What About Homelessness..?

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WHO WE ARE
The Economic Stimulus Bill just passed in February could give most Americans up to $8 more with each paycheck! Annual membership in NCH costs just $35, about 1/8th of your annual stimulus benefit. 1/8th of your stimulus will help us assist the 1/8th of Americans facing poverty in accessing the resources they need to stabilize their lives.

The National Coalition for the Homeless, founded in 1982, is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission. That mission, our common bond, is to end homelessness. We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness. At the same time, we work to meet the immediate needs of people who are currently experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of doing so. We take as our first principle of practice that people who are currently experiencing homelessness or have formerly experienced homelessness must be actively involved in all of our work.
BREAKING NEWS
CONTAct us: National Coalition for the Homeless | 2201 P St NW | Washington, DC 20037 |
Phone: 202.462.4822 | Fax: 202.462.4823 | Email: info@nationalhomeless.org. | CFC # 10844 [SIZE=-3]Read our privacy policy.[/SIZE]

 
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STEP 1: PLAN
Your community has a set of strategies focused on ending homelessness. A wide range of players has made funding and implementation commitments to these strategies.
A New Vision: What is in Community Plans to End Homelessness?
Community Plans to End Homelessness
Read More >
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STEP 2: DATA
Your community has a homelessness management information system that can be analyzed to assess how long people are homeless, what their needs are, what the causes of homelessness are, how people interact with mainstream systems of care, the effectiveness of interventions, and the number of homeless people.
Read More >
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STEP 3: EMERGENCY PREVENTION
Your community has in place an emergency homelessness prevention program that includes rent, mortgage, and utility assistance, case management, landlord or lender intervention, and other strategies to prevent eviction and homelessness.
Read More >
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STEP 4: SYSTEMS PREVENTION
Mainstream programs that provide care and services to low-income people consistently assess and respond to their housing needs. Ensuring that public institutions (hospitals, prisons, jails, mental health facilities) are discharging people into housing is equally important.
Read More >
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STEP 5: OUTREACH
Your community has an outreach and engagement system designed to reduce barriers and encourage homeless people to enter appropriate housing linked with appropriate services.
Read More >
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STEP 6: SHORTEN HOMELESSNESS
The shelter and transitional housing system in your community is organized to minimize the length of time people remain homeless, and the number of times they become homeless. Outcome measures are a key component of this effort.
Read More >
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STEP 7: RAPID RE-HOUSING
Your community has housing search and housing placement services available to rapidly re-house all people losing their housing or who are homeless and who want permanent housing.
Read More >
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STEP 8: SERVICES
Once households are re-housed, they have rapid access to services. Mainstream programs―TANF, SSI, Medicaid, and others― provide the bulk of these services.
Read More >
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STEP 9: PERMANENT HOUSING
Your community has a sufficient supply affordable housing and permanent supportive housing to meet the needs of extremely low-income households and chronically homeless people.
Read More >
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STEP 10: INCOME
When it is necessary in order to obtain housing, your community assists homeless people to secure enough income to afford rent, by rapidly linking them with employment and/or benefits. It also connects them to opportunities for increasing their incomes after housing placement (opportunities provided primarily by mainstream programs).
Read More >








Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness.org
 
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Homelessness

As many as 700,000 Americans are homeless on any given night. An estimated 20 to 25 percent of these people have a serious mental illness, and one-half of this subgroup also have an alcohol and/or drug problem. Minorities, especially African Americans, are over-represented among homeless persons with mental illness.
The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) supports programs to assist people with mental illnesses who are homeless in obtaining treatment and other services such as primary health care, substance abuse treatment, legal assistance, entitlements, and other supports, while making the transition from homelessness. CMHS develops models for programs to deliver mental health services to people who are homeless with severe mental illnesses and provides funding to States to deliver support services.
Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action -- This document is a report from the March 2003 work group of the Secretary of Health and Human Services on ending chronic homelessness. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) -- Created under the McKinney Act, The PATH Program, is a formula grant program that funds the 50 States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and four U.S. Territories to support service delivery to individuals with serious mental illnesses, as well as individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders, who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental Illness -- Develops papers, workshops, and training programs on service delivery to homeless persons with serious mental illnesses. Maintains a database of over 4,000 articles.
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Good question Susie. I had a psychiatric patient the other week who was suicidal. Had no family around here, and was to be discharged to the street....cause he was homeless. They are cutting back funds in this state for the mentally ill. It's a never-ending cycle of shame and hopelessness..
 
Good question Susie. I had a psychiatric patient the other week who was suicidal. Had no family around here, and was to be discharged to the street....cause he was homeless. They are cutting back funds in this state for the mentally ill. It's a never-ending cycle of shame and hopelessness..

Maybe so...but...if we as a society educate, give people the tools to get help, what is availible...if it is helps just one human being we help, then we truly are making a difference...

:angel:Knowledge Is Growth~~~
 
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You know, last spring I worked for 6 months for an organization trying to help the homeless. My job was partly to go out and find the homeless, bring the food and talk to them. And the other part was help to run the women's homeless shelter.

I think one of the things that these amazing people told me that made the most impression on me, was that they said the one thing they missed the most by being homeless, was having people look them in the eye. One guy said it was like he didn't exist, because people never looked at him, so when I sat down on the grass and just let him share his story, it meant everything to him.

I met some AMAZING people, and heard the most horrible stories too.

One man was SOBBING in my arms, because a few years back, he had given a friend of his money for a bus-ticket to go see his kids, and the friend had spent the money instead on drugs. He had overdosed and died in an alley right behind a major restaurant. This man was SOBBING because he felt so guilty. He told me how the first thought it his head every morning was "I caused my friend to die" and because of it, he wasn't able to get out of his own situation.

I think the key to solving homelessness is to STOP looking at them as a problem, and start seeing them as people. They are WONDERFUL people who bad things happen to.
 
ALWAYS look the homeless in the eye (unless they don't want you to).

ALWAYS make yourself available to talk.

ALWAYS let them know they are important to you.

ALWAYS give whatever you have to give. nothing less will suffice.

ALWAYS give of YOURSELF.

MIMIK
 
You know, last spring I worked for 6 months for an organization trying to help the homeless. My job was partly to go out and find the homeless, bring the food and talk to them. And the other part was help to run the women's homeless shelter.

I think one of the things that these amazing people told me that made the most impression on me, was that they said the one thing they missed the most by being homeless, was having people look them in the eye. One guy said it was like he didn't exist, because people never looked at him, so when I sat down on the grass and just let him share his story, it meant everything to him.

I met some AMAZING people, and heard the most horrible stories too.

One man was SOBBING in my arms, because a few years back, he had given a friend of his money for a bus-ticket to go see his kids, and the friend had spent the money instead on drugs. He had overdosed and died in an alley right behind a major restaurant. This man was SOBBING because he felt so guilty. He told me how the first thought it his head every morning was "I caused my friend to die" and because of it, he wasn't able to get out of his own situation.

I think the key to solving homelessness is to STOP looking at them as a problem, and start seeing them as people. They are WONDERFUL people who bad things happen to.

Awwe...what a heartbreaking story...but at the same time...thank you for teaching us...

Minnie, I, We are very proud of you for taking the time to share a part of you with someone that needed a friend...

:angel:God Bless...Continue to keep Helping US to Heal The World~~~
 
ALWAYS look the homeless in the eye (unless they don't want you to).

ALWAYS make yourself available to talk.

ALWAYS let them know they are important to you.

ALWAYS give whatever you have to give. nothing less will suffice.

ALWAYS give of YOURSELF.

MIMIK

Impressive...

:angel:Knowledge IS Growth...Keep helping to Heal the Heal The World~~~
 
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One thing that I know can be done to help decrease homelessness is to ease up on zoning laws and housing regulations allowing affordable housing to be built at a cheaper cost. Easy.

Also, homelessness is obviously caused by unemployement. So repeal the minimum wage. This will give employers the freedom to employ the homeless for a lower cost. They wont be living comfortably on a low wage but at least they'll be employed. The minimum wage, while it means entry-level employees are getting paid more, it also means employers are employing less people and shipping jobs to foreign countries where it's cheaper to employ people. So IMO the minimum wage does more harm than good.

That's all for now. Let me have a bit more of a think about this and I'll come back with some more things that I think could help the homeless situation.
 
One thing that I know can be done to help decrease homelessness is to ease up on zoning laws and housing regulations allowing affordable housing to be built at a cheaper cost. Easy.

Also, homelessness is obviously caused by unemployement. So repeal the minimum wage. This will give employers the freedom to employ the homeless for a lower cost. They wont be living comfortably on a low wage but at least they'll be employed. The minimum wage, while it means entry-level employees are getting paid more, it also means employers are employing less people and shipping jobs to foreign countries where it's cheaper to employ people. So IMO the minimum wage does more harm than good.

That's all for now. Let me have a bit more of a think about this and I'll come back with some more things that I think could help the homeless situation.

That's an interesting thought to think about...Tell us more...
 
Here's a song that always makes me cry, and makes me think of people like this man:

Spend all your time waiting for that second chance
For the break that will make it ok
There's always some reason to feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
They may be empty and weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight

In the arms of an Angel fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference, escaping one last time
It's easier to believe
In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness
That brings me to my knees

In the arms of an Angel far away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
In the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

You're in the arms of an Angel; may you find some comfort here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVbkz_3lO3c
 
One thing that I know can be done to help decrease homelessness is to ease up on zoning laws and housing regulations allowing affordable housing to be built at a cheaper cost. Easy.

Also, homelessness is obviously caused by unemployement. So repeal the minimum wage. This will give employers the freedom to employ the homeless for a lower cost. They wont be living comfortably on a low wage but at least they'll be employed. The minimum wage, while it means entry-level employees are getting paid more, it also means employers are employing less people and shipping jobs to foreign countries where it's cheaper to employ people. So IMO the minimum wage does more harm than good.

That's all for now. Let me have a bit more of a think about this and I'll come back with some more things that I think could help the homeless situation.

Yes minimum wage does play a part in employers shipping out jobs, however, IMO minimum wage is still a security.

Think of it this way. Without minimum wage, the cost of jobs would be pushed down - way down. A person working at McDonalds today certainly doesn't make a fortune, and it may be difficult to support yourself and your family as it is. Making rent, health insurance, food etc. That is not that easy.

If minimum wage was removed, I am willing to bet, McD would drop their wages, making it VASTLY more difficult for employees to make ends meet, which would make it virtually impossible for people without a high paying job unable to pay rent etc and end up in homelessness. It would also mean (in IE the US) that children from the lower middle class would not be able to send their children to college, creating a much larger evil spiral into poverty.

I believe minimum wage is a huge financial social security, because it means that employers can't get away with paying you next to nothing.
 
Yes minimum wage does play a part in employers shipping out jobs, however, IMO minimum wage is still a security.

Think of it this way. Without minimum wage, the cost of jobs would be pushed down - way down. A person working at McDonalds today certainly doesn't make a fortune, and it may be difficult to support yourself and your family as it is. Making rent, health insurance, food etc. That is not that easy.

If minimum wage was removed, I am willing to bet, McD would drop their wages, making it VASTLY more difficult for employees to make ends meet, which would make it virtually impossible for people without a high paying job unable to pay rent etc and end up in homelessness. It would also mean (in IE the US) that children from the lower middle class would not be able to send their children to college, creating a much larger evil spiral into poverty.

I believe minimum wage is a huge financial social security, because it means that employers can't get away with paying you next to nothing.
Minimum wage is definitely well-intentioned and it seems like a good thing that provides security for entry-level employees. But like a lot of things intended to help, it does more harm than good. Put quite simply, the minimum wage is a law that says employers must discriminate against people with low skills. Because skill level dictates pay and if you've got little to no work experience, a very low skill level, one that would warrant very low pay, then by law you can't get employed. You somehow have to accumulate work experience in an economy where no one can afford to hire you. As I said, I believe it's a good intentioned law, but it creates unemployment and poverty rather than reducing it.
 
But in this world, nothing is ever going to be fair - it's just impossible.
yes because people don't care it's as simple as that. these days people are thought to be selfish and materialistic and "productive", not caring and receptive to other people's needs
 
Excellent responses...keep posting...I, We would like to hear, learn more of your thoughts...

:angel:Knowledge Is Growth~~~
 
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