campaign cycle, trying to get folks onboard with a vague plan for universal healthcare as proposed by then Senator Obama. For those ardently opposed, the talking points would always involve the token, "Because we don't have coverage for all Americans right now, folks are using hospital emergency rooms as their primary care resources, and you, as a tax payer, are footing the bill."
I assumed this to be true- the Talking Points Masters wouldn't lie- but with 10 interviews now accomplished, there hasn't been a single woman who hasn't mentioned the ER as her resource when faced with illness. Most avoid any kind of health care due to lack of insurance or income, but when they have some type of ailment that they believe needs treating, some type of ailment that I would definitely pop into my regular doctor for, they take a bus ride over to one of the area's hospitals. They simply have no other option and they haven't had access to enough preventative care to prevent such a need in the first place.
3. Walgreens Glasses: There is a desperate need for vision care yet no one seems to have been able to find it for little to no cost. Instead, many women shared that they've just purchased $1 reading glasses at Walgreens, which may help slightly but do very little to conquer the constant headaches or need to squint.
4. Dentures: There's a dental van that comes to TC3 about once a month and is able to pull out people's problem teeth or complete fillings as needed. It's a great service but it leaves folks in the lurch for other much-needed dental care. More specifically, I continued to hear about dentures; there's several women in their mid-40s and 50s who wear dentures and need repairs. But no one seems to offer denture work for low income individuals.
It might have been the cycle of Indigo Girls songs on my Ipod this morning that put me in a more frustrated-than-usual by social inequities and injustices mood, but the unmet needs just don't seem like what folks should have to encounter in the United States in 2011. There's a lot of great services in existence, and noble attempts at alleviating suffering and limiting the reach of poverty, but I can't help but grow more and more frustrated about the continuing political debate regarding PPACA funding. No, the ACA isn't a panacea but it's surely a start. Those holding up the legislation's enactment with cost concerns should really have to go and speak to these women. They should have to tell them personally, "I'm sorry you can't chew your food because of an infected absess in your mouth but we just can't afford to help you."
To maintain confidentiality, I don't want to share any of the personal stories for fear of such an experience being tied to one of the ten women but I can share some general themes that aren't necessarily surprising but are wholeheartedly saddening.
1. No income means waiting for months: While there are numerous clinics that provide sliding scale fees, often going as low as $15 for a visit, this amount, if you're someone without SSI, Medicaid or GA-U, and you have an annual income of $0, the nominal $15 co-pay is too much. There are a handful of clinics that will not refuse treatment regardless of one's ability to pay, or they use Charity Care funding, bringing a bill down to nothing. But, these are the clinics where you frequently encounter a waiting list for new clients or a several month waiting period for an appointment.When faced with these two challenges, I can imagine why it's often far more appealing to head straight to the ER, where you couldn't be refused treatment.
This is not meant, in any way, to disparage the work being done at each of Seattle's clinics for the low-income. Rather, this work sounds tremendous and should be replicated. Rather, I believe that such an occurance further clarifies the barriers the homeless face and how dire the need actually is.
2. The ER provides primary care: I remember talking to voters throughout the 2007-2008 campaign cycle, trying to get folks onboard with a vague plan for universal healthcare as proposed by then Senator Obama. For those ardently opposed, the talking points would always involve the token, "Because we don't have coverage for all Americans right now, folks are using hospital emergency rooms as their primary care resources, and you, as a tax payer, are footing the bill."
I assumed this to be true- the Talking Points Masters wouldn't lie- but with 10 interviews now accomplished, there hasn't been a single woman who hasn't mentioned the ER as her resource when faced with illness. Most avoid any kind of health care due to lack of insurance or income, but when they have some type of ailment that they believe needs treating, some type of ailment that I would definitely pop into my regular doctor for, they take a bus ride over to one of the area's hospitals. They simply have no other option and they haven't had access to enough preventative care to prevent such a need in the first place.
3. Walgreens Glasses: There is a desperate need for vision care yet no one seems to have been able to find it for little to no cost. Instead, many women shared that they've just purchased $1 reading glasses at Walgreens, which may help slightly but do very little to conquer the constant headaches or need to squint.
4. Dentures: There's a dental van that comes to TC3 about once a month and is able to pull out people's problem teeth or complete fillings as needed. It's a great service but it leaves folks in the lurch for other much-needed dental care. More specifically, I continued to hear about dentures; there's several women in their mid-40s and 50s who wear dentures and need repairs. But no one seems to offer denture work for low income individuals.
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| Thanks Congressman Ryan but your budget proposal is just going to result in more preventable visits to the ER |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
First interviews begin today
I'll be heading over to TC3 this afternoon to begin speaking with female residents. In preliminary conversations with a few women last Thursday, I'm heading into these interviews with a hypothesis that the services for health care needs exist, by and large, but there's a disconnect in making sure those services are accessible and that patients know of them. One woman shared, "I'm 44 and I've never had a mammogram. I know there are places that have sliding scale fees but even $28 is too much for me to pay."
Another resident shared that she hasn't had a pap smear in several years and knows she's due for one but just doesn't know where to go. I also met a woman who's pregnant and another who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I'm not sure what prenatal care and treatment options exist and are being accessed for these residents but I'm hopeful that if they're not currently what they need, we can identify the shortfalls.
I was honored to present these brief conversations and the project at-large to the Seattle Women's Commission at their June meeting last night. In addition to being asked some incredibly thoughtful questions and hearing some helpful brainstorms about directions the project could take, the Commissioners shared the work each of their sub-committees have accomplished. One committee is working to see how current city sex education programs can include education about prostitution. As the Commission's 2011 Work Plan explains,
Additionally, while the idea of paid sick leave seems like a pretty solid 'no-brainer' to me, the majority of cities in the nation don't mandate any policy like this from their employers. While Connecticut just passed state-wide legislation mandating paid sick leave, Seattle is following in the footsteps of San Francisco and looking at it on a city-level. The Seattle City Council is considering a plan that would mandate paid sick leave for all workers, regardless of the size of the business. The Women's Commission has been at the forefront of the effort, speaking with individual council members to help convey the need. It would pretty monumental to be here when such a bill passes. Check out more details from this morning's story!
Another resident shared that she hasn't had a pap smear in several years and knows she's due for one but just doesn't know where to go. I also met a woman who's pregnant and another who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I'm not sure what prenatal care and treatment options exist and are being accessed for these residents but I'm hopeful that if they're not currently what they need, we can identify the shortfalls.
I was honored to present these brief conversations and the project at-large to the Seattle Women's Commission at their June meeting last night. In addition to being asked some incredibly thoughtful questions and hearing some helpful brainstorms about directions the project could take, the Commissioners shared the work each of their sub-committees have accomplished. One committee is working to see how current city sex education programs can include education about prostitution. As the Commission's 2011 Work Plan explains,
- It is estimated that between 300 and 500 underage girls are prostituted in King County. SWC will promote education of sexual exploitation/youth prostitution issue to educators and parents. It will also research Seattle School District's violence prevention curriculum and advocate for inclusion of teen dating violence and prostituted youth education for middle and high school students. SWC also seeks to explore building stronger connection between Youth & Families Initiative and youth prostitution issue.
- Additionally, SWC will analyze areas of influence in legislative arena and make policy recommendations; advocate for changing law around arresting underage girls for prostitution.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Completely Unrelated...
Nothing to do with TC3 but today, while out asking for gift card donations to local drugstores to help incentivize interview participation, I saw not one, but two different people with ferrets on leashes. Seattle loves ferrets?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I'm Approved!
Tonight was a night of good/need to share things:
1. My project has been approved by the residents of TC3 and I'm invited to come in and interview interested women! This is the biggest hurdle I was worried about regarding project implementation so it's great news.
I was actually over there tonight for the host-church 'Welcome TC3 Ice cream Social." I took a mini tour of the community and got to speak to a handful of women. Maybe they were being polite but they seemed really interested in speaking to me. Several made note of the fact that shelter and food are regularly spoken about and addressed but that healthcare (and women's healthcare, in particular) is frequently given secondary consideration, if any at all.
2. I also had an opportunity to speak to several male residents. One man explained which Seattle neighborhoods were most welcoming of the tent city (Capital Hill ranks highly, apparently). He shared that in some neighborhoods, permanent residents will see someone from the Tent City with a backpack and immediately assume they're homeless. His language was quite deliberate and it presented an eye-opening realization. He doesn't see himself as homeless- the tent city is his home. He views himself and his peers differently from the homeless folks he sees downtown every day.
This notion proved even more salient when, during the tour, one non-tent city woman yelled out, emphasizing her support for their system, "You can tell the city that you'll stop living in tents when they give you homes." The tour guide- a longtime tent city resident- paused for a long while before responding. I don't know if he felt like TC3 is his home and that her suggesting otherwise was a possible affront, but the language was surely interesting.
1. My project has been approved by the residents of TC3 and I'm invited to come in and interview interested women! This is the biggest hurdle I was worried about regarding project implementation so it's great news.
I was actually over there tonight for the host-church 'Welcome TC3 Ice cream Social." I took a mini tour of the community and got to speak to a handful of women. Maybe they were being polite but they seemed really interested in speaking to me. Several made note of the fact that shelter and food are regularly spoken about and addressed but that healthcare (and women's healthcare, in particular) is frequently given secondary consideration, if any at all.
2. I also had an opportunity to speak to several male residents. One man explained which Seattle neighborhoods were most welcoming of the tent city (Capital Hill ranks highly, apparently). He shared that in some neighborhoods, permanent residents will see someone from the Tent City with a backpack and immediately assume they're homeless. His language was quite deliberate and it presented an eye-opening realization. He doesn't see himself as homeless- the tent city is his home. He views himself and his peers differently from the homeless folks he sees downtown every day.
This notion proved even more salient when, during the tour, one non-tent city woman yelled out, emphasizing her support for their system, "You can tell the city that you'll stop living in tents when they give you homes." The tour guide- a longtime tent city resident- paused for a long while before responding. I don't know if he felt like TC3 is his home and that her suggesting otherwise was a possible affront, but the language was surely interesting.
Socks and Dignity
I purchased the socks, and came back out, eager to present my offering, so pleased with myself for thinking of being kind. I approached him and shared, earnestly, "Here, I thought your feet might be cold so I bought you some socks."
The guy looked at me in return and said, "Do you have any money?"
Shocked that he wasn't excited to have clean socks, I repeated my offer, "Well no, but I bought you socks."
The man took them after I insisted another time, and then went right back to rattling his cup of change at passer-bys. I felt defeated and frustrated. I had gone out of my way and spent my money and time to buy him socks. And when he didn't want them, I had had to convince him that I knew what he needed to get him to agree to accept them. I wanted other passer-bys to see my generousity.
The total action had been entirely about me- my hate for toe grit and cold feet and my need to be seen and recognized for my supposed kindness.
I've thought about and retold this story quite a bit since it happened and each time, am more aware of my problematic assumptions and paternalism. I haven't tried to buy socks for someone again. But I've mostly ignored the pleas for money while walking down the street as well, meaning I pretty much ignore the people making the pleas too. It's often easier to pretend you just don't see them or hear them, to offer a quick "Sorry," and walk on.
However, I had the opportunity to engage in a meeting yesterday that has since changed my thoughts. I was lucky to catch Mimi, a Seattle-based artist, before she heads out to Mt. Rainier for three months, to pick her brain about her three month project where she lived as a Tent City 3. I had initially hoped to learn about how best to advertise the interviews, recruit women to participate, and present myself (a serious question of what to wear!- jeans or businessy). But I took away some incredibly helpful reflections from my conversation with Mimi as well. Most of all, she reminded me of who the people living in TC3 and on the streets of Seattle are. Mimi shared that two female residents of TC3 were pregnant, one couple had gotten married and numerous others had life stories full of impressive accomplishments such as violinists with globally-performing orchestras, aspiring poets, and idea-laden entrepeneurs.
She also shared that TC3 has even stricter rules that I had thought (not just zero tolerance policies for substance abuse or failing to perform your assigned security shift). As a resident, Mimi was not allowed to be seen loitering in the neighborhood- which meant no sitting on a bench on the church property and no requesting a local bookstore host a bookclub for residents. And when the residents embarked on their regular, silent meditation walk around the neighborhood (a past site) on Christmas morning, a woman wearing a Santa cap trotted onto her front lawn and yelled at the folks walking by, "I pay to live here."
A city ordinance which allows TC3 to reside in neighborhoods brings with it a challenging contrast: how much dignity should be sacrificed to create this living space? How do you balance the needs of community members with the needs of new, temporary community members? And what sacrifices are ok?
And so Mimi's suggestion, when passing folks on the street, is simply to smile and exchange a hello. A recognition of someone as an individual, while not enabling them to purchase material goods, helps reaffirm that they're there, that they're part of this city too.
Monday, June 13, 2011
A Staggering View
When I described this project to friends, the response was typically one of two things. People either expressed enthusiasm coupled with a recognition of the potential challenges I might encounter or folks expressed shock and dismay that in 2011, the United States has tent cities, communities suggestive of the 1930s and 1940s 'shantytowns.'
Before embarking on this summer's work, I had heard a bit, here and there, about tent cities popping up throughout the nation, mostly in response to the current economic climate. The general pattern seems to be that many families, once solidly middle class, employed and paying down household mortgages, now face unemployment and homelessness, having had their homes foreclosed upon. I'm not sure yet if that particular scenario applies to Tent City 3 here in Seattle, but it seems to be a general truth with regards to other tent cities, including those that have sprung up in Sacramento, and St. Petersburg, Florida.
I thought that I had had enough time to digest the project before getting to Seattle, that I wouldn't be shocked to see TC3 in-person. And yet, today, as I walked over to TC3's new location in Capital Hill, what I found was indeed, staggering. Staggering because of its size and capacity. Staggering because it (and its residents) must move every three months. Staggering because of its ability to be reconstructed in a matter of hours to ensure people a place to sleep that night.
TC3's new location- on the beautiful property owned by St. Joseph's Parish- has actually been its old location twice before and it seems like congregants and neighbors know the drill. But it's tough to ignore the juxtaposition of the tent city in this neighborhood. The houses are large and beautiful (I walked past one with its own, private basketball court), the sidewalks have colorful mosaics cemented into them, and poppies are blooming on well-groomed lawns. Then there's the tent city. I took a few photos but didn't want to encroach on the community's request for privacy so they're from afar.
I'm eager to hear TC3 residents' thoughts about the community and am sure I'll continue to be impressed and challenged. Hopefully, some interviews can begin next week to learn more about health care access specifically. Tomorrow, I'm meeting with Seattle artist Mimi Allin who spent three months living in TC3 (check out her blog).
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| St. Joseph Parish, the host church |
I thought that I had had enough time to digest the project before getting to Seattle, that I wouldn't be shocked to see TC3 in-person. And yet, today, as I walked over to TC3's new location in Capital Hill, what I found was indeed, staggering. Staggering because of its size and capacity. Staggering because it (and its residents) must move every three months. Staggering because of its ability to be reconstructed in a matter of hours to ensure people a place to sleep that night.
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| Houses in the neighborhood |
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| The tent city is surrounded by fencing to offer a bit of privacy |
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| You can just see the tops of the tents down below |
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Seattle so far
I've been in the city for just about five days and it's been a whirlwind of getting acquainted with my neighborhood (the fantastic Capital Hill with its abundance of restaurants, hills, and bookstores) and the project. I had a meeting with two members of the Women's Commission on Thursday to map out some details and figure out a likely time line. I'll be joining the Commission's monthly meetings and presenting the project at the all-Commission gathering in late June.
For the duration of the summer, I'll be housed in the Seattle Office of Civil Rights; they're being kind enough to allow me to use their space as a home base for the project. The SOCR actually sponsors several other city-wide commissions so it should be really interesting to have an eye into how these bodies work with local government. It seems, at least from an outsider's view, that Seattle's city government is quite committed to ensuring and engaging citizen participation and that citizens return the goal by volunteering to be involved.
As far as my project with TentCity 3 goes, I'm still in the prep work phase. I want to make sure that I'm not only eliciting information and thoughts from women who live in the tent city about their access to health care, but that the project also provides a tool for empowerment and self-determination for such services. I'm hoping to learn more about how TC3 works on a daily basis to best figure out how to advertise for the interviews, determine where will be best to conduct them, and figure out the best way to frame the project and myself. Apparently, mentioning the 'H-bomb' in Seattle (the ubiquitous Harvard name-drop) is a sure way to lose friends out here so I'll just identify myself as Emily, the graduate student working with the Women's Commission. In fact, I've been working on learning various Seattle-isms and was told that out here, someone going to Harvard doesn't even pull the typical east-coast "Oh, I go to school in Cambridge" line- it's more of a vague "I go to school on the east coast." I'm more than happy to oblige (no offense HKS buddies).
Anyway, as part of the project's prep work, I've been working at securing gift card donations from area drug stores to help incentivize interview participation. It's harder than I had hoped. But there's a good number of stores near to where the tent city just moved to yesterday. It's being hosted for the summer by St. Joseph Parish at 18th and Aloha, in the northern part of Capital Hill. The church is hosting a welcome ice cream social this Thursday so hopefully, I can attend as well and begin to introduce myself to community members. It's not a far move from its previous location, but I don't doubt the amount of work that has to go into such a migration. Here's a few pictures from SHARE/WHEEL's website of former tent city sites (these are actually at Tent City 4 in Mercer Island) so you can get an idea of just how large-scale such a movement is every three months:
I'll head over to visit the new site tomorrow so stay tuned.
For the duration of the summer, I'll be housed in the Seattle Office of Civil Rights; they're being kind enough to allow me to use their space as a home base for the project. The SOCR actually sponsors several other city-wide commissions so it should be really interesting to have an eye into how these bodies work with local government. It seems, at least from an outsider's view, that Seattle's city government is quite committed to ensuring and engaging citizen participation and that citizens return the goal by volunteering to be involved.
As far as my project with TentCity 3 goes, I'm still in the prep work phase. I want to make sure that I'm not only eliciting information and thoughts from women who live in the tent city about their access to health care, but that the project also provides a tool for empowerment and self-determination for such services. I'm hoping to learn more about how TC3 works on a daily basis to best figure out how to advertise for the interviews, determine where will be best to conduct them, and figure out the best way to frame the project and myself. Apparently, mentioning the 'H-bomb' in Seattle (the ubiquitous Harvard name-drop) is a sure way to lose friends out here so I'll just identify myself as Emily, the graduate student working with the Women's Commission. In fact, I've been working on learning various Seattle-isms and was told that out here, someone going to Harvard doesn't even pull the typical east-coast "Oh, I go to school in Cambridge" line- it's more of a vague "I go to school on the east coast." I'm more than happy to oblige (no offense HKS buddies).
Anyway, as part of the project's prep work, I've been working at securing gift card donations from area drug stores to help incentivize interview participation. It's harder than I had hoped. But there's a good number of stores near to where the tent city just moved to yesterday. It's being hosted for the summer by St. Joseph Parish at 18th and Aloha, in the northern part of Capital Hill. The church is hosting a welcome ice cream social this Thursday so hopefully, I can attend as well and begin to introduce myself to community members. It's not a far move from its previous location, but I don't doubt the amount of work that has to go into such a migration. Here's a few pictures from SHARE/WHEEL's website of former tent city sites (these are actually at Tent City 4 in Mercer Island) so you can get an idea of just how large-scale such a movement is every three months:
I'll head over to visit the new site tomorrow so stay tuned.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Getting Ready for the West Coast
I land in Seattle this coming Monday at midnight and am eager to finally get to the city of flying fish, trolls, amazing summer weather, 1990s grunge, the best public library I've ever seen, complete with a book-return conveyor belt. Packing's going well and currently includes what I think should be appropriate for the dress code: several flannel shirts, hiking gear and a rusty pair of Dr. Martens not worn since 9th grade (ok, I wasn't cool enough to own Dr. Martens but if I did have them, they'd be dumped into my summer suitcase as well).
For all of the amazing attractions that Seattle holds, it also is one of the few cities in the nation with an ordinance allowing the existence of a rotating tent city. TentCity 3, in existence since 2002, routinely houses approximately 100 homeless individuals and is hosted most often by a community church for a period of three months. All residents have their own tent and the community is self-patrolled, meaning residents can leave their belongings in their homes while working or looking for work. The tent city emerged as a temporary solution to the limited space available in the city's temporary or transitional shelters. Additionally, we know some residents elect to live there over a shelter in order to remain with a partner, which may not be possible in a traditional shelter. Currently, the TentCity 3 is located at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral and sponsored by SHARE/WHEEL, a city non-profit that supports that initiative.
In a city like Seattle, where social service programs are strong and to be modeled, we're hoping to hear female tent city residents' stories and opinions about what works well and where there are gaps to be filled, specifically when it comes to access to health care. While dental and primary care clinics routinely visit the residents of the tent city, we're not sure what services might be lacking, if any. And the best way to learn about the program's strengths and weaknesses is by listening to the residents. This summer, I'll be working with Seattle Women's Commission to interview female residents of TentCity 3- those who currently live there and who have lived there previously. From these conversations, we're hoping to draft policy recommendations to the city to support greater access to health care, including reproductive health care, for all of its female-identified residents.
This experience is made possible by the Harvard Women and Public Policy Program and Roy Family Fellowship. I'm tremendously grateful to have this opportunity.
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