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Answers Behind the RED DOOR: Battling the Homeless Epidemic
A powerful and sobering look behind the growing epidemic of homelessness that is destroying our neighborhoods, our cities, people’s lives and future generations. In arguably one of the richest countries in the world, how is this happening? Why? And perhaps more significantly, what can be done to turn it around? The ANSWERS are never easy, but they do exist...once we begin to ask the right QUESTIONS.
Michele Steeb brings over 13 years of battling homelessness – from down in the trenches and all the way to the White House.
Michele Steeb brings over 13 years of battling homelessness – from down in the trenches and all the way to the White House.
228 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2020
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March 19, 2021
Michelle Steeb served for over twelve years as executive director of St. John’s Program for Real Change (the “Red Door”), which is the largest, most comprehensive residential change program for women and children in Northern California. Her work won civic awards and prompted the State of California to start a similar program for women coming out of prison. Her book discusses social and political factors affecting homeless women and children in Sacramento, California.
Steeb quotes statistics showing that the homeless population is increasing not only in western cities like San Francisco and Portland, but also across the country. Steeb thinks that federal “Housing First” policy is making the problem worse. HUD implemented Housing First in 2008 to assist mentally ill and addicted people living on the streets. But between 2011 and 2013, HUD expanded taxpayer-funded housing to all homeless persons, while also cutting funding for social services.
From HUD’s website:
"Housing First is an approach to quickly and successfully connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements."
Steeb argues that this policy hurts women who want to change their self-destructive behaviors. It encourages dependence instead of helping them toward productive lives of providing for themselves and their children. It houses them near hardened addicts and criminals and leaves them without convenient access to social services.
Steeb explains how St. John’s addresses the root causes of homelessness for women who are motivated to change and willing to commit to the eighteen month program. The women work through unresolved traumas and learn to build healthy relationships. They can complete high school, receive employment training and take classes in life skills. St John’s no longer receives government funding under Housing First, but survives thanks to generous individual and corporate donors.
Stories of the personal backgrounds, struggles and successes of some of the women at St. John’s touched me. Steeb’s compassion for their plight is genuine and contagious, and I found myself rooting for each woman to succeed. Steeb’s background gives her credibility when she argues for individualized case management versus the one-size-fits-all approach of Housing First.
Steeb disputes HUD data on the costs and effectiveness of Housing First, referring to academic studies and press reports which contradict it. This discussion seems too much for the one chapter she gives it, but does raise questions that highlight a need for better independent research to guide government policy. Professional editing may have made sections of this self-published book more readable.
Answers Behind the Red Door helped to humanize “the homeless” for me and showed how government policy can exacerbate or relieve their suffering. I highly recommend it to any civic leader or citizen concerned about homeless persons in the community.
Steeb quotes statistics showing that the homeless population is increasing not only in western cities like San Francisco and Portland, but also across the country. Steeb thinks that federal “Housing First” policy is making the problem worse. HUD implemented Housing First in 2008 to assist mentally ill and addicted people living on the streets. But between 2011 and 2013, HUD expanded taxpayer-funded housing to all homeless persons, while also cutting funding for social services.
From HUD’s website:
"Housing First is an approach to quickly and successfully connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment or service participation requirements."
Steeb argues that this policy hurts women who want to change their self-destructive behaviors. It encourages dependence instead of helping them toward productive lives of providing for themselves and their children. It houses them near hardened addicts and criminals and leaves them without convenient access to social services.
Steeb explains how St. John’s addresses the root causes of homelessness for women who are motivated to change and willing to commit to the eighteen month program. The women work through unresolved traumas and learn to build healthy relationships. They can complete high school, receive employment training and take classes in life skills. St John’s no longer receives government funding under Housing First, but survives thanks to generous individual and corporate donors.
Stories of the personal backgrounds, struggles and successes of some of the women at St. John’s touched me. Steeb’s compassion for their plight is genuine and contagious, and I found myself rooting for each woman to succeed. Steeb’s background gives her credibility when she argues for individualized case management versus the one-size-fits-all approach of Housing First.
Steeb disputes HUD data on the costs and effectiveness of Housing First, referring to academic studies and press reports which contradict it. This discussion seems too much for the one chapter she gives it, but does raise questions that highlight a need for better independent research to guide government policy. Professional editing may have made sections of this self-published book more readable.
Answers Behind the Red Door helped to humanize “the homeless” for me and showed how government policy can exacerbate or relieve their suffering. I highly recommend it to any civic leader or citizen concerned about homeless persons in the community.
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