The Grass is Always Greener
How PHFS’ trauma-informed exterior design inspired one family
By Tony Aponte, Shelter Coordinator
Many of us have heard the old adage, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence”. It appears this is not the case for guests at Portland Homeless Family Solution (PHFS). Sometimes the grass is greenest in our own backyard, as recent shelter guest, Paul, found.
During one of my overnight shifts, Paul shared the exciting news that he received the last document he needed to secure permanent housing for his family. He went on and on about how much he appreciated being here, and the support of our staff. He talked about how inspired he was to be in a shelter that was so nice, and he specifically commented on the grass. His focus on the grass stuck with me. How can a few small patches of grass inspire someone this much? It then registered with me that this was exactly what the grass was meant to do.
Family Village Outdoor Campus
Photo by Aaron Leitz, provided by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
PHFS was planned using trauma-informed design both inside our buildings and outside of our facilities. Trauma-informed design focuses on creating an environment that is inspiring and meant to build self-esteem. While COVID restrictions have kept many of our families from the trauma-informed design elements of our main building, the outside areas have been lovingly cared for by our amazing volunteers. This care and attention, combined with a supportive staff available to guests 24 hours a day, inspired Paul and his family.
When many people think of homeless shelters, they envision a large warehouse or gym filled with people. These shelters do exist and serve an important role in providing immediate and emergency care, but they are not designed to help people reclaim their lives and end their homelessness for good. These crowded emergency shelters do not create an environment that inspires people to improve their lives. PHFS is different.
Imagine being a single parent living in a makeshift tent on a bike trail with four children. This environment would not create a feeling of security. It would likely consist of overgrown patches of grass and considerable amounts of litter. Families in this situation would be functioning in survival mode and any thoughts about the future would be replaced by an urgency to meet immediate needs. This family would be in a constant state of trauma. The longer they remained in this situation, the more internalized the trauma would become, and even when they moved into a better environment, that trauma and loss would remain. This is even true when people first arrive at PHFS - meaningful change does not occur instantly upon arrival. The trauma remains.
But our trauma-informed environment provides respect and dignity for the families who come to our shelter. It shows them that they are valued. For Paul, the lawn at PHFS demonstrated that the staff and volunteers at PHFS cared about him and his family. It inspired hope.
For Paul and his family, the grass will always be greenest here at PHFS.
