It’s no secret that attending a local city government meeting can often feel like playing a game of Bingo. If you were to make a bingo card for such meetings, some guaranteed squares would include “thinly veiled contempt,” “Freeattle,” “mandatory rehab,” and questions about why some people living outside receive free items. These sentiments are constantly repeated at town halls, open forums, and Q&A sessions about homelessness.
One of the less common demands is to “make homelessness illegal,” while another frequently heard concern is “think of the children.” I recall someone once crying out in anguish, asking how they should talk to their kids about seeing people in tents. The answer to this question might be simpler than many adults think.
Children have a great capacity for empathy. If you explain to a child that someone is sleeping in a doorway because they have nowhere else to go, they’ll likely feel sad and want to help. Kids are curious and want to understand why someone could be without a home. In the grand scheme of things that adults explain to children, homelessness isn’t that strange of a concept.
The root of the concern that many adults have isn’t necessarily about children seeing poverty. It’s more about adults having to explain how they’ve contributed to a system that allows people to be without basic needs like shelter, food, and cleanliness. Parents may need to confront the fact that despite teaching kindness and generosity, they have failed to extend these values to everyone, especially those living in poverty.
It’s not just about explaining why some people live in tents to children; it’s about admitting
