Stuck At the Bottom
The Parable of the Mold
One day you discover mold growing in your home and become panicked. You hadn’t been in that particular room for several months and was to surprised to see a problem develop so quickly without you noticing it. Suddenly you realized several things: 1) there is a water leak or source of water somewhere nearby that you can’t see 2) the problem is only going to get worse until the underlying problem is addressed 3) leaving it untreated and hoping for the best is not a wise strategy because it will continue to grow and likely cause health problems for everyone in the house 4) so you do the quick math in your head and realize it will probably cost more in the long-run to repair than in the short-term to treat. Hmmmmm, what should you do? It’s a beautiful day outside and nothing pressing on your schedule. “This can wait” you think to yourself. But then you remember the horror stories of people having to gut their homes to get rid of mold. You decide on a quick trip to Walmart to buy some Clorox to fix the problem and off you go.
20 minutes and $6 dollars later, you feel confident in your simple-solution. “That wasn’t so bad. Clorox is a miracle product because it kills everything, right?” You spray quickly and leave the room. 2 weeks later, you enter the room to make sure your $6-solution worked but to your chagrin, the problem has only gotten worse. “What the heck! How is that even possible?! “Clorox is Clorox—it supposed to kill 99.9% of germs! I want my money back!”
Standing there in the middle of the “kill zone,” you do a quick Google search on your phone and learn that bleach can kill mold on hard, non-porous surfaces, but not generally on porous materials like wood or drywall where mold roots can hide. You think to yourself, “well, what if I just saturate the walls even more—won’t that do it? Another $6 bucks won’t hurt.” You call your brother-in-law who is a builder and tell him what is happening. He tells you to call a specialist and let them take care of it. You hang up the phone and do another Google search, but this time, “places that fix black mold.” You check their location and star reviews and start dialing. One company with a 4.5 rating said they would send someone right over and you think to yourself, “yeah, but it’s not going to be $6 bucks! Ugh.” He arrives 30 minutes later and you show him the room and he starts examining things. He slowly nods and turns to say that he can fix it. You ask how long it will take and how much it will cost and he says he doesn’t know until he gets behind the wall. “Behind the wall!” you gasp audibly. The service tech says there are 5 things that need to happen to adequately treat the problem:
First, all impacted materials needs to be removed
Second, strong chemicals and dry ice treatments will be used in the process
Third, the room needs to be dehumidified
Fourth, a ‘hydroxyl generator’ (air purifier) will be used to clean the air
Fifth, a mold-resistant coating will be applied to the walls.
You had no idea how significant the problem had become, nor how detailed the subsequent solution would be, but now you are glad you took the advice of a trusted friend and called a professional who understands the problem and how to treat it effectively. He goes to work, applies his skill set, and remedies the problem—and in the end, saves you money.
This parable illustrates a similar problem to homelessness—there are many hidden leaks and problems occurring behind the scenes that are not readily apparent or easily understood but are manifesting themselves on the streets. Unfortunately, many policy leaders treat the homeless situation with a “Clorox” approach. They are not considering the many underlying causes behind it. Instead they point to addiction and mental health as the source-problems, but in reality, those stem out of it, not cause it. If housing is the end-goal, then changed thinking must accompanying that in order to maintain it. Otherwise behaviors will continue and the risk of falling back into old ways—and subsequently the streets—remains a real threat.
The following graphic illustrates Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the various forces working against the homeless that keeps them at the bottom of society. They are literally unable to “self-actualize” and reach their potential for lack of resources and opportunities for growth. Their focus is on scavenging for supplies and deciding where to sleep each night. *They are in survival mode 24/7.
Here are common phrases we say and hear everyday that the homeless cannot:
A Utah History Irony:
Life Inside A Can
For those able to store their belongings in a safe, controlled environment, this is what it looks like. They are literally living out of garbage cans.
Here are the sleeping conditions many find themselves in because it is out of site of homeowners and the police:
Those living on the street have to be resourceful and fix or repurpose whatever items they can find.
Another problem is poor nutrition. Mental health begins in the gut, and without proper nutrition, brains & bodies are unable to function at optimal levels.
Diets high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats can lead to inflammation and oxidative stress, negatively affecting brain health.
Poor nutrition is linked to increased risks of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
One study found that individuals with poor diets showed changes in brain chemistry, such as reduced levels of GABA (a neurotransmitter) and increased glutamate, which are associated with mood disorders
