Category Archives: News link

Keeping Our Cities Clean and Making Money

Homelessness, News link, Related topics, Solutions to Poverty

A complaint I hear a lot when people talk about homelessness is how dirty the streets are due to homeless people throwing their waste everywhere. With no personal garbage and recycling bins, people who are homeless have to rely on city garbage cans which can be few and far between. The city of Fort Worth in Texas is trying to combat this problem. Their program called Clean Slate offers paying jobs to homeless people staying at one of their local shelters. The workers earn $10 an hour and receive benefits and vacation time, all while collecting trash around homeless encampments. City-funded, the goal of this program is to employ homeless people and eventually get them employed in stable, long-term positions, even though they are allowed to work for the program as long as they like.

Other cities have decided to replicate this program and I think there’s a large benefit to it. While it is subjecting homeless people to “do the dirty work” and city funding could be going to improve sanitation services, I think that it’s a step in the right direction. Helping these people who are down on their luck by offering a low-wage job adds to a resume and gives work experience and a reference for when they are ready to move on to other work.

The article says that L.A.’s city council signed off to replicate this program in November though I couldn’t find any follow up information on if the city is moving to actually create this program.

Ballor, C. (2018, January 27). Fort Worth pays homeless to help clean up city’s streets. Dallas News. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from https://www.dallasnews.com/news/fort-worth/2018/01/27/fort-worth-pays-homeless-help-clean-citys-streets

L.A. considers hiring homeless people to clean up litter on the streets. (2017, November 1). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-homeless-trash-20171101-story.html

Who Holds the Power?

Government programs, Homelessness, How we should treat each other, News link, Poverty

Mayor Bloomberg of New York City has been making some interesting comments about homelessness in the past year. This article does a very good job of deconstructing Bloomberg’s ridiculous statements and proving how foolish he is. Bloomberg made the claim last Fall that NYC’s lack of housing is “a good sign” because it means that “there are no vacancies.” My question is WHO is this a “good sign” for? The answer is MAYOR BLOOMBERG (the 11th richest person in the country and 16th richest in the world, according to Wikipedia) and the rest of the upper class population of NYC. Of course they think that the lack of vacancies and affordable housing is a good thing – it benefits their “thriving” economy. But what about the 270,000 people who are on the waiting list for affordable housing? What are they supposed to do while Mayor Bloomberg creates more luxury housing in the places that public housing needs to be built? To add salt to the wound, Bloomberg has also tried to get the city to “fingerprint public housing residents, and make them scan in using a fingerprint scanner.” Mayor Bloomberg is a great example of a person who is using their power to their own advantage, rather than to help the citizens of his city. He stigmatizes the people he oppresses and he profits off of the homeless problem in NYC. There are far too many people like Bloomberg in power in the U.S. who put themselves first, tossing aside the people who need help the most.

If not in our backyard, then where?

Homelessness, News link, Related topics, Solutions to Homelessness

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times, “A missed chance for L.A.’s homeless” discusses the need for permanent supportive housing to help the city’s homeless. However, it is too costly to provide this kind of housing. The Cecil Hotel is mention to be able to hold up to 384 homeless people, yet the opportunity will not be taken advantage of.  The Los Angeles Neighborhood Council opposed this opportunity because of the area’s historic core and argument’s of the issue that affordable housing has already begun in the “backyards”.  The initial problem here is the factor of location. As long as it is “not in my backyard”, then the people of L.A. are supportive of this plan.  But if it is not taking place in anyone’s “backyard” then there will be no hope in getting these people of the street. One cannot solve a problem if they are not willing to take the necessary steps, such as accepting affordable housing in more locations, to achieve their goal. If there first priority is to get people housed, officials and the community must support this. Sadly, in this case they are not. This is an extremely frustrating situation, and there is no one to blame but our own selves. We need to be the change, not hinder it.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-cecil-hotel-homeless-housing-skid-row-20140407,0,5093130.story#axzz2yD8CakV3,

Cleaning up trash or people?

Homelessness, News link, Poverty

This article describes San Jose’s growing problem of homeless encampments and the public’s reaction to them. There are several encampments in the San Jose area which are becoming more and more polluted as the number of homeless increases. The article is riddled with quotes and phrases from people that expose just how badly the homeless are stigmatized and how little is done to help them. The people interviewed for this article go on and on about how dirty the people in the encampments are and how dirty they’re making San Jose, yet there is no movement to help them. How can you expect someone to stop “defecating” on the sidewalk near your house if there is nowhere else for them to go? One person complains about homeless men washing themselves in public bathrooms during his team’s baseball games: “I leave the bathrooms open for parents, and they’re in the bathrooms stripping down naked, washing themselves. And I’ve got little kids going into those bathrooms. I just can’t have that.” This line frustrated me. Does he not understand that if he were in the same situation as the people he is so disgusted with, he would be forced to do the same things? The only way these people can “get rid of” the homeless near their homes is by providing a place for them to be relocated to, such as affordable housing. The article does not even address this issue, though. It focuses on depicting the homeless as criminals who are “luckless, dispossessed and often mentally ill.” It disregards any reasons for helping these people by criminalizing them: “Those people are homeless, but they’re also part of a criminal element.” This pushes the blame to the individuals, since they are all allegedly criminals. Overall, this article was frustrating and did not offer the point of view of anyone except angry homeowners who do not understand that homelessness is a structural issue, not an individual one that can just be “cleaned up” like the trash that is left behind in the encampments.

Minimum Wage Controversey

News link, Solutions to Homelessness

Raising minimum wage has been a constant controversial issue of the past few year and it is still ongoing. many people do not understand the annual rates of pay for people who have minimum wage jobs. The amount is not efficient enough for them to live in southern California and be able to raise a family.

Los Angeles times reported that “If California and D.C. won’t raise the minimum wage, city and county leaders should go it alone”. People are fighting a protesting to raise minimum wage because around a  $30,000 annually is not enough to live off of. Los Angeles has been working to make improvements within the past decade but have yet to have a city wide increase of minimum wage.  The cost of living is increasing but wages are not, making it very difficult for people to live in Los Angeles.

People think that going statewide would be a difficult task, so going city at a time is the best outlook. But in order to this city council members need to be on board and at times it seems like they are not. The would benefit many people lives in a positive way. However, we do run the risk of housing prices going up even more if the minimum wage is increased. Sometimes this seems like a never ending battle that needs more solutions.

This article mentions how ” raising the local wage would pour more money into the economy and improve the business climate” which shows positive effects on our economy. So why is this something that has not been taken into action yet? Many questions are looming over this controversial topic. This article shows how increasing minimum wage would have “little political risk” and would benefit numerous people in Los Angeles county.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-meyerson-city-minimum-wage-20140330,0,1288897.story#ixzz2xaRPQDmU

‘Jesus The Homeless’ Sculpture Rejected By Catholic Churches In Toronto, New York

Homelessness, News link, Related topics, Religion, Uncategorized

In the Huffington Post article, Meredith Bennett-Smith begins her article with “the statue is haunting and uncomfortable, depicting a darkly shrouded figure lying huddled on a long park bench”. For me this statement actively depicts the emotional stigma that accompanies members of homeless communities. Timothy Schmalz’s “Homeless Jesus” statue has not only depicted the emotions described in the previous quote, but has stirred up controversy within the city of Toronto and the Catholic Register.

homelessjesus

Inspired by a homeless man, Schmalz discussed that it was jarring to come back to Toronto and to see so many homeless people on its corners and benches. For Schmalz, the statue was meant as a permanent reminder of the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25:31-46, where Jesus tells his disciples that they help the sick, the tired, the homeless, and they also help him [Jesus]. This would seem to be a powerful message to the city of Toronto, yet the statue was rejected by two high-profile cathedrals.

Is it because Schmalz’s statue hit too close to home for the city (no pun intended)? Or perhaps associating Jesus with the stigma of homelessness isn’t appropriate in the Catholic perspective? Although the initial fears of controversy and vagueness might have stemmed the Catholic leaders’ reaction, shouldn’t this push the Catholic
community to do more to help the homeless?

See the artiicle for yourself here.

 

Complaining goes a long way

Government programs, Homelessness, News link, Organizations, Reflections on our Reading

In an article posted yesterday by USA Today, benefits from the VA was re instated for those who had “less than honorable discharges.” After recently revisiting their eligibility statements, they quietly removed this category of recipients away.  Additionally, this past December, the VA cut finances to their support program as well as cutting transitional housing for those who served less than 24 months as well as less than honorable discharge. More often than not, the veterans that fall into this category  do not receive VA benefits therefore making them unable to receive benefits from homeless programs, or so the VA decided.

Once people heard of this change, they saw it quite contradicting to the goals that Obama had set in his State of the Union address earlier this year.  Senators, advocates, support groups, social welfare organizations and more all saw the heartlessness  in the VA’s actions. In response, the VA said a law has to be created to change rules. On Friday, Senator Murray, who sits on the Budget Committee, from Washington, created and presented legislation on this topic. “In the meantime, Robert Petzel, the VA’s undersecretary for health, restored support for all homeless veterans who had previously been receiving it.” About 1 in 10 veterans who live on the street have “less than honorable discharges” and almost 60,000 veterans in general are homeless. Not all veterans are immediate homeless; due to post dramatic stress syndrome, abuse, and life events, some become homeless after years of being back from their tour.

This article touched me because it is amazing to see what can happen when people feel like there has been injustice. Especially when a group that was subject to these changes does not have the strength to fight back, it is amazing what the power of voices can do to help make a positive change. From our reading of Book of the Poor, we saw many organizations are out there to aid people and offer them the best well-being they can. In this case, many people and organizations are out there to support veterans everywhere.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/29/homeless-veterans-va-denied-support-ptsd-discharge/7013129/

Paying Alcoholics in Beer? Good or Bad Idea?

About being poor, Government programs, Homelessness, News link, Organizations, People, Poverty, Solutions to Homelessness, Solutions to Hunger

Tonight, I was talking to my dad about this class, and he told me about a program he’d heard of in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This article from BBC News does a very good job of explaining the program. Basically, a company (The Rainbow Group) partially funded by the Dutch government have started a program to help homeless alcoholics in Amsterdam. The article describes how the program works: “They arrive at 09:00 and work until 15:00. They take extended breaks for beer, cigarettes and a hot lunch, all provided free of charge.” The aim of the program is not to fix these people, but to give them a better quality of life, while bettering the neighborhoods at the same time. Though this is a very controversial program that I imagine most Americans would not take seriously, I think it’s a very intriguing idea. The program seems to be helping to keep violence to a minimum and has been fairly cost effective. The people involved in the program are given a sense of dignity because they can work for their beer instead of begging for money. One of the men stated that “‘They used to treat us like garbage – and now we are picking up their garbage, we are not the garbage anymore.'” Rather than trying to change the “unchangeable reality” of alcoholism, this project is aimed at creating a better environment for alcoholics to live in.

I’m not sure about this program and its effectiveness, but I think that the change of thinking about these types of things is a good start to changing society. As the article states, why not “abandon ‘old-fashioned political correctness'” and try something “crazy” like this?

What do you think about this type of program? Do you think it would work in America? Is it making a significant difference?

Housing the Homeless: the ultimate solution

Homelessness, News link, Solutions to Homelessness

In an article from the Huffington Post, there was a study in North Carolina that showed signs that it is cheaper to give housing for homeless then for them to live on the streets. This study was conducted in an apartment complex of people who used to say they were homeless and showed a savings in health care and jail time. This apartment complex called the Moore house provides a safe place to live for 85 people who have suffered from homelessness for many years. The article stated that within a year the people who resided in the apartments “saved $1.8 million in health care costs, with 447 fewer emergency room visits (a 78 percent reduction) and 372 fewer days in the hospital (a 79 percent reduction).”  Additionally arrests and jail time both dropped roughly 80 percent. Most people do not think of the crimes that are committed to homeless people, only what crimes homeless commit to others. Yet, within the study, they discovered that crimes that are produced by homelessness, such as loitering, trespassing, and begging, aided in the prevention of increasing certain repercussions for the homeless.

In our course, we discuss many theories, ways, points of view, and alternatives we should give to homeless people. Housing would be the best option in a perfect world. The Moore house has the goal and motto of “housing first” which requires no drug test or what some would consider an invasion of privacy. They ultimately care about a persons well being and treats their tenants as people with compassion and support. This article went on to describe one of the inhabitants stories. As we have read, the system treats everyone differently depending on their characteristics. Needless to say, to “fix” the problem of homelessness we need to start at the root, which is reteaching the characteristics of certain groups and focusing opinions on experiences and interactions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/25/housing-first-homeless-charlotte_n_5022628.html

Solving Homelessness or the Homeless Blemish?

Homelessness, How we should treat each other, News link, Reflections on our Reading, Solutions to Homelessness

There is a “dash movement taking place in Santa Cruz, California. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel article, “’Dash’ deployed for solving Santa Cruz Country Homelessness”,  the multi-agency cooperative 180/180 Initiative has a goal of offering “180 people a 180 degree life change” by a deadline of July 1st. A secondary goal was also created to place 25 of the city’s most visible homeless people, along with a group of 12 from Watsonville, on a course towards permanent supportive housing within 100 days by May 7th.  The 100-day dash plan is a specialized tool that gives partnering agencies and officials who wouldn’t usually get involved a finite timeline and achievable goal.

 

Although this project sounds promising, with 8 people currently being helped and two already housed in Watsonville, there seems to be the same lingering goal to get the chronically homeless away from the downtown commercial areas where they reside. Homeless Services Center Executive Director Monica Martinez is even quoted in the article saying “Everybody has their reason why (they want to get the homeless off the streets), but we all agree we want it to happen.” This reminds me of Wasserman and Clair’s book  At Home on the Street: People, Poverty, and a Hidden Culture of Homelessness, and how their participants discussed how the programs shouldn’t be pushed upon them and that they should be choices. My interpretation of this article seems as if this plan isn’t entirely for the homeless’ best interest, but to remove them from living in commercial areas where their presence isn’t wanted, which was an issue also raised in the book. These chronically homeless people they are “helping” are not being seen as people, but as a blemish on the downtowns of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. As much as this would like help out the homeless community, I fear that it is not enough to solve the chronic problem.