I’m cold: A teen's view on homelessness

Homelessness is a very prevalent issue in the Twin Cities, and more specifically the Midway neighborhood. I have lived in the Midway my whole life ,and it’s always been a fact that whenever I drive along Snelling from 94, north to Thomas Ave., I will encounter homeless people. I have watched some of the same people in the same spots year after year. Now that winter has truly begun the same thought I have had all my life resurfaces in my head as I walk through my neighborhood. “I’m cold.” I’m cold now, and I’ve only been outside for a few minutes. I’m cold and I’m wearing a warm coat. I’m cold and I have a warm house to go to. These people have been living on the streets for years, through many winters. Imagine how cold they are.
Homelessness has existed in the Twin Cities since the 1980s. Back then the homeless population was mostly white adult males and the idea of family homelessness was non-existent. Many different organizations and the Catholic Churches of the Twin Cities have been offering assistance since the beginning, but the issue has only grown. When COVID-19 hit the issue only got worse. Many people were left without jobs and without homes, and the issue still persists. There is currently a large homelessness encampment in Pigs Eye Park in which around 350 people are living in tents. Catholic Charities and other organizations have been at full capacity for many months which leaves tents as the only option for all these people. Tents and beds are only a temporary solution. The long-term solution is to build more affordable housing.
Recently a project called “Our Home State” was launched by the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, the F.R. Bigelow Foundation and the Mardag Foundation. This is a five-year, $20 million initiative to expand access to affordable housing and address housing instability in the state. The goal of this project is to not create a blanket solution for the state's homelessness issue as every part of the state is different, but instead address the issue hands on through professionals that interact with the homeless on a daily basis. I sincerely hope that through this project and other efforts more affordable housing will be built so that everyone has a warm bed to sleep in at night. Then maybe next winter as I walk through the Midway neighborhood or drive down Snelling Ave., the only cold fixture lining the sidewalks will be snow.
Odilia Lang,
Central High School student