Those who are forced into being without an abode and/or dwelling are all to quickly deemed less than citizens. In many regards are even treated as less than human. How about thinking that we are NOT homeless, nor last-class citizens or non-human? We think, have feelings, have intellect and struggle. How would you feel to be thought of as anything less than human just for circumstances due to those of profit/gain/control?
For a nation that propaganda's unto the rest of the world about treating others as they would want to be treated, yet still refuses to even treat its Veterans humanly should be addressed as a criminal.
Although the numbers being used for how many Veterans on any given night is far less than the real numbers, for even 1 Veteran to be left out sleeping rough, unless he and/or she seeks to, is a crime against humanity.
Straighten up United States of America, and STOP treating citizens, especially United States of America Veterans, as simply a commodity that can be tossed away as trash.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Homeless veterans in Rhode Island are getting some job training help from the federal government.
The
U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that it was awarding $210,000
to Operation Stand Down, an organization that helps homeless veterans
in Rhode Island find housing, jobs and access to education and health
care.
The money is intended for job training and housing programs for homeless female veterans and homeless veterans with families.
Studies
indicate that veterans are more likely to experience homelessness than
the general population and that more than 60,000 veterans are homeless
on any given night.
Aloha! Hawaii caters to "Haves", "Have-more" while flying (forcing) the "Have-less" & "Have-not" off islands
Although it's nothing new, cities, towns and/or States have for sometime now, paid the fare to remove "The Houseless" from their communities. Some areas use more drastic and harmful methods such as trickery, deception and/or starvation. Yes, this is true and happens more times than not in the United States of America. This from a country of people who profess to be "christians" and give false and/or misleading impressions of caring, empathy and compassion. Not all mind you are as such in the United States of America, but more and more these days it has become the business of "Help" instead of actually being helpful unto our fellow neighbors.
In Jefferson County Tennessee, authorities and churches have been known to use all sorts of deceitful and/or harmful ways to rid their exclusive county of "The Houseless".
One company, Tarr Chevrolet, and/or some its employees even with knowing about "The Houseless", stood by without doing in accordance with Scripture, and not only took advantage of "The Houseless", but also profited by his removal.
A small town in Norfolk, Connecticut which falsely represents itself as being helpful, caring ... has been proven to be anything but so (in development): http://norfolk-now.houseless.net/
Published time: July 31, 2013 08:15
Edited time: July 31, 2013 14:46
AFP Photo / Kent Nishimura
Hawaii is set to embark on an unusual new program for reducing the
size of the state’s homeless population by offering them a one-way
ticket back home.
Under a program dubbed 'return to home' the Aloha State is
looking to cut back on the expenditures currently going to food,
shelter and other services for its homeless population, currently
numbering some 17,000.
The three-year pilot program is set to be launched during the
current fiscal year, as $100,000 has been appropriated to fund
one-way airline tickets, and possibly even spots on cruise ships,
to return the homeless back to the continental US.
The program itself will be run by the state’s Department of Human
Services, which recently told MSN News that it had certain
reservations regarding the concept of one-way trips out of the
state for those with limited means.
"The administrative requirements ... are costly and
administratively burdensome," department spokeswoman Kayla
Rosenfeld said Tuesday.
"Provisions include: transportation to the airport, orientation
regarding airport security and ensuring proper hygiene.
Additionally, if state funds were utilized for the purpose of
sending people home, the participants would be required to sign
voluntary departure agreements that would need to be recorded in
databases.Given these requirements and others, and a minimal
appropriation of $100,000 for a three-year pilot project,
providers are understandably reluctant to take on a state-funded
return to home program," she added.
Rosenfeld also expressed concerns that the 'return to home'
program would be perceived by some as “an invitation to
purchase a one-way ticket to Hawaii with a guaranteed return
flight home."
Likewise, local media has found plenty of conflicting opinions on
Hawaii’s pilot program.
"It’s a controversial idea. Critics point to potential abuse
of the program and view it as a Band-Aid approach to a deeply
rooted problem," wrote Nathan Eagle of the Honolulu Civil
Beat.
"But supporters see it as a win-win. The homeless get a fresh
start in a supportive environment and the state can focus its
limited funding on local residents."
Still, even those working with Hawaii’s homeless population
believe the program, though seemingly draconian, could have its
uses.
Victor Geminiani, executive director of the Hawaii Appleseed
Center for Law and Economic Justice, a nonprofit that works on
affordable housing issues, told the Honolulu Civil Beat that the
return-to-home program “fills a gap.”
“Selectively used, it is a way of providing an appropriate
solution for people in a particular situation,” said
Geminiani. “But the devil is in the details.”
A 2010 profile by NPR on Hawaii’s growing number of homeless
cited a $3 daily cost of living for those who made the trek to
the archipelago state.
At the Sumner Homeless Men's Shelter in downtown Honolulu the
number of homeless was increasing by a rate of 10 percent over
the previous rate, with one-third of all new arrivals -
1,300 annually at that point - coming from out of state.
If Hawaii’s new program sounds unusual, it is actually not the
first of its kind. A similar program was profiled by the New York
Times in 2009 which also paid for one-way trips for the homeless
out of the city, with such exotic faraway destinations as Paris,
Johannesburg and San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the past, the city
government had also worked with the Salvation Army through a
similar program called "Homeward Bound".
Beyond New York, other cities in the US have previously offered
one-way transportation for the homeless, including San Francisco,
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"These kinds of programs have been used historically to
ship homeless people out of town," Michael Stoops, director
of community organizing for the National Coalition for the
Homeless, told MSN News.
"In the homelessness field it was once called greyhound
therapy. Hawaii now goes a step higher with airplane therapy.
Oftentimes local police departments run such programs offering
the stark choices of going to a shelter, jail or hopping on a bus
or plane home."
State legislators backing Hawaii’s program, which was floated in
the past but rejected for the high cost of airfares out of the
state, told the Huffington Post that it is not meant to be a
“silver bullet.”
"It's fractional, it's not for 5,000 homeless people,"
said State Rep. John Mizuno. "It's going to be a handful of
homeless people that we send home, again – home to their support
unit."
Those opting to take advantage of a free trip from Hawaii back
home will do so purely on a voluntary basis. In order to be
eligible, individuals must demonstrate that they have a support
system in place back in their home state, and can only
participate in the program once.
Hawaii's new 'return to home' program will pay for homeless people to return to the continental US. AP Photo: Marco Garcia
July 30, 2013 By James Eng
of MSN News
Hawaii hopes the "return to home" program will help the state save on
the millions it spends each year on food, shelter and other services for
the homeless.
Hawaii is trying a new approach to cut down on the number of homeless
in the Aloha State: Ship some of them back to the mainland.
Under
a "return to home" three-year pilot program set to launch this fiscal
year, the state will buy one-way tickets on planes — and possible even
beds on cruise ships — to return eligible homeless people to their
families in the continental U.S.
Lawmakers have appropriated an
initial $100,000 to fund the program, which will be run by the state
Department of Human Services.
The department has expressed concerns about the program's cost and the nature of services to be provided, among other issues.
"The
administrative requirements ... are costly and administratively
burdensome," department spokeswoman Kayla Rosenfeld said Tuesday in a
statement to MSN News. "Provisions include: transportation
to the airport, orientation regarding airport security and ensuring
proper hygiene.
Additionally, if state funds were utilized for the
purpose of sending people home, the participants would be required to
sign voluntary departure agreements that would need to be recorded in
databases. Given these requirements and others, and a
minimal appropriation of $100,000 for a three-year pilot project,
providers are understandably reluctant to take on a state-funded return
to home program."
"The DHS will continue to dialogue
with the community around these issues. At the end of the day, however,
we remain concerned this program is an invitation to purchase a one-way
ticket to Hawaii with a guaranteed return flight home," Rosenfeld said.
NO SILVER BULLET
The program's supporters
said the pilot is not a silver bullet in the fight against homelessness,
but will help cut down on the millions the state spends each year on
welfare and support services.
Rep.
Rida Cabanilla said even if the homeless return after a few months, the
state will have saved thousands of dollars on food, shelter and medical
costs, Honolulu Civil Beat reported.
Hawaii has an estimated 17,000 homeless people.
The
"return to home" program is voluntary. To be eligible, individuals must
have a support system in place in their home state and be indigent
and unable to fly back on their own. They can only participate once in
the program.
Paying to send homeless people away isn't a novel
tactic. New York City; San Francisco; Baton Rouge, La.; and Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., are among the cities that have offered one-way
transport tickets to homeless people.
"These kinds of
programs have been used historically to ship homeless people out of
town," Michael Stoops, director of community organizing for the National Coalition for the Homeless,
told MSN News. "In the homelessness field it was once called greyhound
therapy. Hawaii now goes a step higher with airplane therapy. Oftentimes
local police departments run such programs offering the stark choices
of going to a shelter, jail or hopping on a bus or plane home."
"If
such programs are truly voluntary and that a home at the other end has
been confirmed (not a shelter), this is acceptable," he said. "Some
homeless people yearn to be reunited with their loved ones or wish to
return to their home community."
And the U.S.A. isn't the only country developing evil against something which can't be helped - poverty:
Hungary's lawmakers are considering constitutional changes to allow
authorities to force homeless citizens off the streets. Critics of the
proposal say it criminalizes thousands who live in poverty.
BUDAPEST, Hungary
— Homeless men and women huddle on street corners amid Budapest's
majestic domed palaces, shivering under old blankets and cardboard boxes
in frigid winter weather.
It's an image that critics say Prime
Minister Viktor Orban doesn't want the world to see. And if he has his
way, the homeless could be fined and even jailed for sleeping outside —
even though some of the country's homeless shelters are already
overflowing and short of beds.
Orban's punitive ideas for the
homeless have set him up for his latest clash with the constitutional
court and civil rights groups as he tries to reshape the country in a
conservative image by centralizing power. Since winning power in 2010,
Orban and his party have undermined independent institutions and
democratic standards in a nation that was once an icon of democratic
struggle for throwing off communism in 1989.
Now Orban is carrying
out an informal referendum at town hall meetings around the country to
gauge support for a constitutional amendment that would enshrine
punishments for the homeless in the charter itself.
Hungary's
homeless policy has revived accusations by human rights groups that
Orban's ruling Fidesz party cares little about the country's
disadvantaged. In just one recent controversy, one of the party's
founding members, journalist Zsolt Bayer wrote in a newspaper column
that many of the country's Gypsies, or Roma — an impoverished minority
that faces entrenched discrimination — "are animals" and "unfit for
coexistence."
Fidesz refused to distance itself from the column,
saying it understood citizens' anger about crimes committed by Roma and
called on those demanding Bayer's expulsion from the party "to refrain
from standing on the side of the criminals."
The homeless issue
has been brewing for several years. At the end of 2011, Orban's ruling
right-wing Fidesz party used its overwhelming parliamentary majority to
make the punitive regulations first introduced earlier that year by the
Fidesz-backed mayor of Budapest — including fines of up to $650 for
repeat offenders and the threat of up to 60 days in jail — applicable
nationwide.
"This is a method to demoralize or intimidate us,"
said Gyula Balog, 53, who has been homeless for nearly 20 years. "No one
was jailed, but quite a few had to pay fines. It's frivolous to fine
those who have nothing."
At the time, even the United Nations
expressed concerns, saying the obligation to provide shelter "cannot
serve as an excuse for the criminalization or forced detention of
homeless persons."
"By a wave of the legislative pen, the
Hungarian Parliament has labeled tens of thousands of homeless people in
Hungary as potential criminals," said a statement from two U.N. human
rights experts. "Moreover, the law has a discriminatory impact on those
living in poverty."
At least 1,500 homeless are believed to be
currently living rough in Budapest, even as temperatures are expected to
remain below freezing in coming days and dozens of homeless are found
frozen to death each year on the streets.
In the winter, many head
to the warmest spots they can find, usually the entrance halls of
subway stations, sometimes quietly holding out a paper cup for money
from passersby or by selling street newspapers.
AP Photo: Bela Szandelszky
Authorities recently inaugurated two more shelters in the capital,
and the government spent $38.4 million on the homeless in 2012, with a
similar figure planned this year. But some of the most popular refuges,
like the "Heated Street" run by the Hungarian Evangelical Brotherhood,
are full far beyond capacity, with many people sleeping on mats on the
floor.
The issue of the fines re-emerged in November when the
constitutional court struck down the punishments, saying homelessness
was a social issue that should not be handled as a criminal matter.
There
are no exact figures on the number of homeless in Hungary, but the U.N.
last year put the figure at between 30,000 and 35,000. A survey carried
out each year on Feb. 3 in Budapest and the larger Hungarian cities by
NGOs, counted 8,641 in 2012, up from 7,199 in 2011.
Many cities
across the United States also ban activities such as "urban camping,"
panhandling, "lodging" outdoors and similar actions, often resulting in
fines or jail time for offenders.
The Hungarian government argues
that it is simply acting out of concern for the dozens of homeless
people who freeze to death every year, implying that fines are meant to
push the displaced to seek refuge in warm shelters.
"There are
more places in heated shelters than there are homeless living in
Hungary," Orban said last month in Parliament. "So no one ... is forced
to survive winter under the open sky."
But social workers and the homeless themselves accuse the government of caring only about the country's image.
"They
simply want to clean up the areas frequented by tourists," said Balog,
speaking outside the department store where he sold Commodore 64
computers during communism, before losing his job and family because of
his alcoholism.
Patriotic Houseless Man Saves American Flag During Storm
"The Houseless" are oftenregarded as not such good citizens, but wait till you watch the video of this "Houseless" man in El Paso, Texas whocared enough to do what some who have a place to live, would not. The man who showed respect for the United States of America's flag was Gustus Bozarth. His patriotism occurred outside about the property of Meti Corporation.
If you care about the United States of America and for all of those who have served under and/or stood up for the U.S.A. flag, then this may just bring tears to your eyes.
It is not known if this patriot is a Veteran, yet you can tell from his care that he holds respect for those who have served.
See fellow U.S.A. citizens and humans, how about everyone stop the discriminating, defaming and/or derogatory thoughts of those who fall victim of being "The Houseless".
WELL?
This man should be commended for caring enough to brave the weather to protect the red, white and blue colors the United States of America. We all need to care enough for the United States of America and not just leave it up to our fine, brave men and women who put on the uniform of the United States of America military.
7If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth.
ישעיהו Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58: 6-7 6[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7[Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
מָשָׁל Mishlei (Proverbs) 27:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
With absolutely no disrespect intended, I say this unto you:
This "Houseless" human would rather not to ever have an event to remember those who died due to others own unwillingness to be righteous under our Creators' Laws.
Right?
If humans were righteous under his Laws, then there would not be a day to memorialize those who have died due to not having a safe, habitable and clean place to reside.
Right?
Michael Love, IIO
Now more about "National
Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day"
Each
year since 1990, on or near the first day of winter and the longest
night of the year, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has
sponsored National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day to bring attention to
the tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who
have paid the ultimate price for our nation’s failure to end
homelessness. Beginning in 2005, the National Health Care for the
Homeless Council joined as a co-sponsor of this meaningful event. In an
effort to maximize the impact of the day, we encourage local and
statewide organizations to hold memorials for those who have died
homeless in their communities. In 2006, more than sixty cities conducted
Memorial Day events on or arohttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5185315364553105944#editor/target=post;postID=1912976283225334347und December 21st. (NCH)
The date December 21 has meanings both ancient and new. Communities in
every era have paused in awareness of waning daylight and the promise of
the sun’s return; in our era, some will pause to look for assurance
that the world keeps turning. It is appropriate that National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day
is December 21. For people living on the street, the darkest day of the
calendar is especially dark; for a person to die on the street is an
ending that should be unthinkable. Homeless advocates, today, will pause
to honor the neighbors and fellow citizens who passed away in 2012
without a home.
On the Alliance blog today, we will pause from studying homeless
populations, from reporting on aggregate signs of progress in ending
homelessness. With communities across the country, we pause in
remembrance of each person who died on the street without a home. Each
person had a name, a story, hopes and dreams, and human needs that went
unmet. Each person experienced isolation but nonetheless was born of a
family somewhere, and likely still belonged in some way to a family – of
origin or of affiliation. Each person is missed, each should remind us
of social and political failures we are left behind to overcome.
And then, when we turn back to our larger goals of ending homelessness
entirely, we carry this remembrance. We renew the commitment to reducing
vulnerability of homelessness, as well as vulnerability to
homelessness. As a member of a community of advocates, we speak for
proven solutions – Housing First above all, then access to supports, family intervention for youth, treatments, and paths to independence.
Living and dying on the street need not be part of the human experience.
December
21, 2012
Co-Sponsored by the National
Coalition for the Homeless, National Consumer Advisory Board, and the
National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC)
Thank you to everyone who
commmorated 2011's Homeless Persons' Memorial Day! Thousands of you
remembered your friends, family members, and neighbors who passed away
while homeless in the past year. At least 157 cities in 40 states and
the District of Columbia took part.
Each year since 1990, on or near the first
day of winter and the longest night of the year, National Coalition for
the Homeless (NCH), National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB), and the
National Health Care for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) has co-sponsored
National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day to bring attention to the
tragedy of homelessness and to remember our homeless friends who have
paid the ultimate price for our nation's failure to end homelessness.
In an effort to maximize the impact of the
day, NCH, NCAB, and NHCHC have encouraged local and statewide
organizations to hold memorials of their own. Last year, more than 152
cities across the nation sponsored events to honor those who had died
and to recommit to the task of ending homelessness.
This year, once again, we are
encouraging groups to plan a special event on or around December 21,
2012. Some groups may decide to hold their event a day or so before the
date.
Homelessness can happen to anyone. Take a moment to remember those who
have died while homeless and learn more about this public health concern
for those who don't have a place called home.
People who are homeless are at greater risk of infectious and chronic
illness, poor mental health, and substance abuse, as well as being
victims of violence, compared to the general population. In addition,
the mortality rate for those experiencing chronic homelessness is four
to nine times higher than for the general population. In one literature
review, the life expectancy for people who are homeless was reported to
be approximately 45 years.1
Since 1990, on or near the first day of winter, and the longest night
of the year (12/21/12), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH),
National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB), and the National Health Care
for the Homeless Council (NHCHC) have co-sponsored the National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day to remember those who have died while homeless.
The
lack of stable housing and access to supportive services are at the
core of homelessness. The challenges that precipitate and often worsen
during the course of homelessness can affect anyone.
Addressing the
public health needs of the homeless population requires collaborative
and integrated efforts with partners and communities. Federal agencies
are working to identify ways we can improve [PDF - 3.2MB]
the lives of people affected by homelessness. CDC contributes by
working to improve the spectrum of factors and environments that
determine available choices for healthy living for everyone. There is
much that we can do to improve the health of homeless individuals and
families.
On December 21, 2012, take a moment to reflect and join
others as they remember those who have lost their lives while they were
homeless. We hope you will take time to learn more about this public
health concern. Please check out the links below for more information.
1O'Connell, J. (2005). Premature mortality in homeless
populations: A review of the literature. Nashville: National Health Care
for the Homeless Council, Inc.
In its final meeting of the year,
the Baltimore City Council voted unanimously to dedicate December 21 as
Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day in Baltimore. The resolution,
introduced by the Council President and co-sponsored by the full
Council, notes that “it is clear that homelessness in Baltimore is on
the rise as we approach the halfway point of the City’s 10-Year Plan to
End Homelessness.”
“On December 21 – the first day of winter
and the longest night of the year – Baltimore City will join communities
across the country to bring attention to the struggle of people
experiencing homelessness, to mourn the passing of our neighbors who, in
life lacked stable housing, and to rededicate ourselves to ending the
conditions that create homelessness,” said Baltimore City Council
President Jack Young.
“Life on the streets quickly can turn to
death on the streets, said Kevin Lindamood, President & CEO of
Health Care for the Homeless, Inc., who addressed the Council. “Only by
putting an end to homelessness itself can we stop the untimely deaths
of our homeless neighbors. We welcome the resolution of our elected
officials to work for a future without homelessness.”
“Everyone deserves to go home,’ said
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who moved to have the resolution
immediately adopted by the Council. “It’s painted on the side of Health
Care for the Homeless. As a fundamental matter of justice, everyone
deserves to go home.”
The public memorial service will be held,
beginning at 5pm with music, luminary lighting, and a period of quiet
reflection, on December 21 at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor’s Amphitheater
(the corner of Pratt and Light Streets) to remember those who died
homeless in 2012. The program will begin at 5:30pm. The service is
organized by members of SHARP, a coalition of homeless service providers
and advocates working to Stop Homelessness And Reduce Poverty.
For additional information on Baltimore
City’s commemoration of Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day or to report the
names of individuals who have died homeless, please contact us at memorialday@hchmd.org.
Event
Details: Those who died homeless are remembered on the first day of
winter each year in over 100 cities nationwide. The event has been
attended by HUD (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) Secretary
Shaun Donovan as well as other federal and city officials (all of whom
are invited this year as well). The vigil will be followed by a meal.
[PDF - 3.2MB]
