Posts with the tag homelessness
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i knew a few people who were forced to sell their homes or lost their homes to foreclosure. this is a national disgrace. we're putting our families on the streets. who can stop the insanity?
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/29/real_estate/foreclosures_still_rising/index.htm?cnn=yes
This short article from the AP via WWLP online caught my attention.
Readers from elsewhere in the country, how does this compare to your states?
Fellow citizens of Massachusetts, this is unacceptable. That's clear. What I don't know, and need input on, is what we can do about it. Idears?
The state reports about 1,800 homeless families were in shelters this week. That's up from 1,400 in June 2006.
State officials blame cuts in assistance and the recent housing crisis for the problem. And they're worried there's no end in sight.
Readers from elsewhere in the country, how does this compare to your states?
Fellow citizens of Massachusetts, this is unacceptable. That's clear. What I don't know, and need input on, is what we can do about it. Idears?
I have an idea that I'd like help with if anyone wants to help.
I have a bit of experience in working with and being around homeless people. I am always drawn to read articles about homelessness, and there is a tone in them that always seems wrong to me.
How often have you heard a politician talk about homelessness? Do they use the phrase "the homeless" ? Or do they say "homeless people" or "homeless men, women, and children" ? I always seem to hear "the homeless" - which chaps me, because it makes them some other species, rather than people. ( They are 'the homeless'. We are people. They are not like us. )
I know that's another semantics debate, but Read More »
I have a bit of experience in working with and being around homeless people. I am always drawn to read articles about homelessness, and there is a tone in them that always seems wrong to me.
How often have you heard a politician talk about homelessness? Do they use the phrase "the homeless" ? Or do they say "homeless people" or "homeless men, women, and children" ? I always seem to hear "the homeless" - which chaps me, because it makes them some other species, rather than people. ( They are 'the homeless'. We are people. They are not like us. )
I know that's another semantics debate, but Read More »
Bear with me; this is my first blog post. I'm inspired by MyVote's posting, from early this morning, to share a brief story.
My husband and I have a dear friend and occasional collaborator who found himself homeless a few years ago. This charming, kind, funny man has a PhD and two master's degrees, and held tenure at a prestigious university in Washington DC. Sadly, he also suffers from mental illness; he's bipolar and schizophrenic. Eventually, his condition made it impossible for him to reliably teach. Within a span of eighteen months, he lost his job, his car, his health care, and his savings, and was forced to move into a squalid apartment. Not long after that, he was evicted from even that pestilential place. Read More »
My husband and I have a dear friend and occasional collaborator who found himself homeless a few years ago. This charming, kind, funny man has a PhD and two master's degrees, and held tenure at a prestigious university in Washington DC. Sadly, he also suffers from mental illness; he's bipolar and schizophrenic. Eventually, his condition made it impossible for him to reliably teach. Within a span of eighteen months, he lost his job, his car, his health care, and his savings, and was forced to move into a squalid apartment. Not long after that, he was evicted from even that pestilential place. Read More »
I've heard some interesting comments on healthcare and social services from Andy Grove and Malcolm Gladwell.
Andy Grove (known best for his work at Intel) has emerged as an active proponent for ubiquitous, inexpensive walk-in clinics as a way to provide better healthcare at a lower cost. Many of those without health insurance end up using hospital emergency rooms to fulfill their primary healthcare needs, which is an exceedingly expensive way to do it (i.e., expensive for the rest of us who pay for those services through our medical fees and taxes). Improving access to inexpensive clinics can help reduce costs and at the same time improve quality of life. The devil's in the details, but I believe the approach in general holds promise. Heck, we're already paying a large amount of money to provide essentially free healthcare to this segment of the population. We might as well do it in a way that we can manage somewhat.
I also read an article by Malcolm Gladwell in which he describes how a small portion of America's homeless end up using an inordinately large proportion of resources. These are the chronically homeless with, e.g., addiction problems and who end up in the ICU after coming down with pneumonia or stumbling drunk in front of a car. Providing services to these people gets extremely expensive and draws resources away from other individuals who might find a little bit of assistance to be a really big help. A totally bizarre but effective solution has been to put these extreme cases up in apartments, with daily supervision by social workers. It gets expensive, but not nearly as expensive as repeatedly paying for treatment in the ICU. I can't see that approach being adopted on a wide basis (and wouldn't necessarily want it to be), but it's an interesting take on things.
Andy Grove (known best for his work at Intel) has emerged as an active proponent for ubiquitous, inexpensive walk-in clinics as a way to provide better healthcare at a lower cost. Many of those without health insurance end up using hospital emergency rooms to fulfill their primary healthcare needs, which is an exceedingly expensive way to do it (i.e., expensive for the rest of us who pay for those services through our medical fees and taxes). Improving access to inexpensive clinics can help reduce costs and at the same time improve quality of life. The devil's in the details, but I believe the approach in general holds promise. Heck, we're already paying a large amount of money to provide essentially free healthcare to this segment of the population. We might as well do it in a way that we can manage somewhat.
I also read an article by Malcolm Gladwell in which he describes how a small portion of America's homeless end up using an inordinately large proportion of resources. These are the chronically homeless with, e.g., addiction problems and who end up in the ICU after coming down with pneumonia or stumbling drunk in front of a car. Providing services to these people gets extremely expensive and draws resources away from other individuals who might find a little bit of assistance to be a really big help. A totally bizarre but effective solution has been to put these extreme cases up in apartments, with daily supervision by social workers. It gets expensive, but not nearly as expensive as repeatedly paying for treatment in the ICU. I can't see that approach being adopted on a wide basis (and wouldn't necessarily want it to be), but it's an interesting take on things.
There's more than this going on in Seattle, but these are the upcoming events I'll be at:
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18, 4:30 to 9 pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave NW, in Ballard, Seattle; fundraising auction to benefit WESTERN WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION. Silent auction starts 4:30, dinner 5:30, live auction starts 6:30. Great items to buy, dinners, week-end get- aways, tickets, artwork, useful and decorative items. Auggested door donation $10- 15 includes dinner, nobody turned away for lack of funds. info 206-789-5565 or WWFOR site.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 2 at St. Marks Cathedral, St. Nicholas building: Alternate Gift Fair. Buy Christmas gifts from local nonprofits; give twice! Seattle Raging Grannies (including me) perform at 10 AM.
Also SATURDAY DECEMBER 2: Kitsap for Peace Holiday Rally and Bazaar at the F.O.E. hall in downtown Bremerton, 2-10 PM. Raging Grannies perform about 4 PM. More details at the Kitsap for Peace Webpage. Read More »
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 18, 4:30 to 9 pm, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 6512 23rd Ave NW, in Ballard, Seattle; fundraising auction to benefit WESTERN WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION. Silent auction starts 4:30, dinner 5:30, live auction starts 6:30. Great items to buy, dinners, week-end get- aways, tickets, artwork, useful and decorative items. Auggested door donation $10- 15 includes dinner, nobody turned away for lack of funds. info 206-789-5565 or WWFOR site.
SATURDAY DECEMBER 2 at St. Marks Cathedral, St. Nicholas building: Alternate Gift Fair. Buy Christmas gifts from local nonprofits; give twice! Seattle Raging Grannies (including me) perform at 10 AM.
Also SATURDAY DECEMBER 2: Kitsap for Peace Holiday Rally and Bazaar at the F.O.E. hall in downtown Bremerton, 2-10 PM. Raging Grannies perform about 4 PM. More details at the Kitsap for Peace Webpage. Read More »
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