Author: Kevin Fagan et al
Region: California
In San Francisco, about 6,200 people are homeless on any given night, according to the most recent one-night street count, compared with more than 8,600 in a 2002 count. This three-part series showcases the highs and lows of recent initiatves to combat homelessness, and introduces a few true success stories.
The City's Cost of a Life Redeemed
After years of drug abuse and life on the street, 55-year-old Georgia Mitchell is clean of heroin, healthy, and has a safe place to live in downtown San Francisco. She is an example of how redemption can come for even the most desperate, with the help of a determined social worker given the resources to do the job.
It is expensive redemption -- Mitchell's home and medical care cost taxpayers about $21,000 a year. But her case shows how that can be far cheaper than allowing homeless people to deteriorate on the street, becoming public nuisances and financial burdens. In her last two years on the street, the public spent nearly $100,000 annually on Georgia Mitchell's emergency care and support.
Shame of the City: A Daily Walk Finds Fewer Homeless
Dick, 51, has been homeless on and off again in San Francisco since 1984 and most recently since 2003. Making his living recycling cans and bottles, he has seen a lot change in the landscape of homelessness since Mayor Gavin Newsom took office in 2004 and pushed through his signature Care Not Cash welfare reform.
"It's easier than it used to be," Dick said of his garbage picking. He stroked his bushy gray beard. "More cans. Less homeless. A lot emptier than it was, I'll tell you that."
Money Well Spent? The City Can't Tell
Since taking office in January 2004, Mayor Gavin Newsom has put an end to welfare practices widely viewed as enabling chronic homelessness. He also started initiatives to reach out to and provide a way off the street for hundreds of homeless people.
But a key management tool -- a computer system that links the dozens of homeless-aid groups receiving city money so officials can see who is being served, and how efficiently and effectively -- is still years away, the Newsom administration concedes.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Feeding Effort For Homeless Grows
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Salvation Army hit the streets bringing Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of Nashville's homeless.
The meal came a day late, but the wait was worth it.
For someone who's homeless, the holidays include a wish list that's much different than most.
It's a list of necessities such as a place to sleep and something to eat.
On Friday, the Salvation Army made one of those a reality.
Surviving the streets means expecting the unexpected. But every Friday night at 6 p.m. under the Jefferson Street Bridge nearly 200 of Nashville's homeless have a routine.
"Yeah it has special meaning. I'm getting to see my fellow people," said one man.
Dani Amendola and dozens of Salvation Army volunteers started the routine.
Cooking and serving hundreds of hot plates every Friday night.
"I like doing this for fun. And love coming out and getting the opportunity to cook for the homeless," he said.
"There's more gratitude in this group under a bridge than I might see or hear about on a day-to-day basis," said Mike Servais, executive director of marketing and resource development at the Nashville Area Command of The Salvation Army.
On the day after Thanksgiving, perhaps the meal means more.
"They're my friends so tonight made my Thanksgiving," said one man.
"So many good things, but we're all just so blessed to be alive," said Ward Shroeder.
With more Middle Tennesseans losing work, losing their homes and struggling to survive veterans of this night say the line is getting longer.
"I'm going to say there's a lot of new ones. Most that's here right now I don't know," said one regular.
And they don't know who will be waiting in line next week. The constants are the truck, the volunteers and the Friday night routine.
Salvation Army officials said this year has been a difficult one for all of their programs. During the current tough financial times the demand from those in need has doubled.
The problem is donations are drying up.
Salvation Army volunteers started serving Friday night meals for the homeless three years ago.
The meal came a day late, but the wait was worth it.
For someone who's homeless, the holidays include a wish list that's much different than most.
It's a list of necessities such as a place to sleep and something to eat.
On Friday, the Salvation Army made one of those a reality.
Surviving the streets means expecting the unexpected. But every Friday night at 6 p.m. under the Jefferson Street Bridge nearly 200 of Nashville's homeless have a routine.
"Yeah it has special meaning. I'm getting to see my fellow people," said one man.
Dani Amendola and dozens of Salvation Army volunteers started the routine.
Cooking and serving hundreds of hot plates every Friday night.
"I like doing this for fun. And love coming out and getting the opportunity to cook for the homeless," he said.
"There's more gratitude in this group under a bridge than I might see or hear about on a day-to-day basis," said Mike Servais, executive director of marketing and resource development at the Nashville Area Command of The Salvation Army.
On the day after Thanksgiving, perhaps the meal means more.
"They're my friends so tonight made my Thanksgiving," said one man.
"So many good things, but we're all just so blessed to be alive," said Ward Shroeder.
With more Middle Tennesseans losing work, losing their homes and struggling to survive veterans of this night say the line is getting longer.
"I'm going to say there's a lot of new ones. Most that's here right now I don't know," said one regular.
And they don't know who will be waiting in line next week. The constants are the truck, the volunteers and the Friday night routine.
Salvation Army officials said this year has been a difficult one for all of their programs. During the current tough financial times the demand from those in need has doubled.
The problem is donations are drying up.
Salvation Army volunteers started serving Friday night meals for the homeless three years ago.
Homeless Veterans Find Refuge
By David Pittman
david.pittman@amarillo.com
On any given night, 200,000 veterans are homeless, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Those who have worn a uniform in the armed forces account for nearly a quarter of the nation's homeless.
That problem doesn't escape Amarillo.
"The mentally challenged veterans, there really wasn't a place for them in Amarillo," said Sandy Fenberg, executive director for Another Chance House, the area's only homeless shelter solely for men.
Another Chance recently dedicated a 10-bed house for homeless veterans with mental illness. The housing program is paid for by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
VA psychologists are screening potential residents for housing, and a social worker will visit weekly to monitor the men.
"What they're doing now is screening," said Fenberg, who has headed Another Chance for 12 years.
Fenberg said money from the VA grant, what will be about $50,000 if Another Chance keeps its beds full, will benefit the organization's other services as a homeless shelter.
"We're broke," Fenberg said when asked of the shelter's financial health. "Last month I didn't know how we were going to make it."
The two-story house on South Van Buren Street is Another Chance's 12th - all of which are contained within two city blocks in the neighborhood.
When the veterans program begins accepting residents, Another Chance will serve 55 men.
"When I first got here, we housed 39 men," said Bobby Nixon, resident manager for Another Chance.
Nixon, who arrived in February 2007, is himself a success story.
He hopped on a Greyhound bus in Hereford with a one-way ticket to Amarillo. His wife had kicked him out of their house while he was fighting a losing battle with alcoholism. He's now been sober for 22 months.
The tough-love guidelines of Another Chance and its employment requirement, Christian love, and mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings tend to push men away from substance abuse and homelessness to a fruitful life.
"We're kind of like the teeth on the back of a guy's butt getting them back on track," Nixon said.
Veterans face a higher risk of unemployment, substance abuse and other emotional and mental disorders, said John Driscoll, vice president of operation and programs for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Uniformed personnel separate from their families and support structures only to face years of intense training and battle that can lead to physiological damage.
"But they are usually on a different level from when they left home," Driscoll said.
For the 2 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 3,000 have sought homeless assistance, Driscoll said.
"It's really a very small percentage that have difficulties to the point where they go down that path," he said.
Every VA medical center now has a coordinator for homeless veteran services.
"Thirty years ago there was virtually no recognition of the needs of veterans returning from service," Driscoll said.
david.pittman@amarillo.com
On any given night, 200,000 veterans are homeless, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Those who have worn a uniform in the armed forces account for nearly a quarter of the nation's homeless.
That problem doesn't escape Amarillo.
"The mentally challenged veterans, there really wasn't a place for them in Amarillo," said Sandy Fenberg, executive director for Another Chance House, the area's only homeless shelter solely for men.
Another Chance recently dedicated a 10-bed house for homeless veterans with mental illness. The housing program is paid for by a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
VA psychologists are screening potential residents for housing, and a social worker will visit weekly to monitor the men.
"What they're doing now is screening," said Fenberg, who has headed Another Chance for 12 years.
Fenberg said money from the VA grant, what will be about $50,000 if Another Chance keeps its beds full, will benefit the organization's other services as a homeless shelter.
"We're broke," Fenberg said when asked of the shelter's financial health. "Last month I didn't know how we were going to make it."
The two-story house on South Van Buren Street is Another Chance's 12th - all of which are contained within two city blocks in the neighborhood.
When the veterans program begins accepting residents, Another Chance will serve 55 men.
"When I first got here, we housed 39 men," said Bobby Nixon, resident manager for Another Chance.
Nixon, who arrived in February 2007, is himself a success story.
He hopped on a Greyhound bus in Hereford with a one-way ticket to Amarillo. His wife had kicked him out of their house while he was fighting a losing battle with alcoholism. He's now been sober for 22 months.
The tough-love guidelines of Another Chance and its employment requirement, Christian love, and mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings tend to push men away from substance abuse and homelessness to a fruitful life.
"We're kind of like the teeth on the back of a guy's butt getting them back on track," Nixon said.
Veterans face a higher risk of unemployment, substance abuse and other emotional and mental disorders, said John Driscoll, vice president of operation and programs for the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
Uniformed personnel separate from their families and support structures only to face years of intense training and battle that can lead to physiological damage.
"But they are usually on a different level from when they left home," Driscoll said.
For the 2 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 3,000 have sought homeless assistance, Driscoll said.
"It's really a very small percentage that have difficulties to the point where they go down that path," he said.
Every VA medical center now has a coordinator for homeless veteran services.
"Thirty years ago there was virtually no recognition of the needs of veterans returning from service," Driscoll said.
Medicaid Fraud Scheme Aimed at California Homeless
Article from The New York Times written by Solomon Moore.
State and local officials in Los Angeles have uncovered a hospital scheme that used homeless individuals to defraud federal and state health insurance programs of millions of dollars. In order to receive Medicaid and Medi-Cal funds, at least three private for-profit hospitals in the Los Angeles area are believed to have participated in a fraud scheme wherein hospital patient recruiters would locate homeless indivdiuals in the Los Angeles area and pay them cash to come to the hospital to receive health care that would later be billed to the insurance programs. Often the homeless persons received no health care, and in some instances they receivedunneccesary health care that created health risks to the individuals. Court papers say that one individual received an treatment for a non-existent condition that caused a dangerous drop in blood pressure, and for her trouble, the individual was given money with which she purchased crack cocaine. Lawsuits filed allege that the scheme involved various hospitals and doctors who billed Medicaid and Medi-Cal for thousands of fake treatments. The scale of this fraud scheme is unusual and involved fake companies and contracts with people committing the fraud, kickbacks to doctors, and hospital coverups of the kickbacks. The nature and extent of this fraud scheme appears to far outreach the typical claims implicating smaller doctors’ offices; and, as at least three hospitals participated in this particular scheme, a question exists as to whether other hospitals or doctors in other parts of the country are involved in similar schemes to defraud state and federally funded health insurance programs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/us/10homeless.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
State and local officials in Los Angeles have uncovered a hospital scheme that used homeless individuals to defraud federal and state health insurance programs of millions of dollars. In order to receive Medicaid and Medi-Cal funds, at least three private for-profit hospitals in the Los Angeles area are believed to have participated in a fraud scheme wherein hospital patient recruiters would locate homeless indivdiuals in the Los Angeles area and pay them cash to come to the hospital to receive health care that would later be billed to the insurance programs. Often the homeless persons received no health care, and in some instances they receivedunneccesary health care that created health risks to the individuals. Court papers say that one individual received an treatment for a non-existent condition that caused a dangerous drop in blood pressure, and for her trouble, the individual was given money with which she purchased crack cocaine. Lawsuits filed allege that the scheme involved various hospitals and doctors who billed Medicaid and Medi-Cal for thousands of fake treatments. The scale of this fraud scheme is unusual and involved fake companies and contracts with people committing the fraud, kickbacks to doctors, and hospital coverups of the kickbacks. The nature and extent of this fraud scheme appears to far outreach the typical claims implicating smaller doctors’ offices; and, as at least three hospitals participated in this particular scheme, a question exists as to whether other hospitals or doctors in other parts of the country are involved in similar schemes to defraud state and federally funded health insurance programs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/us/10homeless.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Tougher laws considered against attacks on homeless
A rise in attacks against homeless people in 2007 has more states considering harsher penalties in hate crime laws for attacking a homeless person.
Legislation is pending in Ohio and Massachusetts and Alaska. In Alaska, the bill passed the Senate and House and awaits Gov. Sarah Palin's signature.
Attacks against homeless people increased from 142 attacks in 2006 to 160 attacks in 2007, says a report released Tuesday by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.
Twenty-eight of those attacks were murders, up from 20 murders in 2006. The report was based on media reports and other data collected by advocates for the homeless, the coalition said.
"This is about punishing people who take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society," says Ohio State Rep. Mike Foley, who introduced the state's bill. "There is too much of it going on."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Florida | United States Senate | Massachusetts | United States House of Representatives | Alaska | Sarah Palin | Fort Lauderdale | National Coalition | Violence | Poverty | Michael Stoops | Homelessness | Main Street USA | National Law Center
In 2007, Ohio had 12 attacks against the homeless, including one that resulted in a death, according to the annual study, titled, "Hate, Violence and Death on Main Street USA 2007."
A hate crime is usually defined in law as a crime motivated by a bias against a person's race, gender or other status. Among states considering stiffer punishment for attacks on the homeless, the homeless would be added as a protected group in hate crime laws.
Maine is the only state that has passed tougher penalties, allowing judges to consider the victim's status as a homeless person as a reason to impose longer sentences. California mandates specific training for police officers on dealing with crimes against the homeless.
A bill is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require the FBI to track attacks on the homeless. The FBI currently tracks hate crimes based on a victim's race, gender, religion, disabilities and sexual orientation.
A separate bill also pending in the House would protect the homeless under federal hate crime laws.
Tuesday's report says that 86% of those who attack the homeless are young men under 25. Attacking the homeless "has become a new sport, almost a rite of passage," says Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Simone Manning-Moon, whose older brother Norris Gaynor was killed in 2006 by three men with bats in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has pushed to include attacks on the homeless in the state's hate crime laws. So far two efforts have failed.
"That tells you what legislative leadership thinks about the homeless, which is not much," she says. "It just gives license to people to continue preying on other people."
In 2007, Florida had 29 attacks on the homeless, more than any other state, with six leading to deaths. "These are real people with real families who love them no matter where they live," Manning-Moon says. "We miss my brother dearly. He didn't deserve what happened to him."
Legislation is pending in Ohio and Massachusetts and Alaska. In Alaska, the bill passed the Senate and House and awaits Gov. Sarah Palin's signature.
Attacks against homeless people increased from 142 attacks in 2006 to 160 attacks in 2007, says a report released Tuesday by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.
Twenty-eight of those attacks were murders, up from 20 murders in 2006. The report was based on media reports and other data collected by advocates for the homeless, the coalition said.
"This is about punishing people who take advantage of the most vulnerable in our society," says Ohio State Rep. Mike Foley, who introduced the state's bill. "There is too much of it going on."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Florida | United States Senate | Massachusetts | United States House of Representatives | Alaska | Sarah Palin | Fort Lauderdale | National Coalition | Violence | Poverty | Michael Stoops | Homelessness | Main Street USA | National Law Center
In 2007, Ohio had 12 attacks against the homeless, including one that resulted in a death, according to the annual study, titled, "Hate, Violence and Death on Main Street USA 2007."
A hate crime is usually defined in law as a crime motivated by a bias against a person's race, gender or other status. Among states considering stiffer punishment for attacks on the homeless, the homeless would be added as a protected group in hate crime laws.
Maine is the only state that has passed tougher penalties, allowing judges to consider the victim's status as a homeless person as a reason to impose longer sentences. California mandates specific training for police officers on dealing with crimes against the homeless.
A bill is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require the FBI to track attacks on the homeless. The FBI currently tracks hate crimes based on a victim's race, gender, religion, disabilities and sexual orientation.
A separate bill also pending in the House would protect the homeless under federal hate crime laws.
Tuesday's report says that 86% of those who attack the homeless are young men under 25. Attacking the homeless "has become a new sport, almost a rite of passage," says Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Simone Manning-Moon, whose older brother Norris Gaynor was killed in 2006 by three men with bats in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has pushed to include attacks on the homeless in the state's hate crime laws. So far two efforts have failed.
"That tells you what legislative leadership thinks about the homeless, which is not much," she says. "It just gives license to people to continue preying on other people."
In 2007, Florida had 29 attacks on the homeless, more than any other state, with six leading to deaths. "These are real people with real families who love them no matter where they live," Manning-Moon says. "We miss my brother dearly. He didn't deserve what happened to him."
Los Angeles is violating the constitutional rights of homeless people
CALIFORNIA
L.A.'s homeless law ruled unconstitutional
Appeals court says lack of shelters gives people no choice
Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the city of Los Angeles is violating the constitutional rights of homeless people by arresting them for sleeping or sitting on sidewalks and streets -- a finding that advocates for the homeless say could have a significant effect in San Francisco and elsewhere.
In its 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Los Angeles city law prohibiting sleeping, sitting or lying on public byways constituted "cruel and unusual punishment," because the city has so few shelter beds its street people have nowhere else to stay.
The suit was filed in 2003 by six homeless people who were arrested in Los Angeles' Skid Row, a 50-block sprawl downtown where about 10,000 homeless people bed down every night with tents, cardboard shacks or blankets.
"For many in Skid Row without the resources or luck to obtain shelter, sidewalks are the only place to be," appellate Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote for the majority, which overturned a lower court's finding.
Wardlaw called the Los Angeles ordinance "one of the most restrictive municipal laws regulating public spaces in the United States." She noted that it is enforced 24 hours a day, in contrast to cities whose laws prohibit sleeping or sitting only at certain times.
Contessa Mankiewicz, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles city attorney, said her office hadn't decided whether to appeal the ruling.
Lawyers who advocate for the homeless called the ruling a significant victory that other cities would be wise to heed.
The court's decision applies only to the Los Angeles law, but homeless advocates said it could give them an important precedent to make arguments against similar restrictions elsewhere.
"It's very significant," said Elisa Della-Piana of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, a San Francisco-based organization. "I see homeless clients every week who are in a similar situation as the plaintiffs in Los Angeles -- people who are cited and criminally punished for sleeping or sitting in public, which hurts their chances of exiting homelessness."
She said San Francisco authorities hand out about 2,000 citations every year to homeless people for violating a state law prohibiting sleeping on streets or sidewalks, and another 2,000 under city park codes for sleeping under trees. Although these laws are structured differently from the Los Angeles ordinance, the court's reasoning should still apply, Della-Piana said.
Tulin Ozdeger, attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty in Washington, D.C., agreed -- although she pointed out that several similar lawsuits have hit federal courts, and the rulings have split about evenly for and against homeless plaintiffs.
"Hopefully, this will send a message to cities that they should engage in more productive actions than arresting people, like building more housing and doing outreach," Ozdeger said.
David Miree, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's spokesman for homeless policy, said police here give citations "only as a last resort when we address aggressive panhandling or public safety and health concerns. The court said that Los Angeles gives citations as penalties, and by no means is there a public penalty for being homeless in San Francisco."
He noted, however, that in response to concerns raised by Della-Piana's group and others over the past year, the city is reviewing its citations policy "to see how many are given out, and whether they are being effective."
L.A.'s homeless law ruled unconstitutional
Appeals court says lack of shelters gives people no choice
Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the city of Los Angeles is violating the constitutional rights of homeless people by arresting them for sleeping or sitting on sidewalks and streets -- a finding that advocates for the homeless say could have a significant effect in San Francisco and elsewhere.
In its 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a Los Angeles city law prohibiting sleeping, sitting or lying on public byways constituted "cruel and unusual punishment," because the city has so few shelter beds its street people have nowhere else to stay.
The suit was filed in 2003 by six homeless people who were arrested in Los Angeles' Skid Row, a 50-block sprawl downtown where about 10,000 homeless people bed down every night with tents, cardboard shacks or blankets.
"For many in Skid Row without the resources or luck to obtain shelter, sidewalks are the only place to be," appellate Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw wrote for the majority, which overturned a lower court's finding.
Wardlaw called the Los Angeles ordinance "one of the most restrictive municipal laws regulating public spaces in the United States." She noted that it is enforced 24 hours a day, in contrast to cities whose laws prohibit sleeping or sitting only at certain times.
Contessa Mankiewicz, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles city attorney, said her office hadn't decided whether to appeal the ruling.
Lawyers who advocate for the homeless called the ruling a significant victory that other cities would be wise to heed.
The court's decision applies only to the Los Angeles law, but homeless advocates said it could give them an important precedent to make arguments against similar restrictions elsewhere.
"It's very significant," said Elisa Della-Piana of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, a San Francisco-based organization. "I see homeless clients every week who are in a similar situation as the plaintiffs in Los Angeles -- people who are cited and criminally punished for sleeping or sitting in public, which hurts their chances of exiting homelessness."
She said San Francisco authorities hand out about 2,000 citations every year to homeless people for violating a state law prohibiting sleeping on streets or sidewalks, and another 2,000 under city park codes for sleeping under trees. Although these laws are structured differently from the Los Angeles ordinance, the court's reasoning should still apply, Della-Piana said.
Tulin Ozdeger, attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty in Washington, D.C., agreed -- although she pointed out that several similar lawsuits have hit federal courts, and the rulings have split about evenly for and against homeless plaintiffs.
"Hopefully, this will send a message to cities that they should engage in more productive actions than arresting people, like building more housing and doing outreach," Ozdeger said.
David Miree, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's spokesman for homeless policy, said police here give citations "only as a last resort when we address aggressive panhandling or public safety and health concerns. The court said that Los Angeles gives citations as penalties, and by no means is there a public penalty for being homeless in San Francisco."
He noted, however, that in response to concerns raised by Della-Piana's group and others over the past year, the city is reviewing its citations policy "to see how many are given out, and whether they are being effective."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
DONNEL JONES - CRY
THIS VIDEO IS JUST A PICTURE VIDEO BUT LISTEN TO THE WORDS AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I CHOSE TO POST THIS!!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
FROM VA TO DC THIS SEASON IS ALL ABOUT "FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES!"
Check out lush radio online at www.blogtalkradio.com/lushradioonline also check out her community www.lushradiothemovement.ning.com, www.lushradio.blogspot.com Also check out "TrunkHustlers" What's your hustle? Come tell them your hustle and network with us at www.trunkhuslers.com also www.trunkhustlers.blogspot.com
Online DC Radio Host "Lush" CEO of Street Queens (The Movement) & Lush Radio Online a online networking and support community have teamed up with Trunk Hustlers to provide familes with food and clothes this holiday so if you are a family or know a family in need or maybe would like to contribute to organizations who really care about there own the contact us.
DC RESIDENTS CONTACT: THE ABOVE LISTED NUMBER or ceolushradioonline@gmail.com
VA RESIDENTS CONTACT: (757) 224-3581 or trunkhustlersinc@gmail.com
WE CARE........................... DO YOU?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Remarks of U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert on H.R. 7221, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2008
Remarks of U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13)
H.R. 7221, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2008
As Prepared for Delivery
October 2, 2008
Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of this bill, I rise today in support of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2008 or HEARTH Act. I also would like to thank Congressman Geoff Davis of Kentucky and, if she were with us today, I would thank the late Congresswoman Julia Carson, for introducing the original House-version of this bill, H.R. 840. In addition, I would like to thank Chairman Frank, Subcommittee Chairwoman Waters, and Ranking Members Bachus and Capito for working together with Congressman Davis and me to give homeless children a fighting chance in this country.
Mr. Speaker, for inclusion in the congressional record, I would like to submit these additional views authored by Congressman Davis, Congresswoman Capito, and me. These views were filed as part of our Committee report to accompany H.R. 840, but they apply to this bill, H.R. 7221, as well. In addition, I would like to submit a New York Times article from September 16, 2008 titled “Capitol Strives to Define ‘Homeless’.”
Before I discuss this bill, I would like to note that McKinney-Vento is not a new issue to me. Back when I served in the Illinois legislature, I worked with a wonderful colleague, Mary Lou Cowlishaw, on her bill to educate homeless children in Illinois. Then, during my first years in Congress, I introduced H.R. 623, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001, to bring some of those same reforms to the rest of the nation.
And not unlike the bill we are considering today, it included language on the definition of homeless children, which was eventually incorporated into a small education bill -- No Child Left Behind. So, as you might expect, the portions of today’s debate that carry the most interest for me relate to the housing needs of homeless children.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness among children has become more and more pervasive as we face increasing economic challenges. A study conducted by First Focus and the Brookings Institute determined that 2 million children will be unfairly affected by the foreclosure crisis. Many of these children will become homeless. But without this compromise bill, HUD’s very narrow definition of “homeless” will prevent many of these children from qualifying for housing assistance or services.
It’s hard to believe that anyone would argue the issue of “who is homeless” when it comes to homeless children, but believe it or not, that -- for the past 15 years --has been the crux of the debate on this bill. As it stands today, HUD’s definition includes those individuals on the street or in a shelter, but it excludes hundreds of thousands of children in involuntary and unstable shared living arrangements, such as those living temporarily in motels or hotels or “couch surfing” from house to house.
Mr. Speaker, there is no question these children are homeless. When you hear them describe their lives, you can’t help but understand why local homeless providers desperately want the flexibility to offer them services.
Let me read a few statements from former homeless youth who today would still be denied access to support from HUD.
The first from California – “Out of everything I’ve been through, the scariest feeling is not knowing whether or not I’m going to have a home next year, next month, tomorrow. Although I’ve never ended up on the streets, I have had to compromise my better judgment and ‘gut feeling’ to have a home for the night.”
Here’s another from Kentucky- “I have lived in many homes and shelters. Just in this past year, I have lived in twelve different homes. I have lived with classmates, teachers, friends, and strangers. Anybody who would accept me was better than the street... I have always dreamed of being free. I want the freedom to know where I am going to sleep, the freedom to know where my belongings are, and the freedom to know that I won’t be asked to leave in the morning or the end of the week.”
Mr. Speaker, its because of stories like these that, last fall, we began work with Members of the Financial Services Committee, staff, and government and non-government organizations representing various homeless constituencies to craft a new definition that includes homeless unaccompanied youth, children, and their families. These are families that are already considered homeless by all other federal programs but not recognized by HUD as homeless and, therefore, do not qualify for aid. I’m pleased to report that the legislation we are considering today contains a compromise definition that will allow many more homeless unaccompanied youth, children, and their families to access HUD services.
There are still some things to work out with this bill, which is why I support a two-year reauthorization of the program. During that time, we can work toward fixing provisions in this bill that don’t seem to line up. For example, there is a provision that explicitly excludes from HUD’s official count of the U.S. homeless population all the homeless children and their families that fall under the bill’s new definition. That doesn’t make much sense.
In addition, the bill directs HUD to issue new regulations relating to the newly defined homeless children and families. I had hoped that this provision would include a negotiated rulemaking process so that all of the stakeholders involved could reach a consensus before a new rule is proposed. However, HUD is not required to do so and could dismiss one side -- the children’s side -- during the rulemaking process. It is my hope that our Committee will continue to review this matter.
Finally, the bill sets funding restrictions on homeless children and families. It sets a ten percent cap on the funds that local homeless providers can use to serve these newly included populations. Were a local homeless provider to reach the limit, they would be forced to arbitrarily turn away homeless children and families. Clearly, this is an issue worth revisiting.
Mr. Speaker, despite these flaws, the legislation before us today will allow HUD to far more effectively complement the efforts of educators, service providers, and people like my friend and constituent, Diane Nilan of Naperville, Illinois.
Diane has worked tirelessly for 20 years to provide a “home” for homeless children and families across the country. She has seen firsthand the mental, physical, and emotional degradation that children and families experience with homelessness. In her testimony before the Financial Services Committee last October, she said: “Homeless service providers in communities of all sizes await the day that HUD provides the opportunity for people in all homeless situations to receive the assistance they need. They long to be free to focus on easing homelessness as it appears in their communities – on the street, doubled-up, or in motels -- instead of having their hands tied with arbitrary rules and restrictions. They desire federal resources to supplement local efforts to house and assist the growing number of families, teens and adults without a place to call home.”
In addition, I would like thank Carol Simler, Executive Director of DuPage PADS, and all of my constituents in Illinois who help the homeless.
Mr. Speaker, this Congress has supported increased housing availability and affordability for many low-income individuals, families facing foreclosure, and disaster victims. I ask Members to continue that trend and at least allow homeless children to qualify for safe and stable housing by voting for H.R. 7221.
H.R. 7221, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2008
As Prepared for Delivery
October 2, 2008
Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of this bill, I rise today in support of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2008 or HEARTH Act. I also would like to thank Congressman Geoff Davis of Kentucky and, if she were with us today, I would thank the late Congresswoman Julia Carson, for introducing the original House-version of this bill, H.R. 840. In addition, I would like to thank Chairman Frank, Subcommittee Chairwoman Waters, and Ranking Members Bachus and Capito for working together with Congressman Davis and me to give homeless children a fighting chance in this country.
Mr. Speaker, for inclusion in the congressional record, I would like to submit these additional views authored by Congressman Davis, Congresswoman Capito, and me. These views were filed as part of our Committee report to accompany H.R. 840, but they apply to this bill, H.R. 7221, as well. In addition, I would like to submit a New York Times article from September 16, 2008 titled “Capitol Strives to Define ‘Homeless’.”
Before I discuss this bill, I would like to note that McKinney-Vento is not a new issue to me. Back when I served in the Illinois legislature, I worked with a wonderful colleague, Mary Lou Cowlishaw, on her bill to educate homeless children in Illinois. Then, during my first years in Congress, I introduced H.R. 623, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001, to bring some of those same reforms to the rest of the nation.
And not unlike the bill we are considering today, it included language on the definition of homeless children, which was eventually incorporated into a small education bill -- No Child Left Behind. So, as you might expect, the portions of today’s debate that carry the most interest for me relate to the housing needs of homeless children.
Mr. Speaker, homelessness among children has become more and more pervasive as we face increasing economic challenges. A study conducted by First Focus and the Brookings Institute determined that 2 million children will be unfairly affected by the foreclosure crisis. Many of these children will become homeless. But without this compromise bill, HUD’s very narrow definition of “homeless” will prevent many of these children from qualifying for housing assistance or services.
It’s hard to believe that anyone would argue the issue of “who is homeless” when it comes to homeless children, but believe it or not, that -- for the past 15 years --has been the crux of the debate on this bill. As it stands today, HUD’s definition includes those individuals on the street or in a shelter, but it excludes hundreds of thousands of children in involuntary and unstable shared living arrangements, such as those living temporarily in motels or hotels or “couch surfing” from house to house.
Mr. Speaker, there is no question these children are homeless. When you hear them describe their lives, you can’t help but understand why local homeless providers desperately want the flexibility to offer them services.
Let me read a few statements from former homeless youth who today would still be denied access to support from HUD.
The first from California – “Out of everything I’ve been through, the scariest feeling is not knowing whether or not I’m going to have a home next year, next month, tomorrow. Although I’ve never ended up on the streets, I have had to compromise my better judgment and ‘gut feeling’ to have a home for the night.”
Here’s another from Kentucky- “I have lived in many homes and shelters. Just in this past year, I have lived in twelve different homes. I have lived with classmates, teachers, friends, and strangers. Anybody who would accept me was better than the street... I have always dreamed of being free. I want the freedom to know where I am going to sleep, the freedom to know where my belongings are, and the freedom to know that I won’t be asked to leave in the morning or the end of the week.”
Mr. Speaker, its because of stories like these that, last fall, we began work with Members of the Financial Services Committee, staff, and government and non-government organizations representing various homeless constituencies to craft a new definition that includes homeless unaccompanied youth, children, and their families. These are families that are already considered homeless by all other federal programs but not recognized by HUD as homeless and, therefore, do not qualify for aid. I’m pleased to report that the legislation we are considering today contains a compromise definition that will allow many more homeless unaccompanied youth, children, and their families to access HUD services.
There are still some things to work out with this bill, which is why I support a two-year reauthorization of the program. During that time, we can work toward fixing provisions in this bill that don’t seem to line up. For example, there is a provision that explicitly excludes from HUD’s official count of the U.S. homeless population all the homeless children and their families that fall under the bill’s new definition. That doesn’t make much sense.
In addition, the bill directs HUD to issue new regulations relating to the newly defined homeless children and families. I had hoped that this provision would include a negotiated rulemaking process so that all of the stakeholders involved could reach a consensus before a new rule is proposed. However, HUD is not required to do so and could dismiss one side -- the children’s side -- during the rulemaking process. It is my hope that our Committee will continue to review this matter.
Finally, the bill sets funding restrictions on homeless children and families. It sets a ten percent cap on the funds that local homeless providers can use to serve these newly included populations. Were a local homeless provider to reach the limit, they would be forced to arbitrarily turn away homeless children and families. Clearly, this is an issue worth revisiting.
Mr. Speaker, despite these flaws, the legislation before us today will allow HUD to far more effectively complement the efforts of educators, service providers, and people like my friend and constituent, Diane Nilan of Naperville, Illinois.
Diane has worked tirelessly for 20 years to provide a “home” for homeless children and families across the country. She has seen firsthand the mental, physical, and emotional degradation that children and families experience with homelessness. In her testimony before the Financial Services Committee last October, she said: “Homeless service providers in communities of all sizes await the day that HUD provides the opportunity for people in all homeless situations to receive the assistance they need. They long to be free to focus on easing homelessness as it appears in their communities – on the street, doubled-up, or in motels -- instead of having their hands tied with arbitrary rules and restrictions. They desire federal resources to supplement local efforts to house and assist the growing number of families, teens and adults without a place to call home.”
In addition, I would like thank Carol Simler, Executive Director of DuPage PADS, and all of my constituents in Illinois who help the homeless.
Mr. Speaker, this Congress has supported increased housing availability and affordability for many low-income individuals, families facing foreclosure, and disaster victims. I ask Members to continue that trend and at least allow homeless children to qualify for safe and stable housing by voting for H.R. 7221.
The Board of Homeless and Disabled Veterans (HDV) is proud to announce that the Veteran's National Telethon will air on the Web in all major markets
The Board of Homeless and Disabled Veterans (HDV) is proud to announce that the Veteran's National Telethon will air on the Web in all major markets on the evening of November 11, 2008 to raise funds for a ground-breaking job training and self-actualization program for homeless, disabled and able-bodied veterans.
(PRWEB) September 24, 2008 -- The Board of Homeless and Disabled Veterans (HDV) is proud to announce that the Veteran's National Telethon will air on the Web in all major markets on the evening of November 11, 2008 to raise funds for a ground-breaking job training and self-actualization program for homeless, disabled and able-bodied veterans.
The Homeless and Disabled was founded in Oakland, California, in 1991 by several veterans and other interested parties as a not-for-profit organization designed to fight the downward spiral faced by many local homeless and disabled veterans. In fact, it is estimated that, nationally, at least 30% of all homeless people are veterans. "At first, we focused our efforts on providing the neediest veterans with the essentials: food, shelter, and job training. Today, our thrust is to develop regional and nation-wide partnerships with industry to help create job training programs that, upon successful completion, will lead to real employment in today's growth industries," says Allen Wilson, Board chairman . and marketing Director.
At first, we focused our efforts on providing the neediest veterans with the essentials: food, shelter, and job training. Today, our thrust is to develop regional and nation-wide partnerships with industry to help create job training programs that, upon successful completion, will lead to real employment in today's growth industries
The proceeds of this telethon will be spent on support for veterans while they are undergoing this intensive skills training. Donations will also help to underwrite the costs of this training that will enable them to gain long-term employment with participating companies. Finally, donations will also help to provide other short-term services during training, such as inpatient psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, subsidized care for the house-bound, or for underwriting trainees' living expenses. This process also ensures that their newly-gained skills will lead to meaningful, career-oriented employment.
Regional chapters will be organized to compile the first census of homeless and disabled veterans to determine their level of need. Then, programs will provide regional job development, training, and placement in partnerships with regional industry. This process will be coordinated by a select committee of veteran and civilian leaders who will evaluate each candidate and match their abilities and interests with each training program to ensure that each participant will receive the maximum benefit. And able-bodied homeless veterans will also benefit from this intensive, broad-spectrum training program which will prepare them to take their place in high-tech demand industries or even to start their own tech or consulting business.
These efforts will result in a new start for these deserving vets who unstintingly gave so much so that we could continue to live in freedom.
The Board is excited to announce an exciting line-up of well-known entertainers from classical, pop, R&B, jazz, country and western, and rock music as well as well-known comedy and sports stars who have agreed to appear before a live audience. These stars have volunteered to help raise the funds to launch this critical project to reverse the fortunes of these veterans. Major contributors will be invited to present their donations during the broadcast.
Besides being aired on Web in all major metropolitan areas, negotiations are proceeding to broadcast it on the Armed Forces Television network. The telethon is expected to last approximately 2- 4 hours and, it is estimated, will reach millions of American households.
The telethon's Executive Producer will be Mr. Wilson, a University of California at Berkeley Boalt Law School graduate, who has extensive experience as an event promoter in such California venues as the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos and the Paramount Theater in Oakland.
The national Board includes retired Marine, Wade Francoise, Esquire, (deceased), retired Army Colonel Dr. George Dumas, Col. William Wade, former Commander of Mather Air Force Base, and retired Army lieutenant and disabled Vietnam veteran, Billy Richardson, president, and Allen Wilson, Chairman.
"After all, we owe our freedom to those who have honorably and selflessly served their country, but who have now fallen on hard times. They may be your brothers or sisters, your fathers or your mothers, and who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to regain their dignity and their self-esteem by becoming, once again, worthwhile working members of society. With your help, they will have a second chance," says Wilson.
(PRWEB) September 24, 2008 -- The Board of Homeless and Disabled Veterans (HDV) is proud to announce that the Veteran's National Telethon will air on the Web in all major markets on the evening of November 11, 2008 to raise funds for a ground-breaking job training and self-actualization program for homeless, disabled and able-bodied veterans.
The Homeless and Disabled was founded in Oakland, California, in 1991 by several veterans and other interested parties as a not-for-profit organization designed to fight the downward spiral faced by many local homeless and disabled veterans. In fact, it is estimated that, nationally, at least 30% of all homeless people are veterans. "At first, we focused our efforts on providing the neediest veterans with the essentials: food, shelter, and job training. Today, our thrust is to develop regional and nation-wide partnerships with industry to help create job training programs that, upon successful completion, will lead to real employment in today's growth industries," says Allen Wilson, Board chairman . and marketing Director.
At first, we focused our efforts on providing the neediest veterans with the essentials: food, shelter, and job training. Today, our thrust is to develop regional and nation-wide partnerships with industry to help create job training programs that, upon successful completion, will lead to real employment in today's growth industries
The proceeds of this telethon will be spent on support for veterans while they are undergoing this intensive skills training. Donations will also help to underwrite the costs of this training that will enable them to gain long-term employment with participating companies. Finally, donations will also help to provide other short-term services during training, such as inpatient psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, subsidized care for the house-bound, or for underwriting trainees' living expenses. This process also ensures that their newly-gained skills will lead to meaningful, career-oriented employment.
Regional chapters will be organized to compile the first census of homeless and disabled veterans to determine their level of need. Then, programs will provide regional job development, training, and placement in partnerships with regional industry. This process will be coordinated by a select committee of veteran and civilian leaders who will evaluate each candidate and match their abilities and interests with each training program to ensure that each participant will receive the maximum benefit. And able-bodied homeless veterans will also benefit from this intensive, broad-spectrum training program which will prepare them to take their place in high-tech demand industries or even to start their own tech or consulting business.
These efforts will result in a new start for these deserving vets who unstintingly gave so much so that we could continue to live in freedom.
The Board is excited to announce an exciting line-up of well-known entertainers from classical, pop, R&B, jazz, country and western, and rock music as well as well-known comedy and sports stars who have agreed to appear before a live audience. These stars have volunteered to help raise the funds to launch this critical project to reverse the fortunes of these veterans. Major contributors will be invited to present their donations during the broadcast.
Besides being aired on Web in all major metropolitan areas, negotiations are proceeding to broadcast it on the Armed Forces Television network. The telethon is expected to last approximately 2- 4 hours and, it is estimated, will reach millions of American households.
The telethon's Executive Producer will be Mr. Wilson, a University of California at Berkeley Boalt Law School graduate, who has extensive experience as an event promoter in such California venues as the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos and the Paramount Theater in Oakland.
The national Board includes retired Marine, Wade Francoise, Esquire, (deceased), retired Army Colonel Dr. George Dumas, Col. William Wade, former Commander of Mather Air Force Base, and retired Army lieutenant and disabled Vietnam veteran, Billy Richardson, president, and Allen Wilson, Chairman.
"After all, we owe our freedom to those who have honorably and selflessly served their country, but who have now fallen on hard times. They may be your brothers or sisters, your fathers or your mothers, and who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to regain their dignity and their self-esteem by becoming, once again, worthwhile working members of society. With your help, they will have a second chance," says Wilson.
2008 American Red Cross Blanket Days for the Homeless Campaign Officially Kicks Off November 3
DETROIT, MI--(Marketwire - October 30, 2008) - The American Red Cross - Southeastern Michigan Chapter will officially begin the 2008 Blanket Days for the Homeless campaign on November 3. The campaign is now in its 21st year and the Red Cross is looking to collect 7,000 blankets. This year's campaign lasts through January 30, 2009.
As in past years, Blanket Days will rely primarily on the generosity of the community. Local organizations including schools, places of worship, businesses and community groups can sign up to participate by holding internal blanket drives, acting as a local community collection centers, or by collecting trial-size items for Red Cross "comfort kits." Over 80 organizations have signed on already, with more to come.
"Blanket Days is always the time of year where we do our best to give something back to the community that has been so generous to our cause," says Glen Hendricks, director of emergency services for the Southeastern Michigan Chapter. "This is our opportunity to help those who need help the most in our area, including victims of disasters, teen runaways, domestic abuse victims and anyone residing in the local shelters we serve. We again ask for the assistance of the community during these very trying times. Make a blanket or financial contribution today and help keep someone warm this winter!"
The Red Cross has a series of events planned to increase donations. Red Cross volunteers and students from Detroit Northwestern High School will be at World Medical Relief on Rosa Parks Blvd. in Detroit from November 5-7 to distribute blankets to several local homeless shelters. These blankets were collected from the 2007 campaign and will benefit people residing in those shelters.
Also, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter will team up with Michigan First Credit Union for a kickoff blanket drive on November 10 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. This event will be at the newest Michigan First location at 19200 Wyoming in Detroit. Red Cross staff and volunteers will be on hand to take donations of new twin-size blankets and money to benefit the campaign. FOX 2 News Meteorologist Ben Bailey will make an appearance, as will the 93.9 River Roadies and Detroit's own Bates Academy school band to perform an hours' worth of holiday selections. The public is encouraged to come and make donations to support this very worthy cause.
Support for Blanket Days is encouraged through the donations of new twin-size blankets as well as financial contributions. The 2008 Red Cross Blanket Days campaign, with sponsorship and support from organizations including Quicken Loans, WJBK-FOX 2, 93.9 The River Radio, Humana and World Medical Relief, will help to give the gift of warmth to thousands of local residents this winter. To support this year's campaign, call (313) 494-2740 or visit www.semredcross.org to sign up today.
About the American Red Cross - Southeastern Michigan Chapter
The Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross is the organization that turns caring into action by providing disaster relief and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. We are volunteer-driven and reflect the diversity of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. As part of the international Red Cross network, we are dedicated to protecting human life and dignity worldwide. To learn more about the Red Cross and to make a financial donation, call 1-877-788-0014 or log on to www.semredcross.org
Repost (FEB 2008 & Our Vets Are Still Homeless!) Bill O'Reilly's "Big Announcement" to Homeless Vets
WHO ARE THE MONSTERS? THE TERRORISTS OR GOVERNMENT WHO LEAVES OUR VETRANS HOMELESS!
WE CARE...................... DO YOU?
MISSION STATEMENT:
We are an organization comprised of a few caring individuals dedicated to change. We exists to assist the less fortunate and underprivileged individuals while networking with like minded organizations dedicated to change.
OUR PURPOSE
At Operation We Care our mission is to educate to general public about the plight of the homeless and disenfranchised youth. Our program offers aid to these individuals by working with shelters and other organizations to give them a place to have a shower and hot meal, assist in connecting them with organizations that can help with resume writing and career development and business attire for interviews. Operation We Care will feature the stories of these individuals, giving them a vehicle to tell their story and hopefully create change in our communities.
Our program will document our interaction with the homeless so that our financial supporters can see how we are using the funds to aid the youth and homeless. Operation We Care recognizes that not all homeless people have made the choice to be homeless. There are many situations where people have lost theirs jobs or other experienced catastrophic events such as Katrina and as a result of that, lost everything else in their lives.
Operation We Care wants to bring light to these stories not only for the purpose of education but also to change the widespread misconceptions that surround the homeless. We only seem to hear of the drug addicts and runaways, but they too are caught in a cycle and need our help. Our program will offer a start towards rebuilding their lives and becoming valued contributors to the economy and community.
Our community programs are failing our disadvantaged youth and this has resulted in this causes them to get caught up in criminal and premature sexual activity. There are many young people that are left to fend for themselves because of parents that are on drugs. Many are dealing with lack of nutrition, basic needs and parental nurturing. We've heard of tragedies such as the 3 months old girl who died in a house fire when her parents left her alone. These stories are not isolated. They are becoming more common everyday and Operation We Care is committed to doing our part to help as many people as possible.
WE CARE.....DO YOU?
REASONS WHY WE EXIST
1) TO HELP PEOPLE WHO CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES
2) TO DO OUR PART IN RESTORING AMERICA TO A CARING NATION IT ONCE WAS
3) NATURAL DISASTERS -FIRES, HURRICANE KATRINA, ETC..
4) AID OUR SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY WHO ARE NOW HOMELESS
5.) CREATE PROGRAMS OR ASSISTS PROGRAMS THAT HELP OUR CHILDREN
6.) TO MAKE TOMORROW A BETTER!
OPERATION WE CARE
"WE CARE!....DO YOU?"
WHY WE EXIST
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW THERE IS A NEW LAW IN THE US THAT MANY CITYS ARE IMPLEMENTING. DON'T FEED THE HOMELESS LAW THATS IN LA, FLORIDA, DC AND MANY OTHER CITIES. THIS IS REDICULOUS WE CAN FEED CRIMINALS BUT NOT THE HOMELESS? AND WE WONDER WHY WE HAVE SO MANY CRIMES BEING COMMITED HAVE WE LEARNED ANYTHINGTulin Ozdeger is a civil rights staff attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
"BECAUSE WE "REALLY" CARE...DO YOU?"
Recent attempts in Las Vegas and Orlando to restrict sharing food with poor and homeless people are only the latest examples of a nationwide trend by cities to target homeless people.
Las Vegas' new ordinance prohibits sharing food with homeless or "indigent" persons in public parks. Orlando's ordinance requires groups wishing to share free food with 25 or more people in downtown parks to purchase a permit from the city's parks department and limits the number of times a group may do so to only two times a year.
As homelessness has grown in the United States over the past two decades, so have laws that essentially criminalize those who have no home. In a misguided attempt to grapple with the phenomenon of people living on our streets, city governments have passed laws that make it illegal to sit, sleep and eat in public spaces. These laws criminally penalize our poor and homeless neighbors merely for the fact that they have no place else to go.
The 2005 Hunger and Homelessness Survey of 24 cities conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that the homeless situation is getting worse. Even while requests for emergency shelter increased by 6 percent from the previous year, cities fell far short of providing adequate shelter space to meet the need. According to the survey, an average of 14 percent of overall emergency shelter requests went unmet along with 32 percent of shelter requests by homeless families. This lack of available shelter space—a situation made worse by the Gulf Coast hurricanes—leaves many homeless persons with no choice but to struggle to survive on the streets of our cities.
Laws that criminalize homelessness are not only an inhumane way to treat some of our most vulnerable neighbors, but they frequently pose constitutional problems and do nothing to address the underlying causes of homelessness. Many of these measures have been successfully challenged in court as violations of homeless persons' civil rights.
In addition, these laws that frequently apply to downtown areas have the effect of moving homeless people away from areas where services and other resources are located. When people are arrested or cited under these laws, they develop criminal records, which make it more challenging for them to find housing or employment.
Further, using the criminal justice system to deal with homelessness is an extremely inefficient use of law enforcement and other resources. In a nine-city survey of supportive housing and jail costs, jail costs were on average two to three times the cost of providing supportive housing—a solution that actually works in ending homelessness.
The latest trend of restricting groups that share food with homeless people is truly baffling. Clear gaps exist between the needs of homeless and poor people and federal, state, and local government efforts to deal with homelessness. Instead of embracing private efforts to fill those gaps, cities are now trying to punish those private actors for their good deeds. Las Vegas and Orlando are hardly alone in this trend. Dallas passed a law in 2005 that punishes groups or individuals serving food to the needy outside of designated areas of the city. Fort Myers, Florida, is presently considering a law very similar to Orlando's restriction.
While criminalizing homelessness has not proven to be a successful approach on any level, other approaches have been. For example, Philadelphia has been able to dramatically reduce the number of homeless people living on the streets in its downtown area by dedicating additional resources to affordable housing, shelter space, services, and, importantly, outreach. The Philadelphia model does not rely on arrests and citations as a means to achieve its goals. In fact, a police protocol in place in the city provides that police cannot arrest a homeless person for violating the city's sidewalk regulation if no shelter space is available.
Instead of wasting law enforcement resources on enforcing these laws, and city resources on defending them in court, cities should be looking for more constructive ways to grapple with the real challenges facing them. Removing a crucial food source for a hungry homeless person will not solve the problem. Jailing a homeless person for sleeping or resting in a public space will not make that person go away.
The fact that massive homelessness persists in the richest country in the world is shocking. An even greater scandal is that so many of our city leaders persist with criminalization measures that only make the situation worse. Cities need to stop wasting resources on misguided laws and focus on solutions that can end homelessness for all our neighbors.
..>OPERATION WE CARE"BECAUSE WE "REALLY" CARE...DO YOU?"
Monday, November 3, 2008
OPERATION WE CARE WE ARE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
At Operation We Care our mission is to educate to general public about the plight of the homeless and disenfranchised youth. Our program offers aid to these individuals by working with shelters and other organizations to give them a place to have a shower and hot meal, assist in connecting them with organizations that can help with resume writing and career development and business attire for interviews. Operation We Care will feature the stories of these individuals, giving them a vehicle to tell their story and hopefully create change in our communities.
Our program will document our interaction with the homeless so that our financial supporters can see how we are using the funds to aid the youth and homeless. Operation We Care recognizes that not all homeless people have made the choice to be homeless. There are many situations where people have lost theirs jobs or other experienced catastrophic events such as Katrina and as a result of that, lost everything else in their lives.
Operation We Care wants to bring light to these stories not only for the purpose of education but also to change the widespread misconceptions that surround the homeless. We only seem to hear of the drug addicts and runaways, but they too are caught in a cycle and need our help. Our program will offer a start towards rebuilding their lives and becoming valued contributors to the economy and community.
KEITH ROBINSON/FOUNDER & PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Our community programs are failing our disadvantaged youth and this has resulted in this causes them to get caught up in criminal and premature sexual activity. There are many young people that are left to fend for themselves because of parents that are on drugs. Many are dealing with lack of nutrition, basic needs and parental nuturing. We've heard of tragedies such as the 3 months old girl who died in a house fire when her parents left her alone. These stories are not isolated. They are becoming more common everyday and Operation We Care is committed to doing our part to help as many people as possible.
WE CARE.....DO YOU?
DO YOU THINK YOU REALLY KNOW THE MEANNG OF A HOMELESS PERSON? THINK AGAIN!
Many people still think of homeless transients as alcoholics and/or mentally disabled. The truth is, the current homeless population consists of runaway adolescents, single adult males or females, battered women and over one million homeless families with children typically headed by a female parent.
HOMELESS IS:
To be homeless means that one's primary residence is a public or private shelter, emergency housing, hotel, motel, living with family or friends or any public space like parks, automobiles, aqueducts or abandoned buildings
HOMELESS DEFINITION BROKEN DOWN:
(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (within the meaning of section 103(a)(1)); and
(B) includes—
children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;
(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));
(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses through (iii).
"LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE GET INVOLVED TODAY!"
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