USA
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Homeless Held Hostage by Catholic Church in D.C. Fight for Gay Marriage
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15% Hungry in America
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VA's Bold Goal: End Veteran Homelessness in 5 Years
The Audacity of Home
Published November 20, 2009 @ 09:12AM PT
If there were ever a time for the Obama Administration to fulfill its promise of restoring Hope for America, re-prioritizing the promise of "a Home for all" is the ideal start. The sum of our devastating housing and economic crisis, combined with the recent findings from the international human rights community, prove that there is no better time to move housing to the top of the federal policy agenda.
Today, I'm taking a step back. Away from the details in the news, away from the constant flow of comments, the banter. Today I want to talk about something so simple, so basic that most of us take it for granted.
Home.
A Home is a basic necessity. Something so basic that it's easy to forget. We see homeless people, we hear about programs designed to serve them, we read the news of the worsening crisis. Yet we're desensitized to the severe psychological implications of not having a home. We're numb.
A Home helps to ensure safety, health, and well-being. It is our base, a place we can always return to. We identify with our Home - with the structure we live in, the town and state it's in, the schools it's near. A Home is safety, it is opportunity. For many people, it is even identity. It is not far-fetched to say that our ability to hope is directly related to having a Home.
United Nations Says U.S. has "Shamefully Neglected" its Homeless
Published November 13, 2009 @ 05:40AM PT
The United States should be hanging its head in shame for violating the international human right to adequate housing, according to the initial findings of a special investigation by the United Nations. After a seven-city tour of the US, the UN special rapporteur for the right to adequate housing calls the failure of the U.S. to address the growing housing and homelessness crisis "shameful." But will a shaking finger and 'tsk tsk' from the UN finally force us to embrace housing as a human right?
There's no question that there is a shortage of decent, affordable housing in this country. And it has been well-documented that the homeless population has grown due to our economic troubles. The UN investigation was launched to determine if this perpetual housing shortage and growing numbers of homeless are bad enough to constitute a human rights violation.
Raquel Rolnik, the UN special rapporteur for the right to adequate housing, toured seven cities over two weeks time, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, and several rural communities. Her initial reaction to the tour were delivered in a verbal report to the U.S. State Department. According to the Guardian, she concluded it was "shameful that a country as wealthy as the US was not spending more money on lifting its citizens out of homelessness and substandard, overcrowded housing."
Indeed, Rolnik seemed to be most bothered by the whacked priorities of the US, the perpetual favoring of big banks and businesses over the basic needs of low-income individuals."In the US, it's feasible to provide adequate housing for all," she said. "You have a lot of money, a lot of dollars available. You have a lot of expertise. This is a perfect setting to really embrace housing as a human right."
Is it really the perfect setting if we lack the political will, the collective will to view housing as a human right rather than a commodity for building wealth, a commodity that must be earned by those who are most "deserving?"
The US state department has a month to respond to Rolnik's verbal report. She will issue a final written report to the UN human rights council early next year.
Image from the Guardian.
This Veterans Day, Hope for Homeless Vets
Published November 11, 2009 @ 09:00PM PT
This year, Veterans Day is more hopeful than last year. Even though some atrocities have not changed - veterans are still twice as likely to be homeless than non-vets and over 130,000 veterans are homeless tonight - this year is different. This year, the Obama Administration has made it a priority to fulfill the promise of "supporting our troops" by ending veteran homelessness in five years.
There's no denying the enormous sacrifices made by those who put on the uniform. And there's no denying that we should support these individuals even - especially - when their time in uniform is over. But somehow, somewhere along the way, we as a nation forgot to do this. We allowed the issues affecting veterans spiral out of control.
Today, veterans experience higher rates of suicide, homelessness, and substance abuse than non-vets. The disability claims backlog numbers over 400,000, leaving many vulnerable vets waiting for months - sometimes years - for the federal assistance they need. Today, one in three homeless adult men is a veteran, many of whom fought in Vietnam. But perhaps most disturbing is the newest trend: veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are slowly beginning to wind up on the streets. In other words, history is starting to repeat itself.
The only way to definitely end such a systemically-embedded atrocity is with bold, decisive action. And this is precisely what VA Secretary Shinseki delivered on November 3rd at the national summit on veterans homelessness. The VA's plan includes efforts to increase the housing stock for those vets who are already on the streets as well as a strong focus on homelessness prevention. Several bills currently in Congress aim to support the VA's goal, and Obama recently signed an executive order that will encourage federal hiring of former service members.
Ending veteran homelessness in five years is no small task, but it is critically important. There is no better way to properly honor our service men and women than with the promise that their sacrifices will not be forgotten when their time in uniform is over.
Image: Leo Reynolds
One Homeless Veteran is Too Many
Published November 11, 2009 @ 08:03AM PT
The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowded San Francisco sidewalk. But he was very much alone. He was in his wheelchair, trying to position his body upright so he could pick through the contents of a garbage can. Swarms of people, tourists and businesspeople, hurried past. They all seemed too busy to stop and notice one man's struggle, one man's devastating plight.
If these people knew Dale's story, maybe they would not have hurried past so quickly. Dale spent 14 years serving our country, including two tours of Vietnam. As a result, he has serious health issues that confine him to a wheelchair. Yet, he says the only help he gets from the VA is free coffee and donuts.
The stories of homeless veterans are among the hardest to watch, if you ask me. These are men and women who were willing to wear the uniform, willing to put themselves in harms way. It must be tough to come to the realization that their country - the people and ideals that they fought for - are not half as eager to heal their pain, to have their backs. Seems there is just too much hurt and not enough money. Still, there is a lot of noise these days in Washington about ending the atrocity of veteran homelessness. It is critical that this talk become real, tangible solutions. Our veterans have waited long enough.
Today is Veteran's Day. Today we will remember the sacrifices of our Veterans and honor their unselfish service. The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowd. But he was alone, picking through a garbage can.
This Veteran's Day, let's remember the plight of veterans - homeless in America. And let's resolve to do something about it.
Dale from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Image: Lulu Vision
U.S. Senate Tackles Veteran Homelessness
Published November 10, 2009 @ 07:53AM PT
Today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will tackle veteran's homelessness. More specifically - how to end it. This hearing comes one week after VA Secretary Shinseki made a bold commitment to ending veteran homelessness.
The hearing is happening now... you can watch it live or catch an archived video of the testimonies.
Check back later for a breakdown of what was discussed and what this could mean for the greater effort to end veteran homelessness.
Barbara Poppe Goes to Washington
Published October 20, 2009 @ 07:31PM PT
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has named a new Executive Director. Barbara Poppe spent the last 14 years as the Director of the Community Shelter Board in Columbus, Ohio. Now, she will head to Washington, D.C. to coordinate the federal response to homelessness at a time when the need is greater than ever.
Poppe spent the past 14 years leading a nationally recognized nonprofit organization recognized for its innovation. The organization's permanent housing program has served as a model for cities across the country.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness was quick to the react to the news. Executive Director Nan Roman said in a statement, "Barbara Poppe has been a leader in the movement to end homelessness both in Columbus and nationally. Because of her brilliant and innovative work, thousands of people who were homeless now have a place to call home."
Poppe has her work cut out for her in Washington. Cities across the country are frantically working to use stimulus funds to meet the increasing need for homelessness assistance. At the same time, homeless services are experiencing a paradigm shift from providing shelter to a focus on prevention and permanent housing.
A hearty congratulations and best wishes to Barbara Poppe in her new post. We'll be watching, commenting, and rooting for you.
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.
