July 16, 2019

Mission Statement:

-To increase the accuracy of the public's perception of homelessness. 

Contributors are identified by number only for the day on which what we have to say is published; the numbers aren't permanent identifiers.  

The anonymity is to protect the identities of contributors, who have every reason to fear retaliation from the homeless shelters which are supposed to help us, and from the shelters as employers.




July 16, 2019

Homeless Human 1:


Shelters are dirty places.  Theft is rampant.  You can't get no sleep.  You're treated like you're going into prison.  If you have anything sharp, you can't have it, even though if you're homeless, you need it.

At the Pine Street Inn men's shelter, it's cold at night because people are coming in and out all the time.  The last time that I stayed there, I had to cut my hair and my beard off because I got lice from that place; I'll never go back there.  It's a nightmare.  There aren't enough lockers for everyone, and even if there were, the shelter is extremely unsanitary and I wouldn't want to use one.  The bathrooms are disgusting.  It's a communal shower; sometimes there's feces on the floor in there.

There are people shooting up at the Pine Street Inn.  They also do crack.  I would rather sleep outside, even in the winter.

Jim O'Connell is a good guy.  He's a homeless healthcare advocate and a doctor.  He works at Barbara McGinnis, which is a lot better than the Pine Street Inn.

There are a lot of people who sleep near Mass General Hospital and also on the Boston Commons, because they hate shelters.

I'm a decorated Marine.  I was in Afghanistan for 4 years.  I'm not getting any help from the Veterans Association.

We need to reform these shelters so that people will actually go to them.


Copyright Homeless Humans, July 16, 2019