I'm glad that you posted this blog. It brings people to the terms that this issue has been a problem for some time that needs to be dealt with. As the issue of affordable housing is presented we as a people with a voice should expect to be able to make changes to the way that we live as a society.

We are in need of a reform that tackles the problems of the poverished and the homeless.

Thank You.

It's sad mental health was overlooked as it's a major contributor to people becoming and staying homeless.  I think the problem is oversimplified and over-politicized in this and the linked post.

Affordable housing is only part of the issue, having jobs that will allow the individual to get to the point where he or she can be self-sufficient is going to be more helpful than just making another "projects" section in cities.  How about starting to encourage job creation outside of the government?  How about lowering taxes on small businesses so they can build the workforce and create new jobs not dependant on already-thin tax dollars?  How about raising tariffs in foreign-produced items so the only reason to buy foreign items is if they are better quality than US made (just think of the money we will save not having to treat our kids from lead poisoning too!).  How about encouraging US businesses to MAKE things and not chase this services-only ideal that lead us to the cluster-$*&^ that is our current financial sector?

To me the best safety net is secure, wide and above all temporary; one built to stop the fall and get people back on their own steam.  Homelessness is a problem but it's not one that will be solved by making government programs and supplements last a lifetime.  

Oh and I wonder how much the administrations charity tax limit will affect already struggling shelters. 

Mental illness is a secondary reason people become homeless. The first reason is lack of money. The mentally ill on SSI or SSDI in 16 USA States are not paid the going market rate for there State.

Am amazing 70% of all workers across American are not paid enough to pay rent. That is cause of homelesness 

Thank you, Shannon. Again.

You've made very important points, put very well.

If and when more people become realistically aware of the truer situation(s), perhaps more realistic - and VIABLE - response can and will be mustered to actually solve and end more real people's plights... rather than just perpetuate a worsening predicament.

One of the hardest things to face, once one's gone over that homeless precipice is how very little real help there is to get back out of the jam... even despite the very real "help" to make such a demise a bit more comfortable or convenient here and there in various ways.

And that's for someone that has significantly more "going for them" than many others.

Now this was a really great post! Thank you Shannon! I appreciate your emphasis on taking action -- that's so important. And I'm glad you put income inequality right at number 1, because that's the true cause of homelessness: not having enough money, even for addicts and the mentally ill. It really is that simple. I think it just seems complicated because we as a society in general aren't ready (or willing, maybe) to alter the status quo to such a degree that the extreme wealth inequality we see today (and thus, extreme poverty) is significantly lessened. And trying to solve social problems created in large part because society is structured a certain way while simultaneously attempting to maintain that societal structure is complicated, if it's even possible.

To that, I will add to Seth: jobs creation as a solution is nice in theory, but what good is it if those jobs aren't paying people enough money to actually survive? I add that only because I've noticed when people talk about "jobs creation" they're often referring to low paying jobs -- the sort that won't really lift someone up enough to true self-sufficiency, just the appearance of it. And there are quite a few homeless people out there who DO work, who have full time jobs even. No one who works full time should ever be homeless because they don't earn enough money.

The reasons for homelessness are myriad, and include drugs with which some sure get in over their heads. Also, kids have parents that get off the track or move away or go to prison.

I happen to house 2 kids (20s) who are described above. It's a battle to share, and that sometimes includes food, with them on my wage. Both work, but that would never cover rent because of low pay & few hours.

There always seem to be good candidates for my help, but I don't want in over MY head. The few resources from the State are the differnce between getting by barely, and collapse of our system.  We try to maintain a good attitude, but that barely gets them to work on time.

Here's hoping for a better economy and a bit of age to add wisdom.

National governments must come to the rescue of homelessness people. It is not only home, but "Adequate Shelter" be provided to such people as per UN Resolution.It should be tackled thhrough both economic and social instruments to meet the need of homelessness.

Prof.Fani Bhusan Das

We need More Shelters and better permanent Housing. The So called Fair market rent rate is going up so high that its ridiculous. This means the mice infested, slums will be going up so no person working at minimum wage can afford a falling down rent, without any repairs.

If my enveople math is right, even the middle class Advocates of the poor of  are selling us out.  they stay in business only if poverty continues. Perhaps they are unaware their figures are wrong. 

One group study said a new budget for poverty should include taxes, childcare,transportation.   And they are saying in NYC Both rent and utilities for 12 months would cost $15,816. This is for a family of four.   Those is close to the fair market rent for one alone, costs in Maine. 12 months worth of utilities will cost $1,000?  Thats less than $100 a month for heating and cooling.  NYC Usually cost more to live and for rent then Maine.  This is my rational thought process. I do not accept all Groups have to offer, even if they do lean to the left.  

 I will be calling My senator, Senator O. Snowe, Rep. to find where to look for the real HUD fair market values for NYC and I will also ask for the formula for each bills the Utilities Poverty level.  If we are going to fix the poverty level Lets use the real figures!!

 According to this unnamed group Whether you are in NYC, Hoston TX or Aurora IL out of pocket medical will cost accost the board $732, a year, That is about $60 a month for cough meds., tylenol, and vitamins.

So I cannot say this group against poverty got it right or wrong until I have more facts. But my gut feeling and rational are they are not using HUD's Figures. 

It is possible I am mistaken. If that is the case, then I will apologize not a minute before. 

I think if more people question facts handed them and correct the process there would be less Homelessness. Lets Get it RIGHT.  

Shannon, there is just ONE thing YOU and all the people who have commented here obviously don't know about homelessnes, and absolutely NEED to know about it if you are going to be part of any genuine solution: homelessness is not a complicated issue at all, it's a simple issue.  Homelessness is landlessness: if people have a secure right to use land, they can easily make housing for themselves, as proved by the barrios of the Third World.  Homelessness is the inevitable result of our system of private landowning, which violates people's rights to liberty -- the liberty to use the land nature provided to all -- without just compensation, for the unearned profit of a small, wealthy, idle, privileged elite of private landowners.  Because the supply of land is fixed, there is no way to end homelessness except by restoring people's rights to use land.

If you look closely at those $1K/month rents, Barbara, you will find that it almost all goes for the land, the location.  The buildings poor people live in are typically old and dilapidated, and almost worthless.  The only reason people can't afford the rent is that they have been stripped of their rights to use land without just compensation.

And Alan, homelessness has nothing whatever to do with "overpopulation," as there are lots of homeless people in Canada, which has 1/10 the US population density.

There is another contributing factor here that I think very few people are aware of, especially those that are trying to make a difference.  As a woman raising her granddaughter and in desperate need of help myself now that my Welfare and SSI are no longer enough I turned to the web.  Twenty years of steadily losing ground in my own area, hundreds of phone calls and walk ins to numerous agencies has nearly nothinged me to death.  Thousands of times whether on the phone, in person or on the web I have run into this same wall: "We take donations. We do not give handouts."  Or: " We do not actually help individuals.  We just take donations for the charities".  From where I am sitting people are cumulatively donating billions of dollars annually; yet, us poor are still not any better off.  For all the donations, I can get Welfare $183.00, SSI $674.00,  some help with my gas bill and we are gratefully going hungry daily on $216.00 a month food stamps.  That's approximately $7.20 a day to split between two of us.  That would not even cover two happy meals.  I forgot how to plan a menu years ago.  My doctor is use to me testing anemicand vitamin deficient.  To make things worse I can not eat most processed foods or cheaper foods, such as breads and pastas.  My granddaughter also can not tolerate the SAD (Standard American Diet).  I am digging through my apartment complex's dumpsters for clothes and furniture. The reality is that with all of those people donating out there to help people like me and even worse off it means basically nothing to us.  My health is steadily deteriorating.  We are very nearly prisoner's of our own home because we can not "afford" to go anywhere.  Sometimes I must wait to afford gas to go get food.  I believe we are in desperate need of an overhaul of our programs, agencies, nonprofits and charities.  There are numerous agencies where I live and it still means a whole lot of nothing.  I can not help but wonder even now as I sit here shaking with hunger how many luxurious homes are being paid for off of the name of the poor while so many have nowhere safe or comfortable at all to sleep.      

Christine, you've highlighted a very important, yet oft-neglected aspect here. The sad, even tragic, fact is that an awful lot of "donations" and "funding" characterized as supposedly for "helping" people doesn't actually provide any particular, manifest, practical help, after all.

This is a stark and surprising realization that I had to face when my own hour of need for help had me trying to find some that I might avail, too. It's worse than ironic to see how much visible "fund raising" and drum beatings are going on that not only are NOT resulting in real people's benefit (at least not the promoted people ostensibly to be benefitted) but that too much of this actually then DIVERTS resources away from those in need.

Personally, I've come to view this as The Dirty Little Secret of the NPO and bureaucracy scenes.

The only time I feel is when homelessness and real health care will come around is if all of our senators had no savings or money or jobs and had to live like the homeless do.  If they would have jobs that pay anywhere from $6.00 to $10.00 and hour and pay taxes. You can't even live in an apartment ot get a house with that kind of money and pay bills, medical care etc.  How about trying to live on welfare and SS and SSI, a person just can't live on this.  Something has to be done.  More money should go to the homeless shelters to help these poor people and even homeless families.  Not all people who are homeless are on drugs or mentaly ill.  They are down and out do to unforseen circumstances not of their doing.  They should also be taught how to create jobs and have training programs for the homeless to let them get some kind of employment.  Any person is happier working than looking for handouts to survive.

One thing about mental illness - and in many ways other disabilities too - and homelessness is that we, as a nation, (and yes, I mean this as a generalization in terms of how our nation's policies work or more accurately FAIL to work) effectively FORCE those with disabilities to go onto disability programs like SSI and/or SSDI so they can get "medical assistance" - often meaning access to PUBLIC HEALTH (which all too often requires INSURANCE for access or at least access to specialists).  This then leaves them in a particularly dire level of poverty.  They get discriminated against by HAVING to be disabled to get "medical assistance" by the program guidelines if they don't have dependent children - which many of the disabled don't - then HAVE to have an even more desperate level of poverty to qualify, AND are disqualified from some of the most basic types of help (like cash aid to buy necessities like TP and dish soap - I always use these as examples because a social worker in San Joaquin County, CA once told me adults don't "need" these things) and are placed behind seniors and those with children for housing priority.  It's like - to use something my grandparents would have said - we're society's redheaded stepkids, those no one wants to claim or admit we really exist, never mind actually care for...

Under these circumstances, realistically, how are we supposed to take care of ourselves AND keep housing?  It's more like keep housing OR take care of ourselves.  We don't get adequate help to buy food or to get appropriate medical care, to say we can honestly afford housing is approaching delusional.  It's a financial house of cards waiting for an excuse to collapse and we're generally left at the mercy of normal landlords.  So yeah, we do make up a good portion of the homeless who aren't families and I'd be willing to be we're the other growing group - we and anyone else who NEEDS medical care.

That the mentally ill are a large portion of the group is a dark secret.  We were promised outpatient clinics that never materialized in numbers or at a level of functionality and competence to even begin to service the numbers needed.  Instead, what often exists are clinics that REQUIRE Medicaid and/or Medicare (a nightmare to obtain if homeless) and end up being so bad you wouldn't send your worst enemy's dog there for treatment because of the way they practice medicine, how they violate patient's rights or gross violations of things like basic ethics and professionalism.  This can't be ignored as a huge contributing factor to homelessness and just as much as affordable housing, it's something that has to be corrected.

I am about to say something that might be unpopular but it is the truth.  The engine of the American economy is the root cuase of homelessness.  When you speak of affordable housing it can not equate to affordable financing.  That is a mirage which creates short term affordability and log term bubbles.

The root cuase is the constant cycle of housing speculation which leads to higher and higher prices.  Well, some would say but how can that be it is a free market.  Yes, but it is manuipulated just like oil with OPEC.  Here there is no need for a meeting to set a price there is collective collusion with more people which have money having an interest in increasing housing prices.  Now normally as prices go up the demand side would drop cuasing a housing price crash.  But that is not acceptable as it would take out the entire economy. 

So homelessness is the cost of the engine of the economy.  It is built into the system.  They are other structural mechanisms which also contribute.  With houses especially in California as prices go up there is no added burden on the homeowner which would put downward pressure on prices (Taxes don't go up).  So it is only those people who are actually buying a house that get affected.

Let me put this in plain english.  1% of the market affects the prie and value of 99% of the market. 

So the choice is really between government provided homeless housing or the repeal of ALL mechanisms which artificailly boost house prices.  I would start with the tax credit for interest on the home loan.  Then I would stop subsidized home loans and reduce the maximum mortgage period to 20 years. 

This would result in the short term in nobody being able to buy a house and a housing price crash.  In the long term there would be increased security as it would take less time to pay off your house. 

The bottom line is prices will go up to the most we can afford.  The trick is to rig the system such that it is impossible to get in a situation where you have to spend your ENTIRE life paying of the house.

SOMETHING GOES WRONG, and you may no longer be homeless.

Yes, homelessness is definitely a problem.  So is healthcare.

So is corporate greed.  So is war. So too animal cruelty and abuse.  And, until there is peace in the hearts of human beings, these things will continue to occur.

I suggest checking out this website: www.wopg.org

I'm amazed at how much *talk* is generated by certain subjects. "Homelessness" (at least in certain circles and, uh, "forums") is no exception.

The sad truth is, even though *homelessness* has been an issue forever (literally, ever since the beginning of recorded history --- at least), never have *talk* and political *gesturing* (oh, and taxpayer funded "programs") been so prevelant.

And useless.

An increasingly "global" economy --- facilitated by the creeps, criminals, and consumate politicians that *we* have elected to national, state, and municipal office --- is making *more and more* easy for *corporate* extortion of people *everywhere.*

How many reading this have *any* "money* tied up in securities, 401k's, and other *imaginary* "wealth" tied up in or related to "Wallstreet" and such?

Sit down. Shut up. And accept the fact that *you* are a hypocrite and the biggest part of the problem.

The overwhelming majority of people doing *most* of the *talking* about homelessness spend *more* money on fashion, pets, or entertainment (TV, music, movies, dining out, sports, etc) in a month than they spend in a whole year actually directly *helping* anybody who is actually homeless.

And, they elect a Democrat or a Republican to office.

Most of you are truly clueless and are part of the problem.

It will only get worse. And worse.

And worse.

More failed, taxpayer-funded social programs (in and of themselves just "band-aids" --- all of them) will not prevent the situation from getting worse.

Just watch and listen. That alone is more useful than doing what you have been doing --- electing "Reds" or "Blues" to office. Either way, it's ultimately a Coporate funded Plutocracy you are all *enabling* that *creates* the perfect [world economic] storm that is causing the "problem" you all rail about.

So sad. Especially when so many of you reading this really *do* have good intentions.

This is maybe the best of all your terrific postings! You have a real gift for formulating major principles and to-do's in compelling ways.

Just a couple of thoughts about advocacy. First, it's far from easy to find out whether your community is doing what it should to meet homeless people's needs-even harder to assess its plans for addressing the systemic problems that contribute to homelessness. Or at least I've found it so. What's been helpful to me is finding local organizations that are already working on the issues. You can learn from them and support their efforts. Skills are in need as well as extra hands and $$.

Second, what you say about asking questions is very important. Speaking again from experience, local agencies often aren't nearly so transparent as they ought to be. Ditto elected officials. So I think we have to insist  on having ready access to proposed budgets, plans, regulations and the like. Equally important, we have to insist on having these in a form the average person can understand. The best approach I know is just to keep pointing out what's missing or unclear and asking for explanations. Here too, collaboration is helpful.

Finally, as you and previous commenters say, homelessness is very simple and, at the same time, very complex. On the one hand, it's just a matter of not having enough money to pay for a place to live. On the other hand, there are many reasons why people don't have the money. Lack of what we call affordable housing is only one of them. So I think there's a very broad range of policies and programs one can advocate for to address homelessness. I'm not saying any one person can work on them all-only that there's a choice. And with this choice comes a choice of many organizations that provide policy-relevant information and advocacy tools. The National Association to End Homelessness is only one of them.

With respect to zoning: I disagree with an abolishment of it.  It was designed to keep industrial / residental separate for a very good reason.  However, it should never be considered set in stone - and should be updated every 10 years in my opinion.

Here is a link to some Green Affordable Housing case studies, I'd recommend you dig into these and perhaps scrutinize the ordinance/taxation adjustments made to help make it possible.

As follows:

http://frontierassoc.net/greenaffordablehousing/CaseStudies/BayArea.shtml

Cheers.

To Alan: Lucky for you. You must own your own home. How do you get by on about $550 a month. The only thing that buys for most people is food and transportation, that is for two people.

Here's the reality in Maryland:(monthly expenses) rent or mortgage - $1000.( this is on the low end). Gas/electric, small house, $200-$300. Water-$30. Food - $350. Car insurance - $100 for 1 car. TV (the absolute cheapest) because everything is now cable - $60. Internet (my wonderful ability to argue with you) $50. Then there's taxes. Maryland taxes are the highest in the country, 10% of income. Federal taxes, 8% of income. Medical insurance, through employer - $200, (this is what I currently have, for which I am ever so grateful). I think you can get the picture. There is no budgeting here for clothing, gasoline, out of pocket medical bills, house miscell. And the total so far is already nearing $2000, per month.

Anyway, when people tell me they live on such and such an amount, and I know that this is just not possible if they have to rely entirely on their own, then I have to ask "In what universe do you live in?"

I once interviewed 13 people who were homeless. This was while helping to feed them in the park, which we did until the city of St Pete's best drove us out. One of them found housing, after his case was resolved with the V.A. The system had let a Vietnam Vet go homeless for years, and he was no drunk or doper. One of them was living in her car, because she had ticked off all of her friends and relatives to the point of kicking her out. One of them was a transsexual, a third class citizen in our "enlightened" society. Need I say more?

None of these people, zero, was homeless by choice. They all said that they would welcome the responsibility of paying rent, bills, etc. if they but had the income. All but one of them was out of work, and that one had to "save up" for a place. Work hard every day, and save up to afford to live under a roof? Christ, give me a break.

I have a friend who actually pays $100 a month for cable TV. I can't believe it. That money would buy a lot of food for a Homeless project.

If we as a country cannot solve this problem, and the problems of tax inequality, and health care, we are doomed to third world country status, you're either poor or rich, look at Mexico. Corrupt government. USA, corrupt government. The rich rule, and most don't give a damn, from what I see and hear.

   I agree with almost every point taken here. Yet everyone seems to overlook (or take for granted-that means you are healthy & fortunate) one of the most prevalant, current causes of homelessness in our country, over the past several years- even before the economy tanked: the horrible state of our health care system & the unsigned check & unlimited power we are still granting to the pharmacuetical & insurance industries.

   I my self am experiencing this horror, right now as I write this. I don't fit in to my shelters & charitable homeless programs either. Not to put these important programs down, things would be worse without them. I am a highly educated health care professional, ironically injured by a surgical device & then a crazed dentist. I'd had to fight in our Federal court system for over 17 years to get justice ordered, now the billion dollar corporation that owes me redress is utilizing every loophole they can to stall off my rightful payment.

  Don't know how I survived this so long. Somehow I did. Had to raise a special needs son by myself, at the same time. Very challenging- the power of love , I guess-LOL! Guess I'm just feeling fortunate I'm not like other class members of the litigation, that have died. Could be the financial condition I was in, when this all started: I owned two successful companines, 17 properties- our home, my office & 15 rental properties, two cars, great furnishings, nice clothes & jewelry- all long gone now. As I write this I'm looking frantically for live-in domestic positions. I'm about to lose the room I'm renting & finally, totally out of assests & cash.

 We have programs for alcoholics, drug addicts, people with AIDS, women with small children & that's all good. There are halfway houses for those re-entering society from jails & prisons. For certain we should take better care of our mentally ill- what does this say about our country? Yet here I am totally mentally well, no history of drug or alcohol problems, my only son is grown. I have medically caused lupus- the opposite of AIDS- no assistance for that. I had great medical coverage & private disability through my business- long over. Social Security has become an elusive bad joke. Still need over 80K in surgery- no coverage. The largest new growing cause of current bankruptcies & home foreclosures these days, is not just the economy- it's illness or injury of a head of household. I just read that 1 out of 3 foreclosures are directly related to this, & 2 out of 3 current personal bankruptcies. We're not talking alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, or lack of responsibility in these cases- just the "crime" of becoming seriously injured or ill, is enough to erase everything you worked for, & rob you of a dignified place to call home.  We are the only developed nation where such an occurance, can force hard working folks, even well educated professionals- out in the streets!

Thanks for allowing me to add this point, & remember that when indoctrination regarding "death cousels" & the scourge of socialized medicine is being discussed-please! Only a true, well managed one payer health system, will prevent such loss from occuring- maybe even to you, or someone you care about. I hope not. Stay safe, healthy & keep caring!

Thanks, Shannon, for raising the issue, and I agree with all your points.  But like some of those who've commented, I think the problem is systemic and requires broader solutions as well.  Possibly the primary cause of homelessness is that so much wealth has been concentrated among already-rich people that there hasn't been enough to go around for some time.  And of course there's always enough for the next war, and the next, while people suffer.  Wages stagnated for thirty years, then people tried to make up for that by borrowing on their homes, and now we have a crisis that may not go away in our lifetimes.  I've made an attempt to put together the related issues in an article posted at http://pdamerica.org/articles/news/2009-05-18-10-29-00-news.php, with updates on my own rather primitive blog at www.healingjustice.wordpress.com.  Please take a look and consider making your perspective on these issues part of your advocacy.

Alan, you are quite a fountainhead of misinformation.  You wrote:

"The main cause of homelessness is zoning, which is the main cause of homelessness because it regulates and limits the housing supply and price is always an exclusive function of supply and demand in any economic system."

Wrong.  While zoning is often part of the problem because it is corrupt, the corruption only arises because land is privately owned, and corrupt zoning favors are therefore so profitable to landowners.  Almost all successful civic election campaigns are funded by wealthy landowners seeking zoning favors.  The typical return on their "investments" in campaign donations is around 50,000%.

Besides, zoning is a historically recent innovation, and homelessness has been around for millennia.

Strike One.

"The sustainable population of Canada is zero as humans are tropical creatures, so anyone in Canada is overpopulation."

Wrong again.  Human beings have not been exclusively tropical for at least 60,000 years.  The Inuit have been living in the high arctic with Stone Age technology for at least 10,000 years.

Strike Two.

"The Barrios also show that nobody is giong to bother to build a house on land they don't own.  Thus housing anyone REQUIRES land ownership."

Wrong again.  The barrios consist of houses people HAVE built on land they don't own. They just won't invest a lot in fixed improvements unless they have secure TENURE -- but tenure is NOT ownership.

There is NO private ownership of land in Hong Kong, and hasn't been for 160 years. But lots of people have built houses there -- a fact you claimed cannot be true, remember -- and it is one of the most densely populated areas on earth, as well as one of the wealthiest and best-housed.  And to put the boots to your ludicrous "zoning" and "overpopulation" claims conclusively, HK has strict zoning and effectively NO homelessness.

That's Strike Three, sunshine.  You're out.

"All of their ancesters moved there in response to tropical overpopulation.  There could be no other reason."

Wrong again. The population of the tropics was at that time less than 1% of what it is now.  Once people figured out how to use clothing and SHELTER to survive the winters in the temperate zones, they were actually healthier, as they avoided many tropical diseases.

So, Strike Four.  But who's counting?

The only question now is, are you willing to know such facts, even though they prove that your beliefs are flat, outright false as a matter of objective fact?

Barbara wrote:

"I do understand this, but suddenly giving people land will not solve the immediate problem of homelessness and the need for immediate housing."

I don't propose to "give them land," but to restore their RIGHTS to USE land.  Those who use more than their share of land, by value, should pay compensation to the community (a land value tax or LVT) so that everyone is able to use SOME land for free (a flat, universal, individual LVT exemption). A tenant in an old, low-value apartment building would just apply their land tax exemption to their rent, reducing it by 90% or more.

"Even with land (my sister has 5 acres, which she cannot do anything with right now), you still have to be able to afford to do something with it - build a structure, set up utilities, possible well and septic - all that. Just something to consider."

I can't comment on your sister's situation, not knowing all the circumstances. But bottom line, she is part of the problem: she is holding land out of use that homeless people could be living and building housing on.  By what right?

"Also, our government has the right of eminent domain, and they can take your land "for the public good", such as a road, a railroad , national defense; there's probably a list of things that this law can be used for. This law can usurp your ability to have and hold on to your own land."

You need to understand: owning land is a privilege that violates others' rights. What makes it "your own land"?  Nothing but government force.

"When you talk about peoples' rights to use land which is not privayely owned, I am not exactly sure how that is possible today."

I am talking about people's rights to use land that IS privately owned.  The owners should pay just compensation to the community of those whose rights they are violating.

If you want to understand homelessness and a lot of other social and economic problems, Google "land value tax" and start reading.  Economists have known for centuries that publicly created land value should be recovered for public purposes, but somehow nobody is allowed to mention that fact in the corporate-owned media.

Our steel mills were shut-down, as other countries were cheaper union prices.  Our farms were bought-up by banks and incorporated.  Many of our jobs and businesses were  outsourced to other countries for cheaper labor.  Our middle-upper and lower classes and small businesses are taxed almost to death for any and all programs.  People for many, many years were rewarded with more welfare money for having more babies.  People comming into the US were rewarded for having a baby here and benefits were given to their family for this.  Developers over-built many areas to make a quick profit and who needs so many 5-7 bedroom houses as a norm in California?  Bail-outs; corruption; government cash for corps and special interests cost big bucks - which I end as the name of the game - Profit - and the heck with people seems to be the idea - and we have part of the proof in our homelessness!

Several people have expressed or agreed with the view that US manufacturing jobs have been outsourced overseas, impoverishing the working class.  This is an interesting discussion, but pointless if we don't take action.  There are two measures pending in Congress that would address these concerns.  The Employee Free Choice Act would revive and strengthen the labor movement, and the TRADE Act would address the export of US jobs.  Details and options to sign on in support of these bills, and information on other organizations that focus on these issues, are at the Progressive Democrats of America website, and are explained further in an article of mine that was posted on that site at http://pdamerica.org/articles/news/2009-05-18-10-29-00-news.php

Jan,

Bless you, Dear. I see you radiant with excellent health, rich with infinite prosperity, and living happily in beautiful surroundings!

Thank you so very much Nickie & Barbara too! Should caring. reaching out & karma be real- we are all headed for some beautiful times, with many others here. Can't wait!

On the other hand, as great as intentions can be, I can't help feeling a strong call to action. My first call to action must be getting my head above water- so I may be effective for others- obviously. Still working on that with intensity. In fact a friend just came over to take me to the Sheriff's office so I have to wrap this up for now. I'm getting fingerprinted for background check & driving history checks- as I may have found a live-in gig helping young mentally disabled adults.

So here it is folks: I've met so many people through this who are still doing quite well, have plenty of extra bedrooms, bathrooms in their condos & homes- empty- just as their hearts seem to be. Some evn have extra cars sitting around- if driven could help someone get work, food, etc. I was thinking- if I can find some help for grant writing, web building ,blogging etc. Why not build a site with good people about to become homeless who need a place, run background checks, resumes of history & encourage these more fortunate folks to come up to the plate- match them? We can write grants for the funding. If anyone wishes to donote the time & energy- I'm very serious about this. It's time to take the bull by the horns & make a real difference. Anyone game?

There seems to be a lag here.  I'm replying to a comment from Christine Cline that I don't see on the blog yet.

Ms. Cline wrote about her experience of homelessness (& I am so sorry about what you went through.  My late wife used to represent people who had had similar ghastly experiences, helping them get on to Social Security Disability when they could barely function but the system had turned them down).  But regarding your suggestion that people in government or who work in Welfare or Social Security should have to spend some time homeless or on Welfare:  I know some people in those systems can be unfeeling and unhelpful, but I used to work in the NYC Welfare Department, and I've also had good experience with staff at my local Social Security office -- and even, to my amazement, great help from a guy on the phone in DC who works for the federal government and gave me great advice when my daughter was moving to Medicare (because I was leaving my job and she has a disability).  Often, many on the staff are struggling to provide help within a system designed to make that as difficult as possible, or worse.  The people who need to spend time homeless and on Welfare are the politicians who demonize welfare recipients and those who, like Bill Clinton, make it ever harder for the system to really help people, so they can give more money to their friends.  That may sound simplistic but that is truly the way it is.  Right now they're saying health insurance is unaffordable, after giving several Trillion dollars directly to Wall Street, and making financial guarantees worth several Trillion more.  They say this is to "shore up the markets" but it's basically bailing out people with big money who make their living gambling with our future.     

Barbara wrote:

"The government does get compensation for the land people own in the form of taxes."

Right.  But in most states property taxes do not nearly recover the value being given to the landowners.  Remember: land value is the minimum value of what the landowner expects to take from society and NOT REPAY in taxes.  It is the measure of the minimum subsidy he will receive.

It sounds like the value of your sister's land is minimal.  Under the system of restored individual land-use rights that I described, she would be able to use that land tax-free (or some better, more convenient land for her purposes).

"We do pay very high taxes for 'pieces of land', and should we develop it, the taxes increase a lot."

Actually, property taxes in most states are quite low: much less than the average increase in publicly created land value.  But you are right that improving the land gets you a higher tax bill, which is another reason a land value tax is better than the ordinary property tax.  Most people are not aware of the fact that the common property tax is in fact two OPPOSITE taxes: a tax on the value of the improvements, which measures what the owner contributes to the wealth of the community, and a tax on the land's value, which measures what the community contributes to the wealth of the landowner.  Putting all the tax liability on the land value would encourage people to improve their land, providing the facilities, housing, etc. the community needs.

since land owning is likely to stay a part of life how about conjuring up transitional housing educating integration 1-2 year models for getting an operational handle on this always been there always will most likely part of life.  its the mammal thing to do

even lions adopt a wayward deer to care and feed it until the lion itself dies in trying.  here's a place to start.  person to person

It is not enough to know  only five things about. Homelessness.Some more points we must know are-

            *saving from one's income to pay back to bank.

             *Cost affordable technology for housing.

             *Home and livelihood program spaces should be accessible by foot and/or cycle.

              *Make the Home an entity of Peace.

              *Housing loans must be viable depending on the income of the client.

               *All national governments must provide adequate  funds for liveable Home than Luxury Apartments.

               *Financial as well as livelihood capacity of Homelessness people must be augmented.

               *Access to cost-effective building materials.

               *Physical space be earmarked both in cities and villages through effective planning process for construction of houses for homelessness people.

                *Above all it is proactive government policies that will only solve the problem of Homelessness.

Prof.Fani Bhusan Das

Sorry, Prof Das, but you obviously do not understand the basic problem, which is lack of the right to use land.  Until we fix that, anything we do to try to help the homeless just ends up enriching landowners.

"*saving from one's income to pay back to bank."

Why are we in debt to banks?  Two reasons: we have to buy the right to exist from landowners, and most of us can only afford it by borrowing; and the banks are privileged to create money from thin air in order to lend it to us at interest so we can buy our little area of land to exist in.  It's an enormous scam that enriches idle bankers and landowners at the expense of the productive.

"*Cost affordable technology for housing."

Wrong.  There is plenty of cost affordable technology for housing.  What's not affordable is decent land to put that housing on.  Until you address that basic issue, you are wasting your time.  Take it to the bank.

"*Home and livelihood program spaces should be accessible by foot and/or cycle."

Or public transit.  Right.  But what makes people use urban space more efficiently?  Remove the exorbitant subsidy to idle landowning and speculation and you might find out.

"*Make the Home an entity of Peace."

How can the home be an entity of Peace when the need for a bit of land to put that home on is a source of relentless financial duress?

"*Housing loans must be viable depending on the income of the client."

People don't need housing loans if their right to use land is recognized.  It is only when we have to buy our right to land for housing from private landowners that we need loans.

"*All national governments must provide adequate  funds for liveable Home than Luxury Apartments."

Nope.  Wrong.  What national governments have to do -- and the only thing they can do that will actually help -- is to restore the equal individual right to use what nature provided equally to all.

"*Financial as well as livelihood capacity of Homelessness people must be augmented."

Useless.  Until their right to use land is restored, any such financial assistance will simply be stolen from the recipients by private landlords in the form of increased land rents.

"*Access to cost-effective building materials."

People already have access to cost effective building materials.  What they don't have, and absolutely need, is access to LAND.  Nothing you or anyone else does can possibly make any diffference until that basic injustice is addressed.

"*Physical space be earmarked both in cities and villages through effective planning process for construction of houses for homelessness people."

Homeless people would be able to pick their own most appropriate physical spaces, IF THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO USE THE PHYSICAL SPACE NATURE PUT THERE, and of which private landowning forcibly deprives them.

"*Above all it is proactive government policies that will only solve the problem of Homelessness."

There is only one proactive p9olicy that can possibly solve the problem of homelessness: restoration of the equal individual human rights to life and liberty, INCLUDING THE LIBERTY TO USE WHAT NATURE PROVIDED.

Roy Langston stated: "...you obviously do not understand the basic problem, which is lack of the right to use land.  Until we fix that, anything we do to try to help the homeless just ends up enriching landowners."

Every single argument you are making is relying solely on this premise. However, this idea goes back to the feudal lord system. Anything we try to do IS NOT specifically going to enrich the land owners; WE ARE THE LANDOWNERS. Every single piece of land in this country is OWNED by someone, either personal ownership, corporate ownership, or government ownership. We MUST work within the realistic and logical bounds from which we are entrenched. "THE LIBERTY TO USE WHAT NATURE HAS PROVIDED" is such a generality and nomadic reality that it is entirely moot. We no longer have squatter's rights in this country, haven't for some time. We no longer have the wide open spaces of uncharted territories. We must work with what we have. Telling everyone they should have a right to just go where they want, settle wherever they want, and set up, (what, housing?), without recognizing that even those who wish to live off the land will find that they are intricately connected to the rest of society and their specific communities, by which they will find they need to rely on these communities for a variety of resources. You're not really interested in homelessness, are you. You are interested in the socialist ownership of all lands and resources. What you are proposing is something similar to the Russian Revolution. If you recall, the Russian Revolution was followed by a horrible and bloody civil war. WE are not going there!

I repeat, we must work within the REALISTIC  and LOGICAL BOUNDS from which we are entrenched. WE MUST WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE. The solutions are there. They can be utilized. You have nothing to offer.

I really wish that we could stop arguing here. It isn't going to solve anything, it might even delay getting people some help.

This is supposed to be a discussion board, not a place to attack one another.

Peace.

it doesn't take much to be homeless now nor did it 18 years ago.  a stay at home mom with 3 children under the age of 5, newly single, home with a view foreclosed, dad gone sideways.  we were homeless until a family let us stay in their playroom until we found a home to share. 

first job - my pay was 7 dollars an hour no PTO no benefits but it was right next to where we lived and the schools. I transported the children to 3 places in the am, then lunchtime pick up and drop offs then picked up from two different locations. 

this was 7 times a day between daycare, preschool, kindergarten for 1 year.  then at 10:00pm, the kids asleep, with a teenage babysitter sleeping over I went to work the 2nd job until 2:00am for 10 dollars an hour.  then on the weekends (a friend watched the kids) I drove a Sanford and Son look alike panel truck to pick up roofing debris and took it to the dump - one Saturday I made 3 trips and made 100 dollars! I wrote college papers for a couple of friends too. 

we had school lunch program cards - humiliating but thankful to have had that.  we didn't use a dryer for over 3 years to save money.  we couldn't afford a battery for the car so the 2 older kids and I pushed the car to start for over a month and I always parked on a slope so I could coast to get started again; finally I traded babysitting for a battery.

we had no electricity for 2 weeks before Christmas and a "secret santa" left a card at our house with 200 dollars so santa did come to our house.

then the next job at 10 dollars an hour the paychecks started to bounce... I finally found a project assistant job at a medical foundation - this job took us out of poverty.  I didn't know then that all the steps I took to get through living for a few years at an under poverty level would actually be the same skills that would lift my family out of poverty.  it took 5 years to start to see more that a glimmer of light.

those are memories we are just remembering and the fear, it never really goes away. 

navigating life without financial resources was what I call Impossible, a Nightmare and lonely.  this is an experience that no one should have, every child should go to bed safe no one should go hungry, every parent should know there is care available for their sick child.

main point:  a family opened their hearts and home to us - really who does that?! 

what do I wish we had back then?  a primer, a how to find resources, an advocate, and hope.  hope that is more than "home is where the heart is" more like knowing that one step at a time would get us somewhere.  ruby red slippers too would help.

Thank you for these great thoughts on the homelessness problem.  I especially found #3 interesting.  The metaphor I've heard relates to leaks in a roof.  Serving sandwiches is like putting out buckets to catch the drips.  You solved the immediate problem, but the leaks are still there.  Advocacy is climbing up on the roof and finding out what's causing the leaks to begin with.  You need those buckets while you're up there fixing the leaks, but you also can't just sit there with the buckets and think that's enough.

Thanks for a powerful post about homelessness, and I love the action suggestions too!

Best,

Cheryl Mahoney

cmahoney@universalgiving.org

www.universalgiving.org