LA's Homeless Blog is now inforUm Online Journal

We Moved!

2009-10-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

We will be moving at midnight tonight... Please go to http://www.inforumusa.org/. LA Homeless Blog is transitioning into a national online journal about housing, poverty, and homelessness. So don't miss all the new bloggers and columnists who will be writing about issues that are so vital to our country.

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Names New ED…

2009-10-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the news piece from the NAEH:

Yesterday, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) announced that Barbara Poppe would serve as the new Executive Director. Ms. Poppe has served as the Executive Director of the Community Shelter Board (CSB) in Columbus, OH since 1995. She has been a key driver of Columbus' efforts to achieve its community-wide prevention and homeless services goals. She has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of housing and homelessness.

Ms. Poppe has been a leader in both the Columbus area and across the nation on efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Under her leadership, CSB received the 2002 Nonprofit Sector Achievement Award at the Alliance's annual Awards Ceremony, as well as the 2004 Buddy Gray Award for homeless activism from the National Coalition for the Homeless. She currently serves on the Alliance's Board of Directors.

USICH is tasked with coordinating the federal response to homelessness and forging partnerships with every level of government, as well as with the private sector, to end homelessness in the United States. The Council is currently chaired by Secretary Shaun Donovan of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) .

Ms. Poppe will take over daily management from Acting Executive Director, Pete Dougherty. In that role, she will spearhead the Council's efforts to improve coordination across the federal government; assist state and local governments, advocates, service providers, and consumers; and provide technical assistance for preventing and ending homelessness.

So Much Noise—I think I Need Noise Cancellation Headphones Just To Clear My Head.

2009-10-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

In my communication studies while in college I learned a lot about noise. Not that high decibel night club noise. Or the screaming and yelping parties in the dorm.

Rather, my studies focused on that external force that impairs communication between the person voicing an opinion and the intended audience. It could be bad language. Boring phrases. Or simply a busted microphone.

Decades later, I’m still overwhelmed by noise. But now, I’m referring to noise polluting the world of homelessness.

So many opinions. Agendas. Solutions. Philosophies. Programs. Best Practices. Sometimes I wish I could spend the day with noise cancellation headphones, just to clear my head.

The voices of permanent supportive housing are strong. And powerful. Put a homeless person in an apartment with support services and you will end homelessness. Never mind the fact that we would have to invest hundreds of billions of dollars and spend the next decade building them. It is the answer. Makes sense.

But as soon as I embrace such a logical solution, those running shelters and transitional housing cry foul. People are not ready for an apartment. They need life skills. They need to kick their drug habit or dispel their mental demons before they can manage a household. It certainly makes sense. Even people who are already housed have trouble managing their households.

Concentrate on the most vulnerable homeless population. Those people who could die within months if we don’t help them now. Such strong words that tug on my heart strings. It becomes personal when I see these vulnerable people on my own streets just blocks from my loft.

But what about the families who just lost their homes via foreclosure? These are families like mine. Hardworking, strong values. With children, for God sake. We need to help them. And now.

I feel like I am being pulled in so many directions. Such noise penetrates my ear drums. It’s hard to focus. Hard to hear.

Hear who? The people on the streets who suffer. They suffer because our society develops homeless policies that confuse. At times, they conflict with each other. They suffer because after a while the noise is so loud our communities just want to cocoon themselves. Perhaps if we just ignore the voices of hurting people on the streets, they will just go away.

But it’s getting worse. The voices are not going away. In fact, the chorus of sadness is growing.

Somehow we need to cut through the noise of homelessness. And focus. On the voices. On the people who are hurting.

Can you hear them now?

(Pic from http://static.guim.co.uk)

Can Words Really End Homelessness?

2009-10-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

I have to admit. I’m tired of words. For the past 13 years, my role has been to run a nonprofit agency that basically necessitates sitting in meeting after meeting listening to words.

There are so many words used to address homelessness. Hope. Empowerment. Fear. Anger. Sadness. And now the word du jour in the world of homelessness: END. End homelessness. But are they all just words, spoken or written?

Our country has been using words for the past three decades, with not much progress. Continuum of care. Transitional housing. Permanent Supportive Housing. Ten Year Plan. So many words.

Personally, I’ve written nearly a dozen opinion pieces and a book on homelessness. I spent the last five years writing a daily blog on homelessness. So many words. Yet, sadly, so many people still homeless.

Some talking heads tell us that the number of chronic homeless people is getting smaller. Other word-spewing heads are telling us that homelessness is increasing. Some tell us that shelters are bad. Others tell us that the only way to resolve homelessness is an apartment linked to case management.

So many words juggling in my head, you practically need a Master’s Degree in Homelessness to figure out what everyone is saying.

Ironically, this Wednesday, we are going to add more words to the world of homelessness. This LA Homeless Blog is transitioning into www.inforUmusa.org, a national dialogue on housing, poverty, and homelessness.

I’ll keep writing my words on my regular posts, but now I won’t be the only one. Bloggers engaged with homelessness in cities like Seattle, Boston, New York, Dallas and Washington, DC, and national experts like Nan Roman, Ellen Bassuk and Elise Buik are joining this nationwide conversation on homelessness.

So why more words?

If words can inspire people into action then it’s worth it. If a blogger can write about a homeless mother being helped by a local faith group, and it inspires more faith groups to act, then it’s worth it. If a piece on strategic outreach causes a community to begin to seriously address their local homelessness, then it’s worth it.

Yes, I’m tired of words. But I’m linking my words with action. I’m convinced that if I am not personally active in surveying a homeless community, or sitting in an outreach meeting figuring out how to house them, then my words are moot.

I can sit in a meeting or a conference listening to words, if my life is balanced with activities that are actually linking people to housing.

So my words are this… I hope this Wednesday when www.inforUmusa.org begins, that these thousands of words from bloggers all over the country inspires people and communities to seriously end homelessness through ACTION.

38 Years. Tired. Ready. Don’t Say He Doesn’t Want To Be Housed.

2009-10-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

I spend most of my days sitting in meetings. Talking on the phone. Sorting through emails. Conversing with people. Planning. Designing. Managing. Hoping.

It’s my job. Helping people.

Some people think it’s just busy work. Other people think it’s inspirational. God’s work, they say.

What do I think? It’s the reason for my being. My calling. My destiny. I don’t see it as a choice. It’s my mandate. It doesn’t matter what other people think.

So I walk into another meeting today. Not expecting much. Just another exercise of checking off items on an agenda. Introductions. Done. Preview of agenda. Done. First item…

…but this is a different gathering. The table is surrounded by outreach workers. Their purpose is to convince people living on the streets that they need help. They need to overcome their barriers. They need housing.

Wait. That’s my job too. Take off the tie and oxford shoes. And I look like an educated social worker.

It’s my job. Helping people.

The list on the table is filled with people we surveyed on the streets of Long Beach back in July. It’s a laundry list of hurting people. One has a terminal illness. Another fights demons in his soul. A few are drowning their existence with liquid poison. One is a product of a broken foster care system.

The facilitator of the meeting swipes a yellow highlighter over the name of one gentleman on the list. He has been living on the streets for 38 years. Yes, 38 years. He has cancer, and a few other stereotypical struggles that many visible homeless people encounter.

But this conversation is different. The police officer has convinced a landlord to allow this man to rent an apartment. The social worker has found subsidized rent. They go down a verbal list of other assistance.

“He’s tired,” says the social worker. “He’s ready. He wants a home. A roof over his head.” 38 years on the streets. And he’s ready. It’s practically a miracle. Even this jaded nonprofit executive is impressed.

The conversation turns to a discussion on how to get the furniture. The dishes. The linens. All the things that make a house a home. 38 years on the streets, and a group of people are planning what will be in the kitchen cabinets. Amazing.

No celebrations. No congratulations at the table. There are a few hundred other people we are also trying to reach. Too much work. Almost overwhelming.

But today was a good day. At least a hopeful day. Take away the tie and the oxford shoes, and I’m basically a social worker, a social engineer. Not an executive.

It’s my job. Helping people.

Can’t forget that.

(Pic from www.corporate-eye.com)

For Every Study… There’s Always Critics: Not Housing, But Changed Mental Health Laws

2009-10-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

A Los Angeles County Supervisor criticized yesterday’s United Way study that revealed housing is a cheaper option than staying on the streets. He states changing mental health laws that currently allow people struggling with mental health issues to stay on the streets is the answer.

Here’s the article:

Responding to the United Way's most recent report on homelessness, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich said, "The disinformation created by this study is a step backward in our effort to address the homelessness problem at its core. Fundamental reform of our state's dysfunctional mental health laws must be accomplished to effectively address homelessness.

"Local experience continues to demonstrate that those suffering from mental illness and/or alcohol or substance abuse require treatment. Housing alone will not solve this crisis."

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) census figures revealed that most chronically homeless suffer from mental illness and/or addiction to drugs and alcohol.

"While community-based treatment facilities, stabilization centers, family-access centers and transitional housing are valuable temporary tools to treat symptoms of homelessness, they must provide proactive access to medical treatment that addresses mental illness and rehabilitation for alcohol/drug addition," Antonovich added.

"Without fundamental reform of the state's mental health laws, the homeless are locked in a broken system of warehousing without healing."

(Pic from /www.utsa.edu)

Home Is The Cheapest Place To Be… If You’re Homeless In Los Angeles

2009-10-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

I grew up here in Southern California and know how real estate has been a major factor in the life of this coastal region. During the economic ups and downs, people constantly talk about real estate.

Conversations are always the same: How much equity do you have in your home, we ask. It takes practically a mortgage to get enough first and last month’s rent for an apartment, we complain. When you’ve figured out that the housing market has bottomed, it’s too late, we expertly state.

Is housing really about: location, location, location? When it comes to homelessness, the answer is no.

Yesterday, here in Los Angeles, we learned that the mere fact that a homeless person is housed reaps significant financial benefits. For taxpayers, as well as the person who is housed.

The United Way of Greater Los Angeles released an important study showing that L.A. County taxpayers save money when a homeless person is housed. Why? Because otherwise if these people are still on the streets, we are paying for public services like: emergency room hospital visits, fire department transports, jails, and law enforcement.

Last July, in Long Beach, stakeholders there discovered that the 350 homeless people in the civic center utilized about $4 million in health and emergency services in the past year. Clearly, that money could’ve been used to house these people instead.

So the next time you’re talking about real estate at Happy Hour in Los Angeles, you can confidently say, “Home is the cheapest place to be.”

(Pic from http://elements6.superlativestudio.com)

Only You Can Prevent Wildfires… Reduce Homelessness In The Hills

2009-10-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Looks like the L.A. County Sheriff is seeking a homeless man they think might have started the recent Station Fire, the largest fire in L.A. history. A fire that resulted in the death of two fire fighters. U.S. Forest Service officials were trying to stop a homeless man who had set a small fire days before the large fire was started.

I’ve been writing on this blog for years on the relationship between homelessness in the hills and wildfires. In August 2005, I wrote about a fire in Hollywood Hills that was accidentally started by a homeless man cooking a meal in the rough.

I’ve also shared how the L.A. County Fire Department has sent up PATH outreach workers in helicopters to locate homeless encampments in the hills in hopes that outreach teams on the ground can reach them. This prevention tactic has been successful.

Funding more homeless outreach efforts in the hills above Los Angeles would certainly be a prudent investment in fire prevention.

(Pic from www.ilovedogs.com)

Which American Minority Group Experiences Poverty At The Greatest Rate? (It’s not an ethnic group.)

2009-10-12T08:12:00.001-07:00

The character and strength of a world class nation should not be based on how much money its population can generate in a year. It should be based on how well it takes care of its own people, especially those who are most vulnerable. People like seniors, children, and those struggling with physical or mental barriers.

How does America stack up to such a measure of success?

Not very good, if you look at a recent report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research. The center looked at working-age adults who are mired in long-term poverty. They found that two-thirds of them have one or more disabilities.

Americans with disabilities are struggling with this downturn in the economy. They typically have part-time jobs to balance their monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI payments of $674 per month is just not enough money to live on.) But companies are downsizing, meaning these part-time jobs are eliminated.

The result is an increase in poverty among this American minority group.

It’s ironic. Those of us on the front lines of homelessness fight to help eligible people who are homeless access SSI benefits as a way to overcome homelessness. Yet, during these tough times, even SSI is not a guaranteed ticket out of poverty.

People with disabilities have to put together a complicated package of benefits to survive—food stamps, subsidized housing, and SSI benefits. It’s complicated and difficult to navigate.

People struggling to deal with physical or mental health barriers should not have to fight so hard to overcome poverty.

(Pic from http://thechp.syr.edu)

Homelessness: Not Just Another Statistic

2009-10-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

By David Henderson, CEO of http://www.idealistics.org/

In Joel's recent post on statistics gathered for a biannual homeless count, he echoes a familiar mantra in social services:

"With the onslaught of numbers we sometimes forget that these numbers reflect real people. Real lives."

Properly collected statistics represent multipliers on the pain expressed in individual narratives. No matter how powerful an individual's story, statistics allow us to aggregate people's problems, illustrating how personal crises are actually social ones. Poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity are social issues of significant magnitude. Accurate statistics allow us to think about these issues in their proper context and scope.

However, collecting quality statistics and outcomes indicators in social services is difficult and complex. Perhaps we forget these numbers are supposed to represent real people not because we have too many statistics, but because our intuition tells us some of the numbers we report are wrong.

Just as a true story is more powerful than fiction, good data is more insightful than bad. The problem is that good data is hard to collect. For example, homeless counts are tricky because those who are homeless by definition lack an easily measurable permanent address, and evaluating social-outcomes is arduous because it is not always clear what "success" means in quantifiable ways.

Despite the difficulty of collecting good data, if numbers are to be powerful, they need to reflect reality. As a sector, our work-product is not how much we care about people who are hurting, it is how much we do for them. Good data helps us understand what we are doing well, and how we can improve.

I look forward to the upcoming INFORuM (LA Homeless Blog will become http://www.inforumusa.org/ on October 21st) where I will be a regular blogger engaging you about the possibilities and pitfalls of a more data driven, outcomes-oriented social service sector. Together we can move our industry forward toward a better understanding of how to collect and analyze data that accurately reflects real people's lives.

Most importantly, we can use accurate data to help make people's lives better.

(Pic from www.animatedsoftware.com)

There’s Something Wrong When People Are Treated Like Cattle

2009-10-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

I’m not referring to the line at the DMV or waiting to get into a World Series game. I mean, when you’re economically struggling, hungry for your next meal, or in need of a safe bed for the night... And people in control of those desperately needed resources force you to wait in line for hours to get them.

That’s what happened in Detroit this week. A throng of thousands waited, scuffled, and pushed each other to be one of the lucky few who would receive rental assistance. The AP headline said it all, “Thousands mob Detroit center in hopes of free cash.”

The “free cash” is part of the federal stimulus package that communities are receiving around the country. People who are very, very close to becoming homeless will receive assistance with rent and utilities. Like most communities around the country, Detroit, with one and four adults unemployed, needs it.

The logic is simple. It’s cheaper to help someone stay in their apartment rather than have them end up homeless, going through the homeless service system, and then access new housing.

But why treat people like they are cattle? Your dignity is already tattered just by admitting you need help, let alone admitting it to the whole world while waiting in long public lines.

Here in Southern California, we are also implementing the same rental assistance program. But there will be no lines. No mobs. No jockeying for position to be one of the few who get help. At least I certainly hope not.

(Pic from www.news.com.au)

Is California Becoming A Failed State?

2009-10-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

The British certainly think the Golden State is failing. And failing brilliantly.

Here’s what they are saying:

California has a special place in the American psyche. It is the Golden State: a playground of the rich and famous with perfect weather. It symbolises a lifestyle of sunshine, swimming pools and the Hollywood dream factory.

But the state that was once held up as the epitome of the boundless opportunities of America has collapsed. From its politics to its economy to its environment and way of life, California is like a patient on life support. At the start of summer the state government was so deeply in debt that it began to issue IOUs instead of wages. Its unemployment rate has soared to more than 12%, the highest figure in 70 years.

Desperate to pay off a crippling budget deficit, California is slashing spending in education and healthcare, laying off vast numbers of workers and forcing others to take unpaid leave. In a state made up of sprawling suburbs the collapse of the housing bubble has impoverished millions and kicked tens of thousands of families out of their homes.

Its political system is locked in paralysis and the two-term rule of former movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen as a disaster – his approval ratings having sunk to levels that would make George W Bush blush. The crisis is so deep that Professor Kevin Starr, who has written an acclaimed history of the state, recently declared: "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America."

Click here for full article.

Having lived in this state for nearly all of my life, I also wonder… gridlock traffic, unaffordable housing, congested schools, unemployment, and the largest homeless population in the country. Is our state really “a patient on life support”?

(Pic from http://halfwaytoconcord.com)

Are People Who Are Homeless Too Fat?

2009-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

They used to say bring an apple to school for your teacher. Now they are saying bring an apple to a homeless shelter. Why? Because some are saying people living in homeless shelters are getting too fat on greasy, excessively caloric food donated by good intentioned folks.

Now, no hate emails please. There is some logic here. Studies show that those who struggle with poverty typically don’t use their financial resources to purchase healthy, low calorie food. They can’t afford all of the vegetables and fruits needed to keep a lean figure. So they gain weight.

Even people who can afford such “luxuries” don’t typically eat the daily recommended food dosages. What are we supposed to eat again? Like 10 fruits and vegetables per day? I barely have time to drive through In-N-Out, let alone spend an hour picking through the grocery produce section.

So, thankfully, the Washington Post comes to the rescue for people living in homeless shelters who are forced to eat whatever is served. They recommend teaching people struggling with homelessness and poverty how to eat better. Water over soda. Lean foods instead of fat.

But I have a better suggestion. Help people find living wage jobs and affordable housing, and you will give them the option to eat fat food or lean food. Just like you and me.

(Pic from http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu)

Is The Homeless Service Agencies’ Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

2009-10-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine recently wrote on her Facebook status this poignant question: “What’s the verdict? Will non profits survive this year, especially those working with people who are homeless?”

Given this detrimental economy that has devastated average families and adults across the country, I’m sure many people could very well be thinking that the extinction of many nonprofit groups is near. It’s not hard to fathom, especially in the world of homeless services.

Despite the claims that chronic homelessness has decreased in the past several years, everyone knows that homelessness overall has dramatically increased due to the current economy. So the need for housing and services is dramatically up.

Add to this, the fact that average families and adults who typically give to nonprofit organizations are tightening their financial belts. That means less donations to charity.

The increase of need and reduction of revenue is not a pretty picture for nonprofit agencies.

I know. The agencies that I lead are going through the same dire scenario. We are laying off staff, not filling open positions, and doing whatever we can to keep our doors open for people in need.

But I see the glass as half full—and even overflowing. Why? Because this gives us the opportunity to think outside of the box, to change the paradigm of addressing homelessness, and to streamline our operations.

It’s difficult to see staff go. It’s difficult to see more and more people coming to our doors because they desperately need our assistance. This, however, is forcing us to rid programs that don’t seem to be effective, invest in programs that make a difference, and focus staff on tasks that will force our organizations to help more people with less resources.

Homeless services need to emphasize homeless prevention. They also need to be more housing focused. Nonprofit agencies need to evaluate their ROI (return on investment) to see if the cost of services and housing is worth it.

Bottom line… Homeless service agencies will survive. Hopefully, they will be leaner, meaner, but continue to embrace their passion and compassion.

(Pic from http://3.bp.blogspot.com)

A HomeWalk To Remember

2009-10-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I traveled to Washington, DC with a team from the United Way of Greater LA to observe and participate with DC’s effort to address homelessness through their annual walk.

Thousands and thousands of people woke up on a Saturday morning to march the Capital Mall. Men and women. Teens and children. They flocked to the walk by bus, car, and the subway.

I remember standing at the starting line while a massive wave of humanity commenced the journey to awaken the conscience of a city. Groups were carrying signs proudly identifying their names. First Lutheran Church. Temple Isaiah. Fannie Mae.

The announcer on stage yelled out the names of the groups as they neared the beginning. Shouts and hand waves of acknowledgement followed.

It was a community experience that certainly brought a new voice into the work of addressing homelessness. Many today feel that voice is desperately needed.

The voice of the people. The voice of everyday folks saying plainly, “Enough is enough!” People, like you and me, should not be resorting to living on our streets. Someone has got to say something. Before we give up on homelessness, and allow it to simply be a “normal” backdrop on the urban and suburban landscapes of our country.

Next month, the Los Angeles’ version will commence its third annual walk. The United Way of Greater LA calls it, “HomeWalk.” It’s a play on homework. But instead of doing our homework, we are doing our homewalk. Walking to insure that people will find homes.

The voice of blogs, tweets, and Facebook posts are one thing. But these technological statements are minimal compared to thousands of people walking the streets to express their outrage that homelessness exists in the richest country on earth.

I, for one, need to walk the talk of this blog. So I’m going to walk. Will you join me on Saturday, November 7th at Los Angeles’ Exposition Park?

Join the PATH Partners HomeWalk team by signing up here: Yes, I will Walk.

I’m walking to physically and morally state, “Enough is enough!”

Every Homeless Person Should Become A Millionaire and Have A Porn Star Hang On His Arm

2009-10-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

TMZ, that National Enquirer on video steroids, thinks it’s news when the Ultimate Fighting Champion insults a homeless man.

Yesterday, Tito Ortiz is standing on the sidewalk with his porn star girlfriend, and surrounded by paparazzi, when a homeless man asks him for financial help.

Ortiz tells the man: “I came from the streets, homeboy. I worked for my s*t. I used to wash cars when I was a kid. Laziness don’t get you anywhere in life, dog. Laziness don’t get you anywhere in life. I’m just saying—you wouldn’t be begging for money, right? I came from the streets.”

I guess Ortiz thinks every homeless person is lazy. And every homeless person should be like him… have the ability to become a millionaire so a porn star can hang on his arm.

(Pic from www.topnews.in)

Not Uptown, Not Downtown… Just Out Of Town

2009-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, here in Los Angeles, there was an uproar that the County of Los Angeles wanted to sweep homeless people out of downtown and into the suburbs.

A proposal that I thought was actually a sound solution… to develop regional service centers was blasted as part of a scheme to force people into the suburbs. One suburban mayor was quoted in the paper, “Over my dead body.”

Los Angeles is not the only metropolis that is struggling with this issue. Advocates for the homeless in Atlanta are actually suing the city for driving homeless people out of downtown. They claim “officials have undertaken a complex campaign to sabotage the shelter [system in downtown] with the ultimate goal of driving homeless, mostly African American men off the streets of downtown.”

Granted, these claims come with a slew of other accusations trying to show the city that they are allegedly shutting down shelters in the downtown area.

But the issue of moving homeless people into other jurisdictions is still prevalent in other urban areas.

Supporters of regional approaches to addressing homelessness say that homelessness is all over the region, not just in urban areas. People living on the streets of suburban areas are just more hidden. They also say that all cities in a region need to do their “fair share.”

This struggle is a result of cities who are doing a lot to feed, shelter and house homeless people are getting fed up that other cities in the region are doing nothing. And in fact, these non-participating cities may be pushing their homeless folks out of their cities.

So it is becoming a tug-of-war, or perhaps a push-war, where the participating cities—mostly urban—are pushing back.

Whatever the case, pushing homeless people from one jurisdiction to another is clearly not the answer. It’s just another example of communities getting sidetracked from real solutions.

(Pic from http://homepage.eircom.net)

There Is No Business Like Show(ing) Business How To Address Poverty

2009-09-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

We’ve been hearing about the Clinton Global Initiative since they met last week in New York City. With the sad reality that four billion people on this planet are struggling with poverty—i.e., living on $2 per day—I’m encouraged to see business thinkers propose creative ways to battle poverty.

Of course, when business reduces poverty, they are also increasing potential new consumers. It becomes a win-win formula.

Here’s a piece on 8 ways business can end poverty. They propose the following:

Look Inside – encourage and fund average people who are able to create products that sell to average people.

Patient Capital – Invest in the long-term.

Internal Sustainability – Create products that are compatible with many communities.

Market Focus – Design products that meet the needs of the right local market.

Embed Innovation – Use social mobilization as part of business development.

Keep The Money Flowing – Develop loan programs for people in need rather than simply food programs.

Don’t Re-Invent The Wheel – Develop products using existing platforms.

Make People Feel Good – “Dignity is more important to the human spirit than wealth.”

(Pic from www.basebasebase.com)

American Girl Births Homeless Doll

2009-09-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

The doll house for upper-middle class girls has jumped into the marketing-homelessness-is-profitable bandwagon. American Girl, the store that promotes dolls for $95, is now selling a doll who happens to be homeless.

Designers across the country seem to think homelessness sells. Critics think this is just a marketing ploy. Others think this is exploitive. While, some feel bringing up the issue of homelessness within mainstream marketing actually helps the cause.

What truly helps the cause of resolving homelessness is simple… housing.

So what’s an appropriate approach to raising the issue of homelessness? Putting up Barney’s clothing displays mimicking homelessness? Birthing American Girl dolls that happen to be homeless? Certainly, traditional advocacy efforts to encourage this country to address homelessness is not sufficient. Just look at the increasing numbers of homelessness across this nation. At least homeless displays and dolls get the country’s attention.

I get a feeling, however, that the NY Post leans toward American Girl selling homeless dolls as demeaning:

Barbie she's not. Meet Gwen Thompson, the newest addition to the American Girl canon of dolls -- the wildly suc cessful, extremely expensive brand of faux children that are sold out of a four-story town house in the heart of Fifth Avenue.

Little children as young as 4 are addicted to these pricey little monsters. It's like middle-American crack. You have an African-American doll, an American Indian doll. A Jewish one. A doll who "lived" during the Great Depression, and one from the Roaring '20s.

And while you were snoozing, the creators of American Girl, which is sold by Mattel, got bold. They engaged in all-out political indoctrination. Snuck into the collection is a doll that comes with a biography that is weird and potentially offensive enough to keep Mom running to the Maalox. Gwen, you see, is harboring a terrible secret.

She is homeless. A homeless doll.

In the history books that come with every American Girl doll -- bringing to life these little monsters until impressionable little ones believe they are actual people -- you learn that Gwen's father walked out on the family. Her mother lost her job.

As the little kiddies learn to read about this doll as if she's a human being, one learns that, as fall turned into winter, Gwen's mom lost her grip. Mother and daughter started bedding down in a car.

G.I. Jane Is Ending Up On the Streets. Literally.

2009-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Sadly, more female veterans are becoming homeless. The Veterans Administration estimates that 10% of the veteran population are female. And we already know that at least 131,000 (but probably more) veterans are currently living on the streets. Officials believe a growing number of these homeless veterans are female.

CNN is highlighting this plight. Here is the beginning of their piece:

(CNN) -- When Iraq war veteran Angela Peacock is in the shower, she sometimes closes her eyes and can't help reliving the day in Baghdad in 2003 that pushed her closer to the edge.

While pulling security detail for an Army convoy stuck in gridlocked traffic, Peacock's vehicle came alongside a van full of Iraqi men who "began shouting that they were going to kill us," she said.

One man in the vehicle was particularly threatening. "I can remember his eyes looking at me," she said. "I put my finger on the trigger and aimed my weapon at the guy, and my driver is screaming at me to stop."

"I was really close to shooting at them, but I didn't."

Now back home in Missouri, Peacock, 30, is unemployed -- squatting without a lease in a tiny house in a North St. Louis County neighborhood.

She points to the Baghdad confrontation as a major contributor to her struggles with drug abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. She says she's one step away from living on the street.

Click here for full article.

(Pic from http://img2.timeinc.net)

Come On Barneys… Homeless Parodies Do Not Make Good Clothing Displays

2009-09-24T08:37:00.001-07:00

For some distorted reason, the fashion and design world think copying how homeless people dress is now the new design trend. I’ve written about this before. It’s an insult to people struggling to survive on the streets.

People living on the streets are not concerned about fashion trends. They are concerned about eating their next meal, and where they will sleep tonight.

This whole homeless-people-are-the-new-trend phenomenon is like copying the fashion trends of war refugees in camps or starving people in a Third World country. It’s ludicrous.

Barneys and others in the fashion world are concerned about making a buck. Plain and simple. That’s fine. But don’t do it by using caricatures of hurting people.

(Pic from racked.com)

Should Communities Force Homeless People Into Shelters?

2009-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

It’s a tough call. One local jurisdiction in Canada is considering forcing people on the streets to go to shelters when the weather is extremely cold. There is some compassion in this consideration. Should people be allowed to choose to stay outside, even if it could kill them? Or do we force them to go to safety?

Is this, on the other hand, just another “out of sight, out of mind” approach to sweeping homeless people off the streets? Pass an ordinance to force people into shelters so that law enforcement has the authority to clean up the streets?

It’s a call that is certainly controversial.

I compare it to out of control fires. Something that here in Southern California we have been experiencing. When fire gets close to homes, evacuation orders by local officials are issued. But we always see that lone homeowner standing on the roof of his home, grasping a simple garden hose, trying to save his house with a trickle of water. A raging fire is his backdrop.

He obviously doesn’t get arrested. Local officials allow people to choose to risk their lives to save their home.

It also reminds me of the people who choose to stay in their mountain homes when a volcano is imminent to blow. Some even die.

So also, perhaps, we allow homeless people the right to live outside in extreme weather.

Or… we give them appropriate options. Shelter, and more importantly, permanent housing.

New York, with its similar cold weather environment, has a different approach. Give homeless people the right to shelter. So when the weather is cold enough to kill, people forced to live on the streets have the legal right to have a shelter bed.

Frankly, a right to shelter and housing should be an option for all people who end up living on the streets.

(Pic from www.esquire.com)

Numbers, Numbers, and More Homeless Numbers. Can We Count On Them?

2009-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes numbers can be poignant.

I tend to tire over statistics, especially when it relates to homelessness. This percentage of people are male. This percentage of people have a disability. This. This. This. With the onslaught of numbers we sometimes forget that these numbers reflect real people. Real lives.

So when the federal government mandated that local jurisdictions count the number of people living on the streets, my first inclination was, “Swell, more numbers.” But I strongly agree that counting homelessness is good. It keeps communities accountable. It allows them to plan for solutions.

So this past January, the biennial homeless count in cities around the country occurred. The City of Denver recently announced its numbers.

Yes, there was the typical… this percentage of this… this percentage of that…

But hidden in the list of percentages and numbers was a sad fact… “45% of the people surveyed were homeless for the first time.” That means out of the 11,000 people homeless in the metropolitan Denver area, almost half are newly homeless.

I suspect this is not just a Denver issue. It’s staggering to think that people living in homes and apartments just two years ago are ending up homeless today. The economy is certainly wreaking havoc on people’s lives.

This trend of newly homeless forces the traditional homeless service system to adjust. Once again, I might add. Just a few years ago, chronic homelessness (people living on the streets for a long time) was the priority. Now, it’s newly homeless. Or perhaps it’s both? It’s hard to plan.

Nevertheless, numbers seem to influence our direction. (And rightfully so.)

(Pic from http://astoriedcareer.com)

Five Years Of Blogging On Homelessness: Has Anything Changed?

2009-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

Five years ago, today, I began this blog to do my small part in helping to raise the level of national dialogue on the issue of homelessness. There were only a few weekdays during this period that I, or my staff, missed writing on homelessness. The past five years have been both bitter and sweet. Bitter in the sense that we continue to encounter homelessness in this nation, but sweet that this blog has been part of a national discussion on homelessness.

But enough of the anniversary stuff. The real question is this… has this country’s approach to addressing homelessness changed much in the past five years? Absolutely yes.

Here is my “top ten” list of how the approach to addressing homelessness has changed in the last five years (this is not in any priority):

- Permanent Supportive Housing (some also call this “Housing First”) has become the paramount solution to homelessness. But communities today are struggling with how to fund on an annual basis the support services needed for this housing.

- Chronic homelessness has become a priority target population. But in the past couple of years, episodic homelessness (the newly homeless) has dramatically increased, resulting in local communities changing priorities.

- More and more families have become homeless during a time when families were not considered part of the standard definition of chronic homelessness.

- Hundreds and hundreds of cities across the country adopted “Ten Year Plans To End Homelessness.” But after five years of adoption—the halfway point for many cities—no one is confidently predicting that chronic homelessness will end by 2014.

- Tent cities are becoming the new “shelters” of today. Very few local neighborhoods are allowing traditional homeless shelters to be built. So impromptu homeless “tent cities” are being set up instead.

- Due to the declining economy, less and less resources are available to sustain an existing homeless care system and to invest in permanent affordable housing.

- Homeless prevention trumps traditional homeless services. Pro-active prevention activities are being funded rather than reactive homeless services.

- Social media is actually becoming as effective as traditional media. Facebook, blogs, and Twitter are certainly all the buzz. Who wants to buy stock in local newspapers? Social media is being used to educate and mobilize the community.

- Government, alone, cannot resolve homelessness. It will take both a public and private partnership to end homelessness. That is why local governments are partnering with the business community, faith groups, and private service agencies.

- Finally, I personally feel that community engagement is becoming an important piece to the solution of homelessness. In order to increase resources and overcome NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard), communities are going to have to unite together to overcome homelessness.

What’s going to happen in the next five years? I don’t know. But I’m a realist. I don’t think homelessness will be solved by then.

What happens to this blog in the next five years? Next month, we are transforming LA Homeless Blog into INFORuM, an online journal discussing homelessness, poverty, and housing. Bloggers from all over the country will be joining me to continue this national dialogue.

If we are to high five ourselves, we can give credit to visionary leaders who have helped change the paradigm of approaching homelessness. But sadly, there is so much more to be done.

(Pic from http://23.media.tumblr.com/)

How To Solve Homelessness? With United Communities…

2009-09-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was “united community” day. In the afternoon, Gramercy Housing Group, an agency of PATH Partners, put on a one day “build a playground for homeless children” event with Kaboom, Home Depot, and numerous community members.

These groups brought together 240 people for one day to design and build a playground. Throughout the day, groups came in and out to contribute their specific work task—painting a mural, putting in grass, building equipment, raising a fence. It reminded me of Habitat For Humanity putting together work groups to build a home.

Some how we need to use these models on a grander scale to address the dearth of affordable housing and the increase of homelessness in our communities.

How do we bring together communities to work together to resolve homelessness?

Last night, I was part of a presentation that brought together a couple of dozen local groups who have been working for the last year to help transition people off the streets. In the Long Beach, California community, about 350 people were found living in the civic center. 133 of these people were categorized as “vulnerable,” using New York City’s Common Ground’s definition.

Without financial commitment from public funding agencies at the beginning of the initiative, this grass roots alliance has already housed 4 people, and are close to lining up 24-30 additional housing units in the next few months. It is a tremendous way of showing how a community can actually reduce street homelessness without significant upfront funding and without having to deal with NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) issues.

After yesterday, I’m convinced that bringing communities together provide a magical avenue to help break the “grid lock” that continues to allow thousands and thousands of people to flounder on our streets.