Among the most stupid ideas that float within substance abuse and housing circles is that unhoused populations are homogeneous. Guess what? They’re not. At all. As a matter of fact, terms like “wraparound services” and “affordable housing” are stupid as well. They hide a great many sins and I am absolutely sick of the stupidity.
In my years of treating substance use disorders (SUD), I have seen the worst of the worst cases turn around their lives. Sadly, I have also buried several clients. But whether a client gets clean or overdoses depends largely on the substance to which they’re dependent. These days, meth and fentanyl are not only hard to treat, they also bring a certain culture that crosses straight into an evil. This evil draws people into a total loss of humanity.
To wit: I have spent several months providing direct care at two (2) facilities in Santa Fe that city officials have touted as success stories. One of those is the Consuelo’s Place, and the other is Santa Fe Suites. Both house people who would otherwise live on the streets, but both also house flat-out evil.
Santa Fe Suites, especially, proved troublesome for me. There are several residents that self-pay and who do their best to live away from the chaos. However, the “fentanyl people” (a term several residents use to describe some of their neighbors) bring acquaintances and others who bring violence and suffering to the facility. On more than one occasion, when performing welfare checks, I was exposed to heavy fentanyl smoke that actually sickened me. What’s worse is that I came across cases of human trafficking about which I could do nothing.
Service provision only works if people want services and I can say with no doubt that people who are addicted to fentanyl AND meth do not want services. They like that the city and other government agencies feed, clothe, and house them, but they have no intention of getting clean.
The problem? Those who may benefit from services at Santa Fe Suites live in such unsafe conditions that they aren’t even sure who to trust. The worse cases dominate the facility and workers do their best to keep them at bay. However, there is no way that they, without police support, can eliminate or deter human and drug traffickers. I attest that I did my best. However, the evil I encountered was too much and I had to leave, which meant leaving those who I might’ve been able to help.
When politicians use terms like “wraparound services” and “affordable housing” I am willing to bet they’ve never provided direct services. If they had, they would know that there is no magic bullet. In the case of the City of Santa Fe, they are painfully unqualified to appropriate those terms. Really, what’s needed is a strong screening process before anyone is placed in housing that’s government sanctioned. Otherwise, our tax dollars are allowing truly evil behavior to operate with impunity. Ask questions when people use those terms. I can bet that they know nothing about the terms they use.
