Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
If the economy fails to rebound, the St. Louis area could see a surge in homelessness. Last year, a detailed census in the city and county revealed that 1,440 individuals were already living in shelters or transitional housing, plus 80 on the street. The big worry for Dr. Yusef Scoggin, who oversees St. Louis County’s homeless services, is the much larger group of folks who were struggling when the pandemic hit. Nearly 168,000 St. Louisans are living below the poverty line; an uncountable number live in hotels week to week or couch-surf, staying with family here or a friend there. The couch-surfing group, he says, includes thousands of children. Says Scoggin: “It’s an uphill battle, but we’re trying to be as creative as possible.”
Has the homeless population grown during the pandemic? We’re currently seeing slight increases in those seeking shelter. We are anticipating more as a result of the unemployment rate, so we’ve opened additional space to make sure folks who want shelter can get it. We’re watching the data on the pre-filing of eviction cases in the courts, and we’re looking at how best to attack that. Those cases can’t be adjudicated right now under the moratoria [on eviction orders’ being enforced], but eventually some landlords will want to proceed. We’ll have to figure out how to rehouse some of those people. It’s going to be quite a bit of work—not just over several months but [even] over years—for folks to recover from this fallout.
How does being unsheltered make someone more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic? You have no idea where you’re going to rest your head any given night, where you’re going to bathe or wash your clothes or store your items. You may be out in the community, where you’ll be exposed to people you don’t have control over. All those unknowns create an opportunity for someone to be exposed. Many in this population don’t have health coverage or a primary care physician, so if and when they seek medical attention, it’s typically at a later stage. They’re going into the ER and only being stabilized enough to be discharged, so that means they tend to have multitude of health issues that put them in the high-risk category.
What did you think when, in May, St. Louis City Hall disbanded the tent community in the park across Market, then offered people there access to housing? Some folks took advantage of that opportunity. There are also those who don’t want to go into a shelter, maybe because of a previous experience that was unfavorable. I try to focus less on an encampment and more on the individuals inside it and on what kind of outcome each is getting from the delivery of services as a whole. We can move people into various locations, but how long can those stay open? Certainly we all should be interested in holistically addressing the needs of those we encounter on a case-by-case basis.
Is the county helping homeless folks get testing? Yes, and we came together regionally to make sure there is a quarantine/isolation space for those who either test positive or must wait for test results. It’s here in the county; we keep the location undisclosed for the protection of the owners and the patients. We’ve also signed memoranda of understanding with the city and some other rural areas in Franklin and Jefferson counties to ensure they have access to that space. Over 50 people have spent time there. Then, after clearance, we don’t discharge anyone; we transition them into a shelter or some other housing situation.
Will the problem of homelessness always be with us? Housing instability will be experienced by some people at some point in their lives, but our goal is to make sure homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring. I’d urge people to ask questions. If you’re in a parent-teacher organization, ask: How many young people in your school district are experiencing housing instability, and how can you help with that? Figuring out a way to get involved is truly important.
