Will the Grinch steal Christmas?

December 14, 2015. New Orleans, LA USA This week a homeless man was given $100 and he spent a portion of his winfall on a Christmas tree to lift the holiday spirit in his encampment. Before long the city sent a sanitation crew out to remove the man’s tree. One of the camp residents saved it from destruction but a short time latter the tree disappeared again. The homeless men chased down the garbage truck with the tree inside but all they were able to save was one red ornament. It appears as though a Grinch had stolen Christmas!

Local TV news stations reported the story and explained that the tree was a city code violation. The tent was also a code violation too but luckily it was left alone.  Viewers touched by the story started showing up with more trees, ornaments, clothes, and food.  What was stolen from him was returned in abundance and the homeless man shared the bounty with others in need.

For 22 years I have been documenting homeless people who build shantytown communities [ http://www.marylou.us/chaos ] so I decided to pay this man a visit.  Our meeting had quite a few interruptions because he had to keep excusing himself to go help others. He was handing out donations and tended to someone’s personal medical needs.

What the general population doesn’t consider is that when social services fail to provide for homeless individuals then the responsibilities fall on the homeless to take care of each other. In every community you have some select few with big hearts and compassion that make it their personal mission to be a caregiver. This is one of those men who will not turn his back on others in need.  People like him act as parents doing what they can to care for the family.

My goal is to tell these stories through portraiture but somewhere between the noise from the traffic above us and the wind blowing my lights around I had a hard time getting his attention. He also seemed to be distracted by the motorist passing by. People were honking and waving because of his Christmas tree. Then he excused himself again to get something from the tent. 

I saw him with cardboard and a marker to make a sign that read, “Help my friend on [the] corner.” He was worried that motorists were distracted by me taking pictures and that perhaps the panhandler nearby was not going to make any income.

So this Christmas season where ever you live please do as this man does and extend some compassion to others.  If the weather is cold, people need blankets coats, shoes socks, hats and gloves. Consider what you would want if you were in their circumstances. Give from your heart within your comfort zone. Give to individuals or to charities of your choice. And when you do it…. Tell them that “John in New Orleans” inspired you.  Because if he can give to others when he appears to have so little, then perhaps we can learn something from him.

I thought this would be the end of the story for now. It is not. In response to the out pour of love from the community to this man the city of New Orleans has given the homeless two days to evaculate all tents and belongs from the underside of the bridge. With one week before Christmas the homeless become even more homeless. Merry Christmas from New Orleans!

For more information visit

http://www.marylou.us/chaos

http://www.structureoutofchaos.blogspot.com

#johninNEWORLEANSinspiredme  #neworleanshomeless #shantytownsUSA #shantytownUSA #underthebridge #structureoutofchaos  #merrychristmas #photographerMaryLOUuttermohlen #homeless #tentcities #ACLU #editorialphotographer #environmentalportraits #merrychristmasneworleans

New Orleans City Council to discuss the homeless

September 4, 2014 New Orleans, LA USA  A few months ago I kept seeing a young girl who was 9 months pregnant and panhandling. I was always in a hurry.  I never parked my car to go back and talk to her. Her sign did not mention her obvious state of being. Having been pregnant myself there was not doubt about this child’s condition. I have no idea what her story was. I saw her for several weeks sitting in the New Orleans summer heat with her sign.  She disappeared about the time that baby was due.  I wonder if she was able to keep her infant?

Then on Labor Day on almost the same corner I saw a mom with her two kids also panhandling. This time I stopped to say hello.

The mom explained she is unemployed and can’t seem to find a way out of her circumstances. While job hunting she needs to take her children along. The employment agency she went to does not allow children and it is hard to take kids job hunting in general. She can’t get a job without childcare and can’t get childcare without a job. 

There must be an agency that could assist her through this journey but she rattled off most of them off while describing her experiences. I never know what anyone’s personal truths are but I certainly do not doubt her frustration.

If a single parent gets to the point that they are homeless they want to hide that fact. Why? Not only out of shame but because parents on the edge of poverty fear having their children taken away. 

Catty corner to where these women had panhandled is a new homeless camp. The camp sprung up after being displaced by a sweep a few weeks ago. The sweep was done to create more parking for tailgating prior to Saints football games.

The new camp is a mix of people. While the homeless population always segregates along lines of common interest, this particular camp seems to house a lot of women. One end of the camp appears to be more easy going friendly folks. On the other side, residents seem to want to mind their own business.

In a previous post I mentioned being baffled that the neighborhood could comment on the TV news about the camp since it was really only visible from one home.That one historic townhouse with a view is surrounded by parking lots and is one of the only few homes that survived construction of the bridge. The camp IS however visible from the street and is surrounded by traffic on all sides.

While making portraits in the camp last week I looked up and saw a man with a camera. He obviously was not working on an art project like me.  He was not paying much attention to how he was shooting and he appeared nervous.   

The homeless ladies didn’t like the feeling of being stalked and the group leader went out to have a word with the stranger who was soon pointing and shouting “Don’t mess with me, I know my rights!” and the camp leader shouting back “You should ask before taking pictures!”  I could see both men were having their manhood tested. 

The camp watched as the man with the camera ran and took refuge in the townhouse. I felt bad for him as it was clear to me he was angry and felt threatened. Surely he was taking photos to document his problem.  He has a homeless camp catty corner to his home and my guess is that it makes him uncomfortable.

I can see both angles. It is also hard for the homeless people to deal with photographers. I should know since I’m one of those people making images of them. When people are down they don’t like being reminded of it or gawked at like they don’t matter. Or worse, have their image attached to someone else’s story about them. That is why my work is a documentary through “portraiture."   The viewer is well aware of what I am doing and why I am there. I avoid wide shots often to edit people out who do not want to be photographed.

I can tell there are folks who don’t care where the homeless go as long as they never “see” them again. Where do people live when they have nowhere to go?  Is it right to force people to keep moving to appear invisible?  Is invisibility really a solution? Keeping the weakest members of society at a disadvantage does not seem to “help” them get their world organized. Should they really be forced to own nothing but that which they can carry? Or should people be allowed a spot somewhere that they can organize their lives and work their way back up?  A place where they get to take part in leadership and make rules like adults. A place to call home.

I also want to address the issue of cleanliness. I have seen homeless people sweep their camps,wash their laundry, change their sheets, bag trash, use toilet buckets with liners, and collect pee in bottles for proper disposal. Ok I had to believe them about the pee as it felt like TMI.

Some campers (not all) seem to be working hard to prove their worth to a parent that doesn’t seem to notice. Or maybe they are just doing these things for themselves and their own dignity. I do not know. 

So what is going to happen to this camp?  Today the issue is supposed to be debated by the New Orleans City Council at approximately 2PM. Here is an ordinance that will be discussed:

Ordinances to amend the City Code relative to obstruction of public rights-of-way and public places relative to sidewalk obstruction regulations and enforcement. (Expected to be addressed at 2 p.m.)

35. CAL. NO. 30,273 - BY:  COUNCILMEMBER CANTRELL (BY REQUEST)

30273

30273 Amendment

 

The camps in question are not on side walks and do not obstruct passage although they are located on public land. Will the city use this ordinance as a way to force homeless people to move again?

Will the City of New Orleans work towards criminalizing homelessness by enforcing laws? That approach did not go well for Miami or Los Angeles who were sued by the ACLU for violating the civil rights of homeless people. 

Or will the City of New Orleans recognize that the homeless issue needs to be faced? They could consider a 1% tax on alcohol like Miami has to fund homeless programs. They could also consider allowing tent cities like in Portland where the residents help to run the camps hidden from public view.  If they have several camps and keep them small they may be an asset for the homeless and not a liability to tourism.  Or they could enforce camping time periods like they do on skid row in Los Angeles.

We can resist our social issues or deal with it and move beyond them. I’m praying the city council will use good judgment and to think of ALL the citizens that call New Orleans home. Certainly, that is not an easy job they have.

No easy answers

I’ve always liked the fairy tale of there being a magic wand that can be waved that instantly makes everything OK. Then again, that is a fairy tale and there is no such thing as a real magic wand. In reality, problems are complex and there are many variables.

The crisis with the homeless is no different. There is no quick easy solution that can be fixed in a snap. We have cities looking out for the concerns of economic development on one side and the souls who are chronically challenged migrating to cities for services on the other. Where CAN the homeless go legally? Where do you go when you are not welcome anywhere?

Then there are service providers. They need rules and structure but the rules can chase away the very people they are meant to serve.  Shelters are not places that fling open their doors and welcome you in with easy and grace. If you go to a shelter you sign over everything you have including your money. You get searched. You get a promise to get your stuff back when you leave. You may be required to pay a fee for the bed and meal. You are not allowed to visit more then a set amount of times a month. You share a room with people you may feel uncomfortable around. You may need to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior too depending on which shelter is visited. Shelters need to have a plan and follow it to offer a safe and valuable service. They are doing the best they can. Even if the people in need of services can find fault with shelters at least they are doing something.

The homeless population is a reflection of our society. Some of them are as good as gold and are loving beautiful souls. Others are not so charming. People can have so many dysfunctions and issues that sorting them out could be endless. Like I said, the homeless are a refection of our society as a whole and we are all a mix of good, bad and ugly.

Since there is no national policy to deal with homelessness, the problems are pushed around from place to place. Literally some cities do offer one way bus tickets to unload the issue elsewhere. When one city does a good job being graceful than it attracts more people in need of services.

On the other hand, when a city is too strict and heartless they risk being sued for civil rights violations. Lets be honest, if city government can succeed at stripping people in poverty of their civil rights they may attack the middle class next.  Where do you draw the line?

The solutions to easing chronic homelessness are not easy. Humanity has it weaknesses. It is easy to find people to complain about and to point fingers at. No one is perfect. The city government certainly does not want to put out a welcome mat and attract more people in need of services. The issue does not come with an easy button.

The best we can hope for is that we as a society face the challenges without trying to sweep it all away. While the solutions presently available may not make everyone happy, trying to do what is right is better than not doing not doing anything at all. At the end of the day we should hope that everyone tries to “do the right thing ” and that those actions ease the problems without adding to it.

What we resist persists. WILL THEY SWEEP AGAIN?

New Orleans Homeless Camps update:  Last week 160 homeless people were swept away from under an elevated highway  on the edge of New Orleans Central Business District. The homeless camps were visible to local traffic. The displaced residents set up camps in new locations close to were they were evicted last week. One of those sites is visible to the public and has about 20 tents. The campers requested that I not photograph it yet.

Last night on the news the city promised to do another sweep to finish the job they started and cleanse the city of  the homeless problem. Today I went out to visit the new camps.  None of the faces of the homeless residents were familiar to me.  These new people didn’t know what to think of me either. I’m used to this process.

One camp leader agreed to speak with me. He is planning a meeting tonight with the other campers to discuss their issues including whether or not I would be able to document their story. It is hard for them to trust the media. These people are vulnerable. I get it. I understand and appreciate their apprehension.

As I stood there and chatted with him he was articulate, polite and clean. In the middle of our chat a passing car threw trash out the window and he was disgusted and worried that his camp would be blamed. No doubt he will take responsibility for the motorist and clean it up. The camp was clean and organized and had no smell of human waste.  Many of the residents were away at work.

On the news the neighbors in the warehouse district were interviewed about the homeless issue and the message was that the homeless problems should be cleaned up. I found it odd that in four different camps I visited all of them were out of the line of sight from the apartments and condos. You couldn’t see several of the camps unless you went looking for them. The only house that had a view of the tent city was on Camp Street and they were not on the news complaining about it.

This is a continual dance around human and civil rights inside the world of chronic poverty. There are ways to confront, address and heal these homeless issues on a local scale without constantly fight against it. The universal law is that what we resist persists and what we accept we move beyond. Chances are most local governments will choose to fight homelessness since they have the upper hand and that is the easiest path. And the campers will continue their battle because they have no other choice.  I expect the tent city on Camp street will get a sweep very soon but the issue will persist and the story of homelessness in New Orleans will continue.

Sweep away the problem

[New Orleans, Louisiana USA] Today New Orleans police conducted a sweep from St Charles Avenue to Claiborne along Calliope where the homeless population lives in tents under an elevated expressway. A sweep is where they clean out all the homeless from their campsites and return the area to a clean vacant lot. The excuse for the sweep was that the camps attract rats, are in the way of termite exterminators, campers have it too good being fed leftover’s from fancy restaurants and the camps are a public health hazard.

Let us not forget that the opening PRESEASON SAINT’S game is taking place tomorrow is also an important factor in eliminating the camps today. Homelessness is bad for tourism and New Orleans is a tourist destination.

It is a violation of homeless people’s civil rights to arrest them prior to public events as  the city of Miami, Florida found out in the 1990’s. However it is totally legal to sweep them away and suggesting they get into a treatment program. Anyone in resistance of a sweep can be arrested.

Some sweeps include help with treatment alternatives, hotel or shelter vouchers, or other offers of assistance. From the people I spoke to today alternatives were not offered or explained but extra shelter beds became available. Most campers do not feel comfortable going to a shelter. This is a population that does not cope well with rules and regulations and shelters are full of rules.

Residents who did not remove belongings from their campsite on time lost all their treasures to a bulldozer, cleaning crew and a garbage truck. The area looks really clean now and the 12 block stretch was cleared out by 11 am.  There were still plenty of panhandlers everywhere and many campers just relocated to another areas.

One homeless man I spoke to said that the SPCA took his dog. He had no choice in the matter. The SPCA said they would license, spay and give shots to the dog before returning it to him. He expects to see his pet again.  I really hope they keep that promise. He showed me the business card of his dog shelter contact. He will know in a few days if they keep their word. I have never heard of the SPCA returning an animal. It would be very nice if they did.

On the news this event was reported as part of the process towards ending homelessness in the city. Unfortunately, all a sweep does is add chaos to the lives of people who are already experiencing the worst possible reality.  

Steve lost everything to a sweep

(NEW ORLEANS, LA  2014 ) My friend Steve lost his home of 12 years yesterday. He lost his clothes, his documents, his photos, his books, his cookware, his bed and absolutely everything he owned and needed. He felt safe there. He didn’t bother anyone and no one bothered him. Officials came and took everything he owned and destroyed all his treasures as he was passed out drunk a short distance away. EVERYTHING he worked to build is now gone. Now all he has is the clothes he was wearing.

If you lost everything you would call your insurance agent. He doesn’t have one.  He didn’t own the land where he lived and he didn’t pay rent.  Basically, Steve has NO RIGHTS. He was not warned of his eviction. He was not offered any help or social services for his loss.

I heard a homeless service administrator say on a news interview that the people living on the streets have it too good.  Perhaps they should even outlaw feeding them in public too. They have done so in other cities.  She said that maybe if life became a little harder for them they would decide not to be homeless anymore.  

In Steve’s case, he is a chronic alcoholic. If he doesn’t have alcohol he goes into withdraw. At this point the alcohol is killing him but he needs it. So he drinks. He stays out of trouble.  The only person he ever hurts is himself. Now the only structure he did have is gone. Nothing remains but a mud puddle. If he thought he had nothing before now he will truly know what it is like to not have anything.

If a person is down and out and living on the edge in the United States they have no civil rights. They can be arrested and jailed for silly reasons. Federal courts have ruled that harassment of the homeless is unconstitutional and yet this goes on daily. Sweeping away the homeless to deter their presence is a common strategy to end homelessness in every city. For the record, it doesn’t end it, it only make life harder for people who are already struggling.

I wonder what it would take to shift the consciousness of how our society deals with this epidemic? Presently what they are doing does not resolve the issue. I wonder if the person who ordered the destruction of Steve’s home would have done so if they ever met and spoke to him? I bet they have no idea who he is.  All they know is that he has no legal right to reside there and they have the right to sweep him away and they did.

Steve still lives there in the same spot. He still drinks.  He just doesn’t own anything anymore, no bed, no pillow, no roof to protect him from the elements.  Steve is a sweet, kind and polite man who has no ability to cope with his disease.  Even after loosing everything he owns, I doubt he is going to choose to stop being homeless.

Las Vegas Tunnels

There are hundreds of people living beneath the city of Las Vegas in Storm drains.  Tunnels are cool and dry in hot humid weather and appear to make good shelter. The danger is that when least expected a flash flood can occur and within seconds wash the tunnels clean. The encampments in a tunnel can disappear instantly and residents need to watch the weather and have an escape plan.

I went to Las Vegas, Nevada to see if I could get into the tunnels underneath the city and photograph the encampments there. I spent weeks making calls to outreach workers all of which fell flat. It was hard to get my calls returned and when I did get through to a human it would lead to a dead end over and over again.

The voices that I spoke to on the phone said the outreach teams are too afraid to enter the tunnels and they only go down with a police escort to do an annual head count. One social worker even came out and said that Las Vegas was not a homeless friendly city and that there are more laws against these people than to help them. I was warned to avoid the very tunnels I came to visit. The police do not enter the tunnels, in the underworld there is no protection, you are on your own.

To tag along with people who already knows the camps is always a blessing.  They know where it is safe and where to avoid.  Without that heads up I am destine to discover those facts on my own.

I can’t just show up at someone’s door and trust that I will be welcome with open arms. It is really a hit or miss sort of deal. I may click with a person that allows me into their world or I may not.  I never assume that the people I want to photograph are out to hurt me but it makes sense to take extra sets of eyes to help monitor the surroundings. 

We went directly to the tunnels without a guide. It was not hard to find what I was looking for but the next question becomes “ How smart is this to do alone being a female with expensive gear?”

I was hoping to have a support team and what I ended up with was just myself and a girlfriend. While she is a loving compassionate person, I’m not sure she could handle it if we went down a dark tunnel and ended up in harms way. As a photographer looking through a lense, I am the last person who is aware of the surroundings and thus I become very vulnerable. Now I not only have to be concerned about myself but for my assistant.  

We did introduce ourselves and were able to shoot a bit at the entrance of the tunnel but  my gut feeling was NOT to go inside yet. The homeless man we spoke with was drunk. It didn’t feel very wise to travel into a long dark tunnel where I already knew I we were outnumbered.  I could see and hear many other people back in the darkness and they made it clear they were not interested in our company.

I held out hope that before I left town I would be able to hook up with an outreach worker but that plan fell through. It will certainly take more time and energy before I can accomplish my goals of documenting the Vegas underground.

To do this work I spend countless hours building relationships with people and returning to work with the same people that I have built a trust with. It is hard to build relationships as I quickly breeze through a town but as I travel to new cities I will need to get used to working this way. This challenge is harder than I had anticipated but it is an issue I have to learn to flow with.