Change.org's End Homelessness Blog

The Audacity of Home

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-20T09:12:00-08:00

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.

Last week, the special United Nations rapporteur on housing concluded that we, as a country, have "shamefully neglected" our homeless while concurrently pumping billions of dollars to big businesses. This report arrived on the heels of a record-setting foreclosure crisis and just as unemployment rates hit the double-digits.

Nestled within these large, complex issues are varying layers of tragedy. State finances are in disarray, resulting in cuts in services to critical to meeting the needs of the homeless. Services to the mentally ill, drug and alcohol addicts, and victims of domestic violence have dwindled. Washington D.C., Massachusetts, and California - among many others - are slashing homeless service budgets, resulting in lost shelter beds, fewer shelter workers, and ultimately a reduction in services.

At the same time, other entities - many not accustomed to serving the homeless - are being forced to respond to the crisis. Schools across the country are fighting to keep the growing numbers of homeless children from falling behind their classmates. City councils are wrestling with growing numbers of tent cities, attempting to balance the housing needs of community members with important public safety issues.

The sum of all these issues results in a greater number of people who experience the trauma and the pain of losing a piece of their identify - their home. Many of these individuals will never be counted. They stay hidden; in cars, on friend's couches, in tents in the woods. They may never enter "the system," maybe because there aren't enough resources or maybe because they have too much pride to ask for help. You see, just as the word "home" carries a greater significance, being "homeless" has its own negative implications.

If there were ever a time for the Obama Administration to fulfill its promise of restoring Hope, re-prioritizing the promise of a Home for all would be the ideal start. The sum of these crisis, combined with the findings from the UN, prove that there is no better time to move housing to the top of the federal policy agenda.

Yes, this crisis is bad. But the greater tragedy will be if we learn nothing from this crisis. If we don't re-evaluate the importance of Home, the accessibility of Home to all who need it. If we don't re-prioritize housing in this, the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world, that will be the real tragedy.

Images: j9marshall, papalar and dandeluca

Act Now: Stop Hate Crimes Against the Homeless

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-19T17:52:00-08:00

It's a cruel fact: when you live without a home, you are more vulnerable to violence on the streets. Next week, the Senate Judiciary is scheduled to vote on legislation that would add homeless people to the federal hate crimes statistics statue. Take action today to tell your elected lawmakers to support this important bill.

The legislation - called the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act (S. 1765) - was introduced by Senator Cardin of Maryland and Senator Collins of Maine. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the legislation has been placed on the Senate Judiciary Committee schedule and could be marked up as early as November 19, but more likely the week of the November 23.

This bill is timely; as homelessness has increased over the past decade, so has the number of brutal, violent attacks against the homeless. From 2002 to 2005, hate crimes against the homeless increased 300%. Fatal attacks rose by 67%. And the latest study by the National Coalition for the Homeless found that this number has increased even more - 65% - since 2005.

But it's important to remember that hate crimes cannot be measured solely in terms of physical injury, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, they also "leave a special emotional and psychological mark on victims and their communities, leaving them feeling isolated, vulnerable, and unprotected by the law."

Unlike other categories protected by most hate crime laws - such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion - a person's "homeless" status is not permanent. In fact, it is preventable and can be ended with one thing: housing. Of course, until housing becomes regarded as a human right, we will have to settle for such incremental steps to protect the most vulnerable among us in the short term.

Tell your lawmakers to vote "yes" for this important piece of legislation!

Image: Matt From London

Giving Homeowners a Fighting Chance

Noah Jennings — 2009-11-19T12:14:00-08:00

Every once in a while, you come across some good news. It's bleak as hell for the homeless and soon-to-be, but some hope remains in Philadelphia.

On the heels of news that the foreclosure rate hit 19% last month, the New York Times covered the story of an innovative program in Philadelphia that requires banks to meet with homeowners before eviction. Though there's some doubt about the program's effectiveness, many believe it to be an improvement over President Obama's efforts to stymie the catastrophic scale of the housing crisis. Philadelphia's approach makes equitable outcomes more likely, "by bringing together all the principals in one room. If the mortgage company proves intractable, the homeowner has the right to request mediation in front of a volunteer lawyer serving as a provisional judge, who relays recommendations to the program's supervising judge." If the judge suspects wrongdoing on the part of the lender, then she can suspend sale of the house until a resolution is reached. Not bad.

How often do you hear about courts protecting homeowners from indignities at the hands of banks, right? By offering homeowners free credit counseling and mediation, this program offers new hope to people like Christopher Hall, whose plight the Times story outlined in detail: "A union roofer, Mr. Hall, 42, had not worked since August 2008, when the contractor that employed him as a foreman went broke and laid off more than 40 people. He had not made a mortgage payment in more than a year, and his lender, Bank of America, was threatening to auction off his house through the sheriff's office." Mr. Hall and his family would otherwise be on the streets. Not now. This is a perfect example of a city taking responsibility for the creation of healthy neighborhoods and another link in homelessness prevention.

Not everyone agrees with this approach, however. Those against it argue that it merely delays the inevitable. Daniel Indviglio, a financial writer for the Atlantic's Business Channel, argues that there's really no point: banks will get their way whatever happens. "If foreclosure is a better alternative for the bank," he writes, "then meeting in person won't change that...It's a waste of time." Given that Indviglio is a Beltway-blogging money wonk, his self-assurance really doesn't surprise me. People like him are paid to be pompous. And no doubt, other Ivy League drones will be parroting the same on Fox and MSNBC. After all, what's better for banks than saying resistance is futile? But thought-killing sentiments like these don't really encourage a constructive debate. They ignore the real problem and do nothing for real people.

Besides, critics like Indviglio conveniently forget an important point. The new program seems to be working for homeowners. The Times points out that "while data is scant, a legal aid group, Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, has complete information on 61 of the 309 cases it has resolved since October 2008 through the anti-foreclosure program. Only five resulted in sheriff's sales, while 35 ended with loan modifications that lowered payments, the group says." Not bad so far. This program clearly offers the possibility that communities blighted by widespread foreclosures can fight off certain death. Judge Annetto M. Rizzo, who spearheads this pilot program, believes this is a best and last attempt. "I realized we're either going to go down in flames or we're going to be a national model. We're going to look at these cases and see what we can work out."

This is exactly the point. Philadelphia's approach means that people can work together on this in a dignified way. No surprise that banks are less likely to drop the guillotine on someone they've met.

Should Shelters Ban Sex Offenders?

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-18T18:03:00-08:00

Everybody, including sex offenders, needs a place to live. If proposed legislation in Massachusetts passes, registered sex offenders would be barred from staying in homeless shelters, begging the question: where are they supposed to go?

There are few questions that get people as riled up as those regarding registered sex offenders, particularly homeless sex offenders. Serving this population can be difficult, costly work for homeless service providers. Residential restrictions make housing almost impossible to find. Stepping up security in homeless shelters can be expensive, and other shelter guests may not feel comfortable knowing that a level 3 sex offender is sleeping on the adjacent cot.

But according to proponents of the legislation, the real problem lies with the requirement to report an address. Since residential bans can make it all but impossible to find affordable housing that is not near schools, playgrounds, or daycare centers, many sex offenders will bypass this requirement by simply listing a homeless shelter address, which allows them to live wherever they please. According to the Boston Globe, 74 percent of Boston's level 3 sex offenders had a homeless shelter listed as their address.

Sure, this loophole presents public safety concerns. If we don't know that a level 3 sex offender lives nearby, how can we protect ourselves?

Of course, there's a flip side to this. If a sex offender is homeless - really homeless - and banned from shelters, where are they supposed to go? Might they end up like Thomas Pauli in Michigan, who was turned away from two shelters before freezing to death on the side of the road? And aren't we all better off if a dangerous sex offender is at least tracked in a shelter rather than being unaccounted for and at-large in the city?

The real solution to this problem is to "shut the front door," as they say. That is, to prevent sex offenders from becoming homeless in the first place. Homeless service providers are simply not equipped to provide the counseling and housing services necessary to meet the needs of dangerous sex offenders, particularly when meeting the needs of the general homeless population is challenging enough.

If public safety is truly a concern, as the state legislature is claiming, attention should be focused on re-entry programs within the criminal justice system. It is the only way to ensure public safety while ensuring nobody is banished to the streets.

The Plight of Homeless Sex Offenders

Mark Horvath — 2009-11-18T13:35:00-08:00

Last winter shelter season, my eyes were opened to the horrible plight of sex offenders living on the streets. Our street outreach team was called to find shelter for a man. He was a registered sex offender, so he wasn't allowed to stay at the winter shelter. He had done everything right, reported to the police and the shelter workers. But there was no shelter that would allow him to stay.

No matter what you think of the crimes this man committed, he had served his debt to society and was adhering to the terms of his punishment. Still, finding housing - even emergency shelter - proved nearly impossible.

Up until that time, I had rather a hard stance on this subject. I thought sex offenders were dangerous, a threat to society. Who cares if they have to continue paying for their crime once their jail time is up? But one look into this man's eyes gave me different point of view; he was so filled with hopelessness, so beaten down from trying to survive. It's a difficult memory.

I met Tim in Cleveland, Ohio. He's trying to make something of his life. But as a sex offender, it's nearly impossible for him to find the help he needs.

I don't know what Tim did to become a registered sex offender. But I believe an equally heinous crime might be our own society allowing people like him to suffer on the streets, sex offender or not.

Tim from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

Tent Cities: The Huntsville Solution

Steven Samra — 2009-11-18T07:55:00-08:00

While volunteering for the 3rd annual Huntsville Alabama Operation Stand Down, I did some street outreach to spread the word to veterans about the three day event. In the course of that outreach, I visited one of Huntsville's Tent Cities and was surprised to learn that the camp was run by a local agency, thanks to an agreement they had worked out with local police, who had also worked out an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ADOT).

The camp sits under viaduct on the north end of the city and in order to stay individuals must first register with a nearby homeless services provider. The agency requires ID and provides the funds in necessary to procure one. A tent, if one is available, is provided to the individual and that person is then directed to the camp. A police officer is assigned to patrol the camp and does so on a regular basis, checking with the residents to make sure the area remains relatively trouble free. Every Tuesday, additional local service providers pass through the camp, offering resources and referrals while also monitoring the conditions of the camp and the residents within.

As I passed through the camp, I was impressed - but certainly not surprised - with the clean, neat and tidy look of the area.

When one gives an individual an area that actually belongs to them, whether transitional or permanent, that individual has a vested interest in keeping it fit for habitation and aesthetically pleasing ( pic 2.)

Huntsville s approach is an elegantly simple solution to the issue of Tent Cities and an approach that seems to be catching on in other cities. By providing residents with a short-term home and working with them to procure wrap around services and permanent housing, they are able to quickly locate people to offer resources and referrals; a major issue in providing much-needed services on a regular basis to people experiencing homelessness. The camp is patrolled by local police, just like any neighborhood, and residents feel a sense of protection from both the elements and the dangers of the street. Because residents are responsible for their designated areas, that accountability translates into responsibility and a sense of ownership for their respective areas. Because no permanent structures are built, the camp retains the feel of a transitory stop on the way to long-term housing while providing an underlying sense of urgency to find something better.

Kudos to Huntsville for such a sensible, no frills approach to the issue of Tent Cities. Let's hope other cities currently struggling with the issue of homeless encampments take a moment to examine Huntsville's solution.

Images from the author.

How to Streamline the Safety Net?

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-17T12:52:00-08:00

We hear it all the time: the social service safety net is convoluted, confusing, and tough to navigate. It's hard to know where to go to find services. Government applications, housing applications, and program requirements are enough to make a person's head spin. But can good marketing - making information more readily available to those who need it - ease the journey through social services?

David Henderson of InforUm wrote a thoughtful post today that raised this very question: what good are social services if nobody knows about them? He writes, "Part of program effectiveness is marketing our services to those who need them most, and making it as easy for people to receive social services as it is to buy books on Amazon.com."

He raises a good point point. Many homeless service providers would appear to be stuck in the dark ages of marketing; a shelter will often pat itself on the back for developing a tri-fold flyer. And who can blame them? Often short-staffed and under-funded, many service providers must carefully maintain a "we've got it together" image while still appearing needy enough to solicit donations. It's a fine line to walk. Besides, service providers aren't a business; there's a limit to the number of clients that can be served, and these days, this number is often maxed out.

Still, this conundrum does not undermine the importance of providing "highly visible and easily navigable" services, as Henderson writes, to ensure that all of those who need help can find it. While social media has become a key marketing tool for nonprofits (and, in some cases, a way of connecting to social services), the digital divide cannot be forgotten. Most homeless people, for example, would never benefit from the "find the nearest homeless shelter" iPhone app.

So what's the answer?

Is it 211, the free and confidential social services hotline provided by United Way? Is it New York City's Department of Client Advocacy, which homeless individuals up with an "expert" to navigate the NYC shelter system?

The best way to find out how people are learning about shelters and services is to ask the experts, the people who have experienced homelessness and found their way to a program. Every shelter, every community, could benefit from asking current/formerly homeless people a simple question: Where did you learn about the services that helped you? Was it on the internet? Word of mouth? A tri-fold flyer? And then, what might have made this information more accessible?

While it may be tempting to compare social services with many of the shiny new innovations happening at companies like Apple an Amazon, it is critical to remember why we exist and who we serve. Social services may never have the branding or design of these private companies, but this does not mean we shouldn't strive to provide the clearest information - the best marketing - that we are capable of.

Image: Mikey G Ottowa

Calling All Winter Coats!

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-17T12:52:00-08:00

It's getting chilly out there! For some people, a drop in the mercury means simply turning up the thermostat. But for many others, cold weather is a matter of life and death. Before the temperature really drops this winter, you can help spread the warmth to those who need it by participating in the national winter coat drive.

The project is sponsored by Lands End. Although it's based out of Beantown - hence the name Boston's Big Warm-Up - collections are taking place in locations across the United States. Coats donated in each locale will directly benefit people in that community.

But this isn't just any coat drive... this is a coat drive in the digital age. And what fun is a coat drive in the digital age without a cool, interactive online promotional component? The Big Boston Warm-up website is chock full of information and ways for you to spread the word. Learn the facts, customize a video, spread the word with the Facebook effect, and even track your donated coat. Nonstop excitement, it is.

What are you waiting for? Tell your friends. Donate a coat. After all, that old pea coat can do a heck of lot more good on someone's shoulders than hanging forgotten in the trenches of your closet.

Image: Paul Mayne

15% Hungry in America

Noah Jennings — 2009-11-17T07:10:00-08:00

If your stomach was too weak for Friday's foreclosure numbers, turn away: Monday revealed that nearly 15 percent of Americans went hungry last year.

The recession may be over for big business, but the problems of real people continue as the Department of Agriculture announced that the number hungry in this country rose to a staggering 50 million. As is often the case, the effects of hunger disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. This report revealed that 1 in 4 children lack reliable access to adequate nutrition. Poverty advocates insist that the problem will likely worsen. A national food bank network, Feeding America, said of the numbers in a New York Times piece, "Socioeconomic indicators, including the escalating unemployment rate and the number of working poor, lead us to believe that the number of people facing hunger will continue to rise significantly over the coming year." Peachy.

In response to these fears, President Obama reiterated his campaign promise to end childhood hunger by 2015, then outlined what his administration has done or is planning to do to confront the issue. These actions include a bill that seeks to fill the gap in government-subsidized meals for children during the summer, increasing food stamp funding, and pushing the creation of jobs. If this sounds adequate, keep in mind that food stamps after the recent increase pay out only $100 per family member on average. Further undercutting these proposals is an observation from the USDA's Mike Nord, who noted that a majority of hungry households had at least 1 family member who worked full-time. If that's the best of the reigning agenda, I'm worried.

So what can I do? As a member of the so-called helping professions and a blogger, I realize there are certain conventions to consider when publicly responding to a humanitarian crisis like this one. The heroic call to action begins with a memorable and alarming illustration making the stats vivid and worthy of attention (17 million hungry is equivalent to the combined populations of Washington and Michigan!). This is inevitably followed by some moralizing. I often see the word "deplorable" used in press releases. You're supposed to shame the government and/or the public for its inaction (see above). That's a given. Then you end with some moving entreaty to readers to donate some amount of money to someone who, hopefully, will try to put meat on someone's bones. Mission accomplished. More or less.

But that doesn't feel right. Chances are, as a sensitive Change.org reader, you're already beside yourself with grief and righteous anger which you'll inevitably unleash via emails to elected officials in minutes (brownie points to anyone who started writing a petition before paragraph 2). And you're very likely already aware of volunteer opportunities at food banks and can't wait to give away food and money in a heartbeat to anyone who asks. Good for you: it makes me warm just to think about all the nice things you do. What may not be obvious, what you might not already do, is question how we think of what we need. In this country, and in many others, things like food, housing, and medicine are considered commodities. Our system of food security developed with this in mind: cheap product, maximum profit at the cost of the poor.

But with 1 billion people hungry globally and 50 million in our own country, it may be time to question the wisdom of looking at food as we might look at a toasters or televisions. Food is something to be shared and guaranteed, not speculated. Of course it's important to promote jobs. But as long as many jobs in this country don't pay enough to feed a family, what we really need is to continue to fight for more meaningful social policies, those that ensure the material security of all people. This includes, yes, a food policy. For more on this, take a look at a prescient opinion piece by food writer Michael Pollan, Farmer in Chief, published a year ago. In it, Pollan describes how a well-thought food infrastructure can benefit the planet, the poor, and our economy as a whole. Check it out.

And you might think twice about portions as you plan your Thanksgiving. Just a thought.

Image courtesy of Globalenvision.org

Navigating the Social Service Safety Net

Mark Horvath — 2009-11-16T14:28:00-08:00

Jay's story might sound familiar to you. His unfortunate situation is not uncommon these days. He lost his job, then his home to foreclosure, and ended up homeless on the streets of Cleveland, Ohio.

Jay talks about his frustration trying to get help from homeless service providers. Since services have become specialized, he must travel to multiple agencies to get all of the help he needs. But without reliable transportation, he has trouble getting around. Although there are many good things to be said about the Continuum of Care model, it is not perfect. It does not, for example, fill in all of the communication gaps or take into consideration the lack of access to reliable and easily accessible transportation.

Imagine for a moment that you are homeless without income. You panhandle for bus fare, then travel to the agency you believe is most likely to help. You fill out the paperwork and sit in the lobby all day. After hours of waiting you are told you don't qualify, or the program is full and your name will go on a waiting list. If you're lucky, you'll get a bus pass to get home. Either way, at the end of the day, you're still homeless without housing or food. And you have to repeat this process - over and over - until you find the help you need.

Of course, this is a worse case scenario. It's important to remember the many instances when the safety net works, when it saves people from the streets.

Still, in some cases - like Jay's - people just give up. Perhaps his story will help you understand why.

Jay from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.

Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-16T07:42:00-08:00

A simple question, answered in pictures. This is the premise of a new photo book released by an organization in Portland, Oregon. It shouldn't be surprising, to see the places where those without a home have spent the night. But the images provide a powerful and deeply disturbing narrative about the reality of homelessness in America.

The book, Where I Slept - a project of the Transition Projects - marks the 40th anniversary of the organization's efforts to combat homelessness in Portland. According to the organization, "In the spring of 2007, we asked the residents of Transition Projects shelters to show us the places they slept while living on the streets. Equipped with just disposable cameras and the willingness to show us their truth, they delivered the photographs in this book in a matter of days."

The images were only intended to be a temporary exhibit. But the response from the community was so powerful it was decided the message had to reach a wider audience. Hence the book, now available for $20 at Transition Projects' website.

Great idea by a great organization. It's always great to see innovative approaches to telling the stories of day-to-day struggles of homeless individuals. I think Ted Wheeler,* the chair of Transition Projects, said it best: "The most basic thing we can do to help the homeless is to reach out to them and acknowledge them as fellow human beings. The worst thing we can do is pretend that they don't exist."

*Correction: Ted Wheeler is the Chair of Multnomah County, not Transition Projects. According to the Transition Projects website, Doreen Binder is the Executive Director.

Nearly Half of Homeless U.S. Veterans are Black

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-15T18:05:00-08:00

Veterans experience homelessness at a greater rate than non-vets in the United States. But a new study finds that minority veterans - particularly African-Americans - are disproportionately represented among the homeless veteran population. Today, a whopping 45 percent of the homeless veteran population is African American, proving that race is still relevant to any discussion about poverty and homelessness in America.

These findings were revealed in a study by the Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The study was released shortly after President Obama rolled out his bold-but-necessary plan of ending veteran homelessness in five years.

M. William Sermons, Director of the Homelessness Research Institute, told BlackAmericaWeb.com that the factors driving disproportionate homelessness rates among minority veterans are the same as those causing disproportionate rates of homelessness of minorities in the general homeless population. "Some of the risk factors affecting African-American men are high unemployment rates (almost double that of whites) and highly disproportionate rates of discharge from prisons and the foster care system."

In a perfect world, race would no longer be a factor when discussing issues of socio-economic equity. But clearly, this is not the case. This new data exposes the complex and continued link between poverty and race in America, even among those who have worn the uniform. To address poverty, to end homelessness, we must confront these challenging issues directly.

Image: scanned

How the Vancouver Olympics Violate Civil Rights

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-14T15:38:00-08:00

Over 1,000 low income homes destroyed. Tenants evicted. Plans to forcibly remove homeless individuals from the streets.

If this sounds like the workings of a repressive government regime, you're partially right, only this is the ugly reality of the workings of the Olympic industry. These heavy handed tactics are being used today to prepare Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics, exposing the ugly side of an otherwise awe-inspiring event.

Olympic-driven housing destruction and tenant displacement is not a new phenomenon, according to an In These Times article by Gaus. Indeed, some 30,000 residents were displaced due to construction prior to the 1996 Atlanta Games and a whopping 300,000 housing units in Beijing were demolished - displacing over 1,500,000 people - for the 2008 games.

Today, this trend is continuing in Vancouver. "Since Vancouver was awarded the Games in 2003, over 1,100 units of low income housing have been lost in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside," Laura Track, a lawyer with Pivot Legal Society (a BC public interest advocacy group), told Bev Yaworski of Suite101. "The legacy of affordable housing promised in the Olympic bid is nowhere to be found: social housing at Athlete's Village was slashed and is looking ever less likely; evictions continue apace, and 14 City-owned sites on which the provincial government has promised to build social housing sit empty and idle."

These recent developments have prompted watchdog groups to file human rights complaints with the United Nations against the Olympic organizing committee and the governments of B.C. and Canada.

But even in situations when low-income housing is not intentionally demolished, the speculation associated with Olympic host-cities will often have the same effect, according to In These Times. "What mass-produced arrest citations and bulldozers don't accomplish the market's invisible hand usually does. Real-estate speculation and ballooning rents push out vulnerable populations with inescapable regularity."

This is an unfortunate twist on what is otherwise an inspiring world event. Perhaps the Games would lose their allure if the ugly truth about the preparations for the games were exposed.

Update: The Homeless Forums is keeping a close eye on developments in Vancouver as they unravel, tracking the news and comments from homeless people on the streets. Check out the thread here.

Image: cheukiecfu

Vice President Biden Responds to 19% Jump in Foreclosures by Serving Fish Sticks to Homeless

Noah Jennings — 2009-11-14T07:25:00-08:00

The Detroit News reported Friday that house foreclosures are up 19% over the previous month, a gut kick aided in part by rising unemployment and an inadequate federal response to the continued crisis. If you're like me and tend to yawn a bit when you hear percentages, I strained a bit and did the numbers: this is now 8 consecutive months of 300,000 foreclosures per, so let's see now-- 8 times 300,000-ish is about, oh, nearly 2.5 million homes lost. There are now over 2 million people who watched representatives of government bailout bank take away their homes.

This wasn't supposed to happen. The day after President Obama signed into law the Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February, he gave a speech at a high school in Arizona in which he outlined his ambitious plan that promised to significantly reduce foreclosures. His promise for this plan was that it would "give millions of families resigned to financial ruin a chance to rebuild. It will prevent the worst consequences of this crisis from wreaking even greater havoc on the economy." What we now know is that the financial sector was cushioned from the worst of the crisis while everyday homeowners, soon to be over 3 million this year alone, continue to suffer.

If you're worried about all this, don't be. Vice President Biden has a solution: boutique catering. On the day these dismal foreclosure numbers were released, Biden took time from his hectic itinerary in order to "don gloves and an apron to serve fish sticks," writes the Huffington Post. We're saved! Biden apparently, "wanted to serve [delicious, crispy, hand-held fillets] to remind himself of the grim reality that many D.C. residents face." It apparently took the Vice President's posse approximately 5 minutes to weather the hairy commute back to the White House. Glad he made the effort.

Is it unfair to mock the Vice President for this empty grandstanding in a city of 18,000 homeless? After all, he's done his share of advocating for the poor, not least of which is his part in supporting the public option in health care reform. And yet. This was beyond stupid. If the Obama Administration made homelessness and the housing crisis a meaningful priority, the recent numbers are a good excuse to make a stand. Opportunity lost.

The upside? I hear the fish was delicious.

Image: AP

What Happens and What's Forgotten When Number Crunchers Get Tough

Noah Jennings — 2009-11-13T10:25:00-08:00

The only thing less sexy than learning about homelessness is statistics. Let's be honest. An intense interest in either makes you a very odd duck indeed. But to love the more challenging of the two takes a collection of unique propensities, including the talent of not being sickened or terrified by the sight of Roman numerals in sequence. Which entirely excludes me.

But maybe you love statistics. You trust them. If that's the case, you might find a lot in common with Michael Arnold, Executive Director for Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. A couple weeks ago he released the shocking and, frankly, implausible conclusion that homelessness in Los Angeles County has decreased by a whopping, recession-beating 38% in a report on the subject. Cue double-take. I know what you're thinking: if politicians wanted to cook the numbers, they might have been a little more conservative.

L.A.'s homeless service providers are just as suspicious. Advocates like David Snow at Santa Monica's Upward Bound House and Andy Bales at Union Rescue Mission point out that their agencies have seen a marked increase in service requests, particularly in the case of families. "There's no way that anybody who works with families would agree with [the conclusions of this report]," Bales said. While it's reasonable to consider how threatening the perception of decreased need might be for service providers, it's equally impossible to ignore national trends that support their experiences. For evidence of this, check out Shannon's post on family homelessness.

Despite all this, Arnold stands by his numbers. In Thursday's Los Angeles Times, he says of some of the study's most vocal critics, "Really, it's a very small number of agencies who have raised a cry, and most of them are family providers...I think a lot of their hue and cry is anecdotally based, not data based. They are spreading disinformation." Strong words. To a limited extent, he's right. The numbers are probably sound. Service providers are objecting mostly by using their personal experiences. That plus his impressive expertise makes it extraordinarily difficult to challenge the approach.

Except that I'm not someone convinced by numbers alone. Very few people are. What's incorrect about this study on the homeless and others like it isn't that they go astray in their methods or intentions (For more on this, consider David Henderson's post on the subject at the Inforum blog). It's more that they miss the forest for the trees.

For a bigger picture, you have to step back a bit, look at it from the perspective of, say, United Nations special rapporteur, Raquel Rolnik. This human rights investigator toured the United States recently to assess the current housing crisis. She wrapped up her visit in L.A. Thursday and was quoted by the London Guardian as saying, "I was shocked when I realised that the US, and countries in Europe - England - as well, had a solid housing policy for many years that worked pretty well. That was dismantled and the situation became worse...but I didn't expect to see what I have seen [here]. In some ways the situation is worse than I expected."

Bickering about 38% is laughable next to this observation.

Image courtesy of http://www.purple.com.

United Nations Says U.S. has "Shamefully Neglected" its Homeless

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-13T05:40:00-08:00

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.

Phoenix Church Ordered to Stop Feeding the Homeless

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-12T11:15:00-08:00

A church in Phoenix has lost a court battle to run a charity dining hall for the city's homeless. The problem is, the court's ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix. While the ruling raises larger issues about the concentration of the homeless in cities, the immediate concern is the challenges the city's homeless may face finding a meal in the coming weeks.

The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church's weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood. With the increase in homeless individuals in the area came an uptick in their undesirable behaviors, including "panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, among other things," according to AZ Family.

The judge's ruling is harsh at first glance, but it's important to consider the perspective of the church's neighbors. Just as any homeless person should have a right to safe, decent, and affordable housing, the neighbors of Crossroads United Methodist Church have a right to feel safe in their home. Still, this ruling seems to be a strategic interpretation of residential zoning laws designed to control the homeless population. Restricting services from residential areas will keep "unsightly" homeless people out of certain parts of the city and concentrate them in others. And you know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.

Crossroads United Methodist Church has not decided if they will continue to fight the judge's ruling. At the very least, if they decide not to fight, I hope they and all of the other churches impacted by this decision choose to relocate their weekly meal rather than cancel it completely. While taking a stand against the concentration of the homeless and the poor is a fight worth waging, the immediate needs of those who are hurting cannot be ignored.

Image: La Jace

Homeless Held Hostage by Catholic Church in D.C. Fight for Gay Marriage

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-12T08:19:00-08:00

The Catholic Church is holding the vulnerable citizens hostage in a battle over gay marriage in Washington D.C. If gay couples are allowed to marry in our nation's capitol, the Catholic Diocese of D.C. will cut off social services to the city's homeless. This cruel ultimatum calls into question the Church's motives for serving the poor in the first place. In the Church's eyes, are the poorest among us people? Or simply pawns for advancing a cruel, intolerable political agenda?

D.C.'s same sex marriage is slated for a vote next month. If passed, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. They would simply have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against GLTB individuals. According to the Post, the Church is fearful that a new marriage law would force the Church to "extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, among other things." Thus, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

Mike Jones, over at Change.org's Gay Rights blog, dispels the Church's claims even further, pointing out that a change in same sex marriage laws would not require the Church to be secular.

It's easy to get caught up in the he-said, she-said, spin, fear-spreading myths. But the bigger question here is this: how many people will be impacted if the Catholic Diocese of DC follows through with this threat? According to the Post, roughly one-third of the city's homeless population currently receive services from Catholic Charities, the Church's charity arm. That's about 68,000 people who will be cut off from shelters, medical services, food programs.

Based on the cold, remorseless, matter-of-fact statements issued by the Catholic Diocese of DC, this decision to pit social services and gay marriage one another is being made without batting an eye. The church seems to have no problem leaving vulnerable men, women, and children out in the cold simply to make a point. While providing social services is often considered a benevolent activity, holding those reliant on these services hostage to advance a political agenda is an obscene abuse of power.

Why must the poor pay for the church's intolerance?

Image: Gawnesco

This Veterans Day, Hope for Homeless Vets

Shannon Moriarty — 2009-11-11T21:00:00-08:00

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

Mark Horvath — 2009-11-11T08:03:00-08:00

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