Most Popular Homelessness Posts
Recession Causes Uptick in Homeless Runaway Youth
Published October 26, 2009 @ 02:45PM PT
Foreclosures, job losses, and recession-induced stresses aren't only impacting adults during these rough economic times. The effects have trickled down to youth, creating a surge in the numbers of youth running away from home and living on the streets.
According to the NY Times, it is widely believed that the number of homeless runaway youth has increased as a result of the recession, although the number is difficult to pinpoint. Federal studies estimate that no less than 1.6 million juveniles run away or are thrown out of their homes each year. But the majority of these children return home within a week, and the federal government does not conduct a census of this population.
Given the intrinsic difficulties of counting the homeless population - particularly youth who are hiding from authorities - the best indicator of the problem may be the number of contacts runaway youth make with federally-financed outreach programs. According to the NY TImes, this number "rose to 761,000 in 2008 from 550,000 in 2002, when current methods of counting began."
Indeed, the sparse information available on the lives of homeless youth paint a tragic picture. According to the Labor Department, less than 30 percent of teenagers had jobs during the past summer. This means that many homeless runaway youth must resort to other means to earn money, including dealing drugs, prostitution, or panhandling.
This rise in homeless youth is especially concerning because it is being overshadowed by the plight of other "groups", such as homeless families. Indeed, many of the Recovery Act funds directed towards combating homelessness will benefit homeless families, not unaccompanied youth.
So exactly how many homeless runaway youth are there? It's tough to know for sure. According to the NY Times, "federal statistics indicate that in at least 75 percent of runaway cases, parents or caretakers have not reported the child missing, often because they are angry about a fight or would simply prefer to see a problem child leave the house. And in 16 percent of cases, the local police failed to enter the information into the federal database, as required under federal law."
Homelessness is a traumatic for any individual. But the scars can be tougher to erase when it's experienced during one's formative years.
Image: New York Times
Panhandling Goes Digital
Published October 26, 2009 @ 12:09PM PT
You know that we are living in a digital world when even panhandling goes online. Thanks to homeless web forums, blogs, and social media sites - combined with the increasing criminalization of panhandling - cardboard signs could soon be a thing of the past. Is this the age of Panhandling 2.0?
Today, the Boston Globe detailed the story of Kevin Boudrou, a laid off chef who has been using Craigslist postings to find free winter camping gear. He has been using public computers in medical facilities, libraries, and shelters to try and find tents, warm clothes, and other equipment. "I've always looked on Craigslist for odd jobs," he told the Globe, "So the idea to post a classified ad was just there."
Craigslist isn't the only online forum being used to solicit donations, according to the Globe. There's the International Homeless Forum, where homeless people and advocates exchange tips and advice. There are a host of sites like DonateMoney2Me.com, which allows users to design their own page and plea for help. And then there's social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, where homeless people and service providers alike post pleas for donations.
It's no wonder that struggling individuals are having to resort to online tools to survive. Just as shelters are filling up and struggling to meet the needs of growing numbers of homeless individuals, it's getting tougher for homeless folks to ask for money on the streets. Increasing numbers of cities are outlawing panhandling in city centers. In some cities, panhandling can even land a person with a hefty fine or a prison stay. At the same time, computers are becoming more accessible to those without a home than ever before.
No matter what your take is on this new phenomenon, e-panhandling doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. It's a creative utilization of available resources. It allows individuals to avoid the humiliation of begging on the streets and hide behind the anonymity of the web.
It's survival... in the digital age.
Image: lassi.kirkijavi
Why You Can't "Experience" Homelessness in One Night
Published October 25, 2009 @ 05:19AM PT
In the coming months, thousands of people across the country will participate in 'Sleep-Outs for the Homeless.' Participants should be congratulated for raising money and learning a bit about this critical issue. But check yourself: don't think for a second that after participating in this event you have "experienced" homeless. Far from it.
Some of my colleagues have argued that Sleep-Outs for the Homeless can be the worst fundraiser ever, that they are simply "glorified slumber parties." This may be true in some cases. But I like to believe that, done correctly, these type of events serve an important purpose. All it takes a little bit of careful messaging and a lot of reflection.
Rather than framing a Camp-Out for the Homeless event as a "homeless simulation" with movies, pizza, and a festive atmosphere, these events are best done as a somber showing of solidarity. Rather than playing dress-up in tattered clothes, focus on hearing the stories of formerly homeless people who actually survived life on the streets. Remember those whose lives ended on the streets. Forget the pizza and donuts.
Openly acknowledge that one night camping out in a monitored group environment is a completely different experience than losing everything and ending up on the streets. A one-night camping experience can never replicate the stress, fear, pain, loss of pride, and loss of hope that often coincides with being homeless.
Sleep-Outs for the Homeless can be a powerful tool for building awareness and stimulating activism. This fall, don't be afraid to pass on the pizza and turn your even into a meaningful opportunity to take a deeper look at homelessness issues.
Image: freakychic1978
Nicole Ritchie Opens Playground for Homeless Kids
Published October 24, 2009 @ 05:07AM PT
On Thursday, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden broke ground on a playground for homeless children in downtown Los Angeles.
The playground will be situated near Broadway Village II, a 50-unit service-enriched affordable housing complex for very low-income families. The project is part of a larger neighborhood revitalization effort aiming to address the shortage of adequate housing and social services in the area. Richie and Madden have been raising money for the project for over a year, according to the blog Hollyscoop. "When I found out the kids play on a concrete slab or play inside all day, it hit me," said Richie. "Kids need to have an imagination, to be outside and to be free."
I love projects like this. So often, in the flurry to create housing and meet the financial, hunger, and housing needs of homeless families we forget something important: kids are kids. And they need safe places to play and be kids.
It's refreshing to see reality starts and musicians embark on a selfless endeavor. This is one trend that I hope catches on.
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.
Court-Ordered Compassion
Published October 23, 2009 @ 09:42AM PT
Have our nation's embedded fears and misconceptions of poor and homeless people gotten out of hand? A shelter provider recently went to court for clearance to continue serving homeless people in a central Pennsylvania rural community. This unsettling case left me asking one question: have we evolved to a place where compassion must be court-ordered?
The First Apostle's Doctrine Church in Brookville, PA has been housing homeless people from the town of less than 5,000 in its Just for Jesus shelter. Town officials tried to shut down the shelter last November, citing zoning code violations that prohibit group homes. In order to keep its doors open to the area's homeless, the church sued the town for civil-liberties violation. Yesterday, the court ruled in the church's favor, allowing the shelter to keep its doors open.
Things sure can get ugly when judgments, stigmas, and stereotypes trump compassion.
Sure, there may be more going on beneath the surface in this story (like a sour relationship between church and local government officials). But sadly, this type of situation is not uncommon. Some government officials wrongly believe that providing services - like a shelter or soup kitchen - will have a bees-to-honey effect, attracting homeless people from other communities. This belief is misguided, short-sighted, and outright mean.
Clearly, if the shelter beds were being used, the town of Brookville has a need for shelter. Rather than attacking the safety net, why not look at local government-initiated strategies for combating the root causes of homelessness? Create affordable housing, develop the local economy, work in conjunction with the church to see that no basic human needs are being unmet.
Some of the most effective and innovative solutions for homelessness have been created locally.
Image: Diane M. Byrne
Faith-Based Organizations Must Reinforce Our Safety Net
Published October 22, 2009 @ 07:38PM PT
As the negative effects of our economic woes continue to trickle down in the form of lay-offs and evictions, our nation's homeless prevention and shelter system will continue to shoulder the ever-increasing burdens of meeting rising demand with declining resources. Faith based organizations - with their philanthropic interests, human and financial capital, and ability to mobilize quickly - are needed now more than ever to reinforce our social service safety net.
Virginia Beach, like many other cities across the country, does not have enough shelter beds to meet the needs of the city's homeless. Pilot Online detailed how 30 or so people sleep in the seaside porticos of a church each night because the shelters are filled. Even more people sleep in cars around town. As the weather cools and winter approaches, local advocates worry that demand will increase even more.
Indeed, this concern is being echoed in communities across the country. In the event of a full-fledged crisis this winter, it is unlikely that government money will be able to meet the need. Case in point: it has taken months for the Recovery Act funds to trickle down from the federal government to communities and from communities to the people who need assistance. So what's the answer?
One possibility is faith-based organizations. Why? Many churches have little/no bureaucratic red tape, structures in which to provide shelter, financial and human capital, and a propensity to serve. The combination of these assets might just be the safety net reinforcement needed to save lives during potential homelessness crisis that many predict is awaiting us this winter.
Image: mudpig
