Posts by Mark Horvath
The Plight of Homeless Sex Offenders
Published November 18, 2009 @ 01:35PM PT
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.
Navigating the Social Service Safety Net
Published November 16, 2009 @ 02:28PM PT
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.
One Homeless Veteran is Too Many
Published November 11, 2009 @ 08:03AM PT
The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowded San Francisco sidewalk. But he was very much alone. He was in his wheelchair, trying to position his body upright so he could pick through the contents of a garbage can. Swarms of people, tourists and businesspeople, hurried past. They all seemed too busy to stop and notice one man's struggle, one man's devastating plight.
If these people knew Dale's story, maybe they would not have hurried past so quickly. Dale spent 14 years serving our country, including two tours of Vietnam. As a result, he has serious health issues that confine him to a wheelchair. Yet, he says the only help he gets from the VA is free coffee and donuts.
The stories of homeless veterans are among the hardest to watch, if you ask me. These are men and women who were willing to wear the uniform, willing to put themselves in harms way. It must be tough to come to the realization that their country - the people and ideals that they fought for - are not half as eager to heal their pain, to have their backs. Seems there is just too much hurt and not enough money. Still, there is a lot of noise these days in Washington about ending the atrocity of veteran homelessness. It is critical that this talk become real, tangible solutions. Our veterans have waited long enough.
Today is Veteran's Day. Today we will remember the sacrifices of our Veterans and honor their unselfish service. The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowd. But he was alone, picking through a garbage can.
This Veteran's Day, let's remember the plight of veterans - homeless in America. And let's resolve to do something about it.
Dale from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Image: Lulu Vision
Real Story: Meet Pam
Published November 05, 2009 @ 05:41PM PT
I met Pam while passing through Cleveland, Ohio. She is mother and a grandmother who never thought she would become homeless. Many people think that if a person has close family members, they can just go live with family when all else fails. But for Pam and many others, it's just not that simple.
Pam wished for a home; I hope she finds it.
Pam from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Tweets from the Streets
Published October 31, 2009 @ 08:18AM PT
I'd like to say that I found Ann Marie in Chicago, but the truth is that she found me. Ann Marie uses social media to escape from her world and connect with others. When I arrived in the Windy City I received a tweet from @padschicago and the next day we arranged to meet in a train station.
Ann Marie is not the first person experiencing homelessness to find me via social media. As the face of homelessness changes, and social media continues to expand, I believe we will see many other people without homes on twitter, blogs, and Facebook. Service providers should pay attention to this evolution and understand that social media can be much more than tool for marketing. Twitter and Facebook can serve as an entry point for services or a vehicle for providing virtual case management.
Social media may have the potential to change the way we provide services, but it will not close the gaps that exist in our safety net. As social services become more specialized and targeted to specific populations, some of those who desperately need help simply cannot figure out where they fit in. Ann Marie would like to get off the streets, but she is falling through the gaps in the social service safety net.
ChicagoNow blogger Megan Cottrell tagged along when I met Ann Marie and wrote a very powerful post. We were also on a San Francisco radio show - Live from the Left Coast - with Angie Coiro. And right now as I type, Ann Marie is on a Greyhound headed to Los Angeles to speak with me at 140 Conference.
Truly Anne Marie is a special person simply trying to survive. She honestly shares the challenges she faces everyday and talks about how she uses social media. Although much of her story is sad at least for a few days she is on a vacation from homelessness.
Ann Marie from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Yubel
Published October 23, 2009 @ 03:16PM PT
I met Yubal in New York City. He is originally from Mexico and traveling up to Canada to try and find his way out of homelessness.
Yubal from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Joni
Published October 18, 2009 @ 09:29AM PT
At first glance I did not know Joni was homeless. Little did I know, she spent the previous night sleeping on a bench in Times Square. This is where I noticed her trying to steal a cup of coffee; she was caught, and my heart broke for her.
Many people think that homeless people just want money for drugs. But Joni said that's not always the case. She said she needs money to be able to eat and survive.
Joni says homelessness is terrible, that there are far too many people out here and that somebody has to do something about it. I hope her story compels you to do something.
Joni from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
