{"id":15547,"date":"2020-10-08T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=15547"},"modified":"2022-10-09T06:45:02","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T10:45:02","slug":"the-world-just-became-a-lot-less-accessible-for-our-homeless-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/the-world-just-became-a-lot-less-accessible-for-our-homeless-neighbors\/","title":{"rendered":"The World Just Became a Lot Less Accessible for our Homeless Neighbors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s a Monday morning in mid-October. Your kids are logged on for virtual class. Their teachers\u2019 voices echo out into the kitchen where you sip your coffee. There\u2019s a knock at the door, but you don\u2019t answer. Instead, you unlock your smartphone with your face and check your messages. As you suspected, the knock was a delivery driver. Your Amazon package has arrived.<\/p>\n

After virtual school is over, you decide to take the kids out for dinner. You pile up the car and head to the local fast-food chain. Indoor seating is closed. The line for the drive-thru winds around in a circle. You pull in and wait your turn.<\/p>\n

Later that same evening, you head to your neighborhood football field where they\u2019re playing Toy Story 4 via projector. Cars line the field for miles. Families like yours are excited to be out in any capacity after so many months stuck indoors. Children run through the grass donning masks with grinning Disney characters. The high school football field and nearby Walmart are open, but many other communal gathering places like libraries are still closed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You gaze off into the swaying field of turf and flowers and breathe a sigh of relief. Sure. The world is different, but it\u2019s not so bad. For you, anyway. However, for many people experiencing homelessness, the shutdown continues to isolate them. Here\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n

Many Members of the Homeless Community Do Not Have Cars<\/h3>\n

This might seem counterintuitive, but the demand for cars has increased<\/a>\u00a0amid pandemic conditions. With the roads now open for more than just essential employees, many US residents who previously didn\u2019t own cars are now investing in vehicles yet again. This makes sense for lots of reasons. Many people believe individual cars are safer than ride shares due to the looming threats of infection. Additionally, many restaurants are only open for pick-up or drive-thru options.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the increase in deliveries. Ecommerce sales shot up by 40%\u00a0this year, due mainly to the fact that online shopping was the only viable option for months. Now, with social distancing measures in place at brick and mortar stores across America, online shopping holds the appeal of feeling safer and more convenient.<\/p>\n

And with this unprecedented demand for online goods taking place amid mass unemployment, having access to a car gives Americans the option of spending money (via online shopping) and making money (as the need for delivery drivers skyrockets<\/a> to meet public demand). Millennials with cash to burn are quickly recognizing the advantages to car ownership, even in urban areas where public transit might be open but is still widely perceived as risky.<\/p>\n

The problem is that many members of the homeless community do not have cars. Even vehicular homelessness<\/a>, which happens when people are forced to use their vehicles as living quarters, does not ensure a working automobile, let alone gas money, toll money, etc. As such, this sudden convenience of car ownership further isolates many of our neighbors without walls.<\/p>\n

Not having a car during the pandemic means:<\/h4>\n