Homeless Veteran Tony's Gift Goes Viral On Reddit (PHOTO)

"Houseless", not homeless!

We are told that the world is getting smaller and that there is less and less to sustain the growing number of inhabitants these days, but wait. Now we are being told that the birth rate is not enough to sustain the growing number of people growing older. Such back and forth serving the interest of those of profit/gain/control serves just that, those of profit/gain/control.

Kinda should be the other way around, shouldn't it?

Are humans becoming better with all of the advances, or are humans just learning to become complacent,  willing to wrongly justify and/or rationalize the "why" and "who" of "The HOUSELESS" without actually knowing and/or understanding the truth, as well as, being accepting and easier to ignore our decaying surroundings?

Below is a touching story of a "have not" giving to a "have". 

Houseless.net has come to know first hand that there are many U.S.A. Veterans who believe it or not, actually have expressed liking living in harsh conditions such as living on the streets of the U.S.A.. Though, there are those who seem to be overlooked

Here is the story:

Homeless Veteran Tony's Gift Goes Viral On Reddit

A photo posted to Imgur shows Tony, who is 

described as a homeless veteran, and the girl 

with whom he formed an unlikely friendship.

 In a post that's going viral on Reddit, a bearded man with weathered skin smiles for a photo next to a beautiful girl.

Redditor pmrhobo identifies the unlikely pair of friends as his sister and Tony, a homeless veteran who hangs out near her workplace. According to his sister, who typed up the story for pmrhobo to share, the two of them talk and eat lunch together often.

"Tony tells me about his war stories, loved ones, and who should win the Super Bowl," she wrote in the Dec. 5 post. "I tell Tony about my problems, loved ones, and how I don't really care who should win the Super Bowl."

Over the past month, which she described as one of the hardest times of her life, Tony helped her navigate some tough personal issues.

"At times there really seemed as if there wouldn't be solace," she wrote. "Tony was there for me, listened each day as things got worse and surely pushed me to move forward and continue working toward my dreams and ambitions."

One day, Tony's steady support culminated when he made a gesture that took her completely by surprise:

I was walking outside still feeling sorry for myself listening to self-loathing music when I felt a tap on the shoulder. It was Tony. Tony looks at me more seriously than he usually does and says he has something for me. From his army jacket pocket, he pulls out a watch head. Tony takes my hand and gently places the broken antique in my palm.

He says to me, "I don't have much but I wanted you to know that

you have done what many others would not simply by being

my friend."

As Tony walked away, she started to cry. At that moment, a realization took hold.
"When you reach out and do something kind for someone less fortunate, you get back not only what you gave, but infinitely more," she wrote.

Users who commented on the thread seemed to agree, including one who said he used to be homeless.

"Every single time a 'regular person' treated me like a human being, it was refreshing and heartwarming," wrote Franco_DeMayo. "I'm glad that Tony got the chance to touch your life, as I can confidently say that it probably meant a whole lot to him to be able to give back in some way."

Click the icon below to be taken to a site in Chinese of the story:

"Houseless", not homeless!

Homeless fall between the cracks — even in death

"Houseless", not homeless!

You know in reality, or at least in this developed reality, why should you even have compassion for "have not" humans.
Is it that "The Houseless" have problems which you do not want to be associated with?
Is it that you do not have time for "The Houseless"?
Is it that you do not seeing those of "The Houseless" existence affecting your life?
Or is it that you are truly in support of the profit/gain/control community?

There is a human under the blanket. Even within 2 blocks from the White House, a human rest who is Houseless. Let us all work together to stop this sort of abuse.

Santos Martel was struck by a train one day and later died. He was a fun man with children. Yes, he was a drinker of alcohol, but to hear others say he was abusive, this was just not the norm.

An all too tragic happening amongst "The Houseless".

Brought to you via the

Homeless fall between the cracks — even in death 

By Alyson Rowe
Special to the Star

 Published on Monday December 10, 2012

Courtesy of Francis Mariani: Authur Louttit was a budding musician when he was photographed in 2008. His body was found three weeks ago at Sunnybrook Park, when he became another name to add to Toronto's Homeless Memorial. 

Six more names will be added to the Toronto Homeless Memorial at Holy Trinity Church on Tuesday — more names than at any of the monthly ceremonies there since May 2007.
 
Arthur Louttit’s name will be among them. The 40-year-old musician was found dead Nov. 17 in Sunnybrook Park, but he came close to disappearing without a sign he ever existed on the city’s streets.

That’s because the sources that track homeless deaths in the city don’t define homelessness the same way. The result is big gaps in data that advocates say is essential to helping people living on the streets.

Toronto Public Health stopped doing its biannual count of homeless deaths in 2010 because two groups that used to collect details, the Toronto Indigent Deaths Enquiries (TIDE) project and the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, had stopped counting. Community agencies and individuals still try to keep the grim tally, but it’s impossible to know if they have a full picture.

Those statistics are important, said Michael Shapcott, director of housing at the Wellesley Institute. “Without data it is difficult to influence policy and measure the impact that shelter services and public health programs are having on Toronto’s homeless community.”

The city’s Hostel Services department, which still tracks deaths of shelter residents, recorded 12 in the first seven months of the year. As for the rest, a mishmash of agencies and individuals has kept the count for the Toronto Homeless Memorial, which will stand at 18 after Tuesday’s ceremony. They may miss people who haven’t been using shelters or drop-in centres, or who lack relatives who can confirm their identities.

Doug Johnson-Hatlem, a street pastor with Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto, has been tracking homeless deaths since 2010 on his personal computer.

It’s an informal, “helter-skelter” process, said Hatlem, who usually hears about a death through his network of colleagues at shelters and drop-in centres. It can take weeks to confirm through family members or the coroner’s office.

For the first half of 2012, Hatlem was on parental leave, leaving a possible six-month gap in the memorial’s numbers.

For Toronto’s homeless residents to be remembered in death, the counters must find someone who knew them.

Loutitt left his hometown of Moose Factory, Ont., in the ’90s hoping for a career in television. Instead, he served in the military from 2005 to 2008 and then turned to music. Around Toronto, he was rarely seen without his guitar. He loved Johnny Cash.

His mother, Judy Reuben, said she will remember her son by his native name, Kayashiwabid. Regardless of whether Loutitt was employed or not, “Arthur always carried himself with confidence,” Reuben said.

Louttit had recently told his mother he was eligible for veterans’ housing and was looking forward to planning a new home for his 10-year-old son, who lives in Aylmer, Que.

Reuben spoke to her son for the last time Sept. 24. Later that night he was taken by ambulance to Sunnybrook hospital after suffering a seizure and smashing his head on a concrete windowsill.

Although no one knows for sure what happened, Louttit’s friends told Hatlem that because of his fear of hospitals, he jumped from the gurney and disappeared. In any case, Louttit left before seeing a doctor.

His mother reported him missing on Sept. 29 and made two trips to Toronto from Moose Factory to scour the city for him. “I walked the streets and looked everywhere,” she said. “All day, from morning to night.”

On Nov. 17, two women out walking their dogs discovered Louttit’s body in Sunnybrook Park.

Louttit had recorded four songs for an album he was working on. At the memorial service Sanctuary Ministries held on Dec. 5, his song “Soldier in the Sun,” about hellos and goodbyes, was played.

Fourteen people attended, including some friends. They sprinkled tobacco beside his photograph, on a table draped in white linen where a single purple candle burned.

Louttit was buried Nov. 30 in Moose Factory. His name joins 680 others on the memorial who have died since 1985.

"Houseless", not homeless!

Will huts such as the "Conestoga Hut" be what houses "The Houseless" in the future?

"Houseless", not homeless!

Maybe the makers of the huts in the story below should consult with Lauren who each night and day builds and takes down her shelter you see below. Yes, Lauren is of "The HOUSELESS" family. 
You see her house below, not her home!        

OK, having a plan and structures to better help "The HOUSELESS" are great ideas, but what about each of us doing what is natural with genuinely getting involved with opening our doors - especially church's -, actually learning the "why", "when" and "how" of "The HOUSELESS"?
WELL?

Huts for homeless

Advocates say the structures could be part of Opportunity Village

By Edward Russo

The Register-Guard

First Published: December 8, 2012 12:00AM

The Rev. Dan Bryant and other advocates for the homeless in Eugene hope that with just a few innovative huts they can sow the seeds of an entire village for the homeless.

Bryant and other members of Opportunity Village Eugene want city permission to install a few small, portable huts at some of the city’s official vehicle-camping sites, as a first step to creating a permanent Dignity Village-type homeless housing area.

But it’s uncertain whether the city can or will allow the structures at the vehicle-camping sites. To do so might require the City Council to change a city ordinance. 

Also unknown is whether state building codes, which govern local construction standards, would permit the simple structures to be used for overnight sleeping.

At Portland’s Dignity Village, homeless people live in a self-governing community of unheated cabins on city-owned property.

People who would live in the proposed simple huts in Eugene could become the first residents of a homeless village, once that was established, said Bryant, president of the nonprofit Opportunity Village Eugene.

“We can build a community of people that would move into the village,” he said.

Bryant and other advocates for the homeless want the city to provide a site for the pilot homeless village. After months of discussion, the City Council has yet to officially endorse the idea of a village, let alone pick a site.

The city has identified five city-owned parcels as potential village locations: the former Naval Reserve Center property at West 13th Avenue and Chambers Street, near Chavez Elementary School; a vacant lot on North Garfield Street near Roosevelt Boulevard; and three grassy parcels next to Interstate 105 near student apartment complexes northeast of Autzen Stadium.

The City Council on Monday evening is to resume discussion of the village idea.

With cold, wet weather here, and impatient with the council’s prolonged analysis of the topic, Bryant and homeless advocates are looking for private property for the village. So far, they’ve been unsuccessful.

Now, they hope the huts designed by Erik de Buhr of Eugene will provide initial shelter at vehicle-camping sites for homeless people, who eventually would move to the larger structures at the homeless village, wherever that turns out to be.

The 6-foot-by-14-foot wood-frame structures, called Conestoga huts, are made of plywood and siding, with a vinyl roof. Mounted on concrete blocks and treated beams, the huts would provide enough room to shelter one or two people.

Better than tents

But Bryant and other advocates for the homeless are waiting to hear whether the city will allow the huts at the city’s vehicle-camping sites, which are managed by St. Vincent de Paul.

The city ordinance governing the program allows people to sleep in vehicles, including motorhomes and trailers.

A property — public or private — is allowed to house up to three vehicles. The city pays for a coordinator and, in some cases, portable toilets and garbage collection for the campsites.

Earlier this year, in an effort to provide more places for homeless people to live, the City Council expanded the ordinance so tents are allowed at the sites.

Only two tents are currently being used at 38 spaces in 14 vehicle camping sites in Eugene.

With their harder exteriors and lockable doors, the Conestoga huts would be better for homeless people than tents, said St. Vincent de Paul Director Terry McDonald.

“If you go off and leave your tent, your property is vulnerable,” he said.

Bryant is hoping city attorneys will consider the huts “hard-sided tents” when they answer whether the ordinance allows the structures at the vehicle camping locations.

City staff also are looking into whether the state building code would allow use of the huts as a place for people to sleep.

The City Council on Monday is expected to get answers to those questions.

Churches may allow huts

Bryant said a couple of churches might allow the huts on church property as part of the city’s vehicle camping program. 

Bryant also hopes that the huts could be placed on a city property, perhaps at one of the five sites under consideration.

With city siting permission, a few huts could be manufactured and put in place within a couple of weeks, Bryant said.

“If it’s legal under the car-camping ordinance, we’ll be ready to go before the end of the year,” he said.

The huts can be made from donated and recycled materials, said de Buhr, who made one recently at his south Eugene home and shop that on Monday will be displayed downtown at the Park Blocks from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Depending on the amount of donated wood, vinyl and other items, the material cost per hut could range from $250 to $550, he said.

Donations to Opportunity Village Eugene, including a $3,000 gift from one of Bryant’s congregation members, could pay for several huts, Bryant said.

Protection from crime

Meanwhile, another group is asking the City Council to eliminate the city’s ban on overnight camping on public property, including city parks.

The group, Eugene SLEEPS — SLEEPS is an acronym for Safe Legally Entitled Emergency Places to Sleep — says the overnight sleeping ban unfairly forces homeless people to sleep out of sight in bushes and on the riverbanks, where they are robbed, raped and assaulted.

“Because they are hidden, they are victims and prey for people who are criminals,” said Jean Stacey, a SLEEPS organizer.

If the city lifted the ban, homeless people could camp together in designated areas in city parks, she said.

The city could provide portable toilets and garbage cans at the sites, said Stacey, who is a board member of Opportunity Village Eugene.

Also, the city should rescind its prohibition on fires in parks so homeless people at the sites can cook food and stay warm, she said.

The city’s restrictions ignore the reality that many people now live on public land, “peeing and pooping and having fires,” Stacey said. “But they are out there with no supervision. People are getting raped. They are having their things stolen.”

Allowing homeless people to legally gather on public property would let them form “self-regulating communities” where they could protect themselves and their belongings, she said.

“The city should do it,” Stacey said. “It’s minimal, basic.”

The City Council has yet to discuss ending the camping prohibition.

Stacey and other members of Eugene SLEEPS have begun lobbying the City Council to remove the ban.

SLEEPS on Monday will have a 6 p.m. “camp-in” rally at the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza, in front of the Lane County Courthouse.

Later in the evening, members will attend the City Council meeting and ask councilors to revoke the camping ban, Stacey said. 

What’s next 

The Eugene City Council this evening will discuss establishing a homeless village.

When: At end of 7:30 p.m. meeting.

Where: Harris Hall, 125 E. Eighth Ave.

Watch: Metrovision Comcast channel 21. Webcast: www.eugene-or.gov

& from

Eugene builders hope locally created huts help house homeless in near future

Reported by: Chris McKee

Email: chrismckee@kmtr.com 

Published: 12/09 12:06 am   

Updated: 12/10 5:57 am

KMTR-TV (Chris McKee)

EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) – A Eugene company's building experiment may translate to some major help for the local homeless population in Lane County and beyond.

The company, called the “Tine Hive Experiment,” is behind the project called a “Conestoga Hut.” The hut is a 10-foot long, 6 foot wide, and around 6 foot tall structure that designers hope could be the future of helping temporarily house the homeless in Eugene.

The company has designed a “pilot” version of the hut that it plans to show off this week.

Each unit is made of 2x4 boards and plywood for the flooring. Making up the roof is a metal half-circle or a “cattle grate.” Over that is a piece of plastic tarp on the outside. Inside is a piece of mylar, designed to hold the heat in.

Each unit also has its own doors with a lock and a window on hinges.

Erik de Buhr helped come up with this idea with others in the Tine Hive Experiment. De Buhr says much of the planing for the pilot hut came during the “Occupy Eugene” movement in December 2011.

Crews made the first hut in response to a single mother with a child needing a place to stay that was warmer and dryer than a tent. De Buhr and his friends came up with the first hut, raising it about a foot and a half above the ground, then making a water proof, insulated roof.

Material wise, de Buhr estimates that each hut costs about 350 to 500 dollars. They're aiming to bring much of that cost down through donations of old materials though. The huts could be put up in a few hours, with a volunteer crew according to project leaders.

De Buhr says the potential is huge for this project.

"For anybody that's slept outside in the cold, the amount of effort it takes you to actually get going the next day and do something is a lot harder than if you have a warm place to be. So it can benefit people in that way, but think a lot of it is the psychology of having a place that you can call your own and that it's secure,” says Erik de Buhr, co-creator of the Conestoga Hut.

De Buhr and others are hoping that the huts could be what house people at the city's proposed homeless camp called "Opportunity Village Eugene.”

The crews will show off the hut to the public on Monday, December 10th, 2012, at the East Park Block in downtown Eugene. That's right across from the Lane County Public Service Building. Crews will have the hut set up from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Eugene City Council could also vote on the site of the proposed camp at a council meeting that night.

Organizers are hoping to put the huts together in a "kit" like package and they're looking to get donations for the materials to build them. If you're interested in helping, contact Opportunity Village Eugene at the following website: http://www.opportunityvillageeugene.org/.

"Houseless", not homeless!

Europe passes by many of "The Houseless"; Michael Gething, 42 becomes deceased

"Houseless", not homeless!

A sickness spreads across the Earth and it may very well be attacking the natural ways were are to interact with each other.
Does anyone recall knowing about, "Love your neighbor as yourself"?
Try some today and always, then maybe, just maybe those who overlook, turn away and/or otherwise only help others for profit/gain/control will get the idea of what is natural and correct for us as humans.
We ARE NOT animals by the way!

The stories below share some of what Europe faces with "The Houseless".

Many Houseless die each day from living in the harshness of street life.
Are you one of those who passes by The Houseless  rationalizing and/or justifying why it doesn't concern you?
If you have children or are planning to, will wrong rationalization/justification of not being about it when it comes to actually invoking true compassion be the norm?
WELL? 

Consumers pass by The Houseless.
People going to work pass by The Houseless.
The young do as well, and so don't those who actually profess to know the difference from right from wrong, yet for some reason are able to convince themselves to not be righteous.
WHY?

29 November 2012

Homeless man's coffin to go through Totnes to highlight concerns

The funeral cortege will travel up the hill to Follaton Cemetery

The coffin of a man who died in an alley in Totnes is to be taken through the streets to highlight homelessness.

Michael Gething, 42, died while sleeping in an alleyway beside the town's Methodist Church. It is believed he died of hypothermia.

He is the fourth homeless person to die in the town in 2012, undertaker Rupert Callender said.

He added that the carrying of the coffin next week would be a "a simple way" for people to come together.

"Very visible"
 
Mr Gething came to the town about 18 months ago.

“His life and his death were on the streets, his funeral should be on the streets as well” 

 Rupert Callender Undertaker

 

Graham Walker, who used to be homeless in the area, said "a simple thing that could save lives" was needed.

He said: "He died on the street. I think that, as a community, we should be aware of that fact and acknowledge it, and do something about it.

"He would be alive today had there been a shelter in Totnes."

Mr Gething's funeral is due to take place next week.

Mr Callender, who is organising the funeral free of charge, said 6ft 4in (1.93m) man was "very visible" and had "something about him which was very approachable".

He said: "His life and his death were on the streets, his funeral should be on the streets as well.
"The act of carrying his coffin all the way up the hill to Follaton Cemetery is quite a physical commitment, so we're going to need the help of the townspeople.

"This is a simple way for people to come together and show respect and solidarity.

"It would be nice to see a night shelter come out of this."

South Hams District Council has the responsibility for looking after homeless people in Totnes.

The authority said it was very sad about the recent deaths of rough sleepers.

It added it was looking for premises with a view to setting up a night shelter or hostel in the town.

And, the story below covers Mr. Michael Gethings' funeral. 

By the way, he was human in case you care!

6 December 2012

Homeless man's coffin carried through Totnes

Residents attend the funeral of a homeless man who died in an alleyway in Totnes

The coffin of a man who died while sleeping rough on the streets of a Devon town has been carried by local people during his funeral.

Michael Gething, 42, died near the Methodist Church in Totnes. It is believed he died of hypothermia.

Mr Gething is thought to have been living in the town for about 18 months.

South Hams District Council said it would be assessing whether any premises in Totnes might be suitable for a shelter or hostel.

"Part of the community"
 
Local undertaker Rupert Callender, who arranged the funeral, said: "I hope people might put their judgements aside about what life on the streets is like, and what people who live on the streets are like.

"I hope they can see that they are ordinary people who have fallen on hard times."

Jonathan Taylor, who took part in the funeral proceedings, said: "There is a sense that this is a really important community event."

Melissa Worsley, who lives in Totnes, said people such as Mr Gething "are part of the community and we should look after them".

Michael Gething died while sleeping in an alleyway

She added: "If they can't cope with society they still have the right to be looked after." 

Earlier in the week Graham Walker, who used to be homeless in the area, slept out for 48 hours to raise funds towards Mr Gething's funeral.

Mr Walker said: "He died on the street. I think that, as a community, we should be aware of that fact and acknowledge it, and do something about it."

South Hams Council said it was saddened by the death of Mr Gething, adding he had been offered advice, assistance and accommodation on several occasions.

It added: "Unfortunately, accommodation is not always available in Totnes and sometimes it may be offered in nearby towns.

"A place was offered to Mr Gething in a supported accommodation unit in Dartmouth, known as St Barnabas, but he did not take up the place."

The council added that, in the event of severe weather, it had an emergency protocol in place which sought to ensure people living on the streets were offered help and accommodation.

Below are some video's associated with Mr. Michael Gething, human tragedy

"Houseless", not homeless!

United States of America's Veterans are not to be used, then abused by turning our backs on them! - www.Houseless.org

"Houseless", not homeless!

United States of America's Veterans are not to be used, then abused by turning our backs on them!

Follow more about U.S.A. Veterans and U.S.A. citizens finding it harder and harder to not stay off the streets due to their work being given to those who are not U.S.A. citizens:

Via

Major hurdles remain to end veteran homelessness

  By JULIE WATSON and PAULINE JELINEK | Associated Press   

In this Oct. 9, 2012 picture, veteran Arthur Lute holds his is 5-month-old son Evan in his apartment in Chula Vista, Calif. Lute's arduous journey from his days as a U.S. Marine to his nights sleeping on the streets illustrates the challenge the Obama administration faces to make good on its audacious promise: End homelessness among veterans by 2015. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (AP) — Arthur Lute's arduous journey from his days as a U.S. Marine to his nights sleeping on the streets illustrates the challenge for the Obama administration to fulfill its promise to end homelessness among veterans by 2015.

Lute has post-traumatic stress disorder from the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon. He spent years drifting through jobs, two years in prison for assault, then 15 months sleeping in the bushes outside the police department of this city south of San Diego.

Today, he lives in a $1,235 a month, two-bedroom apartment in a working-class neighborhood. The federal government pays nearly 80 percent of the rent and mostly covers the cost of medicines for his depression, high blood pressure, and other health problems. State-funded programs pay for doctor's appointments for his 6-month-old son and therapy for his wife, who he said is bipolar.

Lute receives a Social Security check and food stamps. A Department of Veterans Affairs case manager communicates with him regularly and helps avert crises, like when Lute's electric bill jumped in an August heat wave and he couldn't afford diapers.

A county program provided the crib. The American Legion donated cooking utensils, dishes and other basics.

Graphic shows spending on homeless veterans

An upcoming report is expected to show the number of homeless veterans has dropped by at least 15,000 since 2009, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki says, and the drop is the result of an aggressive two-pronged strategy to not only take veterans off the street but also prevent new ones from ending up there.

But Shinseki made a bold promise in 2009: The administration would end homelessness among veterans by 2015. The former four-star general says now they're "on target" to meet the goal.
Officials and outside experts said it would take:

—More than doubling of the current, record annual progress.

—Billions more in federal money.

—More improvements and long-term commitment to programs aimed at the root issues that land people on the streets — mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment, poverty.

"It's baloney to say it will end in 2015," said Bob McElroy of the Alpha Project, which has helped the homeless in San Diego for decades. "This needs to be a priority for decades to come."

Others are keeping their fingers crossed.

"It can happen," said Steve Berg of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. He believes the effort on veterans could "lead the way" in showing what can be done about overall homelessness, which is more prevalent since the 1970s because of the loss of affordable housing, changes in mental hospital admissions and the decriminalization of crimes such as public drunkenness and vagrancy.

Of the country's 22 million veterans, an estimated 75,609 were homeless in 2009 when Shinseki announced the campaign. Veterans make up 14 percent of the U.S. homeless population.

"I learned long ago that there are never any absolutes in life, and a goal of zero homeless veterans sure sounds like an absolute," Shinseki said in a November 2009 speech announcing the effort. "But unless we set ambitious targets for ourselves, we would not be giving this our very best efforts."

The number of homeless veterans dropped 12 percent between 2010 and 2011 to 67,497. It's expected to fall below 60,000 when this year's count is released in the coming weeks, Shinseki says.

Rare bipartisanship in Washington is part of the reason. Political consensus among lawmakers and in the administration to do everything possible for troops and veterans has meant a huge increase in the budget for VA health care and other services to the homeless, from $3.6 billion in the 2010 budget year to the proposed $5.8 billion for 2013.

"We can all agree that money spent in that effort has been money well spent," said GOP Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

The VA spent $9.5 billion in the 2011 and 2012 budget years and is proposing to spend another $11.9 billion in the next two years — meaning the overall cost would be $21.5 billion by September 2014.
Congress also has consistently raised annual budgets for VA's main partner in the homeless effort, the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD has sent $350 million for vouchers out to housing authorities across the U.S. who have used the assistance to help house 42,000 veterans since 2008.

Advocates for the homeless also cite programs that they say finally recognize the fact that not all homeless are the same. Chronic cases and those with severe problems need substantial and longer assistance, while others need temporary, emergency help.

Programs also have dropped the requirement that veterans must be sober or on their medications before receiving housing. Susan Angell, who oversees VA's homeless efforts, says having a safe and stable place to live improves veterans' ability to participate in treatment programs and other efforts intended to address the root causes of their problems such as substance abuse or mental illness.
Officials also now have what many believe is a more credible count of the homeless population — a census taken on the same night every January. Experts praise the government improvements in streamlining programs through thousands of local housing authorities, churches, businesses and other partners.

Gary Shaheen of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University is optimistic.
"If unemployment dropped by 2 percentage points, we'd all be crowing about that," he said. "Is there dramatic change? I think there is. Is it sufficient? No. I think that we're laying the groundwork."
Mental health issues may be the biggest challenge to the government's effort, according to veterans' organizations. The VA has struggled to keep up with mental health care demands for the overall veteran population due to insufficient staffing and other problems.

"If VA doesn't take a critical look at and correct the serious problems ... most notably, its mental health access issues and rising (disability) claims backlog, we will end up right back where we started," Miller said.

Veterans such as 50-year-old Lute, who served in peacetime after Vietnam and before the 1991 Gulf War, make up a disproportionate number of those in VA homeless programs, according to Congressional Research Service report from February.

Many had problems before going into the military. Lute was physically abused as a child and suffers from depression as well as service-related PTSD.

Another concern is what will happen if needs increase. Roughly 180,000 people leave the military every year; and that number will increase because the Pentagon plans to shrink by 100,000 troops over the next several years now that the war in Iraq is over and the drawdown in Afghanistan has started.

Though few Iraq and Afghanistan vets have showed up at homeless shelters so far, experts worry that homelessness among them may increase later.

"We saw a lot of problems for the guys and gals from the Vietnam war didn't (emerge) for decades," McElroy of Alpha Project said.

The VA hopes its new prevention programs will address that. One started last year has so far helped 32,000 families of veterans who were identified as vulnerable to becoming homeless. The program provides money for child care, rent or utilities to keep them in their homes when hard times hit.
Lute's family moved into the two-bedroom apartment last month after a successful year in their first apartment — a one-bedroom. Visits from social workers will decrease if he continues to take good care of his son Evan.

A 280-pound man with a tattooed neck, he regularly takes Evan to a park, near where he used to sleep at night. He says he's determined to give him the happy childhood he never had.

"I don't know the answers. I've been in homeless shelters, through VA programs, PTSD support groups, etc., but I think it's up to the person," said Lute, as his giggling son rolled on the living room carpet. "I will try everything I can to not become that way because of him. Now I'm not on the streets because there's more in my life to lose."
___
Jelinek reported from Washington.

 Houseless, not homeless!

 

Update: nypd-officer-photographed-giving-boots

Decay of morals, ethics and most importantly, clear cut disobedience of; "Love your neighbor as yourself", occurs every mili-second in the United States of America and about the World. Taking this decay for granted with acceptance and/or looking the other way will no longer just suffice.

Become about it and do what is naturally righteous within you.

Just chattering about it with actually "being about it" may serve your ego and/or profit/gain/control, but may not serve well when you are ultimately "JUDGED"!

Obey Abba, Elohiym's Laws!

STOP this sort of abuse NOW! We are "Human"!

STOP this sort of abuse NOW! We are "Human"!

STOP this sort of abuse NOW! We are "Human"!

STOP this sort of abuse NOW! We are "Human"!

And now the update:

Via:

Homeless Man Is Grateful for Officer’s Gift of Boots. But He Again Is Barefoot.

By MARC SANTORA and ALEX VADUKUL 
Published: December 2, 2012

Officer Lawrence DePrimo received widespread news coverage for his generosity, but little was known about the man he helped, Jeffrey Hillman.

After Officer Lawrence DePrimo knelt beside a barefoot man on a bitterly cold November night in Times Square, giving him a pair of boots, a photo of his random act of good will quickly took on a life of its own — becoming a symbol for a million acts of kindness that go unnoticed every day and a reminder that even in this tough, often anonymous city, people can still look out for one another.

Officer DePrimo was celebrated on front pages and morning talk shows, the Police Department came away with a burnished image and millions got a smile from a nice story. 

But what of the shoeless man? 

For days, his bare feet — blistered and battered — were well known. Yet precise details about him proved elusive. 

 His name is Jeffrey Hillman, and on Sunday night, he was once again wandering the streets — this time on the Upper West Side — with no shoes. 

The $100 pair of boots that Officer DePrimo had bought for him at a Sketchers store on Nov. 14 were nowhere to be seen. 

“Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money,” Mr. Hillman said in an interview on Broadway in the 70s. “I could lose my life.” 

Mr. Hillman, 54, was by turns aggrieved, grateful and taken aback by all the attention that had come his way — even as he struggled to figure out what to do about it. 

“I was put on YouTube, I was put on everything without permission. What do I get?” he said. “This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie.” 

He did not recall the photo being taken but remembered well the gift from Officer DePrimo. “I appreciate what the officer did, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I wish there were more people like him in the world.” 

At another point he said: “I want to thank everyone that got onto this thing. I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. It meant a lot to me. And to the officer, first and foremost.” 

Mr. Hillman said he came to New York about a decade ago and had been on the streets most of that time. He moves about Manhattan, he said, not frequenting any particular neighborhood. On Sunday, he was making his way from the Upper West Side to Times Square. 

If it rained, he added, he might seek refuge on a train. 

Mr. Hillman said he was from South Plainfield, N.J. He said he joined the Army in 1978 and served as a “food service specialist” in the United States and Germany. 

He produced a worn veteran’s identification card that confirmed his service. 

Mr. Hillman said that he was honorably discharged after five years and that before he became homeless he worked in kitchens in New Jersey. 

He has two children — Nikita, 22, and Jeffrey, 24 — but has had little contact with them since a visit three years ago, Mr. Hillman said. 

He was reluctant to talk about how he ended up on the streets, staring blankly ahead when asked how his life went off course. 

After a long pause, he shook his head and said, “I don’t know.” 

Since Mr. Hillman’s bare feet became famous, other people reported seeing him without shoes — one even after Officer DePrimo’s gift — and one woman said she had bought him a pair of shoes a year ago. Whatever the case, Mr. Hillman seemed accustomed to walking the pavement shoeless. 

He was panhandling on Sunday night and carried a cup with a few coins inside. 

The story seemed to dominate the city’s attention late last week. Speaking of Officer DePrimo on his radio program last week, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, “That’s what they’re trained to do — help people.” 

Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly expressed his appreciation by giving Officer DePrimo a pair of department cuff links during a private meeting on Thursday. 

\

Officer DePrimo, 25, who lives with his parents in Suffolk County, rocketed to national attention after the Police Department posted the photo of him and Mr. Hillman, taken by an Arizona tourist, on its Facebook page. 

On Sunday, Mr. Hillman was spotted by Jamie Seerman and her sister Samantha near 79th Street and Broadway as they were shopping for a Christmas tree. 

As he was being interviewed, several people noticed him. 

“What happened to the boots?” one man asked. 

J. David Goodman contributed reporting.

A version of this article appeared in print on December 3, 2012, on page A21 of the New York edition with the headline: Homeless Man Is Grateful for Officer’s Gift of Boots. But He Again Is Barefoot..

 Houseless, not homeless!