Archive for February 27th, 2009

Homeless Why??

Friday, February 27th, 2009

 Getting helppic by jessamyn

No you cannot have housing if you abandoned public housing without good cause.
No you cannot have housing if your not meeting the 30 hour a week work requirement.
No you cannot have housing if you have not saved 30 % of your income.
No you cannot have housing if you have been evicted from public or subsidized housing.
No you cannot have housing if your household has someone with an outstanding default or arrest warrant.
No you cannot have housing if you rejected one offer of housing without a good reason.
So what if there is a 5-8 year wait list for section 8 housing vouchers.
So what that you are waiting for a section 8 voucher that is worth thousands of dollars.
So what that the minimum wage of $8 at forty hours a week provides at 30% income only $416 to use towards rent.
So what that public housing area crime statistics are higher than most other locations.
So what that you feel your life is at risk in public housing.
So what that your child must experience a life cycle that includes gang recruitment.
So what that the economy is in a recession, no one hires you while in a shelter and you do not know where your going to live in order to know how you will get to the job.
So what that you did not know that someone in your household has an outstanding warrant.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of without good cause.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of a good reason.
So what that the interpretation of life consequences can be random.

Your homelessness is not about measuring the fact that your attaining the goals jointly agreed upon.

Your homelessness is necessary so that government can serve as many as possible knowing that the majority will succeed just by the fact that human nature drives people to overcome obstacles.

Nonprofits need to balance what the government will pay for and what their private funders will pay for.

The strategy to overhaul the Homeless Shelter system by more quickly moving the homeless into more permanent housing only works if there is sufficient subsidized housing or housing within 30% of a persons income will fail unless there is a large increase in subsidize and truly affordable housing. The traditional service model of serving long-term needy families and individuals in emergency housing is evolving to separate the chronic families/individuals from short term needy families/individuals. I question whether a more medical services model is necessary to better target those whom want treatment and those whom refuse treatment.

Maybe the new government motto should be “Be an Active Participant or Get Lost”

If you want real answers check your local nonprofits since they are usually available even when the government is not.