Member-only story
Are Homeless Shelters Safe?
Can you stay there without being threatened or assaulted? Without having your possessions stolen?
For the first six weeks after I became homeless, I refused to go to the local shelter. I was afraid I’d get beaten up there. I was afraid what few possessions I had left would surely be stolen. I imagined that shelter life would involve constant fear.
So I wandered the streets in the cold of winter, staying awake 4–5 nights in a row. I started hallucinating. Many of my friends thought I was drunk but I was actually sleep-deprived. I went for weeks without a shower. My beard grew in and I looked terrible.
Only when my situation became dire did I risk going to the shelter. And I found that my fears were for naught — it was completely safe! All those nights I spent wandering in the cold could have been nights when I ate a hot dinner followed by 9 hours of sleep.
Is the homeless shelter in your city completely safe? I can’t give a blanket answer, for every shelter is different. What I can do is give you some key indicators of safety I’ve observed in my shelter. I can also provide some pointers on how to keep yourself safe.