Chalaia Smith is determined to become something more than a statistic.
“There’s a stereotype with homeless youth – that we are all troublemakers, that we’ll always be homeless,” said the graduating Foss High School senior. Smith has other ideas. The 18-year-old is headed to Washington State University, with her eye on a career in veterinary medicine.
A shocking 45 percent of the nation’s estimated 131,000 homeless veterans are African-American, according to a new report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a well-known advocacy and research organization.
The budget-cutting ax on Capitol Hill, could jeopardize a major effort to help homeless veterans in Connecticut.
Source: http://www.wtnh.com
Schools and communities invite veterans of all backgrounds to share their stories and receive thanks for their years of service.
Source: http://www.history.com/veterans
As unemployment and foreclosures continue to drive record increases in homelessness, many cities are stepping up efforts to criminalize it. That’s wrong, ineffective and costly. But some communities are bucking the trend, demonstrating that there is a better way.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Hundreds of veterans are sleeping on the street or in the emergency shelter system in the District of Columbia. This brief examines data from the vulnerability index survey, completed by the DC Department of Health and Human Services and Common Ground, a nonprofit supportive housing provider.
Where do we begin to reclaim our city? Maybe we start with the trashed flowerpot in front of Macy’s, the gum spots all over our streets or the camped-out teenagers; we begin with the little things. Maybe our broken hearts will lead us to the sadness of those broken lives with nowhere to turn.
Seattle has succeeded in growing some of the greatest companies in the history of the world. We now need that same passion and creativity to rebuild our community. We are up to the task. This is what great cities do.
Organizers of the homeless encampment Nickelsville have secured two more camp sites, in addition to one they found in the Central District.
The announcement came just three days before the city was scheduled to evict campers from their current location in South Seattle.
Some residents had vowed to stand their ground if they couldn’t find a place to relocate to by September 1st.
“We’re a community that helps one another,” said camper Rachel Johnson. “This is a safe place and this is our family.”
The city dedicated $500,000 to help campers find new homes before the September 1 deadline. By Sunday, outreach workers had relocated at least 47 of the more than 120 campers at the site.
The new locations won’t be disclosed until Friday. Organizers said they wanted to talk to their new neighbors first, before disclosing that information.
The two new sites brings the total number to three. On Sunday, the group said it had secured another camp site near 20th and Jackson in the Central District.
So what do we do? The first step is cultural. These visible signs of brokenness scream out that families are disintegrating across our society: Our churches have pulled up stakes, our schools are failing much of the poor and economic opportunity dwindles. The consequences of pushing religion to the margins of influence have not been good for our society.
The second front is tough-minded confrontation of disorderly behavior. We need to empower and support our police to look the perpetrators in the eyes and say, “No more. This is not the way we do things in Seattle.”
Our police need to be able to step out from under the politicized scrutiny that makes them hesitant to fix the first broken window.
The Jackson Street Nickelsville homeless encampment will be receiving sleeping structures and tent platforms tomorrow, courtesy of a partnership between the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and The Home Depot Foundation.
LIHI and Home Depot have assembled a group of 80 volunteers, 65 of which are Home Depot Associates, to build a total of six tent platforms and three sleeping structures at the homeless encampment at 2020 S. Jackson Street. Volunteers are also slated to paint the encampment’s existing sleeping structures, install a new storage unit for food and donations, and build a play area for children.
Association Against Homelessness in America 