text of the flyer that started getting passed out last night:
BETTER BUY A TENT!
Here’s what Arise has found out about the city’s “plans” for homeless people. As usual, homeless people are the last to know.
The Mayor and the Control Board have decided that there will be NO extension of the Warming Place at the York St. jail site.
JUNE 30 IS THE LAST DAY THE WARMING PLACE WILL BE OPEN, UNLESS THE OPEN PANTRY DIRECTOR CAN FIND SOME TEMPORARY PLACE VERY QUICKLY, AND IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD.
TAYLOR ST. IS STILL SET TO CLOSE ON MAY 30.
FRIENDS OF THE HOMELESS MAY BE WILLING TO SQUEEZE FOLKS INTO THE BASEMENT—IF THEY GET PAID FOR IT.
THE MAYOR HAS DECIDED HE DOESN’T WANT ANY VACANCIES IN ANY SHELTER—HE WANTS “JUST ENOUGH”-- BECAUSE IT MIGHT DRAW MORE HOMELESS PEOPLE TO SPRINGFIELD!
MEANWHILE, EVERYBODY IS HOPING TO BE ONE OF THE LUCKY 100 TO GET A SUBSIDY FOR AN APARTMENT BEFORE JUNE 30.
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH! LANDLORDS ARE BEING VERY SLOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE PROGRAM.
Besides, the program is only for the “chronically homeless”—long-term substance abuse issues, mental illness, or those who have bounced from shelter to shelter for years! If you have aged out of foster care, got kicked out of your house, lost a job, or had just plain bad luck, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SUBSIDY!
All we can tell you right now is if you have any income at all on the first of the month, BETTER BUY A TENT!
Info? Want to organize? Call Arise at 734-4948.
2 comments:
That's a puzzling scenario. In my opinion, chronically homeless folks are more apt to return to the lyfestyle they're most familiar with, so the "housing first" initiative for them may well be a total waste. Meawhile, short-term homeless folks - those temporarily on the skids - would seem to be the *most* likely to use the housing to stabilize their lives and get back on their feet.
But they're not eligible. Heh.. go figure.
I'm curious--I had heard something by someone (economist? psychologist?) on the radio about how if homeless people don't have basic security FIRST, all the other problems cannot be helped. (if there's a drinking problem, that cannot go away unless the person's basic needs for shelter are met first). Job training is nothing unless you have an address. In San Fransisco, it seems, homelessness has been drastically--and, perhaps more importantly--consistently reduced with this type of program.
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