Page 48 - LTHC Publics Catalog, Spring 2018 Update

THROUGH THE LENS (ENGL 419 Project)

housed by LTHC. “For the first two nights I had to take Tylenol and Ibuprofen because my back and joints hurt so
bad from sleeping in my truck seat. To be horizontal on a bed again was actually painful.” There are many other clients
who suffer from health issues caused or worsened by their time living on the streets.

Even after being housed, many clients struggle with their health. One participant said that she “can’t lift up over a gal-
lon of milk. I’m not supposed to carry anything. I’m not supposed to move anything,” while another said, “the stairs
are getting a little bit rough for me, I have to slow down.” These limitations make day-to-day life difficult. However,
they expressed that LTHC does what it can to help them with their health problems. One participant said that “they
like to give me rides, but it’s better for me to walk. It really is.” Although this quote can be interpreted as showing her
preference to independence rather than relying on case managers for transportation, she did reason that the exercise
she gets while walking to her appointments is good for her.

Older people are often given priority when considering applicants for housing programs. However, one participant
said that “my health issues are kind of that of a 90-year-old. And so, they didn’t really consider my health as an issue
of being homeless, they were looking more at my age and how many people are older than me needed housing. And
so, I was put on the backburner for a long time, and then I was sleeping on a park bench out at Columbia Park.” It
cannot be assumed that younger individuals will always be healthier than older ones. Although may be uncommon,
young people can have health issues that are just as severe as those experienced by older individuals.
Transportation

Transportation examined to let us know how the participants traverse the city. The majority of our participants use
the bus system and walking as their primary modes of transportation. Unfortunately, they expressed that the bus
system is expensive and doesn’t always go to the places they need to go. The Lincoln Center participants stated that
there isn’t a bus that goes to Walmart, which seems like a particularly important location. The people in Lincoln Cen-
ter frequently talk about what is available at Walmart. They also talk about other methods of transportation that they
have. One participant mentioned that they used to have a moped, although they don’t go into any detail as to why
they no longer have that vehicle.
Boredom/Entertainment/Hobbies

Boredom and Entertainment/Hobbies allows us to see what the participants do in their spare time. Although some
of the participants had hobbies that they enjoyed doing, there were others who seemed to be bored often. One par-
ticipant said she liked going to Walmart just to get out of the building. Some of the people in permanent supportive
housing rarely leave the building. During one of the focus groups, a client talked about the puzzles they have at 8th
street and how he finds joy in taking pieces from them. While funny, this is a form of entertainment for him. We also
see in his photos a picture of a couple with a large Saint Bernard and he discussed how it was funny for him to see
the big dog drag around his human companion. While these may seem like simple things, we tagged these as codes of
entertainment because it was the little things in their lives that entertained them. This gives us a view into how things
simple can make a difference in a client’s day.

Money/Work

Work is important because finding a job can often help someone out of a homeless situation. Money is a code because
it’s important to know if they have enough money to live inside or outside of LTHC. One of the participants worked
as a janitor within the permanent supportive housing building in which he lived. Hiring clients gives them a way to
give back to LTHC while making going to work convenient for them. Since clients seem extremely appreciative of the
help they received from LTHC, they will likely be valuable workers because they will view their job as a way to help
the organization that supported them.
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