,{
<!--------------- character setup - "T" --------------->
(set: $name to "T")
(set: $numChildren to 0)
(set: $chanceID to (random: 0,1))
(set: $lostItems to "false")
<!--------------- calendar --------------->
(set: $month to "July")
(set: $date to 20)
(set: $daysPassed to 0)
<!--------------- money tracking --------------->
(set: $bankAccount to 30)
(set: $periodProducts to 7)
(set: $wagesPerJob to 60)
(set: $doubleShift to $wagesPerJob * 2)
(set: $numberOfWeeklyJobs to 1)
(set: $weeklyWages to $wagesPerJob * $numberOfWeeklyJobs)
(set: $totalDebt to $finesIncurred + $feesIncurred)
(set: $dailyLivingExpense to 5)
(set: $twoDays to $dailyLivingExpense * 2)
(set: $threeDays to $dailyLivingExpense * 3)
(set: $fourDays to $dailyLivingExpense * 4)
(set: $fiveDays to $dailyLivingExpense * 5)
(set: $busTicketCourt to 5)
<!--------------- fines tracking --------------->
(set: $finesIncurred to 0)
(set: $parkTicket1 to 140)
(set: $ticket2 to 120)
(set: $arrestFine to 200)
<!--------------- fees tracking --------------->
(set: $feesIncurred to 0)
(set: $courtFee to 210)
<!---------------law enforcement tracking --------------->
(set: $citationCount to 0)
(set: $misdemeanor to 0)
(set: $seatbeltCitationFine to 220)
}{(set: $started to 1)<h1></h1>}
Hello and welcome to <em>Park It</em>. Let's begin.
You've been experiencing homelessness for about a year and have been living on the streets for the past three months.
You haven't been able to find a stable paying job due to your lack of address, and because your options are limited without a car to drive to work.
In the meantime, you have been doing a couple odd jobs for a sanitation company that has been willing to work around your circumstances. You make $$wagesPerJob for each odd job that you do and can generally expect to work once a week. Your schedule isn't very regular though, and you get paid on the day that you work as opposed to on a pay schedule.
You have $$bankAccount right now and you spend about $$dailyLivingExpense per day on average. It adds up quickly, hitting your wallet hard.
[[It's not an easy life.| Scenario 1]]Before you lost your housing, you were diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, which makes you extremely susceptible to even the common cold.
You have high blood pressure, and your heart rate can slow to dangerous levels when you're ill. It's important for you to avoid getting sick as much as possible.
What you really need is housing. You've been on the waitlist for federally subsidized housing for months, but who knows if or when you'll make it to the top of the list.
[[All you can really do is wait.|Display dyk 15]]Staying in a shelter can be risky if the conditions are unsanitary, since it is easier for you to get sick. But tonight it doesn't really matter, since there's no more room at your local shelter.
You make your way to a nearby park and get set up for the night on a secluded bench. The metal of the bench is pretty uncomfortable, but at least it's not cold out.
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/park-bench.png" alt="image of a park bench" title="park bench" />
[[Before long, you're drifting to sleep.|officer encounter 1]]Later that night, a light is flashed into your eyes. A police officer is nudging you awake with their baton. You sit up, confused and bleary-eyed.
<span class="dialogue police">I am going to have to ask you to vacate the park. You cannot sleep here.</span>{
(live: 1s)[(stop:)
You're so exhausted and caught off guard, you are barely able to speak.
<span class="dialogue player">The shelter is closed. There's nowhere else that is safe to stay.</span>] (live: 3s)[(stop:)<span class="dialogue police">That's not my problem. I'm here to enforce the law and you have to move from this area. The park is closed this time of night. Now pack it up and move along! </span>
[[Gather your belongings and leave.|Display dyk 1]]
]
}{(if: $started is 1)[
<header id="player-info">
<section id="stats">
<article class="header-img">
<img class="calendar" src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/Calendar.png" alt="calendar icon" title="calendar icon" />
</article>
<article class="current-values">
<article class="data">
<article class="label days-passed">Day $daysPassed</article><article class="value days-passed">$month $date</article>
</article>
<article class="header-img">
<img class="wallet" src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/wallet-full.png" alt="image of wallet with money" title="full wallet" />
</article>
<article class="money data">
<article class="label balance">Balance</article><article class="value balance">$$bankAccount</article>
<article class="label expenses">Daily Expenses</article><article class="value rent">$$dailyLivingExpense</article>
</article>
<!--
<article class="data">
<article class="label rent">Rent</article><article class="value rent">$$rent</article>
</article>
-->
(if: $finesCount > 0)[<article class="data"><article class="label debt">Fines Due</article><article class="value fine"> $$finesIncurred</article>]
(if: $feesCount > 0)[<article class="data"><article class="label debt">Fees Due</article><article class="value fee">$$feesIncurred</article>]
(if: $licenseSuspendedKnown > 0)[<article class="data"><article class="label debt">License</article><article class="value license">Suspended</article> ]
</section><!-- end #stat -->
(if: $restartDisplay is 1)[<article id="restart"><a href="javascript:history.go(0)"><img id="refresh" src="https://poornotguilty.org/play/img/restart.png" title="restart button" /></a></div>]
</header><!-- end header -->
]
<section id="passageName">
<em>Passage Name (for feedback purposes only)</em>: (print: (passage:)'s name)
</section>
}
<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_prohibitSleepingInPublic.png" title="City laws prohibiting sleeping in public have increased 50% since 2006." alt="City laws prohibiting sleeping in public have increased 50% since 2006." />
<article>Sleeping bans outlaw sleep, which is necessary for any human being. In 2019, 51% of our 187 surveyed cities have at least one law restricting sleeping in public.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_punishingHomelessnessRising.png" title="Punishing homelessness has increased over the last 13 years." alt="Punishing homelessness has increased over the last 13 years." />
<article> Since 2006, 13 new laws prohibiting sleeping citywide were enacted, representing a 50% increase. Between 2016 and 2019 alone, 6 such laws were enacted.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_prohibitCampingInPublic.png" title="72% of cities have at least one law prohibiting camping in public." alt="Text saying '72% of cities have at least one law prohibiting camping in public' below a graphic of an orange pitched tent with half oval opening" />
<article>“Camping” bans are often written to cover a broad range of activities, including merely sleeping outside. They also often prohibit the use of any “camping paraphernalia” which can make it illegal for unhoused people to use even a blanket.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_prohibitLoiteringInPublic.png" title="There has been a 103% increase in city laws prohibiting loitering, loafing, and/or vagrancy since 2006." alt="Text reads 'There has been a 103% increase in city laws prohibiting loitering, loafing, and/or vagrancy since 2006.' with a navy blue graphic of a person sitting down." />
Since 2006, 33 new laws prohibiting loitering, loafing, and/or vagrancy citywide were enacted, representing a 103% increase. Since we released our last national report on the criminalization of homelessness in 2016, six such laws were enacted, representing an increase of 10%.
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>35% of cities surveyed have one or more laws prohibiting loitering, loafing, and/or vagrancy citywide. 60% of cities surveyed have one or more laws prohibiting loitering, loafing, and/or vagrancy in particular public places.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1><article><span class="dialogue">We don’t panhandle because we want to. We do it because all of us need to put food in our stomachs. Most of the time, people are just trying to pay rent, or pay a bill or get bus fare.”</span><article class="source">Source: Sue Wells, a 2019 homeless member of the Homeless Union of Greensboro, NC, in the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Homeless people are as much as 11 times more likely to experience incarceration than those in the general population. Criminalization of homelessness contributes to mass incarceration and racial inequality, as homelessness is a risk factor for incarceration, and incarceration makes it more likely that a person will experience homelessness.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Homeless people often do not seek help from law enforcement, including when they are victimized, because they risk violent interactions with police and legal punishment under laws criminalizing their presence in public space.</article>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_unhousedDyingOfViolence.png" title="The National Coalition for the Homeless Estimats that 13,000 unhoused individuals die on our streets each year as a result of violence." alt="Text saying 'The National Coalition for the Homeless Estimats that 13,000 unhoused individuals die on our streets each year as a result of violence.' inside a left and right orange bracket punctuation." />
<article> A series of state and local studies and surveys state that annual criminal victimization rates for the homeless range from 34% and 81.9%. The victimization of homeless individuals prolongs their homelessness and causes physical and psychological trauma and can even be fatal. Additionally, because of overcriminalization and extreme brutalization of communities of color by law enforcement, Black people and other people of color experiencing homelessness are at especially high risk of charged interactions with police and are killed by police at around 2.5 times the rate of White people on a national scale.</article>
<article class="source">Source: <a href="https://homelesshub.ca/resource/crimes-against-america%E2%80%99s-homeless-violence-growing" target="_blank">Crimes Against America's Homeless</a> (2010), <a href="https://endhomelessness.org/police-violence-homelessness-and-black-lives/" target="_blank">National Alliance to End Homelessness</a>, and the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> (2019) report</article></section>(display: "dyk 01")
[[Continue|Shelter closed]]<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>40% of people experiencing homelessness report being employed but not making enough to afford housing.</article>
</section><h1>Epilogue</h1>
(if: $ending is "jail")[You end up spending a night in jail just for asking if anyone had extra change on the bus. Even though you are released after one night, you are given another $$arrestFine fine because of your arrest. Worst of all, you obviously couldn't make your housing appointment, and your turn on the list was passed over. You hope you'll get another opportunity eventually, but you don't know when that will be. For now, you're back where you started except for you're buried in fines that you have no chance of being able to pay off.] (else-if: $ending is "hospital")[You end up being arrested, all because you felt you had no choice but to seek medical attention. Even though you are released after one night, you are given another $$arrestFine fine because of your arrest.
You feel like there's no way for you to take care of your basic needs without breaking some type of law. After everything, you still don't have secure housing and will need to keep figuring out how to eat, sleep, and 'relieve yourself' without getting into more trouble - all because these laws are designed to punish instead of help you and other unhoused individuals.]
Nothing about your situation is just or right.
(if: $ending is "jail")[[[Continue|Display dyk 14]]]
(if: $ending is "hospital")[[[Continue|Epilogue B]]] <section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Waiting lists for federally subsidized housing are numbered in the tens of thousands. Federal housing subsidies have shrunk dramatically in recent decades, and only 24% of people eligible for housing assistance receive it. In this environment, low-income renters face a constant risk of housing loss and homelessness.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article></article>
</section>(if: $daysPassed <= 11)[(set: $month to "July")](else:)[(set: $month to "August")]
(if: $daysPassed is 0 or 31)[(set: $date to 20)]
(if: $daysPassed is 1 or 32)[(set: $date to 21)]
(if: $daysPassed is 2 or 33)[(set: $date to 22)]
(if: $daysPassed is 3 or 34)[(set: $date to 23)]
(if: $daysPassed is 4 or 35)[(set: $date to 24)]
(if: $daysPassed is 5 or 36)[(set: $date to 25)]
(if: $daysPassed is 6 or 37)[(set: $date to 26)]
(if: $daysPassed is 7 or 38)[(set: $date to 27)]
(if: $daysPassed is 8 or 39)[(set: $date to 28)]
(if: $daysPassed is 9 or 40)[(set: $date to 29)]
(if: $daysPassed is 10 or 41)[(set: $date to 30)]
(if: $daysPassed is 11)[(set: $date to 31)]
(if: $daysPassed is 12)[(set: $date to 1)]
(if: $daysPassed is 13)[(set: $date to 2)]
(if: $daysPassed is 14)[(set: $date to 3)]
(if: $daysPassed is 15)[(set: $date to 4)]
(if: $daysPassed is 16)[(set: $date to 5)]
(if: $daysPassed is 17)[(set: $date to 6)]
(if: $daysPassed is 18)[(set: $date to 7)]
(if: $daysPassed is 19)[(set: $date to 8)]
(if: $daysPassed is 20)[(set: $date to 9)]
(if: $daysPassed is 21)[(set: $date to 10)]
(if: $daysPassed is 22)[(set: $date to 11)]
(if: $daysPassed is 23)[(set: $date to 12)]
(if: $daysPassed is 24)[(set: $date to 13)]
(if: $daysPassed is 25)[(set: $date to 14)]
(if: $daysPassed is 26)[(set: $date to 15)]
(if: $daysPassed is 27)[(set: $date to 16)]
(if: $daysPassed is 28)[(set: $date to 17)]
(if: $daysPassed is 29)[(set: $date to 18)]
(if: $daysPassed is 30)[(set: $date to 19)]
(if: $courtAppointment is "missed" and $daysPassed is >= 30)[(set: $warrant to "true")](display: "dyk 09")
[[Continue|Bus]]You head back to the shelter just in case a room has opened up, but it's after hours. There's no way for you to get into the shelter tonight. You have nowhere to go so you wander back towards the park and walk around its perimeter.
You're so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open. It's been an hour or two since you were asked to leave the park, and you hope that the police officer has moved on so you can get some sleep after all.
You lay back down on a bench in a different area of the park for just a few moments. Before you know it, you're fast asleep.
[[What's that light?]]You awake to what you hope is sunlight, but it turns out to be the police officer's flashlight - again. You have no idea how long you were out this time, but you certainly did not get enough sleep.
<span class="dialogue police">You again, huh? Look, I warned you before. Now I'm going to have to issue you a ticket for violating the anti-camping law for city parks.</span><span class="dialogue player">Officer, I have nowhere else to go. The shelter is full, and there's no safer place to sleep than here.</span><span class="dialogue police">I have to enforce the rules. Here's your ticket. Your court date is in 2 weeks.</span>
(set: $finesIncurred to it + $parkTicket1)(set: $finesCount to it +1)
[[So much for getting any sleep tonight.|Display dyk 02]]You look at the ticket and then spring awake.
It's a ticket for $$parkTicket1! Obviously, you don't have that kind of money.
You could go to court in 2 weeks to contest the ticket, or you could just pay the ticket so that you don't have to worry about making it to court. Either way, it's not an ideal situation.
$$parkTicket1 is a lot of money and you don't have enough money to even pay it right now, but paying the ticket might be the most feasible option for you in the long run. Then again, maybe you can get the ticket thrown out if you go to court and explain what happened.
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 5)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $fiveDays)
(set: $bankAccount to it + $wagesPerJob)}
{
(link:"Plan to attend your court date in 2 weeks.")[(set: $ticketChoice to "court")(goto:"Payday 1")]
(link:"Hope to save enough money to eventually pay the ticket.")[(set: $ticketChoice to "pay")(goto:"Payday 1")]}(set: $latestDailyExpensesTotal to 5*$dailyLivingExpense)<section class="days-passed">5 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).] (live: 4s)[(stop:).] (live: 5s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 5s)[(stop:)<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/Income.png" alt="Image of a paycheck" title="paycheck" />
Your daily expenses over the last 5 days cost $$latestDailyExpensesTotal, almost wiping out all your money. Thankfully, you just worked a shift for the sanitation company and earned yourself $$wagesPerJob. (if: $ticketChoice is "pay")[You still don't have nearly enough to pay off that ticket, but every dollar helps.](else:)[Every dollar helps, and hopefully you'll be able to get the fines from that ticket wiped out at your upcoming court hearing.]
{(if: $chanceID is 1)[You also have to buy some disposable sanitary products because your period just started so that's another $$periodProducts out the window.]
(set: $daysPassed to it + 3)
(if: $chanceID is 1)[(set: $bankAccount to it - $periodProducts - $threeDays)](else:)[(set: $bankAccount to it - $threeDays)]}
[[Continue|Bathroom 1]]]<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
There are many obstacles to receiving medical care for unhoused individuals. The below clip provides a perspective from Couper, a disabled firefighter who helps other people experiencing homelessness with their medical needs.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iPLeQ-EwcV0?start=120&end=150" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<article class="source">Source: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4pyZUB0mNzieaKv831flA" target="_blank">Invisible People</a></article></section><section class="days-passed">3 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 3s)[(stop:)Every day costs you, literally.
You've been using the public restroom at the park for weeks. However, when you show up today, you see that the entrance is locked. A large yellow sign on the door reads: <em>Out of Order</em>.
The next nearest public restroom that you know of is over 2 miles away. You can make it there, but you'll have to either carry all of your stuff with you or ask someone else to keep an eye on your things while you're gone.
Otherwise, you could try to find somewhere semi-private to go outside, but you know it's risky. (if: $chanceID is 1)[You're on your period right now too, which just makes the whole situation more difficult.]
{
[[Look for somewhere to go outside.|Outside]]
[[Walk the distance to the nearest public restroom.|Long Walk]]}]You find an alley where you can go without drawing attention to yourself. You're relieved that no one sees you, but you're also exhausted from the stress of thinking you might be seen and either ticketed or assaulted. (if: $chanceID is 1)[Adressing your menstrual hygeine needs is so much harder without being able to sit down.]
You really hope that your usual public restroom at the park isn't out of order for long. Having regular access to somewhere that you can go to the bathroom safely is essential.
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 5)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $fiveDays)}
(if: $ticketChoice is "court")[(link:"You'll just have to keep your fingers crossed.")[(goto: "Court Date")]]
(if: $ticketChoice is "pay")[(link:"You'll just have to keep your fingers crossed.")[(set: $bankAccount to it + $doubleShift)(set: $courtAppointment "missed")(goto: "Payday 2")]]You ultimately decide that it's best not to risk being seen trying to use the bathroom outside. You check for a friend at the nearby encampment, but you can't find them around. Someone else offers to watch your stuff if you pay them to do it, but you can hardly spare the cash and don't know if you can trust them anyway.
You end up having to walk the two miles with all of your stuff strapped to your back. By the time you are half way there, a gusting wind has started to pick up. It slows you down considerably, but you eventually get to the restroom. (if: $chanceID is 1)[You're really glad that you were able to get somewhere to sit in private and take care of your menstrual needs. Having to do so outside would have been extra challenging and stressful.]
[[Time to head back.]]You're relieved that you were able to make it to the bathroom okay, but you still have the long walk back. The wind has only gotten worse, and you are making much slower progress than you did on the way here.
A particularly strong gust of wind knocks you off balance, making you trip and fall onto the ground. Your backpack bursts open and your stuff starts to blow away! You quickly gather up as much as you can and put it all back into your bag, but some things are blown into the street where there's a steady stream of fast-moving traffic.
Before long, the things you couldn't catch have blown past traffic and so far away that you won't be able to retrieve them. You aren't even sure what all fell out.
[[Finish your walk back and assess the damage.|Lost items]]You get somewhere where you can sit down and figure out what all you lost.
After sorting through everything, it looks like you are missing a couple pieces of clothing, your bus pass, and a $20 bill. Losing the cash is an especially big hit, but at least the rest of your money was safely stored within a zipper pocket of your bag. (set: $bankAccount to it - 20)
You're frustrated and exhausted, and you have to take a minute to process just how defeated your're feeling. You wish you could just close your eyes and shut out everything that's happened to you lately. The reality is that there isn't much you can do except carry on with your day. (set: $lostItems to "true")
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 5)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $fiveDays)
}
{(if: $ticketChoice is "court")[(link: "Keep going.")[(goto: "Court Date")]]
(if: $ticketChoice is "pay")[(link:"Keep going.")[(set: $bankAccount to it + $doubleShift)(set: $courtAppointment to "missed")(goto: "Payday 2")]]}<section class="days-passed">5 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).] (live: 4s)[(stop:).] (live: 5s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 5s)[(stop:)(if: $lostItems is "true")[Today is your court date, and you've been planning on going. However, when you go to find your ticket with the court hearing information, like the address and time, you can't locate it in your bag. Oh no! It must have blown away with everything else the other day when your bag fell open...
You don't know what you are supposed to do now. You have no idea where you're supposed to go or exactly when you're supposed to be there. (set: $courtAppointment to "missed")](else:)[<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/court.png" alt="image of a judge's gavel" title="court" />
Today is your court date. Getting to the courthouse isn't easy. It requires taking two separate buses to get there and $$busTicketCourt in bus fare. Luckily, you are able to arrive on time and are hopeful that you can get everything cleared up! (set: $bankAccount to it - $busTicketCourt)
Unfortunately, the judge isn't as understanding as you expected. Even though you had nowhere else to sleep, the judge upholds the ticket that you received for breaking the city's anti-camping laws. Now, in addition to the $$parkTicket1 that you already had, you are told that you have to pay a court service fee of $$courtFee just for having your case heard.
The judge tells you that you have 30 days to pay the full amount due, and if you don't, you have to come back to court. It feels like you would have been better off not showing up at all...!(set: $feesIncurred to it + $courtFee)(set: $feesCount to it + 1)]
(set: $daysPassed to it + 5)
(link: "This is ridiculous!")[(set: $bankAccount to it + $doubleShift - $fiveDays)(goto: "Display dyk 04")]]<section class="days-passed">5 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).] (live: 4s)[(stop:).] (live: 5s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 5s)[(stop:)<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/play/img/Income.png" alt="Image of a paycheck" title="paycheck" />
You didn't have any shifts last week, but luckily there were several available ones this week to make up for it. You pull in a total of $$doubleShift for your efforts. {
(set: $totalDebt to $finesIncurred + $feesIncurred)
(if: $ticketChoice is "pay" and $bankAccount > $totalDebt)[ It looks like you finally have enough money to pay off that $$parkTicket1 ticket that you got for sleeping in the park. It would be nice to not have to worry about it anymore! On the other hand, you may need the money for other necessities down the line, especially since you aren't sure when you'll get to work another shift.](else-if: $ticketChoice is "pay" and $bankAccount < $totalDebt)[You still don't have enough money to pay off that $$parkTicket1 ticket that you got for sleeping in the park. You'll just have to keep doing your best to save up your money.](else-if: $ticketChoice is "court" and $lostItems is "true")[Since you missed your court appointment, you still have that $$parkTicket1 ticket you got for sleeping in the park hanging over your head. Of course, without the actual ticket in hand, you aren't sure how you're even supposed to go about paying it. What a mess...](else-if: $ticketChoice is "court" and $lostItems is not "true")[You thought you'd be in a better position after going to court, but now you owe more than ever! You don't have enough to take care of the $$totalDebt that you owe for both your ticket fine and your court fee. What a mess...]}]
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 4)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $fourDays)
(live: 5s)[(if: $ticketChoice is "pay" and $bankAccount > $totalDebt)[(link:"Pay off your ticket now that you have enough money.")[(goto: "Pay your ticket")]
(link: "Save your money and don't pay off your ticket yet.")[(goto: "Food 1")]](else:)[[[You hope that you'll be able to get all this worked out somehow.|Food 1]]]]}Every payday, you have to factor in your regular expenses for your budget.
You pay a total of $$regularExpenses each pay period towards:
<ul id="expenses">
<li>Groceries</li>
<li>Toiletries and household items</li>
<li>Health insurance</li>
<li>Car insurance</li>
<li>Utilities</li>
<li>Taxes</li>
</ul>
(link-goto: "<< Go back <<", (history:)'s last)<section class="days-passed">4 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).] (live: 4s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 4s)[(stop:)(if: $ticketStatus is "paid")[Things have been tight lately, especially after using all that money to pay off the fines from your ticket. You haven't had any shifts recently, and you don't know when another large and unexpected expense will come up. You're often able to purchase your own food, but sometimes you're better off seeing if someone is willing to give you a meal or scavenging for edible food that has been thrown out. Today is one of those occasions.
[[Try asking someone for food.|Food Sharing]]
[[Try scavenging for food.|Scavenging]]](else-if: $ticketStatus is not "paid" and $courtAppointment is "missed")[Things have been stressful lately, made worse by getting a ticket for sleeping in the park and then missing the court hearing...! You are doing okay financially - at least until you have to pay your ticket. Plus, you haven't had any shifts recently and don't know if another large expense will hit you unexpectedly, again.
Suddenly, your phone rings.
[[Answer your phone.|Phone Call]]](else-if: $ticketStatus is not "paid" and $finesCount > 0)[Things have been tight lately, especially now that you have court fees on top of your original ticket. You haven't had any shifts recently, and you don't know when another large and unexpected expense will come up. You're often able to purchase your own food, but sometimes you're better off seeing if someone is willing to give you a meal or scavenging for edible food that has been thrown out. Today is one of those occasions.]{
[[Try asking someone for food.|Food Sharing]]
[[Try scavenging for food.|Scavenging]]}]
<section class="days-passed">3 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 3s)[(stop:)You've spent the past few weeks bouncing around - sleeping at the shelter when space is available or outdoors when you can find somewhere relatively safe. You thankfully haven't had any more run-ins with the police, like when you got a ticket for sleeping in the park, but it's always a concern when you sleep outside.
Tonight there's room in the shelter. Even though you've had some bad experiences with shelters in the past, you're relieved that you'll be able to sleep somewhere without any trouble from the police.
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 1)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $dailyLivingExpense)}
[[Time to try and get a good night's rest.|Display dyk 17]]]<section class="days-passed">5 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).] (live: 4s)[(stop:).] (live:)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 5s)[(stop:)(if: $lostItems is "true")[You get caught up with other things for the next few days, but eventually you get organized and are prepared to pay your ticket. You look for the ticket in your bag, but you can't seem to find it anywhere...Oh no! It must have blown away with everything else the other day when your bag fell open...
You don't know what you are supposed to do now. You have no idea how to pay off your ticket. You might be able to check with your local police station if they have your ticket on file and how you can go about paying it, but your experiences with the police haven't exactly been positive lately.](else:)[You get caught up with other things for the next few days, but eventually you get organized and are prepared to pay your ticket. You follow the instructions provided on your ticket and send the fine payment in via mail.
It's a big blow to your finances to lose the $$parkTicket1, but you're relieved to not have it hanging over you anymore.]
{
(if: $lostItems is not "true")[(set: $finesIncurred to it - $parkTicket1)(set: $bankAccount to it - $parkTicket1 - $fourDays)(set: $ticketStatus to "paid")]
(set: $daysPassed to it + 4)
}
[[This is just horrible.|Display dyk 08]]]<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>76% of cities prohibit rummaging, scavenging, or "dumpster diving." People experiencing homelessness are under resourced, and they may turn to scavenging in trash bins or other refuse for items of value, such as usable clothing or edible food. Yet, three in four cities prohibit scavenging.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>9% of cities prohibit or restrict sharing free food in public. Even though the right to food is a human right, access is often limited for those experiencing homelessness, in part because of a lack of refrigeration and food storage supplies, five new laws restricting food sharing have been enacted since 2016, a 42% increase.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report</article>
</section>You head out to a busier stretch of sidewalk that has a lot of nearby food places and start to ask pedestrians if they have any food they can spare. Most people ignore you as they walk by, but after a little while someone stops. They just picked up a big order to take home and offer you some. Just as you are handed a takeout container full of food, you hear a stern voice from behind you.
<span class="dialogue police">Hey, what's going on over here?</span>
A police officer approaches you and the person who shared their food and continues to say:
<span class="dialogue police">Food sharing is prohibited, so I'm going to have to give both of you a ticket. Don't let me catch you breaking the law again.</span>
The officer writes and hands over a ticket to you and the very stunned good Samaritan.
[[Not another ticket!|Display dyk 12]]You are lucky enough to pass by the back end of a bakery just as they are disposing of yesterday's goods. Once the worker goes back inside, you take a look at what was thrown out. You find a large plastic bag filled with day-old pastries. It's a pretty good find, since there's nothing wrong with any of the food except being a bit stale, and none of it touched any of the other garbage in the dumpster since it was in a separate bag.
Just as you are tying the bag back up to carry with you, a police officer turns into the alley.
<span class="dialogue police">Hey, what do you think you're doing? You can't take food from there!</span>
You try to point out to the officer that the food had been thrown out, and you were just trying to find something to eat.
<span class="dialogue police">Well, we have laws here that prohibit food scavenging. Here's your ticket. Now, you'll have to leave that bag where you found it and get out of here.</span>
[[Not another ticket!|Display dyk 11]]After nearly a year on the waiting list, you've finally gotten a call to see a subsidized apartment! That would mean permanent housing and a path towards financial stability.
Your appointment is set for a few days from now, and you can hardly wait. Suddenly, all of the trouble with your ticket seems small and far away.
[[Wait for your appointment.|Display dyk 9]](display: "dyk 12")
(set: $finesCount to it +1)(set: $finesIncurred to it + $ticket2)
[[Continue|Another ticket]](display: "dyk 11")
(set: $finesCount to it +1)(set: $finesIncurred to it + $ticket2)
[[Continue|Another ticket]](display: "dyk 06")
(set: $ending to "jail")(set: $finesIncurred to it + $arrestFine)
[[Continue|Epilogue]]<section class="days-passed">3 days later (live: 1s)[(stop:).] (live: 2s)[(stop:).] (live: 3s)[(stop:).]</section>
(live: 3s)[(stop:)You've hardly been able to think about anything other than your housing appointment over the past few days. Finally, it's time: you head out for the appointment.
The office location isn't very convenient to get to, and it's taken you longer than you had hoped to get to the bus station. Hot days like today make everything a bit harder when you spend so much time outdoors. Still, you manage to get to the bus station just fine and check the schedule. There's one bus leaving in just a few minutes, and the next one is listed as being severely delayed. Lucky for you that you got here in time for the earlier one!
(if: $lostItems is "true")[You go to grab your bus pass out of your bag, but your heart sinks into your stomach when you can't locate it. How could you forget? You lost your bus pass when the wind knocked your bag over the other day! The bus is leaving in a just a minute and you begin to feel panicked.](else:)[You grab your bus pass out of your bag and scan it at the bus entrance. The scanner flashes red and beeps at you; your card is out of money! You hurriedly look over at the stations for loading more money onto your pass, but there's a huge line. The bus is leaving in just a minute and you begin to feel panicked.]
[[Ugh! What are you supposed to do now?|Bus 2]]]You try to find change in your bag, but with everything you're able to dig out in your hurry, you're still 50 cents short for the bus fare. You really can't miss this appointment. Who knows how much longer you'll have to wait for another opportunity at affordable housing.
You frantically ask the other people boarding the bus if they have any spare change. Most of them ignore you and brush past with headphones on, while others awkwardly acknowledge you and say they don't have any change.
Suddenly, you feel a tap on your shoulder.
<span class="dialogue police">I'm going to have to ask you to step outside the bus.</span>
A police officer is standing outside with their hands on their handcuffs.
Confused, you try to explain that you are in a rush and need to make a very important appointment.
<span class="dialogue police">Save it for court, you're under arrest for unlawfully panhandling.</span>
[[What? This can't be happening right now!|Display dyk 13]]The next morning you wake up and feel immediately ill. You knew this would happen eventually, given your autoimmune disorder. Something or someone at the shelter got you sick...
You hope that you'll be able to shake off your illness, but you just feel worse and worse as the hours wear on. By the end of the day, you feel feverish, nauseous, and dizzy. You can't remember the last time that you were this sick, and you're worried that if you don't get help, then things will only get worse.
[[Go to the hospital.|Hospital]]You can't believe that you were ticketed again! It doesn't seem fair at all, since you didn't know you were doing anything illegal in the first place. Isn't access to food a human right??
Between this ticket and the one that you got for sleeping in the park, it doesn't feel possible to live in your situation without breaking some type of law. You're feeling completely overwhelmed. All you can manage right now is trying to survive, day by day.
{(set: $daysPassed to it + 3)
(set: $bankAccount to it - $threeDays)}
[[It's hard to keep going, but what other choice is there?|Shelter 2]]You go to Urgent Care and are checked in. The room is practically spinning.
While you're waiting to be called back, a police officer spots you and approaches. What now??
The officer is running names to check for warrants. They say they are checking everyone, but you haven't seen them talk to anyone else in the room. You're so exhausted and ill and have nowhere else to go. You give the officer your name.
(live: 3s)[(stop:)<span class="dialogue police">Looks like there's a warrant for your arrest for (if: $courtAppointment is "missed")[failing to appear in court for a previous ticket.](else:)[a ticket that you never paid.](if: $finesCount >= 2)[ I also see you have a more recent ticket that you haven't yet paid either.](else-if: $finesCount >= 2 and $feesCount >= 1)[I also see you have a more recent ticket that you haven't paid yet and some court fees, too.](else-if: $feesCount >= 1)[I also see you have some unpaid court fees.]</span>
[[You just needed help, and now you're in even more trouble...|Display dyk 10]]
](display: "dyk 10")(set: $ending to "hospital")(set: $finesIncurred to it + $arrestFine)
[[Continue|Epilogue]]<h1>#IAskForHelpBecause</h1>
There are many commonly held beliefs about panhandling that are inaccurate and that misrepresent the situations and intentions of those that are unable to meet their basic needs. Even as wages fall and rents rise across the country, more and more ordinances that criminalize panhandling are passed. Over the last 10 years, there has been over a 43% increase in such ordinances (<a href=
"https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling" target="_blank">NLCHP, 2020</a>).
The National Homelessness Law Center's <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling/" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> Campaign aims to push communities to repeal anti-panhandling ordinances.
Check out additional information and educational resources on the campaigns website.
Both individuals and organizations can get involved in the <a href=
"https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling/" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> campaign by <a href=
"https://homelesslaw.org/about/contact-us/" target= "_blank">contacting</a> the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC).
[[What can I do to help?]]<h1>Learn more about issues significantly impacting unhoused individuals</h1>
(if: $chanceID is 1)[You played as someone who menstruates, which can further complicate access to a safe place to use the restroom.](else:)[You didn't play as someone who menstruates this time around, but you could have. Menstrual needs further complicate access to a safe place to use the restroom for those who are homeless.]
Read <a href="http://poornotguilty.org/resources/Amber_statement.pdf" target="_blank">Amber's Statement</a> to learn how these law severely punished this woman in Florida whose main 'crime' was being homeless.
Watch this video from <a href="https://invisiblepeople.tv/" target="_blank">Invisible People</a> and hear Laura share her experience being homeless after leaving an abusive relationship.
<article><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3daLtOuBFyQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></article>
If you want to center real stories from real people talking about their own lived experiences with homelessness, follow <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh4pyZUB0mNzieaKv831flA" target= "_blank">Invisible People</a> on YouTube.
[[What can I do to help?]]<h1>Help amplify the message</h1>
<img src="https://poornotguilty.org/play/img/HNH-Text-Logo.png" title="Housing Not Handcuffs logo" alt="large orange capital letters spelling HOUSING with a second link of gray letters spelling NOT HANDCUFFS" />
If you want to take a stand against policies that criminalize homelessness, endorse the Housing Not Handcuffs campaign and check out their resources for writing op-eds, creating testimony, or other activities on their <a href= "http://housingnothandcuffs.org/get-involved/" target="_blank">website.</a>
Help Housing Not Handcuffs amplify their message:
<ul><li><a href= "https://twitter.com/HNHCampaign" target= "_blank">Follow</a> @HNHCampaign on twitter to stay up to date.</li>
<li><a href= "https://ctt.ac/WG5s8" target= "_blank">Share</a> about the Housing not Handcuffs campaign on Twitter.</li>
<li>Speak to your community leaders about the HNH Campaign.</li></ul>
<h1>Share Fines and Fees Challenge</h1>Share your Fines and Fees experience with others!<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Studies show that <strong>providing housing and services</strong> costs governments <em>2-3 times less than</em> cycling homeless persons through the criminal justice system.</article>
<article>Housing is a proven solution to homelessness. Indeed, at least 78 communities and three states have effectively ended veteran homelessness by putting in place a system that prevents homelessness or, when it cannot be prevented, ensures that it is rare, brief, and non-recurring.</article>
<article class="source">Source: <a href="https://www.usich.gov/communities-that-have-ended-homelessness" target="_blank">U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness</a> and the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> campaign</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Repealing anti-panhandling ordinances does not mean promoting panhandling: it means <strong>freeing up police resources that can be redirected to housing and services</strong> that will actually end the need for people to ask for help in the first place.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> campaign</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<img src="http://poornotguilty.org/stat/HomelessLaw_2019_FirstAmendment.png" title="Bans on begging violate the First Amendment." alt="Text reads 'Bans on begging violate the First Amendment.' and then a hashtag fpr 'I Ask For Help Because' on top of a faded photograph of a person wearing a faded jacket and their two hands holding out a white bowl." />
<article>The Supreme Court and lower courts have repeatedly found that 'charitable solicitation', i.e. asking for help, is protected speech under the First Amendment. Therefore, laws prohibiting begging are often unconstitutional.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> campaign</article>
</section><section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Anti-panhandling laws fail to address the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty in the community, and in fact make it worse by putting arrest records, fines, and fees in the way of those trying to exit homelessness.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/panhandling" target="_blank">#IAskForHelpBecause</a> campaign</article>
</section>(display: "dyk 13")
[[Continue|Display dyk 6]](display: "dyk 14")
[[Continue|Epilogue A]](display: "dyk 15")
[[Continue|Shelter Scenario]]<section id="didyouknow">
<h1>Did You Know</h1>
<article>Shelters are not available in every community with unhoused people, and even where shelters exist, they are generally full and routinely turn people away at the front door. Moreover, emergency shelters offer only temporary shelter — sometimes only for a single night at a time —and frequently require that people separate from their families, beloved pets, and/or their property upon entry, or subject themselves to religious proselytizing. Shelters may also discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and/or fail to accommodate disability needs.</article>
<article>Other reasons why someone might choose not to sleep in shelters include: potentially unsanitary conditions, danger of violent encounters or theft, lack of accommodations for those with disabilities, and prevalance of substance abuse.</article>
<article class="source">Source: National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC)'s <a href="https://homelesslaw.org/housing-not-handcuffs-2019/" target="_blank">Housing Not Handcuffs</a> report and <a href="https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/why_homeless_people_avoid_shelters" target = "_blank">Soapboxie</a></article>
</section>(display: "dyk 17")
[[Continue|Sick]](display: "dyk 04")
[[Continue|Payday 2]](display: "dyk 02")
[[Continue|Ticket 1 Choice]]
(display: "dyk 08")
[[Continue|Food 1]]