 Q & A with Brian Bozeman
Simpson Housing Services’ Shelter Manager knows the people we serve
Brian Bozeman has been with Simpson Housing Services for six years, starting out as a part-time advocate in the men’s shelter. Currently he is the manager of both the men’s and the women’s shelters and has an up-close perspective on the lives of those experiencing homelessness.
Q. So Brian, tell us how the shelters work.
A. The Simpson Shelters are open from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., 365 days a year. Every Monday we hold a lottery with St. Stephen’s and Our Saviour’s shelters and the guys vie for any open beds that we have. The women’s shelter works on a first come-first served basis.
Q. Where do our shelter guests go during the day?
A. When it’s nice out, a lot of our guests will spend the day outside. Or if it’s very hot, $1.50 will buy you two and a half hours on an air-conditioned city bus. Many will roam the skyway system in the winter or spend the day at the public library where they’ll usually be left alone. Many of them go to jobs, sometimes leaving the shelter as early as 3:30 a.m.
Q. The Simpson shelters (as well as partner shelters St. Stephen’s and Our Saviour’s) are known throughout the community as friendly places that treat their guests with respect. Talk about that.
A. The shelter advocates learn the names of all the guests and that is how we greet them every night, treating them as individuals.
Q. Do you sometimes find that respect is what the people need the most?
A. A little respect can go along way. Over half of our people suffer from chemical dependency or mental illness. We work under the Housing First/Harm Reduction model. Give people a safe place to stay, offer them support systems and then help them with the other issues.
Q. How do we help them with the other issues?
A. We have a nurse and a mental health counselor at the shelter every Thursday night and a county social worker every Monday and Thursday night. Our advocates will work with the guests to help them get into stable housing.
Q. What are some of the barriers that keep our guests from finding housing?
A. Many things, no rental history or a criminal record. Even petty crimes can keep you from getting housing. Not having a permanent address scares a lot of landlords and it is hard to find a job without an address or phone number. It’s hard to get an apartment without a job, so it’s easy to get caught in a vicious circle.
Q. Through the years, have you had any encounters that have stuck with you?
A. There was the time an old boss of mine showed up at the shelter. When he recognized me he left. I also remember a volunteer at the shelter who recognized one of the guests as a teenage friend of her son.
Once I ran into a guy who had stayed at our shelter maybe four years earlier. He was doing really well and came over to me with a friend of his. He wasn’t ashamed of what he had been through. He said he wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the shelter. I remember a lot of the meal groups. Many good people though the years.
Shelter main page
|
