Starkville Strong organization aims to define homelessness within the city

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A local organization believes the stigma around homelessness is preventing a large sum of people from receiving financial and housing assistance.

Many times there is a stereotype of homelessness, but in actuality, it goes much deeper than that. Starkville Strong is a nonprofit organization here in Starkville to help those who need it.

The federal government has a very rigid definition of homelessness, and society paints a picture of what homelessness should look like. living in a box, in the car, or on the street.

Executive director of Starkville Strong Brandi Herrington said her organization witnessed many cases outside of that rigid definition.

“In actuality, especially in rural areas, homelessness looks a lot different,” Herrington said. “Its multiple families under one roof, its families that can’t afford rent anymore and their in-between shelters. It can also mean sleeping on someone’s porch.”

Assistant director Cate Van Halsema said data shows that even some college students would be considered homeless.

“The homeless population in Starkville is almost completely invisible. It’s not people sleeping in boxes and alleyways,” Van Halsema said. “Many of our actively homeless clients have jobs. For a lot of the programs that are set up to help people who are homeless on the state level or the federal level, the definition doesn’t include probably two-thirds of our client base.”

Anyone who does not meet that definition does not qualify for federal programs. Starkville Strong stepped in to offer alternative solutions.

“There are resources that are both federal, state, and local that we help our clients find access to and use very creative problem solving because there is no shelter near here,” Herrington said.

Homes with higher price points in some areas make it difficult for many people to find affordable, inhabitable, and available housing.

“Currently we have a mother with three kids who are in between shelters because she can’t afford where she’s staying anymore,” Herrington said. “Rent keeps going up here in Starkville. Living wage and pay are not going up in correspondence with that. The definition of homeless is not someone necessary has substance abuse, is not wanting to get a job, or chose this lifestyle. We’ve had teachers, police officers, firefighters who have come to us with this issue of not being able to afford where they stay.”

Herrington and Van Halsema said this is a nationwide issue that’s getting worse.

“A few people working together is trying to achieve a mission, but when you bring everyone together it makes a movement,” Herrington said.

“The first step of solving a problem is acknowledging it, so we’re just really glad there’s some visibility in working to address the problem together,” Van Halsema said.

Starkville Strong said they currently have 115 homeless cases and over 300 people who are housing insecure. They plan to eventually create a village to provide temporary housing in the area to move forward.

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