Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Homeless Classrooms for Homeless People
I read the Los Angeles Daily News article Unused portable classrooms to shelter homeless By Patricia Farrell Aidem, and my first thought was, why can’t Santa Clarita find a permanent location?
My wife is a teacher and I cannot image that there are surplus classrooms. Perhaps there are! But…
on second thought, why not? We know the homeless tend to move around. Why not create portable shelters that can go where the need is until the need is gone!
If the intent is to meet a real housing need and not just to dodge political pressures, then I think it is a good idea.
Step two is mobile facilities to provide support services. Most importantly, some space for a referral center to get these persons out of the portable housing and into stable housing and support services.
--Herb Smith, President
My wife is a teacher and I cannot image that there are surplus classrooms. Perhaps there are! But…
on second thought, why not? We know the homeless tend to move around. Why not create portable shelters that can go where the need is until the need is gone!
If the intent is to meet a real housing need and not just to dodge political pressures, then I think it is a good idea.
Step two is mobile facilities to provide support services. Most importantly, some space for a referral center to get these persons out of the portable housing and into stable housing and support services.
--Herb Smith, President
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Congratulations Officer Joseph
Yesterday Los Angeles Police Department Officer Deon Joseph made the list of PARADE Magazine honorable mentions for Police Officer of the year. I don’t know the winner, Officer Roy Gilbert of Detroit, but he must be some kinda guy to out do our local hero Officer Joseph.
Officer Joseph has the eyes, ears and hearts of our skid row community. When a patient was dumped at the Los Angeles Mission several months ago he was on the scene instantly with help and concern. He is always looking for ways to improve our community and serve the needs of its citizens.
His leadership to start “Just Like You” demonstrates that his uniform and the calling it represents means more to him than a just picking up a paycheck. It is clearly a commitment to excellence and a spirit of service.
The board and staff of the Los Angeles Mission add our support and appreciation to PARADE Magazine’s recognition of this outstanding officer and a gentleman, too!
--Herb Smith, President
Officer Joseph has the eyes, ears and hearts of our skid row community. When a patient was dumped at the Los Angeles Mission several months ago he was on the scene instantly with help and concern. He is always looking for ways to improve our community and serve the needs of its citizens.
His leadership to start “Just Like You” demonstrates that his uniform and the calling it represents means more to him than a just picking up a paycheck. It is clearly a commitment to excellence and a spirit of service.
The board and staff of the Los Angeles Mission add our support and appreciation to PARADE Magazine’s recognition of this outstanding officer and a gentleman, too!
--Herb Smith, President
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thank you Mr. Governor…Advocates Needed ASAP!
On September 19th I wrote a blog suggesting that Governor Schwarzenegger sign SB2. Little did I think that it would actually be signed!
Why?- Because to do so would open the door to some logical and required planning and zoning for homeless needs on the part of every city in California. .
But, low and behold, it was signed! Now we as service providers need to be diligent to work with planning and zoning officials to assure that the shelter needs of the homeless are properly represented at the planning tables. This is advocacy with shoe leather. But, most of us working for nonprofit organizations simply do not have the time required to do this in every city. So…how about some volunteer advocates with experience in the process who can become familiar with the issues and then advocate on behalf of the homeless.
As a participant in several planning and zoning forays who lived to tell about it, this is not for the faint of heart. Endless wrangling, Environmental Impact Studies, staff reports all can go on and on and on until resolution comes when only one group is left standing. To do this law justice, there now need to be advocates in every city that speak for the shelter needs of the homeless. Those needs might well be quickly assigned to marginal land use locations that limit homeless access. Or land is suggested that comes with prohibitive construction costs such as toxic waste sites and swamp land!
Thank you Mr. Governor for taking the first step! We will do our part on the local level to assure compliance. It was great to see the Mayor Villaraigosa signed on in support. Does that mean we can expect leadership from the City of Los Angeles on this crucial issue? If so, count the Los Angeles Mission in for cooperation.
--Herb Smith, President
Why?- Because to do so would open the door to some logical and required planning and zoning for homeless needs on the part of every city in California. .
But, low and behold, it was signed! Now we as service providers need to be diligent to work with planning and zoning officials to assure that the shelter needs of the homeless are properly represented at the planning tables. This is advocacy with shoe leather. But, most of us working for nonprofit organizations simply do not have the time required to do this in every city. So…how about some volunteer advocates with experience in the process who can become familiar with the issues and then advocate on behalf of the homeless.
As a participant in several planning and zoning forays who lived to tell about it, this is not for the faint of heart. Endless wrangling, Environmental Impact Studies, staff reports all can go on and on and on until resolution comes when only one group is left standing. To do this law justice, there now need to be advocates in every city that speak for the shelter needs of the homeless. Those needs might well be quickly assigned to marginal land use locations that limit homeless access. Or land is suggested that comes with prohibitive construction costs such as toxic waste sites and swamp land!
Thank you Mr. Governor for taking the first step! We will do our part on the local level to assure compliance. It was great to see the Mayor Villaraigosa signed on in support. Does that mean we can expect leadership from the City of Los Angeles on this crucial issue? If so, count the Los Angeles Mission in for cooperation.
--Herb Smith, President
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sleeping on the Streets is Old News! Mentoring isn’t…
I have read the myriad articles about the ACLU Sleeping on the Street lawsuit settlement: the stealth meetings, lack of agreement and, true to form, the usual players have the same sound bites.
Central City East Association, backed by business interests, frames its concern in property values, economic concerns, and for good measure, some green environmental talk.
City Hall types talk in terms of something better – but not enough. Political speak for “…we aren’t ready to really address the issue with the level of political will needed to fix the problem rather than put a bandage on it.”
Service providers like the Los Angeles Mission are torn between supporting our elected official’s attempts to help with political resources – and not offending our donors, some of whom come from the business community. While at the end of the day we are trying to help the homeless and poor with solutions that get them off the streets and into stable living environments that will keep them from recidivism. That ten dollar word for back in the streets!
In the midst of all the noise about settlements, there was a jewel of an article by Stephanie Simon in the October 14 issues of the Los Angeles Times entitled “A New Pathway out of Homelessness.” This caring, compassionate, yet frustratingly real look at one family represents the face of homeless not living on the streets. Yes they are poor, nothing illegal about poverty. They have adopted a stay-at-home-dad model which seems to work for them. I f the roles were reversed would we be so quick to judge a stay-at-home-mom with grade “A” student, ROTC kids?
This intriguing model has all the elements of a success in the making. For you business types this is a possible tipping point. Why? Dealing with homelessness is about relationships first. With a solid sense of trust the options are wide open. Without it, they are sealed shut.
I really wish I had thought of this idea! Shucks. But, as they say "imitation is the sincerest flattery.” So, LA what do you say? Anyone want to give this a try along with the Los Angeles Mission staff and volunteers?
Let’s mentor some of our 70,000 plus persons out of homelessness and into a stable future. Let’s step up the pace. 1,250 living units for skid row is a bandage that will help – but I think mentoring together we can do better than that for the citizens of LA!
--Herb Smith, President
Central City East Association, backed by business interests, frames its concern in property values, economic concerns, and for good measure, some green environmental talk.
City Hall types talk in terms of something better – but not enough. Political speak for “…we aren’t ready to really address the issue with the level of political will needed to fix the problem rather than put a bandage on it.”
Service providers like the Los Angeles Mission are torn between supporting our elected official’s attempts to help with political resources – and not offending our donors, some of whom come from the business community. While at the end of the day we are trying to help the homeless and poor with solutions that get them off the streets and into stable living environments that will keep them from recidivism. That ten dollar word for back in the streets!
In the midst of all the noise about settlements, there was a jewel of an article by Stephanie Simon in the October 14 issues of the Los Angeles Times entitled “A New Pathway out of Homelessness.” This caring, compassionate, yet frustratingly real look at one family represents the face of homeless not living on the streets. Yes they are poor, nothing illegal about poverty. They have adopted a stay-at-home-dad model which seems to work for them. I f the roles were reversed would we be so quick to judge a stay-at-home-mom with grade “A” student, ROTC kids?
This intriguing model has all the elements of a success in the making. For you business types this is a possible tipping point. Why? Dealing with homelessness is about relationships first. With a solid sense of trust the options are wide open. Without it, they are sealed shut.
I really wish I had thought of this idea! Shucks. But, as they say "imitation is the sincerest flattery.” So, LA what do you say? Anyone want to give this a try along with the Los Angeles Mission staff and volunteers?
Let’s mentor some of our 70,000 plus persons out of homelessness and into a stable future. Let’s step up the pace. 1,250 living units for skid row is a bandage that will help – but I think mentoring together we can do better than that for the citizens of LA!
--Herb Smith, President
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Number of homeless families rises
Number of homeless families rises
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer Sun Oct 7, 1:42 PM ET
Having spent many years growing up in New England I am always drawn to articles from that geographic area. I know all too well the effects of rural poverty and the draws of youth to urban areas.
The article by Pat Eaton-Robb is an excellent example of what homelessness looks like -- and clearly addresses the nearly insurmountable odds for women with children. Not enough space - (“…crammed into one room…), not enough money for space – (“…minimum wage…”) and there’s a lack of the other basic needs for a family of five. What is missing from the story is the part we see over and over again, where Lisa’s 14 year-old daughter gets tired of the program, leaves and starts the cycle again.
The statistics on government funding are amazing. There’s a reported 50% increase in needy families and a 75% decrease in rent subsidies over 15 years! And that doesn’t include the increases because the cost of living has increased.
I applaud Massachusetts for keeping track of numbers. This should give the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Philip Mangano, director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness something to think about while challenging other states to do likewise. But I wonder how much more will that statistics gathering process will cost taxpayers? In the article Mangano says: "Research and data, that's what should drive the resources that we make available. Instead it's often anecdote, conjecture and hearsay that does that."
How much data is needed to determine that Wages – Rent = Living Expenses? Without affordable housing (“Rent”) the basic algebra equation breaks down -- resulting in homelessness.
Homelessness brings people to the Mission where those anecdotes become stories of success – where conjecture becomes trying to beat the odds to find permanent housing and a living wage -- and hearsay becomes tangible “help is on the way” for our 180 emergency guests and our 244 transitional housing guests.
Sure we need some basic data to help with the national allocation of government resources. Meanwhile the visible facts are not hearsay. We see the real live people who need help, and their numbers are increasing here at the Los Angeles Mission.
--Herb Smith, President
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer Sun Oct 7, 1:42 PM ET
Having spent many years growing up in New England I am always drawn to articles from that geographic area. I know all too well the effects of rural poverty and the draws of youth to urban areas.
The article by Pat Eaton-Robb is an excellent example of what homelessness looks like -- and clearly addresses the nearly insurmountable odds for women with children. Not enough space - (“…crammed into one room…), not enough money for space – (“…minimum wage…”) and there’s a lack of the other basic needs for a family of five. What is missing from the story is the part we see over and over again, where Lisa’s 14 year-old daughter gets tired of the program, leaves and starts the cycle again.
The statistics on government funding are amazing. There’s a reported 50% increase in needy families and a 75% decrease in rent subsidies over 15 years! And that doesn’t include the increases because the cost of living has increased.
I applaud Massachusetts for keeping track of numbers. This should give the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Philip Mangano, director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness something to think about while challenging other states to do likewise. But I wonder how much more will that statistics gathering process will cost taxpayers? In the article Mangano says: "Research and data, that's what should drive the resources that we make available. Instead it's often anecdote, conjecture and hearsay that does that."
How much data is needed to determine that Wages – Rent = Living Expenses? Without affordable housing (“Rent”) the basic algebra equation breaks down -- resulting in homelessness.
Homelessness brings people to the Mission where those anecdotes become stories of success – where conjecture becomes trying to beat the odds to find permanent housing and a living wage -- and hearsay becomes tangible “help is on the way” for our 180 emergency guests and our 244 transitional housing guests.
Sure we need some basic data to help with the national allocation of government resources. Meanwhile the visible facts are not hearsay. We see the real live people who need help, and their numbers are increasing here at the Los Angeles Mission.
--Herb Smith, President
Monday, October 08, 2007
Not so fast Chief, “all well and good.”
Bratton admits skid row displacement
From the LA Times: Skid Row Crackdown
"Is there some displacement? Certainly," Bratton said at a news conference where he, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials touted the drop in skid row crime.
"But what's wrong with that in some respects? Why should one square mile of the city be impacted by something that's effectively a countywide problem?" Bratton said. "So if there is displacement, all well and good."
As an organization that has generally been supportive of the Safer Cities Initiative, I was disturbed by the comments or the editing of comments from Chief Bratton in the October 5, Los Angeles Times Article. If the city truly wants the service providers disbursed from Skid Row, and makes it possible for us to serve the poor and homeless in other areas, then I would agree such disbursement has merit. New agencies and future government funding should be guided in that direction. All well and good might reflect a preferred future but it certainly represents a present night-mare.
Existing agencies should be supported to explore new ideas such as Union Rescue Mission’s Hope Gardens. But what about tonight? Displacement today is simply not “all well and good,” since there aren’t enough permanent, transitional or emergency beds anyway. I guess you could say that concrete is concrete, so sleeping on the sidewalks of Skid Row isn’t all that different from sleeping on the sidewalks in Beverly Hills. But that’s not really the issue. No Chief, it’s not all well and good without adequate housing and services here or in other parts of the city where homeless folks are going. Thanks, and I sincerely mean it, truly thanks for your help with protection from those who prey on others. But, let’s be careful that our sound bites don’t spin the issues out of sight and out of mind.
--Herb Smith, President
