We met Jeff Rotmeyer, president of NGO Impact HK that works with people experiencing homelessness. Rotmeyer raised an alarm on the mental health crisis affecting this deeply isolated community - and advocated for this issue to be put at the heart of all policies concerning people experiencing homelessness.
You are talking about a mental health crisis among people experiencing homelessness. What do you mean by that?
According to a 2023 study Impact HK led with Hong Kong Shue Yan, nearly half of all people experiencing homelessness in Hong Kong suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. If you compare it internationally, like Vancouver where I come from, you will experience a lot of anger on the streets; but in Hong Kong, you just never hear any anger. There is a lot of complete hopelessness and shame; people who have really lost all beliefs in themselves and in future happiness.
There is a lot of death, suicide; a lot of people just disappear. It happens all the time. These are people who are always on the brink of death.
Prisons, hospitals, drug rehabilitation institutes, none of these three are equipped nor successful in helping this community. Hospitals are overrun especially when it comes to mental health support. Rehabilitation institutes are just not good enough.
After Covid, we’ve seen a 25% increase in the number of people on the streets.
The Legislative Council’s 2021 report counted 1580 “registered street sleepers” in Hong Kong. Does this number correspond to the real number of people sleeping outside?
This number gives you the number of people who have actually gone and register themselves as being homeless. But it is completely inaccurate; almost everyone we meet outside are not registered as street sleepers.
In Hong Kong, the average age before Covid was 63 on the streets; about 90% men. A lot of the elderly population do not have financial backing because they never had a pension plan nor savings. A lot of industries left Hong Kong, we lost a lot of factory work. And companies employing people above 60 are hard to find.
After Covid, we’ve seen a 25% increase in the number of people on the streets. We’re seeing a lot more women on the streets now, 16%. We’re also seeing younger people - even families.
90% of the people we help in our shelters don’t have a single friend or family member in their lives
In your opinion, what causes homelessness?
A lot of people think that the cost of property is a major cause of homeleness but in my opinion, the price of property almost never causes homelessness. If I couldn’t affort my appartment tomorrow, I wouldn’t become homeless because I would be able to count on my family, my friends… Whereas we know that over 90% of the people we help in our shelters don’t have a single friend or family member in their lives. We’re talking about a community that is very isolated and very alone.
How do you help these people then? What is the strategy of Impact HK?
It is all about becoming a familiar face; making sure these people know that you’re only here because you care about them; showing repetitive kindness again and again… And you develop really good friendships.
In our shelters, the first few weeks are used to put the mind of these people at ease. Once they found that safety and peace, our caseworkers work with them on a tailor-made program. Impact HK’s model is very holistic. We have more than 50 full time staff that includes social workers, communications, administrative workers, a kitchen staff, nurses… Impact HK has helped 600 people off of the streets since its foundation seven years ago.
We need to build a more caring community
What are your demands to the government?
In my opinion, the way to end homelessness worldwide is through the education of society. I think we need to build a more caring community, one that understands that people in pain need care, not judgement.
We helped form an alliance with eight other NGOs who work in homelessness to write a homeless friendly policy suggestion that we hope the government will appreciate. We want the government to see the importance of care for these individuals; because we see a lot of governmental action to just hide them.
Cheaper rental prices, better health care system, they will not do the job. You need to have hope. You can give someone love and care, and you hope that that can result in them to believe in their future. Govs internationally are trying to solve homelessness with rooms; it’s almost like we’re trying to force rooms on people who know this is not the solution to their problems. The people I meet everyday are craving for kindness and acceptance, it’s so obvious. We’re talking about human beings who value love, care, community and purpose.
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