Myths and Fact About Homelessness (PDF) http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/module1/module1D/H3MythsandFactsaboutHomelessness.pdf This is the html version of the file http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/module1/module1D/H3MythsandFactsaboutHomelessness.pdf Myths and Facts about Homelessness National Law Center On Homelessness and Poverty Myths and Facts about Homelessness It is a tragic aspect of our culture that homeless people, in addition to suffering from the hardship of their condition, are subjected to alienation and discrimination by mainstream society. It is even more tragic that alienation and discrimination often spring from incorrect myths and stereotypes which surround homelessness. The following examines some of the myths and the realities about homelessness. Arrest Records of Homeless People Myth: Homeless people commit more violent crimes than housed people. Fact: Homeless people actually commit less violent crimes than housed people. Dr. Pamela Fischer, of Johns Hopkins University, studied the 1983 arrest records in Baltimore and found that although homeless people were more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes, they were actually less likely to commit crimes against person or property. 1 The report findings are summarized in the following table. % of crimes against person or property % of all other types of crimes Crimes committed by homeless people 25% 75% Crimes committed by non-homeless people 35% 65% The Magnet Theory Myth: Setting up services for homeless people will cause homeless people from all around to migrate to a city. Fact: Studies have shown that homeless people do not migrate for services. To the extent they do move to new areas, it is because they are searching for work, have family in the area, or other reasons not related to services. A recent study found that 75% of homeless people are still living in the city in which they became homeless. 2 Page 2 Myths and Facts about Homelessness Page 2 of 2 The Chronic Theory Myth: Homeless people are a fixed population who are usually homeless for long periods of time. Fact: The homeless population is quite diverse in terms of their length of homelessness and the number of times they cycle in and out of homelessness. Research on the length of homelessness states that 40% of homeless people have been homeless less than six months, and that 70% of homeless people have been homeless less than two years. 3 Other research on the length of homelessness has identified three primary categories of homeless people: • transitionally homeless who have a single episode of homelessness lasting an average of 58 days, • episodically homeless who have four to five episodes of homelessness lasting a total of 265 days, • chronically homeless who have an average of two episodes, lasting a total of 650 days. 4 Homeless Population Demographics Myth: Homeless people are mostly single men. Fact: Families constitute a large and growing percentage of the homeless population. A recent study found that families comprise 38% of the urban homeless population. 5 Other research finds that homeless families comprise the majority of homeless people in rural areas. 6 Employment Myth: Homeless people don't work and get most of their money from public assistance programs. Fact: Homeless people do work, and a relatively small percentage of them receive government assistance. A nationwide study by the Urban Institute in 1987 found that only 20% of 1,704 homeless people received AFDC, GA, or SSI. 7 A study done in Chicago found that 39% of homeless people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month. 8 Page 3 Myths and Facts about Homelessness – Page 3 of 3 Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Myth: All homeless people are mentally ill or substance abusers. Fact: Around a quarter of homeless people are mentally ill, and about 40% are alcohol or substance abusers, with around 15% suffering both disabilities. Koegel has researched the prevalence of mental illness among the homeless population and found "between 20% and 25% of those homeless people studied have at some time experienced severe and often extremely disabling mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and the major affective disorders (clinical depression or bipolar disorder)." 9 James Wright, of Tulane University, has studied the prevalence of alcohol and other drug abuse among the homeless population. He finds that 38% of homeless people are alcohol abusers, as opposed to 10% of the general population. He furthermore finds that 13% of homeless people are drug abusers. 10 The Center for Mental Health Services states that betweeen10 and 20% of homeless people suffer "co-occurring severe mental and substance use disorders." (continued)

1. James Wright, Memo to NLCHP: Transiency of Homeless Substance Abusers 1 (March 11, 1997) 2. Martha Burt, What We Know About Helping the Homeless and What It Means For HUD's Homeless Programs Testimony presented to the Housing and Community Development Subcommittee of the Banking and Financial Institutions Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives 1 (March 5, 1997). 3. Dennis Culhane, Testimony presented to the Housing and Community Development Subcommittee of the Pamela Fischer, Criminal Activity Among the Homeless: A Study of Arrests in Baltimore 49 (January, 1988). 4. Banking and Financial Institutions Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Figure 3 (March 5, 1997). 5. U.S. Conference of Mayors, A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities:1996 (1996) 6. Yvonne Vissing, Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Homeless Children and Families in Small Town America, 1996 (1996). 7. Martha Burt and Cohen, America's Homeless: Numbers, Characteristics, and Programs that Serve Them 43 (1989). 8. Peter Rossi, Down and Out in America 40 (1989). 9. Paul Koegel, Causes of Homelessness, Homelessness in America 31 (1996). 10. James Wright, Homelessness and Health 68 (1987). 11. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Integrating Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Homeless People with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders 1. Training Curriculum for HCH Outreach Workers National HCH Council, Inc. January 2002 NLCHP- National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty http://www.nlchp.org/ *fair use for networking information about issues of homelessness and homeless people*

Homeless Myths Debunked by Sussex Research http://www.sussex.ac.uk/press_office/bulletin/14may99/article1.html Censuses taken in Brighton since 1991 testify that there can be up to 66 people sleeping rough on any one night in the town, often concentrated in small areas. These figures ensure that Brighton often ranks as having the highest number of homeless people per capita in the UK. Thanks to research by geographer Jon May, who's based in CCS, some of the myths which arise as a result have now been shattered. Jon debunked widely-held assumptions about the lives of homeless people in Brighton with an exhaustive survey of their housing histories. "There has never been such an in-depth study of these processes before. This is the first time we've had a complete set of housing histories for homeless people," he says. The flagstone of the research - entitled the Homeless Histories Project, and funded by CCS - was a unique data-collection system developed by Jon. He filled in a form for each night his respondents had been homeless, detailing the location - whether it was rough sleeping, a friend's floor or a hostel - and the length of stay. Some people filled in as few as three of these forms, some as many as 100. As Jon explains: "From these histories you can trace exactly when, how often and for how long someone has been homeless, how much they've moved around and where they've been moving to, and what sort of accommodation they have been staying in." Most research into homelessness only concentrates on people's experience of living rough in the present. Because Jon May's research builds up a complete picture of people's past experiences, it gives an insight into what really happens over a period of time. Contrary to popular expectations, people who become homeless once, or even several times, do not become entangled in a spiral of long-term homelessness, drug addiction, alcoholism and crime. Jon discovered that whilst around 16% of the sample were long-term homeless, by far the vast majority - around two-thirds of the sample - were 'episodically' homeless. These people had been homeless more than once, and often several times, in their lives, but they had also had periods of employment and secure housing in between, sometimes for many years. According to Jon, "Episodic homelessness doesn't seem to be developing into permanent homelessness. The two groups appear to be very distinct." Drug use, alcoholism and mental health problems are also rare among the episodically homeless. Only 10% of the episodically homeless in the sample were alcoholics or drug users. According to Jon, the assumption that all homeless people have these social problems, and so are culprits in their own downfall, lets the real culprits off the hook. He argues that the real causes of homelessness are poverty and unemployment. Friday 14th May 1999 *fair use for homeless civil rights and civil liberties, etc.*

The Homeless Guy- More Homeless Myths http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/2005/10/more-homeless-myths.html Monday, October 10, 2005 More Homeless Myths There are several lists of homeless myths on the internet. Some differ, but only in degree. Some of these differences in homelessness are due to location, such as between urban and rural settings. The average homeless population in the United States is one out of every 400 people. Nashville's homeless population is in line with the national average. Homeless people are everywhere, but depending on local sentiment and police activity, homeless people in some areas are less visible than in others. Here is a short list of myths concerning homelessness. Myth: Establishing services for homeless people will cause homeless people from all around to migrate to a city. Fact: Homeless people who move to new areas do so because they are searching for work, have family in the area, or for other reasons not related to services. A recent study found that 75% of homeless people are still living in the city in which they became homeless. Myth: Homeless people are a fixed population who are usually homeless for long periods of time. Fact: The homeless population is quite diverse relative to their length of homelessness and the number of times they cycle in and out of homelessness. Research indicates that 40% of homeless people have been homeless less than six months, and that 70% of homeless people have been homeless less than two years. Myth: Homeless people are mostly single men. Fact: Families constitute a large and growing percentage of the homeless population. A recent study found that families comprise 38% of the urban homeless population. Other research has found that homeless families comprise the majority of homeless people in rural areas. Myth: Homeless people don't work and get most of their money from public assistance programs. Fact: Many homeless people are among the working poor, and a relatively small percentage of them receive government assistance. A nationwide study in 1987 found that only 20% of 1,704 homeless people received public assistance. A study done in Chicago found that 39% of the homeless people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month. In Nashville, 50% of all homeless people hold at least a 20 hour a week job. Myth: They're to blame for being homeless. Fact: Most homeless people are victims. Some have suffered fromchild abuse or violence. Nearly one quarter are children. Many have lost their jobs. Myth: They are dangerous and they break the law. Fact: In general, the homeless are among the least threatening group in our society and are more likely to be victims of crime. Although they are more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes, they are less likely to commit crimes against person or property. Myth: Charitable groups will take care of the homeless. Fact: The growth of homelessness has far exceeded the capacity of charitable groups. Homelessness is a societal problem that requires a partnership between private charities and the government, with active public support. posted by thehomelessguy @ 11:11 AM *fair use*

Myths and facts http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Housing/homeless/facts Myth: Homeless people sleep in the street. Fact: Only a tiny proportion of homeless people are on the street. Most stay on friends' floors or with family, sometimes in precarious arrangements that can go wrong. The legislative definition incorporates people who are living in overcrowded accommodation which is endangering their health or otherwise living in accommodation which it is unreasonable for them to occupy. There may be significant overlap between people applying under the homelessness legislation and people on waiting lists for social housing - certainly the circumstances in which people are currently living could well be very similar, yet many people would assume these groups to be entirely different. keysMyth: Homeless people are anti-social or otherwise undesirable. Fact: Only a tiny proportion of homeless people have lost their accommodation because of anti-social behaviour. The vast majority have lost their accommodation because their living arrangements with family or friends have broken down, or because there's been a dispute in the household. Many people become homeless after being discharged from the armed forces or from hospital. keysMyth: People made homeless as a result of antisocial behaviour should not have any rights to social housing. Fact: All people, regardless of their actions, need housing otherwise they will have to sleep in the streets. This includes people who behave in anti-social ways. The executive is commissioning research into the best ways of breaking the cycle of anti-social behaviour. Existing projects - such as Dundee Families Project - aimed at helping families with anti-social behaviour can be very effective. keysMyth: Homeless people should be allocated any accommodation available and should be grateful for it. Fact: If homeless people are allocated poor quality accommodation then they are more likely to become homeless again as they feel vulnerable and unsupported. No one should have to live in poor quality accommodation in Scotland in the 21st century and this is why the Scottish government and the housing agency Communities Scotland are working with local authorities to ensure that housing meets acceptable quality levels. *fair use for humanitarian purposes*

http://www.dav.org/veterans/documents/homeless3.html The typical homeless veteran is not a drifter, drunk or bum. He or she could well be someone with a job, might be a friend, or even a member of your family. The first and most important thing you can do to help homeless veterans is to realize tired old stereotypes about them are just not true. Here are some examples of the myths and facts about homeless people: Miss America Video Click here for Miss. America video. QuickTime Player Needed Myth: They want to be homeless. Fact: Less than six percent of the homeless are so by choice. Myth: They are to blame for being homeless. Fact: Most homeless veterans are victims. Some have suffered the death of a loved one, loss of a job, or prolonged physical or psychological illness or disability that has left them homeless. Myth: Homeless veterans don't work. Fact: Many homeless people are among the working poor. People earning minimum wage can't earn enough to support a family or pay inner-city rent. Myth: Homeless people are mentally ill. Fact: Only about 25 percent of the homeless are estimated to be emotionally disturbed. One percent may need long-term hospitalization; the others can become self-sufficient with help. Myth: They are alcoholics and heavy drug users. Fact: Some homeless veterans are substance abusers; research suggests one in four. Many of these are included in the 25 percent who suffer from mental illness. Myth: Homeless people are dangerous. Fact: While some encounters with homeless people may end in tragedy, it is extremely rare. Generally, homeless people are among the least threatening groups in society. They are more often victims of crimes rather than the perpetrators. *fair use for humanitarian purposes*

http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/YU/ay0104.asp "Myths and Realities Recently, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) surveyed poor people themselves to find out what their lives were like. Take a look at what they say when faced with the myths we often hear about poverty. Myth: All poor people are homeless. Real Words: "Rent takes most of your income, utilities the rest." —woman, 65, Louisiana, earning less than $8,860, which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says is the "poverty line" for one person. For each additional person, an additional $3,090 is estimated. Many people who rent apartments or own homes are poor. Often, with a low-wage job and the rising cost of living, families spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing. That leaves very little for food, clothes and medicine, let alone anything fun. Myth: Most poor adults don’t want to work. Real Words: Being poor means "working for a living and still not able to make ends meet."—married man, 48, Missouri, earning less than $11,940. Nearly 40 percent of America’s poor over the age of 16 worked either part-time or full-time in 2001—yet could not earn enough to pay for their family’s basic needs. Many work two or three jobs! Myth: Becoming poor can’t happen to me. Real Words: "It means I lost life as I knew it."—single man, 36, California, earning less than $8,860. Financial circumstances change. A medical emergency, the loss of a job or a divorce can leave families unable to pay the bills. In fact, over a two-year period, nearly a third of Americans dipped briefly into poverty." *fair use for understanding myths and facts about both homelessness and poverty*

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/30/30012006lt.htm Street children Sir, In an article published in "The Independent" on Friday, January 27, 2006, on page12 the top left corner, the following statements were made seemingly quoting a Bangladeshi lady referring to unwed mothers, "That is where all the street children come from," she said. "They are illegitimate boys and girls. They will never have a life." This is a misconception. Many persons and agencies are interested in improving the condition of street children. For some time now APON has been blessed to serve street children drug addicts between the ages of 10 and 16. While some street children may come from unwed mothers, many come from what may more correctly be termed dysfunctional families. I believe it is a grave injustice to claim that "all the street children are illegitimate boys and girls". In fact this not only falsely stigmatises street children, but also make the already very difficult life that most street children are living much, more difficult as it plants a pre-conceived notion among those involved with such children that these children have a socially demeaning status. My observation is that most of the drug-addicted street children who come to APON are wearing everything they own… a filthy, dirty shirt and pants or lungis, but inside those clothes are wonderful youngsters, intelligent, alert and eager to learn and return to school and/or learn a skill in our small workshop. These youngsters are Bangladeshi assets that should not be wasted. "They will never have a life." I strongly disagree with that, because given the chance, some of the street children have and others will develop to live a good life. Surely more needs to be done for them. I think that more Bangladeshis should come forward not only with financial assistance but also to help street children with the opportunity to study and to learn a skill in order to be prepared to find suitable employment. Besides this, people should volunteer to give something that costs nothing but can fulfil one of the deepest needs of many street children, TLC, that is, Tender Loving Care. Brother Ronald Drahozal, CSC Director, APON Mohammadpur, Dhaka *fair use*

http://www.geocities.com/clydehen2003/misconceptions "I often hear or read statements about the homeless that are, at best, misleading and often outrageous nonsense. These are some of them. Panhandlers are homeless. Often people who are panhandling are not homeless. For them panhandling is just an easy way to get money, often for drugs. Of the homeless I'm familiar with very few panhandle frequently. Some do only when they haven't had any work for several days. One article I read stated that 90% of the homeless (in that city) panhandled. That's a perception arrived at by accepting the idea that those they saw were the only homeless around. Most homeless people don't look homeless and so aren't percieved as such. The government or charitable groups would help them if they only asked. Government funding is limited, and the same is true with private organizations. After the hurricanes assistance is being spread even thinner. Charities are having to turn away more people all the time. Where I live there is only shelter space for maybe 20% of the homeless. Simply getting shoes to wear can be very difficult. They should be put in mental institutions. Around a third of homeless people have mental problems, and many get help (or could) on an outpatient basis. Legally, only people who are clearly a danger to themselves or others can be forced into an institution. Many homeless are recieving care for mental conditions but still can't get afford housing. The days when people were locked away just for acting strange are long over. They're living on welfare. Nationally, only around 20% of homeless get government payments. Except for women with children there is very little aid in this area (Florida), aside from food stamp funds (which you must qualify for). If a person works just part-time it can be too much to qualify, even if they can't afford housing. A lot of homeless do have serious physical and/or mental problems which should qualify for disabillity payments, but yet they get nothing. Often they have given up trying. It's their own fault. It's true that many people are homeless because of making wrong choices. Many have problems, such as with health, that they did not cause. A substantial percentage of the working U.S. population is just a few paychecks away from being homeless. There are very few people that make a choice to be homeless. Homeless are criminals. The rate of serious crime among homeless is not much different than the general population. It's true that many homeless frequently face time in the county jail due to minor infractions such as open-intoxicants, trespassing, and so on. Most drug addicts and alcoholics have money and homes. Whenever a homeless person is in the news for a crime the media makes a point of stating that the person is homeless. All they need to do is get a job. Just getting a job won't get a person off the street. Keeping a job, and one that pays enough to afford housing and living expenses is another story. People with resources can have a hard enough time to get meaningful work; it's far more difficult without having housing, transportation, and funds for living expenses until becoming established. A significant percentage of homeless can't keep jobs due to physical or mental problems. Homeless people steal shopping carts. While I occasionally see a homeless person on the street with a shopping cart, 95% or more of the carts are parked at bus stops, apartments or homes. I often see people who are perfectly capable of carrying their groceries taking them home in a shopping cart. They get all their medical care for free. It's true that if anyone goes into an emergency room, homeless or otherwise, with what appears to be a life threatening health problem, they will get medical attention. There are local government agencies that provide limited payment of medical care for those who can't afford it. If a person has a problem such as partial paralysis or severe back pain, preventing them from working, even if it could be corrected by surgery they probably can't get any assistance. Even if the alternative is going on disibility for life instead of returning to work, it's unlikely a person can get medical assistance. The government would rather pay out hundreds of thousands in disaibility checks than a few thousand for surgery which would help the person be self sufficient." clyde.hendrickson

Good stuff. There are lots of misconceptions around who the homeless are as well. We are running into that one trying to count the homeless in our county.

Just stopping by to say hello and to tell you that, although I do not post, I do read the posts in this group. I feel very fortunate to have such wealth of information accessible to me. I share the information with the people I come accross. I find this particular thread very enlightening and full of factual information I can use to challenge those myths people have.

Thank you!

Perhaps SOME homeless people may need help budgeting, but I have a feeling that MANY homeless people have simply experienced something similar to what I did: POOR WAGES, NO BENEFITS, HIGH RENT, ACCIDENT INJURY. As my friend Bridget Reilly says: "There seems to be an atitude that homeless people are homeless only because they were too stupid to keep their homes and are therefore not very competent at thinking for themselves, and that they therefore need the guidance of more intelligent, "enlightened" people to help them back onto the path to a "normal" life. To any person with an I.Q. of more than 50 who is homeless because of the worsening economic conditiions in the country this attitude is, to say the least, extremely insulting. What is lacking here, or maybe only partially formed, is the concept of homeless empowerment: that we should have the power to control our own lives, to use our intelligence to find out own creative solutions to our predicament, and that we are entitled to keep our dignity in the process; that we have the same constitutional rights as every other citizen, and that the very last thing we need is to be treated like criminals or idiots while we are struggling to survive." -Bridget Reilly http://www.geocities.com/reillybridget/ Quote from ON HOMELESS EMPOWERMENT in a Portland newspaper: The Portland Alliance. It was in their February 1992 issue. http://www.geocities.com/reillybridget/homeless_oregon4.html?992289590200

http://tinyurl.com/v7v5q The Pursuit of Happyness Movie and Real Life Facts About Homeless People The Pursuit of Happyness One of the many holiday movies opening this winter is The Pursuit of Happyness. This is not the typical holiday fare, or one of those fluffy good date movies, but rather a sobering film about a man who loses his job and becomes homeless with his young son. The Pursuit of Happyness movie features Will Smith as a homeless man who finally lands a position at a Dean Witter investment firm, only to find that his new position is actually an unpaid internship. The Pursuit of Happyness presents a timely topic, especially when more and more salary surveys remind us how many people are one paycheck from being homeless. That alone may be hard to fathom in the richest country in the world, but there are more surprising facts about homeless people. Is your salary strong enough to weather rough times? Check the numbers with our salary calculator. Real Life Facts About Homeless People The statistics of homelessness nationwide are not exact, but there are an estimated 3 million homeless people - a third of them children - living on the streets of America. For those who might say those bums (and child bums?) should just “get a job,” Congresswoman Julia Carson (D-Indiana) estimates than more than half the homeless do have jobs. While lack of employment does contribute to homelessness, as in The Pursuit of Happyness, joblessness is not the only cause; clinical research and the homeless themselves have pointed to many root causes. Nobody know for sure how many people are one paycheck from being homeless, but it can happen in a heartbeat... literally. American families can be wiped financially out by medical bills. One catastrophic illness not covered by insurance (if you can afford coverage) is all it takes. You may lose your savings, face foreclosure and end up in a shelter. People with AIDS or terminal cancer are especially at risk, as their finances may not cover their medical treatment. They end up having to choose between life or a roof over their head. Homeless Shelters in My Area, in My Town? People can also become homeless because of substance abuse, or controlled substance laws which permit the seizing of all assets: homes, cars, bank accounts, etc… Also, an unexpected divorce, no child support payments, can easily send a young mother and her children out onto the streets. One of the little known facts about homeless people is that a sizeable number of military families are on general relief (food stamps). The serviceman who returns from battle to his impoverished family may face physical disabilities and psychological wounds. The statistics of homelessness nationwide tell us that an estimated 200,000 veterans are on the streets on any given night, and a staggering 400,000 will experience homelessness this year. The pursuit of happyness in real life One of the most common known facts about homeless people is that a natural disaster can render large populations without homes. Hurricane Katrina left thousands of New Orleans residents desolate. While they were given trailers to live in, many faced homelessness again when FEMA threatened to evict them after their “time limit” ran out. It was only after widely publicized news reports that the hurricane victims were given more time; media coverage and movies like The Pursuit of Happyness that create awareness can help. Job loss, like the kind illustrated in the Pursuit of Happyness, can certainly send someone down the path of homelessness, especially when it happens to older Americans who are less likely to be trained for new skills. The Pulitzer-Prize winning play Death of a Salesman has become a real life blueprint for many seniors trying to find work in an increasingly youth-oriented marketplace. Prevent Homelessness Congresswoman Julia Carson (D- Indiana) has proposed the Bringing America Home Act to increase funding for shelter, food and social services. But this bill to prevent homelessness has languished in Congress - while the number of homeless adults and children grows and grows. Until legislation relieves this growing malady, there are steps that people can take to prevent homelessness or survive it. How long could you last financially if you lost your job? Find out with our salary survey. Posted by Salary Stories on December 15, 2006 in Odd Jobs | Permalink *fair use* Harmony- click on URL at top of this post to be able to see, and click on, many intext links which are not reproduced in this copypaste.

I work in a homeless shelter. I am proud to say that we have one off the best in the nation. On one site we have a detox program, the homeless shelter (where I work) and a transitional shelter. We also have a premie house for females with babies and halfway homes for men and women. We are in the process of building an apartment complex for those who complete the two year program in the transitional shelter. I thought that the movie The Pursuit of happiness was a very good and inspirational movie because although I have seen people just going through the routine of going from shelter to shelter I have experienced many success stories. One is of a sister who while staying at the homeless shelter for 6 months (which is the longest a person can stay at our shelter) she worked three jobs and now has a home of her own. She is a success story and has even written checks for 500.00 for food to feed the homeless at our shelter. She even buys things like soap, shampoo and toothpaste for the homeless at our shelter. It is a matter of how serious a person is to get out of their situation. Everyone has that opportunity and it up to them. I have great respect for the man that Will Smith portrayed in the movie and for the man that made Diary of a mad black women who was homeless at one time and is now a multi-millionare. No matter what your situation you can change it.

Bear Warrior

http://www.gadling.com/2007/02/10/soviet-statue-in-storage/

Posted Feb 10th 2007 1:58PM by Neil Woodburn
Filed under: Russian Federation

http://tinyurl.com/2lhctj Homeless myths diminish them, and us By RICHARD T SHIREMAN Published March 28, 2007 Countless times since I began doing outreach work with the homeless, I've heard people say something like, "We should help the truly homeless, but we shouldn't help those who choose to be homeless." The speaker has said or implied that a significant percentage of the people who live on our streets do so by choice. These people are often referred to as vagrants, bums or transients. Regardless of the appellation applied to them, apparently many people believe that this population does not deserve any, or any more, help. In a recent letter to the editor, the writer divided our homeless population into three categories: 1. Those who are genuinely down on their luck and trying to get back on their feet. 2. Those who suffer from mental disorders but won't take their medication. 3. The majority, who have no intention of getting out of their homelessness. His third category, this "majority, who have no intention of getting out of their homelessness," is a fallacy. After working with this population for the past 14 months, I must conclude that the idea of a significant percentage of our homeless population being homeless by choice is a myth. A destructive, denigrating and cruel myth. My partner and I have worked with hundreds of homeless individuals. We have been privileged to hear their stories, hopes, fears, frustrations and pleas for assistance. We have met only one individual we thought might be homeless by choice. If we were to include with him the few people who would not speak with us or said that they didn't want our help, the sum would be less than 2 percent of our total contacts. Of course, that is assuming that not wanting to talk with the Outreach Team equates with being homeless by choice. The reality is that many people who appear to be lazy and irresponsible are suffering from serious, life-threatening addictions, have a mental illness, have been scarred by trauma or abuse in their past, or have some combination of these conditions. Oftentimes the "vagrants" or "bums" that are being decried as people unworthy of our compassion are the homeless alcoholics that populate our streets. Many people believe that these people live and behave the way they do because they freely choose this lifestyle. There is nothing free about their "choice" to live this way. In fact, many of the seriously ill alcoholics (who generate most of the complaints and police calls related to homelessness in our community) are aware of the fact that they are dying on our streets. They are profoundly ashamed of their behavior. They're depressed. They hate going to jail repeatedly. They hate being verbally abused, beat up and robbed. They hate being looked upon as subhuman. They hate being too cold, too hot, wet, and regularly feasted upon by fire ants, spiders and mosquitoes. Most have sought help many times for their addictions. They have had periods of sobriety. Of those who haunt the environs of downtown St. Petersburg, many have responded to the offers of the Outreach Team to go to detox or some other treatment facility. Unfortunately, it is the nature of addiction that the vast majority of people relapse. The homeless addict, with little or no resources and virtually no support network, relapses back to the street, back to "vagrancy." Even those who do not suffer from a life-threatening addiction or serious mental illness often are handicapped in ways that make it hard to describe their decisions as "free." Because of things that have happened to them, things that have been done to them, they lack the emotional and/or rational wherewithal to make free, informed decisions. Abuse, neglect, dysfunctional families and insufficient education are just some of the factors that account for many lacking the life skills that are required in order to make truly free, healthy decisions. When you consider that homelessness is a condition that robs one of self-esteem, motivation, hope and trust, it is not at all surprising that these people have difficulty making the choices that we think are appropriate for them. I am not suggesting that we should ignore or condone illegal, destructive or unhealthy behavior. I am saying that we should not embrace this myth simply because it allows us to ease our moral burden by relegating a significant portion of our homeless population to the "Deserves No Help" category. These sufferers need our help and compassion. Surely, this community has the compassion, resources, patience and integrity to continue reaching out to all of our homeless people. I believe that after a little thought and discussion, we will conclude that we must reject this convenient and destructive myth. Richard T. Shireman is an outreach specialist with Operation PAR Inc. and a member of the St. Petersburg Homeless Outreach Team. [Last modified March 28, 2007, 00:46:18] *fair use*

Copy of Document I posted at school.

Homeless Students are not your Scapegoat.

Even though there are more than 200 students at City College of San Francisco classify as homeless, the notion that a person is homeless still provokes a prejudice for some. The classic image of the homeless begging on the street corner for drugs or alcohol is not proper. It reflects less than 18% of all homeless. The rest you cannot see because you do not understand homelessness as a subtle lack of resources.

Even though only 12% of the homeless population is drug addicted, 9% of the total American population is drug addicted. Due to this wrong assumption the homeless are still needlessly required to go through drug counseling to seek shelter. Nearly 85% of all homeless services are directed at drug rehab and parole. 62% of all homeless are considered families with children and 51% of them are single mothers running from domestic violence.

While the mayors in California boast about high salaries, Approximately 85% of the entire workforce is STILL restricted to part time with no benefits. The unemployment rate only reflects those currently receiving unemployment benefits. This does not reflect the full time positions needed to support this inflated economy. 82% of all homeless have some sort of income. Though with such limited resources they can barely survive, even without having to pay the high cost of rent.

There is still almost a three year wait for affordable subsidized housing. Full time students still do not qualify for most social services. Why would anyone not want to help those who want to help themselves?

We need to take a stand against prejudice, everyone deserves an Education. If you are harassed by someone, or cannot receive certain services because you are homeless, call me I am taking a stand and so can you. Remember, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. (98% of all homeless my age were abused or neglected, before they ‘left home’, as I was. One out of two homeless adult men are veterans.)

“Toby” David B. Meyers

Homeless Student Advocate

(408)561-1022

All statistics taken from Mayors Report on Hunger and Homelessness and national institute on statistics.

 

 

 

 

 

This post was modified from its original form on 14 Apr, 13:54

This post was modified from its original form on 14 Apr, 13:55

http://tinyurl.com/3dw6sx Wed, Jun 13, 2007 Boyles' guest Cote misled on homeless aid event, made baseless claim about IDs Summary: On Peter Boyles' June 11 show, frequent guest Bob Cote made baseless assertions about a services fair for the homeless, claiming that volunteers "were giving them ... Colorado IDs" but "without questions about legal status in the United States." Cote cited an article in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle, which did not, in fact, report that the homeless were given official state IDs. Citing an article in the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle during the June 11 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show, frequent guest Bob Cote baselessly claimed that during the fourth annual Project Homeless Connect (PHC) services fair on April 20, the homeless could get Colorado "identification cards without questions about legal status in the United States." While the article made the unsubstantiated assertion that "[t]here were stations for ... identification cards without question about legal status in the United States," it did not report that homeless participants were given official Colorado IDs. Furthermore, Chronicle publisher Charles Bonniwell contradicted the article the next day on Boyles' show, asserting that volunteers "weren't per se issuing" identification cards. Cote -- who has frequently promoted misinformation about the homeless on Boyles' show -- repeatedly noted on the June 11 broadcast that the Chronicle reported "[t]hey were passing out IDs" during the PHC fair held at the University of Denver. Cote insisted that one of the services at the fair was giving the homeless "Colorado IDs" and that the "identification cards" were given away "without questions about legal status in the United States." When Boyles said, "I don't know how you can grant somebody an ID on the spot if they're homeless," Cote insisted, "They did it." And when Boyles asked, "What elected official or bureaucrat was involved in that?" Cote claimed, "The mayor's task force on the homeless" and its director, Deborah Ortega, were responsible for handing out Colorado identification cards at the services fair. However, a PHC press release about the event noted only that "525 homeless individuals accessed on-site services such as personal identification," but did not state that any were issued official state IDs with a waiver of the required documentation. That information also did not appear in other news reports about the event, such as an April 21 article in the Rocky Mountain News, a March 19 article in the Denver Post (accessed through the Nexis database), and a University of Denver item. Further, during his appearance on Boyles' June 12 broadcast, the Chronicle's Bonniwell backtracked on the newspaper's report that identification cards were given away "without questions about legal status in the United States." Bonniwell claimed PHC volunteers "weren't per se issuing" identification cards and that he "didn't watch" the identification service because "the line was so big I couldn't get in that line": BOYLES: So, I read this: "The 2007 event was intended to be part of a one-day crash course to help the homeless in virtually every manner that could be humanly conceived. There were stations for food, clothing, free legal advice" -- and this is the one -- "identification cards without questions about legal status in the United States." BONNIWELL: Yeah, and at station four they weren't per se issuing them. I didn't watch -- you know, the line was so big I couldn't get in that line. And there's lots of ways to get identification cards, quite frankly. City and County of Denver can issue identification cards. They can issue a state one or drivers' license, which gets you the cornucopia of, of state assistance. Or they could, I, I suppose, direct you to the Mexican consulate where you could get your matricula consular card, which Denver recognizes. I noticed when, in The Denver Post when they did their editorial opposing [House Bill] 1313, they had talked to the Colorado Department of Revenue -- From the June 11 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show: COTE: They were passing out IDs over at DU. BOYLES: They were doing what? COTE: Yeah. Something about the, I don't know the whole paragraph. They were giving them IDs, Colorado IDs. BOYLES: Get out of here. COTE: Well, read it. The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle. BOYLES: You get that up, Greg? COTE: Get Bonniwell on there. BOYLES: Yeah, we'll get -- let's get Bonni-, let's get Chuck on the air this morning. Yeah. Amazing. COTE: Flu shots, screening access to emergency care, referrals for available housing, deposits, rent, evaluations, eligibility for public food stamps. Here it is. There were stations for food, clothing, free legal advice, ident -- identification cards without questions about legal status in the United States. BOYLES: [laughs] COTE: They are just going to go ahead and pass them out anyway. [...] COTE: You have to read this Glendale Cherry Creek -- BOYLES: We will. COTE: It's June 2007. I got it last week, but, they had 900 volunteers -- DU students and 500 homeless. BOYLES: Yeah. COTE: You know? And they're givin' 'em all the goodies, including ID. I mean, it's just, it's -- BOYLES: I don't know how you can grant somebody an ID on the spot if they're homeless. COTE: They did it. BOYLES: Whose name? What elected official or bureaucrat was involved in that? COTE: Well, the usual suspects, you know. The mayor's task force on the homeless. Debbie Ortega they mentioned. (more)

BOYLES: Sure. COTE: And then, Philip Mangano, our friend -- executive director the Interagency Council on Homelessness was flew in from Washington, D.C., for the event at the University or Denver campus -- it was April the 20th, but they put it in the June issue of the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle. [...] BOYLES: I do have that piece -- "DU holds court for homeless." COTE: Well, when you read that, that will -- BOYLES They did; they gave away IDs. COTE: Sure they did. Along with everything else. So, I mean, how much do we have to give here? As long as you keep giving 'em, they don't have to do anything. Here, you want an ID, here. Sign up for food stamps? You don't have ID? Go over to that table. From the June 12 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Peter Boyles Show: BOYLES: All right, so I read this piece, "DU holds court for the homeless." BONNIWELL: Right. BOYLES: As we know, glorious people end homelessness except when Democratic National Convention comes, then glorious people get rounded up. BONNIWELL: Pretty quick. BOYLES: All right, now -- but I gotta ask you this. I'm reading your piece. First of all, the Chronicle has really become a very cool newspaper. And I, I really congratulate you guys. You and Eddie and everybody. BONNIWELL: Thank you. BOYLES: How do people get the Chronicle? I'll do the setup question. BONNIWELL: Well, we mail to 53,000 people in the Cherry Creek Valley, which goes from LoDo to, to the dam. If you want to give us a call, we'll send it to ya for, for what it costs in postage and so I'll, I'll -- BOYLES: Is the Chronicle online? BONNIWELL: It's partially online and so forth; we love the people who get it themselves. So we make our money on the advertising, and the advertising is, is what pays for everything. [...] BOYLES: All right, so, did you go out to the glorious people end homelessness conference? BONNIWELL: Actually, I did, I -- BOYLES: Thought so. BONNIWELL: I came out at -- when it opened up at 9 o'clock, I was there for a couple hours; we had people there from the paper all day. BOYLES: Now, we invited you on for a number of reasons but one, two, three, four, the fifth paragraph -- swear to God I'm reading it. "The 2007 event was intended to be part of a one-day crash course to help the homeless and virtually" -- by the way, how did they get there? BONNIWELL: They're usually -- well, they're usually bused; they have -- BOYLES: Ah. BONNIWELL: They went down to the DOA and other places, although they said in their announcement that people get there by their own personal cars, which I'm wondering why the homeless have their own cars, but -- BOYLES: [Laughs] I watch that guy. He is my favorite homeless guy. He's my favorite mooch. He sits at Colfax and Speer and feeds the pigeons. Ever seen that guy? BONNIWELL: I think I have. BOYLES: He's got a, he's got a baseball hat on, and he's got one of those iPods in his ears. BONNIWELL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. BOYLES: And I watched him answer a cell phone one day. BONNIWELL: Well, that -- well, they actually give them cell phones, because in theory they have to -- employers, if they want to get a hold of them, they have to get 'em -- so they actually give them cell phones. BOYLES: Huh. All right. So -- so, they got out there on buses -- [...] BOYLES: So, I read this: "The 2007 event was intended to be part of a one-day crash course to help the homeless in virtually every manner that could be humanly conceived. There were stations for food, clothing, free legal advice" -- and this is the one -- "identification cards without questions about legal status in the United States." BONNIWELL: Yeah, and at station four they weren't per se issuing them. I didn't watch -- you know, the line was so big I couldn't get in that line. And there's lots of ways to get identification cards, quite frankly. City and County of Denver can issue identification cards. They can issue a state one or drivers' license, which gets you the cornucopia of, of state assistance. Or they could, I, I suppose, direct you to the Mexican consulate where you could get your matricula consular card, which Denver recognizes. I noticed when, in The Denver Post when they did their editorial opposing [House Bill] 1313, they had talked to the Colorado Department of Revenue -- BOYLES: Yes. BONNIWELL: -- which recently established a flexible process for folks, if I remember. BOYLES: Yes [laughs]. Yes. BONNIWELL: Since May 9th, 199 people have applied for state-issued ID through this conduit, so it's possible that was also part of it. BOYLES: OK. When I read it I thought to myself, issuing IDs at DU without -- BONNIWELL: Well, yes. You know, DU is, is the place where they house it and so forth, but it's really the City and County of Denver, and there were, quite frankly, state officials there from Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and other state agencies. —T.S.P. *fair use*

http://www.kansas.com/205/story/98809.html Posted on Sun, Jun. 17, 2007 READER VIEW: THE HOMELESS NEED HELP A comment in Opinion Line (June 11 Opinion) represented a common attitude about the homeless: "We should get them to help themselves." Unfortunately, solutions to homelessness are not that simple, and the homeless seldom have the tools to help themselves. Returning the homeless to permanent housing can be a complicated process. Common causes of homelessness include low income and the inability to find affordable housing, breakup of families, domestic violence, high medical bills, mental illness and addictions. There is no quick fix for many of these situations. Nationwide, the model having the greatest success reducing homelessness is permanent housing with support services. But it often takes a continuum of helping services -- including street outreach, temporary shelter, connections to resources, and life skills and job training -- to bridge the gap between the streets and such permanent housing. Wichita offers many resources and support services that can aid the homeless, but these services are spread out over many locations and some have long waiting lists. It can be a long, frustrating and exhausting task to find and access them. During the wait, many lose ground physically, mentally and emotionally. The group Advocates to End Chronic Homelessness supports opening a 24/7 resource center and shelter to provide basic needs and a centralized "one-stop shop" where representatives from agencies that provide support services can be easily accessed. AECH envisions a place where those who are overwhelmed, hopeless or distrustful will feel welcome and safe. A place where they can stay until they make connections to the resources they need. A place where they can begin to regain a sense of self-worth and hope. A place that will bridge the gap between being on the streets and living in permanent housing with support services. JANIS COX Advocates to End Chronic Homelessness Wichita

These points are right on target. At an Annual Meeting last night for our organization (Mental Health Association) I had the opportunity to be seated with a local activist and two counselors from Catholic Charities. It was unanimous, in discussing homelessness and poverty issues, that access to services was the biggest problem, outside of poor funding, of course!! And, in fact, we also floated the idea of creating a "one stop shop" for services in our community. Good luck to Advocates to End Chronic Homelessness in Wichita!! "

for those who don't know much about homelessness and homeless people, and who wish to rid themselves of any untruths, prejudices, and myths.

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/foodsharing/intro.html#3 "IV. Myths about Homeless People and Hunger There are several myths about people who are homeless and their access to food that have led to current laws and attitudes. One common myth already mentioned is that food stamps are easily accessible to people who are homeless and many homeless people take advantage of this program. Over half of the homeless population does not receive food stamps. Lack of transportation, lack of knowledge about the program, mental illness, lack of an address, and lack of documentation are some of the common barriers that prevent homeless people from receiving food stamps. Another misconception is that hunger is not a problem for homeless individuals. Many people believe that food pantries and soup kitchens are so abundant and accessible that every homeless person can get food if he or she desires. Food pantries do not effectively meet the needs of people without homes because homeless people lack the cooking facilities necessary to make use of the food. Additionally, many food pantries give only one box of food away per month which is not nearly enough. Cities also may not have adequate food availability through soup kitchens. Many cities do not have enough facilities to serve all those in need three times a day, seven days a week. In addition, in many public discussions about food programs, proponents of food sharing restrictions frequently assume that people who are homeless are mentally and physically able to walk or travel by other means significant distances to get to a food program on time. Unfortunately, homeless people may not be able to travel significant distances for food due to work conflicts, illness, disability, or lack of adequate public transportation. Some proponents of food sharing restrictions have argued that sharing food with people in outdoor locations enables them to remain homeless. More likely, persons who receive food from outdoor food programs may remain homeless due to lack of affordable housing, shelter space, and services, or due to their struggles with physical or psychiatric disabilities or substance addiction. Instead of removing food sources, cities would more likely reduce or end homelessness in their cities by finding solutions to the underlying causes of homelessness. Framing sharing food as a factor in enabling people to remain homeless is misleading. Food is not an addiction; food is necessary for survival. Depriving a person of food means that she must put all of her energy into obtaining food and less energy on improving other aspects of her life. Food sharing programs that reach out to those in public spaces may be the only way some homeless individuals can obtain healthy and safe food." From Report: Feeding Intolerance: Cities Cracking Down on Groups Feeding Hungry- Homeless http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/foodsharing/index.html *fair use*

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com:80/opinion/344390_homeless21.html December 20, 2007 Most Seattleites are not cruel, but many are thoughtless By PAUL LEIGHTY GUEST COLUMNIST It is cool outside as I write and the weather report says it will drop into the low 30s tonight. Thousands of Seattleites are going to sleep outside tonight in freezing temperatures because they are homeless. A dialogue about the homeless is in progress and I would like to add my two cents' worth. As a three-year veteran of the streets -- now in subsidized housing -- I hope to inject some reality into the discussion. Homeless people are not gang members. Nor are we all of a piece. We mirror the rest of America. With one major exception we are citizens who have been overwhelmed by events beyond our control. No one grows up wanting to be homeless. We have simply reached the end of our tether due to some reason(s). Major causes are job loss coupled with medical problems, personal bereavement and mental health issues. Substance abuse, either before or after becoming homeless, is another cause or effect. The exception is the hard-working illegals who choose the life so they can send more money back to their homes and families. Beware. It is extremely easy for this to happen to you or someone you know. Let's use some common sense. Homeless people do not have much money. Hence they are not attractive to drug dealers; we don't improve their margins. Nor are we attractive sales people. In my three years living in the greenbelt east of 15th Avenue in the Interbay area, I never saw any gang operation or gang/dealers operating from there. I would guess that if they take over a small portion of the woods their outlook is outwards toward their customers, and all would prefer a warm, dry and covered place to do business. All drug activity that I saw was low level and personal. Recent articles have stated concern about homeless people having weapons, specifically knives. I had a knife that I had boosted from a local restaurant to use as a tool. I used it for the same reasons that all of us have knives in our homes. Try going without a knife for a few days where you live and see how it goes. Cleanliness and hygiene are often cited as public concerns during the periodic sweeps by Seattle police. I have seen the results of these sweeps. They take everything that is not nailed down and dump it in a pile to be trucked to the dump. These piles look pretty messy and make for good photos but distort the facts. If someone swept through your home it would look pretty messed up as well. The rest of the time most people keep a pretty clean camp. We don't like living in waste any more than the next guy. We use public restrooms just for that reason. And we carry out the trash periodically, just like everyone else. Many use the Urban Rest Stop on Ninth and Stewart for showers and laundry. But we are outdoors. It is not as pretty as someone's home. Any time you remove my personal property from my campsite you have condemned me to at least one night of cold and wet misery. It is too late to seek shelter anywhere else. It will take at least a day to replace my bedding so I can get some sleep at night. I twice had to go to the SPD property room on Fourth Avenue South to retrieve my stuff and it took all day to accomplish. Thanks so much! It could have been a much more productive day. We are harassed by the police on a regular basis. Why? Because they can -- and we are perceived as threats to others regardless of our diminished condition. I admit that a few are; most are not. Despite being a lifelong Seattleite I have been "invited" to leave town by SPD on two occasions. With what money and going where was not discussed. The why was obvious. Most Seattleites are not cruel but many are thoughtless. The homeless need all the services and help that are available and much more. Don't move us out of the only home we have till we have some other place to go. Do not blame our society's problems with drugs on us. We are American citizens. We are also taxpayers. Think not? We live in a sales-tax state. Think about it. We also vote. Listen to those of us who have had to live the life. We are the experts. Paul Leighty lives in Seattle. __._,_.___ *fair use*

I've probably mentioned this elsewhere in this forum, but recently my attention was drawn back to this topic. There are many assumptions about homeless people.. many myths, much misinformation, and too many stereotypes. And some people use these stereotypes to try and promote what I think of as a "knee jerk" response to homeless people. PLEASE. All homeless people are not alike.. we are not all cut from the "homeless cookie cutter" and stamped out to lie in curbs on the street corners. YES. Some of us have problems. YES. Some of us are alcoholics and/or drug users. HOWEVER- to cut off all money donations directly to homeless people solely on the basis that we MIGHT be drinking and/or using is to do all homeless people who remain sober and clean an injustice. Use your discernment. Talk to us. How many "homed" people are alcoholics and use drugs? I can think of a lot! My ex mother-in-law, for one. "Society" is chock full of alcoholics and drug users who go home at night and lock the doors so that they can drink and use in private. Substance abuse is not confined to those without homes, ok? I get the same feeling from reading such things as "Don't give money to the homeless" as I do to, say, reading a sign at the local zoo which says "Don't feed the animals". I mean, really. How patronizing. How condescending. And how prejudiced. Again.. use your best judgement. Yes, there are homeless people who drink and use drugs. But keep and open mind and use discernment. Personally, I attribute the fact that I was able to recover from being homeless to the fact that I WAS helped out sometimes with good-hearted donations of money. I used that money to buy food, medicine, clothing- and to get myself into a more secure situation. Had those people not helped me out, I honestly doubt that I would be alive today.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/8/21361/00866 by Rubicon Fri Feb 08, 2008 at 07:15:31 PM PST Up until a few years ago (about when I moved out of my parent's house) I was truly under the impression that homeless people were pretty much wastes. Addicts, losers, nobodies. Basically...they deserved it. I know it was shallow. Well, I know now anyway. I always thought I was independent of my parents' strange belief system. That I was much more decent and rational than they were. But over time, I realized I harbored a series of stereotypes, impressions, and ideas that I see now were not my own. I feel kind of like I woke up, screaming "What did they put inside me?!" like on the Matrix when Neo is in the car and that thing is inside him. I guess, in summary, it's taken me a little under 2 years to fully realize that I got played. Bad. For like...20 years. * Rubicon's diary :: :: * Today when I got off work, I was coming into my apartment building and there was a guy in the foyer who was digging through a clear garbage bag that had clothes in it. He was lining up travel sized shampoos and deodorants on the floor. He had a backpack and another bag also. First I thought he was waiting for someone. I got into the elevator, and thought...well, maybe he's homeless. Who carries around a garbage bag with clothes in it? Why did he have so many other bags. So I came to my apartment, and sat down for some reading. But the guy in the foyer kept tugging at my brain. Oh, so what if he's homeless. He'll probably get kicked out anyway when one of the other residents see him. he's probably strung out and dangerous. Gods. What the HELL am I talking about. So I went into the kitchen, heated and packed up some pepperoni rolls that my mom had made and sent up, a couple packs of crackers, a pack of fig newtons, and a pepsi and decided I'd go see if the guy was hungry. On my way down, I was thinking how stupid I'd feel and insulted he'd be if he were in fact just waiting for someone. But something told me that he wasn't waiting for anything except the cold outside to pass. It's supposed to be 9 degrees tonight here. The elevator door opened. He was still sitting in the same chair. He looked like he was sleeping maybe. A family crowded into the elevator as I got out, and the ruckus caused him to blink my way. I stood there with my grocery bag of warm food and cold drinks and waited for the elevator to close. I finally walked up and said..."Hi. Please don't be insulted. But...are you hungry?" "Yeah...I am." he said. I smiled and gave him the bag. We talked a while. He told me his name, he waas 23. And he'd left the shelter because he'd gotten kicked out for fighting with someone. Maybe he was dangerous. But I stayed. He told me he thought I must have been some angel and thank god for me. We talked about religion sort of. He was surprised to find out that an athiest like myself could help a homeless person. That without God's help, he'd be going hungry tonight. I said "I don't believe that God helps people. I believe that people help people." Wow. Did I just say that? I did! That is what I believe. Really. When have I ever believed that people help people? I see people hurt each other every day. When did I become so optimistic and place such faith in humanity? Faith in humanity. That is a phrase that one would not link me to, normally. But...I do have faith in humanity, I guess. I have so much more now than I ever did before. So he and I talked for a while. He said he was looking for a job. I found myself doubting that, but wishing he was. He said he was going to catch the bus tomorrow and go to another city. He seemed like a smart guy. He was well spoken and charismatic. He told me where the homeless shelter was that he came from. I think I might look it up and see if I can...help. Me, help homeless people? I mean, I've given a beggar or two a bag of chips from a sandwich shop that I wasn't going to eat, but...I have never actually approached a homeless person on purpose. It's weird. I give to charities like Children's Miracle Network and the breast cancer fundraisers and whatever other fundraisers we have at work. I make sure everyone at work recycles their reusables, but...as far as actually going out of my way to do something? Not me. Not until now. I think, overall, that is the problem with people today. They'll give to charity or do something if it's on the way out of the supermarket or requires very little time. But, it's a lot harder to get people to like...build a house for Habitat for Humanity or go to a disaster area to volunteer, or something unless they've been active with such things for a while. It's never too late too start, but...some people never get started. I've come to realize that it takes all of us to make this world work. *fair use*

http://tinyurl.com/67fdbc
JOIN DISCUSSION ON RADIO
Sunday at 8:00 on Forward Forum, please call in and join the discussion:

A panel discussion with advocates for people who are homeless, discussing community responses to recent backlash against the homeless. As we've reported, multi-millionaire developer Fred Mohs began the recent "dialogue" about homelessness by pulling his support for free parking for a downtown church that offers shelter services. Recently, Isthmus Daily Page blogger Dave Blaska wrote a widely-read incendiary piece calling for a return to workhouses and other Dickensian punishments for homelessness and poverty--that may or may not have been tongue in cheek--which through innuendo and without substantive facts suggested that homeless people as a class of people were vicious vagrants who were likely behind recent murders in Madison. (As Mayor Cieslewicz said in a response to a question I asked at Downtown Madison Rotary on Wednesday, "We need to slow down here. There has been no evidence to suggest such a link, and homeless people as a group should not be blamed.")

THE PRESS CONFERENCE
On Thursday, a broadly-based group of community leaders came together at the Community Action Coalition's office to speak out against the hate-filled rhetoric being hurled at people who happen currently experiencing the trauma of homelessness. Many thanks to the many sponsors for that event including:

• Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County
• Madison-area UrbanMinistry
• Tenant Advocacy Group
  
• Affordable Housing Action Alliance
• Community Action Coalition
• Housing Initiatives
• Porchlight
• Tenant Resource Center
• YWCA
• (more)
  

Forward Forum was there to cover the event, and has posted a special webpage with audio, still photos and links to news articles from the event. Go to www.forwardforum.net/homeless .

TO GET MORE INVOLVED
To plan future actions come to a meeting on Tuesday at 4:00 at the Social Justice Center (1202 Williamson St). I hear Blaska is going to be there!

To get onto a listserve to learn more about what is going on contact homelesssupporters@gmail.com.

To get involved in discussions about homeless in the downtown

CAPITOL NEIGHBORHOODS, INC.
THE CONTINUATION OF DIALOGUES ON HOMELESSNESS:
NURTURING OUR CAPACITY FOR CHANGE
SATURDAYS,
APRIL 19, MAY 17, 2008, and continuing…
CENTRAL LIBRARY, WEST MIFFLIN ST.
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Refreshments Served
No prior attendance needed to get full benefit from this event.

Refreshing this topic and putting it on Twitter, as it's important for people to learn about myths, stereotypes about people who don't have a roof over their head, vs the facts and what's really going on with them and what the real causes are.

Though I've heard that several celebrities(and merchants) were attacked by homeless people in Beverly Hills,I've personally seen none of this myself.

Now,the city is trying to EVICT ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE because of the few who
are bad.