#32: Street Cred Index

w/Apologies to "Harper's Index."

For many years, Harpers Magazine has published a list of facts and figures in the back of each issue. They are often surprising, ironic, and/or contrary to conventional wisdom. This is a list of things I’ve learned or inferred over the last eight months, from relationships with people who live on the street by day and wherever they can by night. Harpers Magazine includes sources. My sources are primarily anecdotal, but I’m confident they are at least suggestive of what’s going on. There are more where these came from that I may include in future posts. [“We” refers to the fact that the money comes, in part, from subscription contributions]. Comments or corrections welcome.

Number of people we’ve* given at least $5 to since starting this project: 33

Number who’ve admitted they will use the money for hard drugs [opiates]: 2

Percentage I suspect will use at least some of the money for hard drugs: 60

Percentage I suspect smoke marijuana: 80

On a scale of 1-10 how much their drug use bothers me: 2

Number of cell phones I’ve helped people buy: 4

Number I know have been almost immediately resold for cash: 1

Number of tents I’ve helped people buy: 1

Number I know have been almost immediately resold for cash: 1

Number of times Melvin has asked me for help claiming the money he’s convinced he won playing games on the phone I helped him get: 2

Number of people who’ve told me their ID was lost or stolen: 10+

Average number of weeks it typically takes to get a new ID if you’re persistent: 4

If you’re not persistent: 52+

Percentage of people eligible for Medicaid who’ve lost it for reasons they don’t really understand: 35%

Number of days it takes to get the paperwork processed to get daily dose of methadone at a different clinic: ±3-7

Farthest you might have to travel every morning to get to our Clinic: 40 miles.

Percentage of people living on the street in our town who grew up more than 100 miles away: 10%

Hours I’ve spent trying to understand science and delivery of Medication Assisted Treatment: Countless.

Number of books I’ve written about opium: 1

Number of days you need to get your daily dose of methadone at the Clinic before getting take-homes (as long as you test clean): ±30

Likelihood you’ll buy methadone or fentanyl on the street if you can’t get treatment at the Clinic: 80%

Likelihood that people living on the street are aware of all the services that may be available to them: 30%.

On a scale of 1-10, difficulty of understanding paperwork to those services: 6

Number of beds available at our local shelter: ±40.

Number of people who don’t have either a subsidized motel room or bed at the shelter on a given winter night: ±25.

Number of people I know who make money shoveling after a snowstorm: 4

Number of places people can set up a tent in our town without risk of being forced to take it down or abandoned: 0.

Number of tents I saw from my third floor window at the beginning of winter: 5.

Number destroyed by recent flooding: 2

Likelihood that someone I talk to is telling the whole truth about why they need money: ±40%.

Likelihood that Jake or Suzanne are telling me the whole truth: 5%

Number of women Kenny (Ganem) has told me he is going to marry: 8

Percentage of times I’ve met Kenny during which he chants Tibetan mantras: 70%

During which he tries to scandalize me with pornographic language: 75%

Number of people for whom we’ve bought propane cylinders for their tent heaters: 6

Cost of propane cylinders for tent heaters: $5-$15

How long cylinders last: 1-4 days

Lowest price for a $10 gift Co-op gift card on the street: $5

Most money made in a day holding a cardboard sign asking for money. $110.

Least amount: $5

Number of coffee shops who give people on the street free coffee: 2

Number who give some food also: 1

Number of my friends on the street who are currently in jail for a month or more for not showing up for a hearing: 2

Number whose original crime was a misdemeanor: 1