In Natomas, Kristie Phillips anxiously awaited law enforcement to arrive at her roach-infested apartment on Monday morning for her eviction. After being told they would come on Friday, they never showed up. Over the weekend, she moved her furniture outside under a tarp in the backyard, while a man fixed a hole in the fence. Although her belongings weren’t necessarily safer outside, at least she would have access to them once the lock was placed on the door. This is not the first time Phillips, 50, has experienced homelessness, and it likely won’t be the last. She gave birth to her first two children while addicted to methamphetamines as a teenager and has struggled with stable housing throughout her life.
For Phillips, every attempt to better her situation seems to make it worse. Losing her car led to a loss of her license and lack of transportation. Staying on a friend’s couch resulted in living in a disgusting apartment. And now, when she tried to demand better conditions, she is facing eviction. Despite calling every homeless program in Sacramento and beyond, Phillips has been unable to find emergency shelter for herself and her son. The assistance she can find is only placement on a waiting list. When you’re at the bottom, there is no winning, only surviving until the next calamity strikes.
Often, we only think of homelessness as living in tents on the streets, but people like Phillips and her children, who live on the edge of poverty, are often discounted in tallies and surveys. This is what generational poverty and homelessness truly look like.
On Monday, the police still did not arrive, causing even more anxiety for Phillips. She expressed feeling overwhelmed and stressed, unsure of where she and her son would go, especially with the cold weather outside. Phillips spent the day fielding calls from homeless outreach programs and from her son’s school principal, who wanted to discuss his possible expulsion. However, Phillips couldn’t leave her apartment as her car had been towed months ago, and she no longer has a driver’s license. She also wanted to be present when the police arrived to inquire about retrieving her family’s possessions. Frustratingly, she had been unable to reach the apartment manager for information about her options.
Although the police didn’t arrive that day, Phillips knew she had at least one more day with a roof over her head. However, she had no plan and no help. Her family has experienced homelessness or housing insecurity for much of her children’s lives, taking a heavy emotional toll on them.
Phillips’ eldest daughter is doing well and lives in the Sacramento region with her own children. However, her eldest son, Brandon, blames his mother for his addiction issues and no longer speaks to her. Her two youngest daughters have been living with their father nearby but have started experiencing behavioral issues due to their housing situation.
Children who face housing insecurity are at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness as adults. Instability makes it difficult for them to focus on school, leading to lower grades, potential expulsion, and challenges in finding well-paying jobs. This cycle continues to put them at risk throughout their lives.
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 1,100 homeless people in families with children live in Sacramento. Homeless youth also have higher rates of early death, with suicide being the leading cause of death for unaccompanied homeless youth.
Phillips found more assistance from her children’s schools than from the city or county’s homeless programs. They have been on the city’s Section 8 housing voucher waitlist for over 14 years. When she called the city’s 2-1-1 number, she was told they could only provide a shelter referral. However, her previous experiences with the Volunteers of America left her distrustful, as they took away her food stamps. Additionally, she cannot go to the main women’s shelter in Sacramento due to her son’s age.
Finally, on Tuesday, the police arrived to lock Phillips out of her apartment. She has 15 days to retrieve her belongings before they are disposed of. Her cat, Macy, was picked up by a foster mom while Phillips and her son cried.
It is easy to dismiss the difficulty of finding emergency help when not facing the immediate threat of homelessness. But when a family loses their last bit of shelter, where do they go? There is no one to call in Sacramento when families like Phillips’ are on the brink of homelessness. There is no magic number to find them shelter for the night. Phillips has reached out to multiple organizations for help, but transportation remains an issue.
