Camp Runamuck; a Glimpse of the East Providence Homeless Community
Truthout
September 9, 2009
Katie is 19 and would only give her first name. She wears a bright-colored t-shirt and a mini skirt that would make any teen's father crazy. Her tattooed belly and pierced lip are strangely elegant. She is a pretty girl who lives in Camp Runamuck with her boyfriend.
"I'll never be a materialistic person again in my life. I will not be greedy," she says. "You can put 100 people together, blacks and whites, gays, drug addicts who are completely different, but we all get along because we're stuck in the same position. We all get bit by bugs."
Cops Sweep Out Sacramento Homeless Camp Again, 15 Arrested
News10 ABC
September 13, 2009
SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento police arrested 15 homeless people and confiscated camping gear at a controversial downtown makeshift campground early Saturday....The lot is owned by homeless advocate and attorney Mark Merin, who leasing the property for a small fee to approximately 30 homeless people last month.
"Sacramento is criminalizing homelessness, trying to drive homeless people out of the city. The ordinance on which they're being arrested, on the basis that they're arrested, really makes being outside a crime," said Merin.
Utah's Homeless Youth: Because I Got Jumped In My Sleep, I Got Off the Street
Salt Lake City Tribune
September 12, 2009
He's not sure why they did it, but he's been told they had different answers for the police. One story involved a bad drug deal, the other a stolen car.
"The last was that I was [gay]," he said, repeating a derogatory label. "I think they were just high and they wanted to beat somebody."
Seattle's 1811 Eastlake Project Puts Housing First, Saves Lives and Money
Dallas Morning News
September 13, 2009
SEATTLE – An attractive blue and gray apartment building with views of the Space Needle saved taxpayers $4 million in one year – simply by giving hardcore homeless alcoholics a place to live.
This home for the homeless has attracted visitors from across the country – including Dallas – looking for ways to move the most seriously ill off the streets and cut costs. But it has detractors because it doesn't require residents to stop drinking.
Homeless Man Still Homeless - Even in Death
Island Packet / Beaufort Gazette, South Carolina
September 12, 2009
He was 42 years old when he died, and by most accounts was an educated man who had few possessions when he died. In his pockets, detectives found a roll of pennies, a tube of travel-sized toothpaste, a lighter and a single dollar bill.
What detectives didn't find were clues to help find his next of kin.
Chronically Homeless
Old Town, Oregonlive.com
September 11, 2009
HUD defines it as "a person sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e. g. living on the streets, for example) OR living in a homeless emergency shelter."
For the chronic homeless HUD adds to the "homeless" definition a person that is "an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition [who either] has been continuously homeless for a year or more [or] who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years."
The key elements are "disabling condition" and "four episodes."
Photographing the Homeless: Fort Worth Woman Spends Three Days On the Streets to Capture the Lives of the Homeless
The 33 News, KDAF-TV
Dallas, TX
September 11, 2009
(includes video)
'His name was 'Mexican Johnny' on the street," photographer BJ Lacasse said. "And he was very funny, very humorous, and he kinda touched my soul and we got to be friends. He gave me a pen; he handed it to me and said, 'Promise me something; one day you'll write about us. You'll tell our story.'"
Now, BJ is telling Johnny's story and the story of the homeless people in Fort Worth. At any given time, the Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth says there are about 4,000 homeless men, women, and children on the streets.
"It's a human tragedy; it's a social tragedy. It's everyone of ours problems," BJ said.
Aware of the Homeless? Well, You Could Say That
New York Times
September 12, 2009
"Sometimes they’re wearing everything they own at the same time because they have no choice," said the designer Keanan Duffty, who sometimes plays a game on the street that he refers to as "Fashion Stylist or Homeless Person?" "It is not intended as a lack of respect for people with no homes and no means," he said. "It’s more a kind of admiration for improvisations people come up with in a dreadful circumstance."
Boy Scout Delivers Hygiene Kits to 100 of San Bernardino's Homeless
The Sun
San Bernardino
September 12, 2009
The kits included a toothbrush and toothpaste, hand sanitizer, bottled water, snacks, tissue, a rain poncho, socks and the 2-1-1 cards, with information on health and social service referrals.
"We had a lot of fun assembling them and then we played computer games," Jesse said.
Dave Bidini Investigates the Homeless World Cup
National Post
Canada
September 11, 2009
The beginning of the 2009 Homeless World Cup -- staged, this year, in Milan -- was not without controversy. During breakfast on the first morning at the players' village - an active army barracks where the event's 400 players from 48 countries were housed -- the servers working at the cantina folded their arms, turned away from the bleary-eyed, jetlagged players, and huffed indignantly: it wasn't their fault that they'd run out of coffee (even though it was).
Donors, VA provide food, services for homeless Reno-area veterans
Reno-Gazette Journal
Reno, NV
September 11, 2009
Hundreds of homeless veterans in the Reno area received services Thursday at a Stand Down sponsored by the Veteran Affairs of Sierra Nevada Health Care System.
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Officials estimated 400 to 600 veterans in the Reno and Carson City areas are homeless, as the recession causes more to end up on the streets.
How to Advocate for the Homeless
Huffington Post
September 11, 2009
It's estimated that approximately 3.5 million people in the United States, 1.35 million of them children (nearly 40%), are likely to experience homelessness this year. In addition, incidence of homelessness has increased dramatically (by a factor of two to three) over the past 20 years, and these numbers are only going to get larger as time goes on when economic pressure, job loss, and the rising cost of living are factored in. People experiencing homelessness need a voice. That voice is us.
Atlanta's Largest Homeless Shelter Sues City Hall
Creative Loafing (blog)
September 11, 2009
A lawsuit filed by the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless that accuses the city of Atlanta of using "improper, illegal and unethical means" in an attempt to shut down the organization’s controversial Peachtree-Pine shelter will get its day in Fulton County Superior Court on Sept. 21.
The 23-page filing alleges that the city has used a multi-pronged approach since 2007 to try and shut down the shelter — the largest of its kind in Atlanta, and, according to neighbors and city officials, a magnet for crime in a gentrifying corridor.
Artist Captures 100 Faces of the Homeless
Bradenton Herald
Florida
September 11, 2009
PALMETTO — Elayn Leopold has seen first hand the hardships this economy is throwing at local residents.
So the Palmetto artist did something about it.
For the past year, Leopold devoted her life and skill to an art project that shows the faces of homeless and struggling residents throughout Manatee County. Palmetto artist Elayn Leopold has completed a year-long project of 100 oil portraits of "Urban Dwellers."
The artist didn’t stop until she completed 100 oil portraits.
For Homeless, Serenity Arrives on a Yoga Mat
Washington Post
September 11, 2009
"I'm suffering from back pain. Aches, you know, it's the life," said Junior Amarzon, 32, who has been living at the St. Elizabeths homeless shelter in Southeast Washington for nine months and is a dedicated yoga student. "Yoga is great for me, for my body."
When Aaron Swieringa, 29, feels the flash of his anger heat up inside him -- when the job center put him on hold again or someone is moving in on his sleeping spot on the street or looking to steal his stuff -- he breathes in. "And I breathe out: 'Whoooosh.' And I calm down. I remember the stuff that Julie said, and I use that yoga on the street."
Lansing's Project Homeless Connect Reaches Out to Those in Need
The State News
Michigan State University
September 10, 2009
The opportunity to spend an afternoon pampering himself is a luxury Edward Schippers can’t afford very often. But Thursday afternoon, he received a massage along with guidance on how to find housing and employment, two things he struggles with daily.
Schippers is one of approximately 700 people who attended Lansing’s Project Homeless Connect, which was held at the former National Guard Armory, 2500 S. Washington Ave., in Lansing. The event aimed to help the area’s homeless by offering free services as well as basic needs such as food and clothing.
Centerstone Receives Grant From City To Assist Homeless
The Leaf Chronicle
Tennessee
September 10, 2009
More than 100 homeless families who may have a family member dealing with mental illness will be able to receive financial to better their lifestyle.
Centerstone has received an $8,840 grant from the City of Clarksville to provide housing and transportation assistance for individuals with mental illness who are homeless or at risk of being homeless according to a news release from Centerstone officials.
Anchorage Gives Homeless Alcoholics Renewed Attention
The Bristol Bay Times
September 10, 2009
Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan is making homeless alcoholics a top priority for his new administration.
He said he plans to hire a new executive staff member within a couple of weeks who will focus on chronic public inebriates. The position is in addition to a homeless service coordinator.
Sullivan wants the city to shut down a homeless camp while working to provide individual help to each resident. That could include forced treatment for hard-core alcoholics.
KC Council Endorses Plan For Homelessness Task Force
KansasCity.com
September 9, 2009
A Kansas City Council committee on Wednesday supported creating a homelessness task force, following the example of other cities that have successfully reduced homelessness.
The Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee endorsed the resolution, which was sponsored by Councilwoman Cathy Jolly. The measure goes to the full council next week.
A Stylish Way to Help the Homeless
New York Times
September 9, 2009
Gap has partnered with Merci, a boutique in Paris that sells furniture and fashion, to create a pop-up store in Midtown. The shop, called Merci Gap, will be open through Oct. 4, offering designer pieces from around the globe.
But it’s more than merely a stylish shop — like its parent in France, Merci Gap will donate its profits to the charity group Accueil des Sans-abri, which helps homeless people on Madagascar.
Stanly County Homeless Shelter Opens Doors To Needy
News 14
Charlotte, NC
September 9, 2009
ALBEMARLE, N.C. – Stanly County opened the doors to a new homeless shelter Tuesday night...Several groups have tried for years to open an emergency shelter in Stanly County. Now that the Community Inn is open, they do expect people in need to seek their help.
Local Organizations Getting Money for Homelessness and Housing Programs
WHSV
Virginia
September 9, 2009
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced Wednesday more than $11 million in grants through the Homelessness and Rapid Re-Housing Program, authorized through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The HPRP program is designed to provide assistance and support to prevent homelessness or to quickly re-house and stabilize those who are currently homelessness.
A Homeless Man’s Organs Harvested and His Body Abandoned; News blocked by Chinese officials
Epoch Times
September 9, 2009
A body, identified as a local homeless man, was found in a reservoir near the Weishe Township of Xingyi City, Guizhou Province. It was discovered to have his organs removed. This caused a panic among local people, and particularly among other nearby homeless people, who fled the area, says some townsfolk who remain to be anonymous.
Last week, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Ministry of Propaganda issued orders to ban all news of this organ harvesting.
NYC's Common Ground: Transforming "Homeless Hell"
Change.org
September 9, 2009
It all began in the early 1980s, when when Rosanne Haggerty realized she was seeing the same homeless people in Times Square she'd been seeing for years, according to a piece in the Christian Science Monitor. "It [had] never occurred to me there was a missing piece between availability of housing [and] everything else they needed to be able to lead a purposeful life: a job, finishing their education, decent health," she told the CSM. "How could you begin to address that if people were wandering the streets or going from couch to couch?"
Homelessness increases in recession; County, nation notice increases in people and families on the streets
Molalla Pioneer
Clackamas County, OR
September 8, 2009
With the recession in full swing and unemployment at record levels, more and more people are taking to the streets ... to live. County housing officials say they are noting a significant increase in the homeless population.
"Right now, we’re getting about twice as many requests for things like rental assistance (and) low-cost shelters," said Liz Bartell, program manager for Clackamas County Social Services. "Our call volume has nearly doubled, especially over the last few weeks."
Flagship housing project for homeless at last breaks ground
Knoxville Biz
Tennessee
September 8, 2009
KNOXVILLE - More than three years in the making, Volunteer Ministry Center officials officially broke ground today on the $7 million Minvilla Manor project to house the chronically homeless.
Construction is expected to take about 13 months to convert the former derelict motel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway into 57 efficiency units. The first residents could move in by December 2010.
Sacramento Homeless Defy No-Camping Law
News 10 ABC
September 7 2009
SACRAMENTO, CA - A group of homeless people spent Labor Day talking, relaxing and playing cards. Not far away a woman stirred a pot of beans.
But they know when the day ends, there's no holiday from homelessness.
"It's safe ground," said Mark Whitaker, a welder who has joined about a dozen people living on a local lawyer's property at 13th and C streets in downtown Sacramento. "This is a place where homeless people can be together and have security. We're not out on the streets getting robbed and beat up," Whitaker said.
Homeless help spread the news
USA Today
September 7, 2009
NASHVILLE — Tony Angello looks like a tourist, sunglasses on top of his bald head, wearing tidy jeans and a bright Hawaiian shirt.
The stack of newspapers under his arm tells a different story. He and his wife, Quita Thornton, are on the way to hawk The Contributor, a monthly newspaper written and sold by the homeless and formerly homeless.
Surge in Homeless Pupils Strains Schools
New York Times
September 7, 2009
Charity is one child in a national surge of homeless schoolchildren that is driven by relentless unemployment and foreclosures. The rise, to more than one million students without stable housing by last spring, has tested budget-battered school districts as they try to carry out their responsibilities — and the federal mandate — to salvage education for children whose lives are filled with insecurity and turmoil.
Operation of the Homelessness Persons Legislation in Scotland: 2008-09
The Gov Monitor
September 7, 2009
There were an estimated 57,304 applications to local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation in 2008-09. This represents an increase of 0.2 per cent compared to the 57,169 applications during 2007-08 The majority of households applying were single-person households (61 per cent of applications). Single parents, predominantly women, accounted for the next largest group 24 per cent.
KISD seeks ways to help homeless student population
Killeen Daily Herald
Texas
September 6, 2009
The Killeen Independent School District is taking steps to tackle student homelessness after a district-wide study found that 762 students lacked permanent shelter in the 2008-09 school year.
This number, which accounts for about 2 percent of the district's total enrollment, spurred KISD officials to apply for a grant that would increase its services to homeless students.
Resource Access Center for Homeless Going Forward After Urban Renewal Settlement
Portland Architecture, Oregon
September 10, 2009
Besides providing shelter for homeless men in Old Town (the project is a key component of city efforts to end homelessness here), the Center represents an important commission for Holst Architecture.
Although regarded by many as one of the city's most talented firms over the past decade, Holst has made its name largely on condos such as the Belmont Street Lofts, Clinton Condominiums and 937 (no surprise given the condo boom of the last several years). With their exquisite Ziba headquarters in the Pearl district now complete, and gaining some of the highest acclaim of Holst's already acclaimed existence, the Resource Access Center is a further expansion of the firm's portfolio.
Dental Clinic a Haven for Poor, Homeless
My San Antonio News
September 10, 2009
Roberto Torres badly damaged his teeth in a car wreck six years ago. He couldn't afford to see a dentist, and his teeth deteriorated.
Then he heard about the San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic, an organization that has been providing free and low-cost dental work to low-income adults for 23 years.
Now the out-of-work air-conditioning and refrigeration worker is getting his smile back, thanks to the volunteer dentists who pulled and replaced more than a dozen of his teeth.
Sock drive helps county's homeless
Miami Herald
September 6, 2009
It was a mission as good for the soul as it was for the sole. Thanks to a community service project, the homeless will be getting 10,000 pairs of socks.
Some might think a sock giveaway is trivial in light of bigger concerns, but Nina Corbe, community development associate at the Broward Outreach Center in Pompano Beach, said, ``It is the biggest need we have. Every day we have people walk in to our facility without shoes and without socks.''
"BrokenRoots is a group for bloggers/advocates interested in issues about and facing homeless people. Our goal is to a create a network of regional 'stringers' who can dispatch news and photos from communities across the country to report on the impacts of the economic crisis on the homeless situation. We welcome first person stories, analysis, and reporting. The DK BrokenRoots project team will discuss, create and promote Daily Kos diaries on these issues, connect bloggers; create projects, and share related news and resources."