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January 3, 2009
After two months at the Onslow Community Ministries homeless shelter, a 43-year-old male resident is looking for his own place, which he hopes to move into this week.
"I moved a friend of mine down here a year ago. She came down to be with her aunt and uncle and my home town (Flint, Mich.) is basically drying up - it's the hometown of General Motors and General Motors is pulling out of Michigan, so all the jobs are going away. I was talking to my friend and she said there were jobs here," said the man, who requested his name be withheld and is referred to as "Jeff" in this report.
When he arrived at the shelter, Jeff was working two jobs.
"I was only supposed to be here for a month and they were gracious enough to let me stay for two," he said.
Jeff is one of more than 200 people who stayed at the Onslow Community Ministries homeless shelter in 2008. For the year, 232 people stayed a total of 2,440 nights.
"They're staying longer because it's harder to find jobs and, I guess, it's harder to save money," said Executive Director Sandra Wyrick.
Of those 232 residents, 48 were children and 25 were veterans, according to the statistics provided by Onslow Community Ministries.
In 2007, 256 people stayed a total of 2,184 nights.
Residents, like Jeff, are finding they not only need to use the shelter, but they need to use it longer.
"It's just hard to find a decent living place plus jobs. A lot of people are being laid off because of the economy. We've had to change some of our rules, our steadfast rules. ... If we had transitional housing in this area it'd be a lot easier. By the time you save up for deposits - which is understandable - and deposits for your utilities and rent, it can take someone $1,200 to $1,500 just to set up their own living facility. It takes an awful lot longer, so we bend things. We've made it work for us," she said.
Jeff plans to move this week. He's had a difficult time finding affordable housing in Onslow County.
"I'm just looking for a transitional house right now, a mobile home or apartment that's affordable. I found some that were just disgusting and anything that's decent they want an arm or a leg for it," he said. "I'm working a job that pays a little more than minimum wage, and I have to pay car insurance and gasoline and all of that stuff."
Eviction has brought many to the shelter, said shelter manager Cara Moore. Of the 19 residents the shelter saw in November, 11 had been evicted.
"It's so hard for them to get another place," she said.
Transitional housing would help those looking to get back on their feet, Wyrick said.
"We need someplace for people to go once they leave here," she said, explaining that transitional housing would help the residents save up deposits while not staying in the shelter. "It's like starting life all over again."
While the shelter's staff would like to help everyone, they have rules in place to keep their residents safe during their stay.
Residents must not use abusive or foul language, use or possess alcohol or illegal drugs during their stay or carry weapons, according to the shelter's rules.
The shelter also does not take those with mental illness.
"We're just not qualified mental healthcare givers," Moore said.
In order to screen residents, the applications are being modified. Currently, there is a brief application, then a background check and sex offender search is done to ensure that the applicant is safe to let into the shelter, she said.
But the plan isn't foolproof.
"We've let people in that seem OK but have issues once they get here," Wyrick said. "A lot of it is a judgment call. A lot of it is how (staff members) feel about someone and the longer you're here the better you get at knowing if they are telling the truth."
The rules are in place to keep the children and adults in the shelter safe, Wyrick said.
"We're concerned about their well being," she said.
The Onslow Community Ministries homeless shelter, Jeff said, has provided him a place to get his bearings - and stay out of harm's way.
"If (people) absolutely need it this is an amazing place, amazing people and an amazing place. When I was younger, I heard horror stories about shelters and this disproved all of my beliefs," he said.
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