America's Homeless

I created this Lens to make people more aware about the chronic homeless problem in this country; we try to ignore it as we pass them on street, we say we do not have any change but they go spend $30 on a steak dinner, and so on; but the problem is not his problem or hers it is OURS as a nation that cares for one another.. and it affects the image of this great nation for our people to live on street, go without food and be overall broken. Any one of us can become homeless or broke; don't think it will never happen to you because I did not think it would happen to me, but it did and it was awful, I was one of the lucky ones who escaped it's grip but many are not so lucky..

So, check out this page and think it over and if something touches you deep down inside then give what you can or buy something you like here; better buy it for a good cause them putting it in someone's greedy pocket..

The homeless face many significant problems, living on the streets is never easy and these people go many times without basic needs. They struggle to stay fed is one thing, there are soup kitchens and places that offer free meals in many U.S. cities but the portions are very small and sometimes second helpings are limited as they have many people to feed with limited resources. Some other difficulties the homeless face are dangerous and dirty shelters which cause people to sleep in parks, under bridges, and other uncomfortable places; most times the shelters fill up and just do not have enough space for everyone. Lack of proper medical care, medicines, money for basic needs like transportation, toiletries , etc, etc make daily life a constant challenge for the homeless. Not every city is like San Fransisco or Los Angeles either; many, many cities have little or no resources and the homeless are left to fend for themselves ; basically ignored and abandoned. We cannot leave this people 'out in the cold' , we owe it to them to help make their lives easier and ultimately get them off the streets for good.

SAN FRANCISCO -
It takes only a few blocks to realize that street people and panhandlers are as much a part of this gilded hill city as the Golden Gate, the Presidio, or the striking views of Alcatraz from Russian Hill.
San Francisco belongs to them as much as it does to the scions of Pacific Heights or former dotcomers now working in temp jobs. In this tolerant city, politicians who have sought to remove them from street corners have long been labeled callous - and often rousted from office. Here, urinating in public is a cherished right.

As the problem grows, however, San Francisco appears to be reaching its breaking point. According to some estimates, it has roughly the same number of homeless people as New York, even though it has one-tenth the population. Two years ago, nearly 200 people died on the streets - twice as many as in the state of Florida.

Now, a city politician is again attacking the issue - but this time, people are listening. While his proposals may not be as hard-edged as those of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, they represent the most serious attempt at reform in more than a decade, and San Franciscans' receptiveness is telling.

This issue, perhaps more than any other, has in recent years defined San Francisco's sense of itself as a liberal-minded haven for all humanity - from immigrants to anarchists, homosexuals to the homeless. Yet as the scope of the problem becomes overwhelming, this culture of tolerance is being tested by a practical desire for peace and safety.

"The homeless problem has become cataclysmic in San Francisco," says Gray Brechin, a historian at the University of California in Berkeley. "Now, people really want something done about it."

WHERE THE PROBLEM ABOUNDS

Since 2000, the homeless population of San Francisco has grown by more than a third, totaling some 7,300 people. In places such as the Tenderloin district, streets seem little more than galleries of "Checks Cashed" signs, strip clubs, and wobbly shopping carts packed with worn clothes, trinkets, and trash. Sidewalks double as sleeping quarters, and the smell of stale urine is rarely far away.

Mr. Brechin says he won't come into San Francisco, because he "can't take it anymore." Six-year resident Sonja Brandjes is sometimes afraid to walk the streets in certain parts of town. "It's worse than it has ever been," she says. "We just accept it because it has always been there, but I don't think it's safe."

Such complaints are not unusual. Yet, for the most part, these are not people calling for street sweeps and jail time. This is a city conflicted, and for many here, Supervisor Gavin Newsom has provided a way out.

In his office, he displays two conspicuous piles of letters for and against his plan to help solve the homeless problem. The "support" pile teeters at least 10 times taller, but what is amazing, Mr. Newsom says, "is how much they apologize. They say, 'I'm a progressive, and I can't believe I'm writing about this subject, but I support you.... Please don't use my name.' "

"People are questioning their beliefs," he adds. The response has indeed been surprising. Part of the plan is to expand a ban on panhandling to places such as median strips and transit stations. In the mid-1990s, Mayor Frank Jordan tried to take a hard stand on homelessness, too. Voters canned him in the next election.

Yet several things are notably different this time around. Foremost among them is a growing sense that the old way is just not working. As San Francisco's tourism-based economy sours in a post-Sept. 11 world of less travel, many are wondering if their tax money is being used in the most effective way. The county spends some $100 million a year on homelessness.

"It's analogous to where New York was in 1993 - reeling from recession," says Newsom. "People started focusing on the problems and got fed up with the soft ineffectual symbolism."

For example, while most municipalities offer benefits to the homeless in the form of a small cash stipend and other benefits such as vouchers or shelter beds, San Francisco still gives about one-third of its homeless population its benefits all in cash - as much as $395 a month. At the same time, the number of deaths among the homeless has increased recently - from 103 in 1995 to 183 in 2000.

That disconnect has resulted in a new willingness to consider new solutions, such as Newsom's proposal to take most of that cash and apply it to improving shelters and other homeless services. "It's difficult to deal with this issue without betraying progressive principles," says Richard DeLeon, a political scientist at San Francisco State University. "But Newsom's proposal has opened up a space in the public discourse."

GETTING TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

To some observers, however, the shifts in policy still completely miss the mark. They say homelessness is a problem greater than any shelter or stipend, created by San Francisco's chronic lack of affordable housing and its decision decades ago to shutter mental institutions. These measures, then, are simply punishing the destitute, with only the thinnest suggestion of actually fixing what is wrong.

"All we ever get is the punitive, and we never get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow," says Paul Boden of San Francisco's Coalition on Homelessness. "Until they address the needs of the mentally ill, people will have a sleeping situation that is totally inappropriate for them."

Standing on a downtown corner, looking at a panhandler wrapped in a tattered and filthy blanket, Matt Beard agrees. "This guy here, you can't get him to follow somebody else's rules," he says.

Mr. Beard isn't sure that Newsom's new proposals are the answer. He feels the situation goes beyond improving shelters. Still, the shaven-headed and goateed San Franciscan is glad to see someone try.

"The problem," he says, "is enormous."

1. Volunteer at Homeless shelters and soup kitchens
2. Give homeless food and or clothing as opposed to money.
3. Acknowledge them in passing, a smile and simple hello may brighten their day as opposed to ignoring them as many do.
4. Offer them work if you own a business or even offer them the opportunity to mow your lawn or shovel snow .
5. Donate food, clothes , money to organazations that help the homeless.
6. Invite one to your Church
7. Stop with your Dog in the street and spend a few moments with them, animals are great therapy.
8. Give them a book ( it gets boring out there on street )
9. Help people to become aware of the problem by blogging, writing .
10. Love instead of Judge

Inequality is increasing around the world while the world appears to globalize. Even the wealthiest nation has the largest gap between rich and poor compared to other developed nations. In many cases, international politics and various interests have led to a diversion of available resources from domestic needs to western markets. Historically, politics and power play by the elite leaders and rulers have increased poverty and dependency. These have often manifested themselves in wars, hot and cold, which have often been trade- and resource-related. Mercantilist practices, while presented as free trade, still happen today. Poverty is therefore not just an economic issue, it is also an issue of political economics.

* Half the world - nearly three billion people - live on less than two dollars a day.
* The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world's 7 richest people combined.
* Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
* Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn't happen.
* 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).

There are a number of U.S. and Canadian cities where teenage and sometimes pre teen runaways flock and thus create their own communities on the streets of those cities. These kids come from abused homes many times and see no other way out but to run away and this certain cities are seen as glamorous and exciting , homeless life may appear care free and intriguing at first but soon these youth realize that it is a hard, cold life out there on the streets; even in some of the cities that have more services. Such cities are Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon , Vancouver , and Denver . There are others of course but these are the most popular for runaways. Although these cities do provide services the problem has reached such epic proportions that there is never enough help and resources available. Homelessness , adult and Child alike is a growing problem and once homeless it is very difficult to escape that life and pattern of living; that is why we must do what we can to help get these kids off the streets before they fall deeper into the life.

Another Big problem among certain populations of the homeless here in the U.S. are the Homeless Veterans; Men and Women that served their country and now are ignored and mistreated. These people gave their lives for our country and now our government turns a blind eye to them.

Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by -- no one keeps national records on homeless veterans -- the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And nearly 400,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country.

Many U.S. and Canadian cities have adopted laws targeting the homeless and thus made it impossible to sit, sleep, or eat provided food anywhere in public. These new laws are an attack on our most vulnurble and are inhuman and cruel, the homeless need to be helped and cared for; not punished. I know that America has become a police state where we find any reason to make something illegal so that the rich feel more safe and comfortable but this is just going too far.

Here are five of the meanest cities to the homeless with an overview of their unjust and unfair legislation and treatment of these poor people.

#1 Sarasota, FL

In February 2005, the City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting "lodging out of doors." The previous "no-camping" rule was ruled unconstitutional by a state court last year because it was too vague and punished innocent conduct. The new rule prohibited using any public or private property for "lodging" outdoors without permission from the property owner.

#2 Lawrence, KS

Downtown street merchants complained to city officials in December 2004 that homeless people were intimidating customers with "aggressive panhandling," and that groups of people regularly spent the night camping on the rooftops of their businesses. Downtown Lawrence, Inc. members gave city officials copies of many ordinances used in other communities against homeless people to encourage similar measures in Lawrence. Some of the proposed ordinances make sitting on the sidewalk from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M., and closely following someone to solicit money illegal. In addition to these suggested ordinances, a few businesses proposed cutting social services, arguing "We didn't have this problem until we had a handout on every corner

3 Little Rock, AR

In March 2005, Saint Francis House, a daytime homeless center, was forced to reduce its hours for the second time in one month due to decreased funding. The cutback in hours came as police began cracking down on "professional" panhandling in the downtown area. An undercover task force arrested 41 people

3 Little Rock, AR

In March 2005, Saint Francis House, a daytime homeless center, was forced to reduce its hours for the second time in one month due to decreased funding. The cutback in hours came as police began cracking down on "professional" panhandling in the downtown area. An undercover task force arrested 41 people

3 Little Rock, AR

In March 2005, Saint Francis House, a daytime homeless center, was forced to reduce its hours for the second time in one month due to decreased funding. The cutback in hours came as police began cracking down on "professional" panhandling in the downtown area. An undercover task force arrested 41 people

Officials attempted to address the growing homeless population by making it illegal to take a shopping cart off store property. Instead of acknowledging the root causes of homelessness, the new law only spurred homeless people to become more creative. Fleets of damaged baby strollers and shopping carts are now common in the area.

I feel that it is our responsibility to help the homeless in any way that we can as we too can be in that position one day; none of us are immune. Most of these people did not ask to be homeless and even those that did make bad choices, deserve a second chance.
Anything you can do to help makes a difference and it is in not only the people we are helping best interest but the best interest of our great nation.

A group of people that call themselves family. Two couples, and three brothers, are just getting up in the morning. The time is about 6:30 and of the seven people in the camp site, none seam to be moving since they are all sleeping. Some one could easily slip up and rape, pillage and plunder the entire camp. Time seems to drag along. Finally there is movement. It is now about 8:30 and one if the 2 couples is moving around, slowly waking up for the day. Going through their normal everyday wake up routine. Soon they and the rest of the camp will be up and packing to move to Tent City. Where they hope to have a safe place to live where they can begin to get back upon their feet. The names of the people, well we shall call them Paul and Chani Atriedes (a married couple), Rhombur and Kalea Vearnuis (another couple), Taz, Bill, and Warlock. For two weeks they have lived at this spot in fear. Fear of getting harrassed by the Police department. Fear of not having a way to get any thing to eat. But most of all, a fear of having no place to sleep that would be safe. Chani Atriedes is carring a child. Two days prior Paul had decided that no matter what they were going to move into Tent City. So that he and Chani could get back on their feet.

On the day of the move, all seven of them, not knowing what would happen, got on a bus around Noon. They had at most a dollar between them for bus fare. But thanks to a kind bus driver, were able to get all day passes and hence make it to Tent City 3 at their new location in Lake City. Upon arriving there, Paul talked to Kevin Vanderhoef and a couple of the committee members. While the two girls and Rhombur were setting up the kitchen, Paul, Warlock, Taz, and Bill were locating the spots for their tents to go up.

Bill is still there and Paul and Chani are still expecting their baby and have new hope that they will find and get work so that the little one is not born on the streets.

I have been homeless four times. The first time was when I was in graduate school studying for my PhD in Math at Cornell, in Ithaca NY. I supported myself in graduate school by working as a teaching assistant. That paid tuition plus a stipend of $300/month. I tried to find other part-time work to supplement that income, but everywhere I went in Ithaca I heard "You're a student, aren't you? We don't hire students." Ithaca exemplified the Town/Gown-problem in those days. The population of Ithaca, excluding Cornell, was about fifteen thousand. With Cornell it was thirty thousand. So the "Townies" resented the University's impact on their affairs.

But they didn't all resent the student's money. An extended Greek family catered to the housing and dining needs of students off campus. The available housing, which was mostly in houses owned by various members of this one family, consisted mainly of small rooms with bed and closet, shared bathroom down the hall. Some buildings had shared kitchens, some didn't. The place I lived in my first three years was very cheap, only $60/month, but had no kitchen so I was forced to eat out all the time. After buying books, and paying to eat at cafeterias I generally had nothing left over. In fact I came to Cornell with $2000 in savings from work I had done as an undergraduate, and after three years I had only $200 in savings.

Then I was evicted from my building. No reason was given. I found out I had no recourse. Ithaca at that time had very little rent control. My lease was up, my landlord had chosen not to let me renew it, that was the end of it.

I next discovered as I looked for another apartment that the available apartments were no longer owned by members of the Greek family. One man with a fresh business degree and sizable capital (everyone suspected from an inheritance) had been buying up all the property. There was now no place to rent that this man did not own. And now that he owned it all, he elected to double and triple the existing rents. Furthermore he required six month's rent in advance, in a market where two month's rent had been customary.

The least costly apartment was now $120/month, so I would need $720 up front to move in. Impossible. I spent the next year couch surfing and sleeping on the floor of my office in the math department. That being against the rules, I had to train myself to sleep on a hard floor without moving or snoring so as not to alert the campus security who walked the halls every three hours. It took me 10 years to unlearn that. I lost 20 pounds that year (I was already underweight), saving my money up to be able to rent an apartment the next year.

Melissa has been treated like a toilet all her life, as a child, as a teenage girl and now as a woman she has been raped sometimes daily by whatever male wants to use her.

She is thirty, with a slight figure and a quiet presence. She spoke of a male and female boarding house where she is residing. "Its getting a bit much," she says "there is always a guy wanting something sexual, night after night."

Melissa left home because of sexual abuse at the age of 15. On the streets, she would pair up with a guy for protection. I guess, at least she got to chose which guy it would be and have some influence over what happened sexually and when, as they were 'in a relationship.'

But she is off the streets, there is no boyfriend at the moment and the boarding house is taking its toll.

I asked if anyone at the boarding house had ever forced themselves upon her. She explains that over the years she has learnt that either violence or rape follows refusal.

Her experience of life has been as the victim of regular
sexual exploitation from one male or another.

What you or I understand as rape, does not apply%u2026 as the rapes add up, the violence adds up and she is now at a point where she copes by not resisting the sexual advances and rationalizing to herself that once a week is a good week, instead of once a day.

It's hard to describe what it is like being in Melissa's presence. She is extremely shy, hiding in the background and avoiding attention from anyone%u2026 she flies under the radar.

We talk quietly and slowly together about the boarding house as she maps out her plan of how and when she will move away from it. Her plan is daring, it means she will make a choice and take action against what her attackers want by quietly disappearing.

She didn't need anything from me, she just wanted to say her plan out loud and tell me of how it will work out for her. I just said "It's going to be really good when you do it, isn't it?" Affirming her plan and that things will work out for her.

We have to be so careful with people like Melissa not to stride into their lives and make decisions for them or take power away from them because we don't know what is best for her. Only Melissa knows what her next step should be, what goals she should set in her life and what she needs to do to survive.

We are just there, being present in a way that is gentle and open. Being present with people in pain is done without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.

Washington, DC - The National Coalition for the Homeless released a report today forecasting an increase in homelessness due to the foreclosure crisis. The report, Foreclosure to Homelessness: the Forgotten Victims of the Subprime Crisis, summarizes the findings of a national survey of state and local homeless coalitions conducted in winter 2008 to ascertain whether their communities were seeing an increase in homelessness due to the foreclosure crisis.

Among the survey findings:

61 percent of survey respondents reported an increase in homelessness in their communities since the foreclosure crisis began in 2007.
Respondents reported a variety of living arrangements among the newly homeless victims of the foreclosure crisis, including stays with family and friends, in emergency shelters, and on the streets.
The report criticizes state legislatures and Congress for their inattention to homelessness prevention initiatives in their response to the foreclosure crisis. "Nearly forgotten in the foreclosure crisis are the thousands of homeowners and renters who have become homeless once their equity is exhausted," said Bob Erlenbusch, President of the National Coalition for the Homeless. "We hope this report will sound an alarm and inspire policymakers to take proactive measures that prevent more Americans from falling from foreclosure to homelessness."

Among the policy recommendations offered by NCH to break the foreclosure to homelessness cycle is an infusion of funds into the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program, a highly effective program already in place to provide rental and mortgage assistance to persons at risk of homelessness. At the request of NCH and other organizations, Congress is now considering action on this recommendation as part of foreclosure relief measures.