ONE BIG SHELTER: Could The City Of Cambridge Afford It?
Could the city of Cambridge Afford It?

HOW ABOUT ONE BIG BRAND NEW AND ACCESSIBLE SHELTER

FOR ITS HOMELESS POPULATION IT HOLDS?

Does Cambridge enjoy its reputation of it near-the city hall location in Central Square being referred to as “Mental Square”; fumbling with the ideas of day and night shelters…Wonder what that would be like and how that could help the city’s reputation some’…

I have lived in the city of Cambridge for a while, as a matter of fact so long that I am considering moving and relocating to a newer and fresh area, maybe one of those other sub-cities surrounding it. It has been a while, in and out of here since 1995. I was attending Watertown High School nearby, and when things when down, started to hang out with familiar heads in the pit, in Harvard Square; like most troubled youths still do even up to these days. Yes, lived and enjoyed my stay long enough, and so much that I have had the chance and misfortune to have witnessed a huge part of the social-economical and industrial changes that have been transforming the housing sector.

I have lived in shelters and rendered myself to other social services agencies and organization when time where hard. I have had however, the lack of some prior preparations and support of certain people and agencies; who recommended advanced and recognized services to aid me in my re-stabilization process.

Over the course of the last ten years, things have been tough. My mental and psychological as well as physical stability have been all shaken by some inconsistencies in my financial history. Unfortunately and fortunately I can blame it on myself partially, the lack of education on finances, my foster home experiences back and forth in my teens and early twenties for that matter.

I was never able to manage my own finances or get the right education about it until I was well into the troubles of keeping up a good credit report and history. At 17, I was out on the limb, having been kicked out of my sister’s home, having to sleep on friends and acquaintances’ couches on and off for over 4 years; done the speedy runs of the cities. I lived almost fifteen lives so far, and I have only just turned 29 years old.

It is no wonder, mistakes happen to everybody. I wish thinking back that the mistakes that led me to where I am today and all the drastic ups and downs I had to endure, where all from my own personal doings. That, I would have been entirely and unremorsefully fine with, yet it was and is not so today as I recapitulate all of my moves and awkwardness’s over. What a terrible path, what terrible endeavors and how much that has caused me to feel a bit unadjusted with living and pursuing happiness still.

I ventured in and out of Immigration offices since I turned 18, sometimes accompanied by friends or caring parties, sometimes my mother who was very dependent and relying on my sister’s housing situation and her needs then. I made the 4 AMs lines, the 7 AMs checkpoints, as much as I made It and through the shelters when friends could not allow to put me up anymore, and when I could not rely on my own biological mother to help because she simply was not capable of; her finances, her own living arrangements and inability to adjust to a new language-already in the country at an old age with learning disabilities. I had to do it own my own.

Writing this story or essay, makes me think of not only myself. It is no decry or lamentation of my pathetic past, it is merely an attempt and assurance that perhaps with all the guts it took me to find my own lodging and possible look ahead today, I can help someone else do the same thing-find Hope and love again in themselves, heal and finally move on with some sense of stability and worthiness anew.

On the political and social change aspects, since I am digging through and through the possibilities of change or betterments, I think to myself: what is of the homelessness rate in the city of Cambridge and what is being done to address it on a drastic and environmental level? Well, all I can foresee is a revolutionary yet legal and amicable approach to the issue. I have had to remain and stay in shelters for over 4 years a few years ago, that on and off-yet I never had the pleasure to stay in any one shelter for women, men or both, families within the city itself. I have always been sent and referred to other cities’ structures: Somerville’s Washington Street shelter for women, where I stay in a room occupied by over 25 women for 3 months, and then because of the job I was able (Believe it or Not) to hold then, a sheer day hospital security position, I got a room on the upper level of the shelter to myself.

A program that allowed you to occupy and stay in your own room as a plan to achieve some financial stability to take care of your basic needs and if possible even move out eventually to a better and more luxurious like shelter somewhere else, or your own housing authority’s sponsored apartment.

So now, the question remains, when Cambridge has had the most allocated and biggest fund for Housing; all about 3.5 millions to spend towards the city’s housing needs and developments…

Why Not Build Us A Shelter?

A single shelter, like the day programs at both the Salvation Army and on Albany street for instance, that hold a little over a handful or homeless youths and war veterans and displaced or battered women and their children. I think that the city can do better, and I am willing to march into the city meetings with a bunch of folks agreeing with this idea, to demand that it does more to aid in the process of eradicate homelessness and coming to serious and efficient help to its homeless, instead of referring them to the city of Boston’s programs-ones that are already doing a lot more with some lower federal fund allocations towards their homelessness fight.

Why could Cambridge build a shelter for the pockets of individuals in need-Individuals roaming around the city by day and by night, looking for and dry places and bottles to forget how low they have gotten?

Thank you for reading, thank you for your thoughts, thank you for your social justice support!

Your fellow public servant and investigator,

Koré Van Baldwin