- November 17, 2021 Sister Stories
For more than 25 years, Sister Linda Maser has ministered to the homeless, mostly through her work at Solid Ground in Seattle, Washington. With a people- centered approach that focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty and institutional racism, Solid Ground offers more than 20 programs and services to help more than 75,000 households each year.
During those years, Sister Linda has worked in a variety of roles that have given her a broad range of experience, from working with individuals and families to using her voice for advocacy. Sister Linda, recently retired, spoke about her work and the state of homelessness today.
What’s one thing you want people to know about homelessness?
There is the myth that the homeless are all mentally ill or drug addicts. My research indicates that 25% of the population of those who are homeless are due to mental health or substance abuse issues. If that is true, that’s still only 25%.
In reality, the biggest issue causing homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, especially for those who are earning 30% or less of the area median income. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s report, “Out of Reach” indicates there is no place in the United States where someone who is working full time on minimum wage can afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment. People do not realize the number of homeless who are working full time.
Solid Ground focuses on the root causes of poverty, one being the oppressions of racism on people of color. Can you tell us about race and homelessness?
There is that long-time myth that if you work hard you will get ahead. The reality is if you are a person of color, you can work three times as hard, and you still will not get ahead. Where I work in King County, Washington, Black people are twice as likely to live in poverty as white people and five times as likely to experience homelessness.
At one point, my colleagues and I made a list of all the barriers people of color faced as they tried to get into permanent housing. It included institutional racism, generational poverty, economic and social issues, low wages and so many others. I worked with a multicultural team, which was great because we came at things from different perspectives, and we talked about how that makes our services better.
You may be surprised to know that people are still denied housing based on the color of their skin.
This barrier has not gone away. In addition, previous evictions, money owed to former landlords and criminal history are major barriers to being able to find a place to rent. These apply most to persons of color—1 in 3 Black men have a criminal history, most often related to drugs—and persons of color are much more likely to be evicted for owing a very small amount of money.
You’ve held a number of positions at Solid Ground over the years and have worked with people who are homeless for all types of reasons ranging from poverty to domestic violence. What would you say ties all your work together?
Basically, I do a lot of listening to stories. That’s one of the gifts I think I bring. So just listening to what people are saying and connecting them with the resources that they need has been a big part of my work. It makes a big difference when we can help people find jobs, get them into housing, be able to support them as they stabilize and be able to pay the rent for a little while until they’re making enough to do it.
You have been very involved in advocacy during your time, working on committees, coalitions and more. Why is that important?
We know that for an individual or a family to succeed, they need to be surrounded by a lot of support from many different systems and agencies that help them with food, housing, child care, education, physical and mental health issues, and so many others. The various agencies need to support each other, especially in a time when many social safety net programs have been decimated. We need to continue to form coalitions that will work together—and strengthen the voice of the persons we serve. It strengthens our advocacy and helps us achieve our goals.
What can we do to make a difference in eliminating homelessness?
The reality is that homelessness is a national problem. One thing you can do is really pay attention to what’s going on in your locality. Some municipalities are trying to criminalize homelessness. Also, support organizations that are working on homelessness in your area and that strengthen the voices of those who are experiencing homelessness.
In terms of legislation, we have to look at city, county, state and federal. All of them have a role to play. I think it’s really important to let our city and county representatives, as well as state and national, know where we stand. The Washington State House and Senate are much more diverse now than they have ever been, so we have more people of color who are actually making the laws and sharing their stories. We’ve been able to make great gains because of it.
Can you tell us about some clients whose stories reveal the impact of your ministry with those who are homeless?
There are so many families over the years that I have had the pleasure of working with.
This year, I worked with a single dad whose partner was abusive. They became homeless because he would give her money for the rent, but she wasn’t paying it. They got evicted and ended up in an extended-stay hotel, which is becoming a common short-term solution for those who are suddenly homeless. She didn’t pay the rent there either, so my client ended up with two evictions. Then, the police got involved after his partner and her boyfriend started an altercation. There he was with four young kids, but he took them in with great love. After he stayed with his mother for a time, we were able to get him into our brand-new housing connector program that places clients with landlords who are willing to work with them.
Another client I worked with was a young woman of color who definitely had a plan. She left an abusive situation and was determined to further her education to make her life better. She encountered a lot of barriers, but we were able to talk them through, and she regained her strength and determination. Today, she is housed and is pursuing an education in a field in which she is the only woman and the only person of color in her program. And she knows that she will succeed.
Most often people know what they need to succeed. We just need to listen to them and support them in a way that works for them. It’s just amazing what people can do if they find somebody to help them just a little bit.
Written by Jenny Beatrice, Director of Communications