Adopt the Homeless
Ezekiel Krahlin
--------------------------------------------------------------
Permission granted by author for anyone to distribute this
writing free of charge (including translation into any
language)...under condition that no profit is made therefrom,
and that it remain intact and complete, including title and
credit to the original author.
Ezekiel J. Krahlin
ezek...@iname.com
--------------------------------------------------------------
ADOPT THE HOMELESS
Š1998 by Ezekiel J. Krahlin
The following letter was sent to various newspapers
throughout the San Francisco area:
September 23, 1998
Dear Editor:
World class city? San Francisco? Homeless, vulnerable women
raped on a regular basis...gay street urchins viciously bashed
and abused...elderly vagrants tottering to their deaths in our
gutters and alleys. World class city, or world class sick
joke?
I am ashamed of my adopted city of 25 years, of my whole
country in fact: for this waste and torment of the less
fortunate members of our human family spreads from sea to
shining sea...and is completely inexcusable because it can be
easily resolved. Anyone who tells you it is a complex issue
difficult to cure, is either an outright liar, or hopelessly
deceived. (We are the only remaining western democracy without
universal health care, and a safety net to keep you housed
between jobs.) It is only the lack of compassion that keeps
the homeless homeless, and nothing else. Well, perhaps
something else: the sadistic pleasure of seeing our miserable
downtrodden wandering the dark streets like cockroaches, as
seen from a lofty penthouse twenty stories high. It gives some
affluent citizens a certain glow of pleasure and sense of
achievement; as perverted as that may be.
There is a gentlewoman in the Haight/Ashbury suffering a form
of palsy...she cannot walk except at awkward angles...and when
she falls, she cannot stand back up without the kind
assistance of strangers (if such is available; otherwise she
remains sprawled on the concrete). I understand she has been
taken advantage of at least several times, since she showed up
on our streets some months ago. You know what I mean:
men--very ugly men, but still men nonetheless--rape her at
their whim. (And I wouldn't be at all surprised if these "men"
have homes to go to.) One shudders to think this goes on all
the time throughout our nation...for it is highly unlikely
this devastated, sweet soul is the tragic exception. Why the
hell does this city, this country, even allow such people to
go homeless, foodless, and friendless?
On Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, I encountered another homeless
woman, elderly and of slight build, who keeps to herself,
communing with her imaginary friends (or perhaps her guardian
angel). Whenever I approach her to give a dollar and a kind
word, she leaps back in fear, as if I were about to do
violence. I wonder why that is? Could it be, perhaps, that the
American heterosexual male is such a dangerous and predatory
creature, as to cause such terror in women exposed to the
streets? I'm afraid this is the case, sad is it is...and being
a male myself (though gay), I am perceived as a threat, ipso
facto.
It is one thing to give no assistance to those on the streets
who seem fit in both body and mind...but to even permit the
obviously helpless to live in such pathetic and cruel
conditions is both heartless and unforgiveable. To whom should
the finger be pointed...or the hot potato passed? Where,
indeed, does the buck stop? If we really would like to join
the humane (as opposed to "human") race, and want to attain
the genuine status of "world class"...then I suggest we cease
acting like barbarians, and start adopting our less fortunate
street denizens, in any and all ways possible. Until we do the
right thing, the noble thing, we will remain, in truth, "no
class".
Surely, many of us have the money, if not the time, to provide
supplies of basic medicines, food, clothing, kind words of
support and encouragement, and even shelter to our worst off.
It is obvious our present charities aren't doing enough (well,
when you consider the recent abandonment of the Salvation Army
from San Francisco, over an issue of gay equality, one must
conclude that some charities are intentionally not doing
enough)...and perhaps we should look to our own selves for the
needed resources. Perhaps local community enclaves scattered
throughout the city can pool the materiel required to provide
the less fortunate with the constant care and respect that
will, eventually, liberate us into the status of humane-ity.
For I am not so worred about the spiritual state of our
disadvantaged...for they are clearly with God already; they
are His blessed children by default.
But I am worried, and quite intensely so, for the souls of
most of our citizens who live in affluence, thanks to their
own good fortune and connections. Do not for even a moment,
tell me those with homes and good jobs, have earned these
things through their labors alone...for that is a mean-
spirited, conceited attitude, as well as downright wrong.
There will always be a certain percentage of decent people who
fall through the cracks, so long as society, which has created
these cracks in the first place, maintains them. And, I assure
you, most people in the streets are decent. Of course, there
is always the occassional rotten apple...but they exist in all
classes of people, and this fact has nothing to do with being
homeless. It is my belief that a society is a doomed, which
does not make the well-being of all its citizens a top
priority.
How old is the Biblical story of Job? Two or three thousand
years? Yet have most of us applied the lesson taught by that
important book? Indeed, the moral in The Book Of Job is just
as timely today, as it was when first written many, many
centuries ago. Job suffered terrible misfortunes and
illnesses, which even his closest friends and relatives could
not explain away, unless (they concluded) he committed
grievous sins that God could see, but not humans...so they
villified him, and left him with neither friends and family,
nor a roof over his head. Eventually, however, Job was
vindicated as totally innocent...in fact, as one of the most
saintly people to ever exist! Thus, when we regard the
homeless as scum, we are treating them exactly like Job:
judging them with no qualification to do so. And in so doing,
we are guilty of a great sin: hubris.
Had I the provisions, that palsied woman mentioned above,
would already have a roof over her head, and help with other
needs. However, I am disabled myself, and live in a single,
small room...and cannot possibly provide for her needs. I can
only lend her a kind word out on the streets, and a dollar or
two from time to time. I have, however, adopted a homeless
person who is gay, like me...and who is not so bad off that
he, with some assistance and moral support, is likely to land
a job within a few weeks. His name is Tony...and like so many
people on the streets, he has a sweet nature and a strong
will, and is a hard worker to boot.
And herein is another issue I want to raise about the gay
community; at least those with decent homes and income. Where
is our outreach to our own lesbian and gay homeless? I see
very little of it...and what I do see is mostly packaged with
ulterior motives for sexual favors, with toxic substances such
as alcohol and hard drugs forced on these innocents (who are
peremptorally kicked out the next day, and left in the gutters
worse off than before). Surely, we who espouse "pride" in
ourselves and our community, for our gay heritage, can do a
lot better than the present sad situation.
But until such time, if ever, that more San Franciscans (and
Americans in general) do the right thing by our less fortunate
citizens, I will remain: ashamed to be gay, ashamed to be a
man, and ashamed to be a citizen of our unfair, undemocratic,
and (dare I say it) un-American, land.
Sincerely,
Ezekiel J. Krahlin
---finis
---
Let's secede from those who breed,
Make it sin to *not waste seed!
---
The Final Testament, a Bible by and for Gays only:
http://members.xoom.com/ezekielk/
GodHates...@HetBeGone.com
---
Charles Schulz's lawyers are after my ass
for my gay-rights parody of Peanuts!
http://www.2xtreme.net/jwd/k6/copyrite.htm
Wayne Aiken
<liberal manifesto deleted>
Wow! This has to be a new record for the number of PC ideas
in a single message:
- homeless are helpless, "less fortunate"
- More government programs (univ. health care, "safety net")
needed despite 5Trillion down the tubes already
- lack of "compassion" keeps the homeless in the streets
- class envy, i.e. "sadistic pleasure" of rich
- male bashing, "dangerous and predatory creature"
- one's achievements are due to "good fortune and connections"
and not hard work and wise strategies
- benighted, saintly default status of homeless
A long time ago, I thought that the characters in Rand's novels were just
extreme exaggerations; surely nobody believes such drek and acts like
that in the real world, right? I thought that the extremism was rather
unrealistic, and made the stories (and her philosophical points) suffer as
a result. Its always a shock to see straight into the souls of the James
Taggarts and Ellsworth Tooheys of the world- its not a pretty sight, and I
seriously wonder if the old girl had ESP in order to get things so eerily
right. If she got these idea systems spot-on, I can't help but wonder
if her predicted consequences can be so far behind.
: GodHates...@HetBeGone.com
I'll have none of this "compassion"; thanks but no thanks.
--
Holy Temple of Mass $ sl...@ncsu.edu atheist#304 $ "My used underwear
Consumption! $ http://www4.ncsu.edu/~aiken/ $ is legal tender in
PO Box 30904 $ Warning: I hoard pennies $ 28 countries!"
Raleigh, NC 27622 $ ICQ:9763940 Anti-Spam #77 $ --"Bob"
Dana Phillips
Wayne Aiken wrote:
> Ezekiel Krahlin (ezek...@my-dejanews.com) wrote:
> <liberal manifesto deleted>
>
> Wow! This has to be a new record for the number of PC ideas
> in a single message:
And your response is a record for the number of "no basis in fact" for a
chopped up mesaage. It also ties the number of "not really a response" record
for this group.
>
>
> - homeless are helpless, "less fortunate"
>
> - More government programs (univ. health care, "safety net")
> needed despite 5Trillion down the tubes already
Have you read the post, The US has wasted over 5 million in the war on poverty
in alt.society.civil-liberty? Respond to that one. There are several more
of that same nature there. Go have a look. Maybe I should post one of those
articles from the same author on the homeless.
>
>
Wayne Aiken
: > Wow! This has to be a new record for the number of PC ideas
: > in a single message:
:
: And your response is a record for the number of "no basis in fact" for a
: chopped up mesaage. It also ties the number of "not really a response" record
: for this group.
"no basis in fact"? Why *isn't* my list a fair synopsis of the ideas in
his article? Oh, I see-- if you don't have an argument, attack the person.
: > - homeless are helpless, "less fortunate"
: >
: > - More government programs (univ. health care, "safety net")
: > needed despite 5Trillion down the tubes already
:
: Have you read the post, The US has wasted over 5 million in the war on poverty
: in alt.society.civil-liberty? Respond to that one. There are several more
: of that same nature there. Go have a look. Maybe I should post one of those
: articles from the same author on the homeless.
Respond to what? The 5-Trillion figure? Thats approximately what the
GAO estimates that we've spent over the years on all the not-so-Great
Society programs. Maybe the government-worshippers can rationalize it
all way, but it sure doesn't look.
I'm still trying to figure out if I'm living on the same planet as that
author of the "homeless" article. Whatever beings he's describing, it
sure ain't humans.
Dana Phillips
Wayne Aiken wrote:
> Dana Phillips (Libera...@centuryinter.net) wrote:
> : > Wow! This has to be a new record for the number of PC ideas
> : > in a single message:
> :
> : And your response is a record for the number of "no basis in fact" for a
> : chopped up mesaage. It also ties the number of "not really a response" record
> : for this group.
>
> "no basis in fact"? Why *isn't* my list a fair synopsis of the ideas in
> his article? Oh, I see-- if you don't have an argument, attack the person.
No. You had nothing to say but the same old bull. You were confronted with a first
hand report and your response was to spit out the same old tired libertarian
untruths. In other words what you said had no basis in fact.
>
>
> : > - homeless are helpless, "less fortunate"
> : >
> : > - More government programs (univ. health care, "safety net")
> : > needed despite 5Trillion down the tubes already
> :
> : Have you read the post, The US has wasted over 5 million in the war on poverty
> : in alt.society.civil-liberty? Respond to that one. There are several more
> : of that same nature there. Go have a look. Maybe I should post one of those
> : articles from the same author on the homeless.
>
> Respond to what? The 5-Trillion figure? Thats approximately what the
> GAO estimates that we've spent over the years on all the not-so-Great
> Society programs. Maybe the government-worshippers can rationalize it
> all way, but it sure doesn't look.
If you would read the post you would see your figures are way off. I have made the
offer and posted the facts. I believe you are afraid to read it. You know your
claims have no basis in reality and are afraid to face your lies head on.
>
>
> I'm still trying to figure out if I'm living on the same planet as that
> author of the "homeless" article. Whatever beings he's describing, it
> sure ain't humans.
No. You are the one in a fantasy world. I believe it is called libertopia. I
believe Ezekiel J. Krahlin took a walk in the real world.
Here are some facts about the homeless taken from the National Coalition for the
Homeless since you could not see any humans in what he was speaking of. I read the
original post and I saw more of a human there than you profess to be. Maybe if you
read some of this you might just wake up.
http://www2.ari.net/home/nch/wwwhome.html
http://www2.ari.net/home/nch/causes.html
Why Are People Homeless?
NCH Fact Sheet #1
Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, May 1998
Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over
the past 15-20 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing
and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Below is an overview of current
poverty and housing statistics, as well as additional factors
contributing to homelessness. A list of resources for further study is
also provided.
POVERTY
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are
frequently unable to pay for housing, food, child care, health care, and
education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover
only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a
high proportion of income, that must be dropped. Being poor means
being an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the
streets.
Between 1970 and 1988, the number of poor people in the United
States increased by almost 26%, from 25.4 million to 31.9 million
(Koegel et al, 1996). By 1996, 36.5 million Americans lived in poverty
(U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997a). Moreover, there has been a
significant increase in the number of Americans living in extreme
poverty: in 1996, 14.4 million people -- nearly two-fifths of all poor
persons -- had incomes of less than half the poverty level. This
represents an increase of 500,000 from 1995. Forty percent of
persons living in poverty are children; in fact, the 1996 poverty rate of
20.5% for children is almost twice as high as the poverty rate for any
other age group.
Two factors help account for increasing poverty: eroding labor market
opportunities for large segments of the workforce, and the declining
value and availability of public benefits.
Eroding Work Opportunities
Since the 1970s, the underemployment rate (which includes the
unemployed, the involuntary part-time employed, and those who have
given up looking for employment) increased from 8.2% in 1973 to
10.1% in 1995 (Hardin, 1996; Mishel, L., Bernstein, J., and Schmitt, J.,
1997). This increase is largely attributable to an increase in
joblessness
among low-skilled and low-educated workers. Labor market
transformations such as deindustrialization, declining rates of
unionization, and global economic integration have all contributed to
increased joblessness (Hardin, 1996). In addition to increasing
underemployment, an estimated 29.4% of the workforce are employed
in nonstandard work arrangements -- for example, independent
contracting, working for a temporary help agency, day labor, and
regular part-time employment (Economic Policy Institute, 1997). These
kinds of work arrangements typically offer lower wages, fewer benefts,
and less job security.
A second indicator of diminished work opportunities is declining or
stagnating wages. For increasing numbers of Americans, work provides
no escape from poverty. Despite its recent increase, the minimum
wage remains 15% below its average purchasing power in the 1970s,
after adjusting for inflation (Kaufman, 1997). Declining wages, in turn,
have put housing out of reach for many workers: in every state, more
than the minimum wage is required to afford a one- or two-bedroom
apartment at Fair Market Rent.1 (Kaufman, 1997). In fact, in the
median state a minimum-wage worker would have to work 83 hours
each week to afford a two-bedroom apartment at 30% of his or her
income, which is the federal definition of affordable housing. In
addition, 40% of households with "worst case housing needs" --
households paying over half their incomes for rent, living in severely
substandard housing, or both -- have at least one working person.
This represents a 32% increase in working households with worst case
housing needs from 1993 to 1995 (U.S. Housing and Urban
Development, 1998). The connection between impoverished workers
and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which
house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. A survey of 29
U.S. cities found that almost one in five homeless persons is employed
(Waxman and Trupin, 1997). This percentage is significantly higher in
other cities and states (National Coalition for the Homeless, 1997).
Decline in Public Assistance
The declining value and availability of public assistance is another
source of increasing poverty and homelessness. Until its repeal in
August 1996, the largest cash assistance program for poor families
with children was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
program. Between 1970 and 1994, the typical state's AFDC benefits
for a family of three fell 47%, after adjusting for inflation (Greenberg
and Baumohl, 1996). The Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 repealed the AFDC program and
replaced it with a block grant program called Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families (TANF). Current TANF benefits are below the poverty
level in every state, and in most states they are below 75% of the
poverty level. Thus, contrary to popular opinion, welfare does not
provide relief from poverty.
In addition to the reduction in the value and availability of welfare
benefits for families, recent policy changes have reduced or eliminated
public assistance for poor single individuals. Several states have cut or
eliminated General Assistance (GA) benefits for single impoverished
people, despite evidence that the availability of GA reduces the
prevalence of homelessness (Greenberg and Baumohl, 1996). In
addition, welfare reform legislation passed in 1996 denies Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) eligibility to both legal and undocumented
immigrants, leaving these persons more vulnerable to homelessness.
The reduction in the value and availability of public benefits has
severely impacted poor Americans' chances of obtaining housing. In 49
states and 357 metropolitan areas, the entire maximum TANF grant
level does not fully cover the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom
apartment (Kaufman, 1997). In ten states, the maximum TANF benefit
is less than 50% of rental costs. Poor single individuals do not fare
much better: even for those who still qualify for and receive SSI, SSI
benefits do not provide the resources needed for adequate housing. In
14 states and 69 metropolitan areas, the entire maximum SSI grant
does not cover the Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom apartment
(Kaufman, 1997). In most states, even if the SSI grant does cover the
rent, only a few dollars remain for other expenses. Thus, current
benefit levels have not kept up with increases in the cost of rent and
therefore do not provide families or individuals with adequate
allowances for housing.
Welfare caseloads have dropped sharply since the passage and
implementation of welfare reform legislation. However, declining welfare
rolls simply mean that fewer people are receiving benefits -- not that
they are employed or doing better financially. Families and individuals
who are terminated from welfare may find difficulty finding jobs for
which they are qualified, while those who do find work are most likely
to obtain employment in low-paying jobs that offer few benefits. Thus,
households left with no income because they cannot find work and
households whose work pays little and offers no or few health benefits
will face even greater hardship in meeting basic needs.
HOUSING
The status of housing for low-income people in the United States is
grim. A lack of affordable housing and the inadequacy of housing
assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis
and to homelessness.
The number of affordable housing units is insufficient to meet needs.
Between 1973 and 1993, 2.2 million low-rent units disappeared from
the market; 2 during the same period, the number of low-income
renters increased by 4.7 million (Lazere, 1995). Thus, the number of
low-rent housing units in 1993 totaled 6.5 million. During the same
period (1970-1993), the number of low-income renters increased from
7.4 million to 11.2 million. The resulting shortage of 4.7 million
affordable housing units is the largest shortage on record. The gap
between the number of affordable housing units and the number of
people needing them has created a housing crisis for poor people. This
housing crisis has resulted in high rent burdens (rents which absorb a
high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing.
These phenomena, in turn, have not only forced many to become
homeless; they have put a large and growing number of people at risk
of becoming homeless. A recent Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) study found that 5.3 million unassisted, very low-income
households had "worst case needs" for housing assistance in 1995
(U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1998).3 This
figure is an all-time high and represents an 8% increase over the 1989
figure. The same study found that the supply of low cost housing
decreased between 1993 to 1995 by 900,000 units, or roughly 10% of
the overall supply. The loss of affordable housing and increase in the
number of people with worst case housing needs puts even greater
numbers of people at risk of homelessness
A housing trend with a particularly severe impact on homelessness is
the loss of single room occupancy (SRO) housing. In the past, SRO
housing has served to house poor individuals, including poor persons
suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. From 1970 to the
mid-1980s, an estimated one million SRO units were demolished
(Dolbeare, 1996). The demolition of SRO housing was most notable in
large cities: between 1970-1982, New York City lost 87% of its $200
per month or less SRO stock; Chicago experienced the total elimination
of cubicle hotels; and by 1985, Los Angeles had lost more than half of
its downtown SRO housing (Koegel, et al, 1996). Thus the destruction
of SRO housing is a major factor in the growth of homelessness in
many cities.
Housing assistance programs have failed to prevent homelessness.
The demand for assisted housing clearly exceeds the supply: only 26%
of those households eligible for housing assistance receive it (Dolbeare,
1996). In its 1997 study on the status of hunger and homelessness in
29 cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that applicants for
public housing in the survey cities were forced to wait an average of 19
months from the time they applied until the time they received
assistance (Waxman and Trupin, 1997). The average wait for Section 8
housing certificates was 37 months; for Section 8 vouchers, the
average wait was 38 months. In 19 of the survey cities, the waiting list
for at least one assisted housing program was so long the cities
actually stopped accepting applications for that program. This data
underscores the severity of the housing crisis in urban areas. It also
points to a problem that significantly worsens the impact of
homelessness. Excessive waiting lists for public housing mean that
homeless people must remain in shelters longer. Consequently, there
is less space available for other homeless people, who must find shelter
elsewhere or live on the streets.
Finally, it should be noted that the largest federal housing assistance
program is the entitlement to deduct mortgage interest from income
for tax purposes. In fact, for every one dollar spent on low income
housing programs, the federal treasury loses four dollars to
housing-related tax expenditures, 75% of which benefit households in
the top fifth of income distribution (Dolbeare, 1996). Moreover, in
1994 the top fifth of households received 61% of all housing benefits
(tax and direct), while the bottom fifth received only 18%. Federal
housing policy has thus not responded to the needs of low-income
households, while disproportionately benefitting the wealthiest
Americans.
OTHER FACTORS
Particularly within the context of poverty and insufficient low-cost
housing, certain additional factors may push people into homelessness.
Other major factors which can contribute to homelessness include the
following:
Lack of Affordable Health Care: For families and individuals
struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a
downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job,
depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction. In 1996,
approximately 41.7 million Americans had no health care insurance
(U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997b). More than a third of persons
living in poverty had no health insurance of any kind. The coverage
held by many others would not carry them through a catastrophic
illness. A recent analysis of Health Care for the Homeless (HCH)
projects found that the number of uninsured persons seeking
treatment is increasing: overall, HCH programs report a 35% increase
in the numbers of patients who are uninsured (O'Connell, J., Lozier, J.,
and Gingles, K., 1997).
Domestic Violence: Battered women who live in poverty are often
forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. A
1990 Ford Foundation study found that 50% of homeless women and
children were fleeing abuse (Zorza, 1991). More recently, 44% of cities
surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence
as a primary cause of homelessness (Waxman and Trupin, 1997).
Mental Illness: Approximately 20-25% of the single adult homeless
population suffer from some form of severe and persistent mental
illness (Koegel et al, 1996). Despite the disproportionate number of
severely mentally ill people among the homeless population, increases
in homelessness are not attributable to the release of severely mentally
ill people from institutions. Most patients were released from mental
hospitals in the 1950s and 1960s, yet vast increases in homelessness
did not occur until the 1980s, when incomes and housing options for
those living on the margins began to diminish rapidly. According to the
Federal Task Force on Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness, only
5-7% of homeless persons with mental illness need to be
institutionalized; most can live in the community with the appropriate
supportive housing options (Federal Task Force on Homelessness and
Severe Mental Illness, 1992). However, many mentally ill homeless
people are unable to obtain access to supportive housing and/or other
treatment services. The mental health support services most needed
include case management, housing, and treatment.
Chemical Dependency: In recent years the relationship between
substance abuse and homelessness has stirred much debate. While
rates of alcohol and drug abuse are disproportionately high among the
homeless population, the increase in homelessness in the 1980s
cannot be explained by substance abuse. Many who are addicted to
alcohol and drugs never become homeless; but people who are poor
and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness. During the
1980s, competition for increasingly scarce low-income housing grew so
intense that those with disabilities such as chemical addiction and
mental illness were more likely to lose out and find themselves on the
streets. Substance abuse does increase the risk of displacement for
the precariously housed; in the absence of appropriate treatment, it
may doom one's chances of getting housing once on the streets.
Getting one's drug problem under control is by no means a certain
ticket off the street, however. It is still common for successful
graduates of treatment programs to be discharged to the streets or
sheltersãmaking relapse that much more likely. A 1992 national study
of service providers found that 80% of the local treatment programs
surveyed could not meet demand and were forced to turn homeless
clients away (Williams, 1992). This same study found that uninsured
homeless persons seeking residential treatment for substance abuse
often faced long waits: for example, 15-30 days in California, 30 days
in Massachusetts, and 14 days in North Carolina, while in New Jersey,
Montana, and Washington state, the wait was up to 60 days.
Recent SSI policy changes appear to have increased homelessness
among impoverished people suffering from chemical addiction. In March
1996, President Clinton signed into law legislation (P.L. 104-121) that
denies Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) disability benefits and, by extension, access
to Medicaid, to people whose addictions are considered to be a
"contributing factor material to" the determination of their disability
status. Thus far, an estimated 140,000 disabled individuals have lost
their SSI or SSDI as a result of this legislation. SSI and SSDI benefits
are often the only income that stands between an individual and
homelessness. Furthermore, they provide access to health care
through Medicaid. Preliminary results from a national study to
document the effects of SSI eligibility changes for persons served by
Health Care for the Homeless projects confirms the suspicion that loss
of SSI and SSDI income is resulting in increased homelessness: of 681
homeless clients interviewed, 3.2% had recently lost their SSI or SSDI
because of an alcohol or drug-related disability, and of those persons
who had been paying for their own housing prior to losing SSI/SSDI
benefits, two-thirds lost their housing because they could no longer
pay for it (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 1997).
CONCLUSION
It is clear that homelessness is often the result of a complex set of
circumstances which push people into poverty and force impossible
choices between food, shelter, and other basic needs. Only a concerted
effort to ensure jobs that pay a living wage, adequate benefits for
those who cannot work, affordable housing, and access to health care
will bring an end to homelessness.
FOOTNOTES
1. FMRs are the monthly amounts "needed to rent privately owned,
decent, safe, and sanitary rental housing of a modest (nonluxury)
nature with suitable amenities." Federal Register. HUD determines FMRs
for localities in all 50 states. [Back].
2. These units were either abandoned, converted into condominiums or
expensive apartments, or became unaffordable because of cost
increases. [Back].
3."Worst case needs" refers to those renters with incomes below 50%
of the area median income who are involuntarily displaced, pay more
than half of their income for rent and utilities, or live in substandard
housing. [Back].
REFERENCES
Economic Policy Institute, 1997. Nonstandard Work, Substandard
Jobs: Flexible Work Arrangements in the U.S. Available for $12.00
from the Economic Policy Institute, 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 1200,
Washington, DC 20036; 202/331-5510.
Dolbeare, Cushing. "Housing Policy: A General Consideration," in
Homelessness in America, 1996, Oryx Press. Available for $43.50 from
the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite
600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
Federal Task Force on Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness.
Outcasts on Main Street: A Report of the Federal Task Force on
Homelessness and Severe Mental Illness, 1992. Available, free,
from the National Resource Center on Homelessness and Mental
Illness, 262 Delaware Ave., Delmar, NY 12054-1123; 800/444-7415,
NRC...@aol.com.
Greenberg, Mark, and Jim Baumohl. "Income Maintenance: Little
Help Now, Less on the Way," in Homelessness in America, 1996,
Oryx Press. Available for $43.50 from the National Coalition for the
Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005;
202/737-6444.
Hardin, Bristow. "Why the Road Off the Street is not Paved with
Jobs," in Homelessness in America, 1996, Oryx Press. Available for
$43.50 from the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street,
NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
Kaufman, Tracy L. Out of Reach: Rental Housing At What Cost?
1997. Available for $25.00 from the National Low Income Housing
Coalition, 1012 14th St., NW, #610, Washington, DC 20005-3410,
202/662-1530.
Koegel, Paul, et al. "The Causes of Homelessness," in Homelessness
in America, 1996, Oryx Press. Available for $43.50 from the National
Coalition for the Homeless,1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600,
Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
Lazere, Edward. In Short Supply: The Growing Affordable
Housing Gap, 1995. Available for $8.00 from the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities, 777 N. Capitol St., NE, Suite 705, Washington, DC
20002-4230; 202/408-1080, cen...@center.cbpp.org.
Mishel, L., Bernstein, J., and Schmitt, J. The State of Working
America: 1996-97, 1997. Available for $24.95 (paper) from the
Economic Policy Institute, 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington,
DC 20036; 202/331-5510.
National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc. SSI/SSDI Study,
in Healing Hands, Vol. 1, No. 6, 1997. Available from the National
Health Care for the Homeless Council, P.O. Box 68019, Nashville, TN
37206 8019; 615/226-2292.
National Coalition for the Homeless. Homelessness in America:
Unabated and Increasing, 1997. Available for $6.25 from the National
Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600,
Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
O'Connell, J., Lozier, J., and Gingles, K. Increased Demand and
Decreased Capacity: Challenges to the McKinney Act's Health
Care for the Homeless Program, 1997. Available from the National
Health Care for the Homeless Council, P.O. Box 68019, Nashville, TN
37206 8019; 615/226-2292.
U.S. Bureau of the Census(a). Poverty in the United States: 1996.
Current Population Reports, Series P60-198, 1997. Available, free,
from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income Statistics Branch,
Washington, DC, 20233-0001; 301/763-8576, or at
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.
U.S. Bureau of the Census(b). Health Insurance Coverage: 1996.
Current Population Reports, Series P60-199, 1997. Available, free,
from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income Statistics Branch,
Washington, DC, 20233-0001; 301/763-8576, or at
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins.html.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy
Development and Research. Rental Housing Assistance -- The Crisis
Continues: 1998 Report to Congress on Worst Case Housing
Needs, 1998. Available for $5.00 from HUD User, P.O. Box 6091,
Rockville, MD, 20850, 800/245-2691.
Waxman, Laura and Remy Trupin. A Status Report on Hunger and
Homelessness in America's Cities: 1997. Available for $15.00 from
the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1620 Eye St., NW, 4th Floor,
Washington, DC, 20006-4005, 202/293-7330.
Williams, Lydia. Addiction on the Streets: Substance Abuse and
Homelessness in America, 1992. Available for $5.00 from the
National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600,
Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
Zorza, Joan. "Woman Battering: A Major Cause of
Homelessness," in Clearinghouse Review, vol. 25, no. 4, 1991.
Available for $6.00 from the National Clearinghouse for Legal Services,
205 W. Monroe St., 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-5013,
312/263-3846.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The following books provide in-depth explanations of the causes of
homelessness in the United States. Books on rural homelessness,
family homelessness, and homeless youth are included.
Blau, Joel. The Visible Poor: Homelessness in the United States,
1992. Available for $22.95 from Oxford University Press, 200 Madison
Ave., New York, NY, 10016, 1-800-451-7556.
Burt, Martha. Over the Edge: The Growth of Homelessness in the
1980s, 1992. Available for $35.00 from CUP Services, 750 Cascadilla
St., Ithaca, NY 14851; 800/666©2211.
Cwayna, Kevin. Knowing Where the Fountains Are: Stories and
Stark Realities of Homeless Youth, 1993. Available for $16.95 from
Deaconess Press, 2450 Riverside Ave., South, Minneapolis, MN, 55454,
1/800-544-8207.
Dolbeare, Cushing. Economic Causes of Homelessness, 1991.
Available for $10.00 from the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012
14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005; 202/737-6444.
Fitchen, Janet."On the Edge of Homelessness: Rural Poverty and
Housing Insecurity" in Rural Sociology, 57(Summer 1992)2:
173-193. Available from the Rural Sociological Society, Department of
Sociology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717,
406/994-5248.
Hopper, Kim and Jill Hamberg.The Making of America's Homeless:
From Skid Row to the New Poor, 1945-1984, 1984. Available for
$6.50 from the Community Service Project of New York, Housing and
Policy Development Unit, 105 E. 22nd St., New York, NY, 10010,
212/254-8900.
Kozol, Jonathan. Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in
America, 1988. Available for $8.95 from Random House, Inc., 400
Hahn Rd., Westminster, MD, 21157-4698. 1-800-733-3000.
Leonard, Paul and Edward Lazere. A Place to Call Home: The Low
Income Housing Crisis in 44 Major Metropolitan Cities, 1992.
Available for $12.00 from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
777 North Capitol St., NE, Suite 705, Washington, DC, 20002,
202/408-1080.
Timmer, Doug et al. Paths to Homelessness: Extreme Poverty and
the Urban Housing Crisis, 1994. Available in paperback for $17.95,
plus $3.00 for S/H, from Customer Service, Westview Press, 5500
Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301-2877; 800/386-5656.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Economic and Community
Development. Rural Homelessness: Focusing on the Needs of the
Rural Homeless, 1996. Available, for free, from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Rural Housing Service, Rural Economic and Community
Development, 14th St. and Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC
20250-1533; 202/690-1533.
Vissing, Yvonne. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Homeless Children and
Families in Small-Town America, 1996. Available for $16.96
(paperback) from The University Press of Kentucky, 663 S. Limestone
St., Lexington, KY 40508-4008, 800/839-6855.
Wright, James. Address Unknown: The Homeless in America,
1989. Available for $14.95 from Walter de Gruyter, 200 Saw Mill Rd.,
Hawthorne, NY, 10532, 914/747-0110.