Obama Administration
Watch the Speech: HUD Secretary Donovan on Homelessness
Published September 10, 2009 @ 05:43AM PT
On July 30th, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan addressed the attendees of the National Conference to End Homelessness in Washington, D.C.
You've read the live blog, but now -- thanks to the National Alliance to End Homelessness -- you can watch the entire speech.
If you work with homeless people, have experienced homelessness, been on the verge of experiencing homelessness, or believe homelessness is unacceptable - I urge you to take 30 minutes and watch these remarks. This, my friends, is how the issue of homelessness is being framed and dealt with nationally by our federal policy-makers.
I was inspired by the Secretary's remarks. Advocates who were present were encouraged. But the real question is -- what do you think?
Image from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Blocks from the White House, Homelessness Persists
Published August 24, 2009 @ 07:30PM PT
With the Obamas vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is vacant this week. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the streets surrounding the White House, streets that thousands of people call "home." Washington, D.C. has one of the most highly concentrated homeless populations in the country and despite a supportive administration and a massive allocation of funds, homelessness in the city is on the rise.
Poppy, pictured above, it one of the thousands who lives on the streets of The District, McClatchy reported today. Poppy is a veteran, a 36 year-old man who carries a bow tie in his luggage for job interviews. He has lived on the streets of D.C. for over a year.
Washington has one of the highest concentrations of homelessness in the country. According to the most recent point-in-time count, 6,200 people are currently homeless on the streets of our nation's capitol; a 7.5 percent increase since 2007. What's more, a changing population is creating new challenges for providers. Family homelessness has increased 15 percent since 2007, and with the recession in full swing, case managers are seeing even more families, many are out of work and unable to make ends meet.
Clearly, the Obama Administration understands the gravity of the homelessness problem, as well as the severe implications of being homeless. Back on March 24, he said, "Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." And last month, HUD Secretary Shawn Donovan told attendees of the National Conference to End Homelessness, "A civilized society does not allow someone to live, or die, on the streets."
But despite this bold rhetoric by our fearless leaders, homelessness persists beyond the perimeter of the meticulously manicured White House lawn. Despite the $1.5 billion in recovery funds allocated for homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing back in February, most of these funds have yet to reach those sleeping on the sidewalks or in cars.
While the federal level support is desperately needed, it is also rejuvenating for those who have been affected by homelessness. But this high-level support does not erase the frustration from the lack of widespread concern at the community level. It begins with indifference to people on the streets and culminates with a lack of outrage that people in our society are forced to live this way.
Poppy, the man pictured above, said it best: "I've seen men lay right in the middle of the road and people walk by like they're not there. If that was a whale, if that was a dog, wouldn't someone save it?"
Photo from McClatchy: Poppy Cali has been homeless on the streets of Washington D.C. since July 2008. He makes his home nowadays under the Whitehurst Freeway near the Kennedy Center in Northwest Washington.
Obama Commits to Ending Veteran Homelessness
Published June 06, 2009 @ 04:26AM PT
Ending homelessness for over 160,000 veterans in five years is no small task. But the Obama administration has pledged to do just that. And with the recent creation of a new office, the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs' National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, the administration is certainly moving in the right direction.
Although just one half of one percent of the VA budget is currently directed towards combatting veteran homelessness, perhaps this new office will change things up a bit. In the meantime, take a peek at their snazzy new website, it contains a lot of eye-opening information. Case in point: here are six figures that jumped out at me (all stats are from this page):
- About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services.
- Current population estimates suggest that about 154,000 Veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.
- Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era Veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war.
- Almost all homeless Veterans are male (about three percent are women), the vast majority are single, and most come from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds.
- About 45% of homeless Veterans suffer from mental illness and (with considerable overlap) slightly more than 70% suffer from alcohol or other drug abuse problems.
- Roughly 56% of homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic.
Ending veteran homelessness in five years will take a serious infusion of resources, coordination of services, and overhaul of the way we treat our vets after their service. But there's no question that we can achieve this goal with the right leadership and support.
