Florida Calling...

I started out to Central Florida and my journey included a short layover in Amsterdam. Basically travelling east to go West, unlike Columbus who went West hoping to find the East, not that my American discovery is likely to be such a big, but here's hoping. Schiphol is a large and confusing airport, but I have done this sort of thing before, the last time it was Heathrow and they seem very similar. Full of people transferring from all over the World, lots of shops, selling the usual duty free fair, the only real difference is substitute models of Big Ben, black cabs, guardsmen and red phone boxes for lots of clogs, tulips, windmills and cheese. This made my journey longer than usual and whilst sitting in the airport for 2 hours I was regretting my choice. This was later compounded by a 10 hour flight to Florida which again would have been shorter if I had flown from Manchester or Heathrow but once again this was my choice. If my local airport had direct flights this might have been different but it doesn't so it wasn't a choice I could make, although I did choose to return home after my years away.

I am mindful of the fact that I am heading to America to see how funding of homelessness is tackled in an area that used to have one of the largest homeless populations in the US, but they chose to work together. This again made me think about choice and the choices we make in our life, some are positive and some impact negatively but we still make them, because we can. So does it mean that people who find themselves homeless have always made a succession of bad choices or is it that they never really had the choices anyway. Lack of opportunity and lack of choice which are diminished even further by becoming, if becoming is the right term, homeless.

I have also had a dilemma prior to my flight about what clothes to bring? The last time I was in Florida I worn shorts and an Epcot t-shirt, possibly not the right attire to meet a Civic dignitary. At this point I am aware my 15 year old son would say this was a very "First World problem". Of course he is right, however if does highlight the old adage that one person's problems are the biggest to them, but still I am lucky as mine is one of what to wear in 35 degrees in the Sunshine State.

Also as I complain internally about having spent all day Thursday travelling alone, with no company and no-one to talk to, I now fully realise that I am used to my supportive network of family, friends and colleagues to rely on. Once again a "luxury" most of the individuals I hope to help by doing this trip don't have. It brings to mind the question of how Housing First, as a solution to homelessness, can possibly increase isolation and loneliness. So how do we answer that consequence of what is a very effective solution to housing the chronically homeless. Furthermore as we in the UK start to look at other US solutions can we be sure we are not just changing one kind of issue for another. In particular Rapid Housing, which is sometimes confused with Housing First, is being looked at in many areas of the country. In my mind this has to be directed at the right people and monitored, as it could without the proper fail safes leave individuals more lonely, more isolated and  more vulnerable in a house not a home. Rapid Housing is only for the most resilient and less prone to re-presentation to services. There is no miracle silver bullet in defeating homelessness.

Loneliness is a killer, it is just as harmful to an individual's wellbeing as homelessness. In 1959 the phenomena that was the Twilight Zone started and its first ever episode was called 'Where is Everybody'. The great reveal at the end is that of a man who has spent over 2 weeks in a box as part of an Air Force experiment during the space race. Mike Ferris the protagonist finally succumbs to a mental breakdown and as he is released from his agreed isolation the officer says:

"We can feed the stomach with concentrates. We can supply microfilm for reading, recreation -even movies of a sort. We can pump oxygen in and waste material out. But there's one thing we cannot stimulate that's a very basic need. Man's hunger for companionship. the barrier of loneliness..."


"Hey...Where is everyone?"

I feel so fortunate to be granted this opportunity by Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and I know it will change my thoughts and certainly impact on my working practices. It was my choice to fly via Amsterdam, as it was my choice to work in homelessness (Goodness do I live in a World that has a working sector called homelessness) and therefore my choice to try and find new ways of commissioning and funding the services that are vital and essential.

I guess I have made a lot of decisions with the opportunities I have been given, not just this year but through a very varied life. I guess missing my family in a place that I have usually had wonderful memories of meeting a person dressed up as a large mouse, we love the mouse, is based on the fact that I have one to miss and who will miss me.

So although there are many differences between my trip, me and those lives of the people I hope to affect by this, the biggest difference is they rarely get a choice, they rarely get a say in what they want or need. I guess we don't realise that choice is a fundamental part of our lives and how would we cope if was taken ever taken away. Also although I travelled for nearly a whole day to get here on Thursday I always knew were I was going to sleep. Knowledge gives us courage.

Also for those who were worried about Mike Ferris, he does end up going into space and he did make a friend....


"Please to meet you Earl my name is Robby"