Housing and Homelessness
From Wiscopedia
Contents |
[edit] Where do Progressives Stand?
- The most important step that can be taken to help with homelessness is to create a sustainable process to move people out of homelessness permanently.
[edit] Until such a plan is developed it is important to
- Support state funded shelters, clinics, and food banks that serve the homeless
- Demand that state provided facilities uphold humane condition requirements of space and cleanliness for all facilities serving those experiencing homelessness.
- Urge cities to establish more assistance and less punishment for homeless communities.
- Donate time, money, or food to programs the feed or house the homeless
- Support after school programs for homeless children
- Support affordable or free health care including mental health, injury, and drug rehabilitation for the homeless.
- Support veteran service programs to prevent homeless veterans.
- Support adult literacy, job training, and placement programs.
[edit] Hot Topics
[edit] Housing
[edit] Legal
Homeless advocacy groups have entitled recent legal crackdowns primarily affecting homeless communities as the “Illegalization of Homelessness”. Currently people experiencing homelessness are being ticketed for camping if they are doing so in parks or public spaces. To contrast, music fans camping outside major concert venues to purchase tickets do so without penalty. Furthermore, people that are homeless have been charged with obstructing sidewalks and passageways when attempting to panhandle. Also, individuals or groups hosting public feedings have been experiencing increased legal crackdown and threats of making public feedings punishable by law.
[edit] In the News
[edit] Facts and Statistics
2004 Homeless Point in Time Study:
- According to the 2004 Homeless Point in Time Study there were 8,668 homeless people in the Denver Metropolitan area.
- According to the 2000 Census, 388,952 Coloradans or 9.3% of the State’s population fell below the poverty level
- The average age of homelessness nationally is 9.
- Of the members of households served by the Food Bank of the Rockies, 41.8% were children under 18, and 11.6% were children age 0-5. 38.3% of households state they had to choose between paying for food and paying for rent or mortgage while 37.9% had to prioritize buying food or paying for medicine/healthcare.
- 22% of homeless people are veterans.
- 16% of homeless people have been in foster care, group homes, shelters, or welfare hotels before they were 18.
- 20-40% of homeless people work full or part time yet they cannot afford to pay for housing.
[edit] Sources
- Census 2000 Sample Demographic Profiles, Table DP-3
- US Conference of Mayor‘s Report on Hunger and Homelessness, 1998.
- Ten Cities: A Snapshot of Family Homelessness Across America, Homes for the Homeless and the Institute for Children and Poverty, 1997-1998
- National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 1999.
This article incorporates text from Colopedia.org through a prior agreement with the content creators.
