a place where they would be fed

". . . in other words near the settlement of El Obelisco, which was neither a village nor exactly a suburb of Santa Teresa, but a way station for the poorest of the poor who came each day from the south, people who slept there at night and even died in hovels that they didn't think of as homes but as one more stop along the road to something different or at least a place where they would be fed."

~~ from 2666 by Roberto Bolano

K-12 homelessness

A record-high 1.5 million students were homeless during the 2017-18 school year, 11 percent more than the previous year and nearly double the number a decade ago. . .

500,000

According to The New Republic, 500,000 Americans face homelessness each year.

Helping and Hating the Homeless

The title of the relatively recent "How We Hate the Homeless" at the Economic Hardship Report reminds me of Peter Marin's "Helping and Hating the Homeless," a classic that I've assigned many times on a topic often noted at this blog. Happy Easter Sunday!

At the Corner of Fourth and Homeless

Atlanta is hardly alone. Across the country, downtown homeless shelters are caught in a perfect storm. Property values throughout America’s urban cores are rising, making the work of sheltering the disadvantaged less sustainable and desirable downtown, even as displacement adds to their ranks. Plus, scarce federal dollars for supporting the homeless are increasingly directed toward programs that provide housing for the chronically homeless—which is great, and a big success, but not so helpful for families who are struggling with a sudden crisis that has put them on the streets.

giving people homes

"Utah is Ending Homelessness by Giving People Homes" according to an aptly titled article which I found posted by a friend on facebook. It reminds me of "Million Dollar Murray," a longer piece from The New Yorker and one I'd occasionally assign while teaching freshman English in Philadelphia.

more homelessness

This blog depicts a national war against the homeless, focusing mainly on aggressive city ordinances until toward the end it implies there could have been foul play involved in the death of an advocate for the homeless in Tampa Bay, Florida. The obituary I found seems quite legitimate though and doesn't suggest anything of the sort. One thing is clear though, that Bill Sharpe's passing will not in anyway help the homeless of Tampa Bay. Here's an excerpt from the obituary:

But his friends say Sharpe had a genuine concern for the poor, and as the economy got worse — and a panhandling limit in Tampa seemed more like a sure thing — he felt he had to do something.
 
Sharpe told the Times he saw how the often-bedraggled homeless people on street corners sometimes frightened drivers. He thought he knew why.
 
"They could be us," he said. "We're flat scared of that."

Ridge Avenue

I remember driving by this Ridge Avenue homeless shelter many times on my way to 8:40 a.m. Writing for Business and Industry classes at Temple University. In one of my 10 to 15-year-old economy cars (quality "hoopdees" for all your urban transportation needs), I'd glance to the left, see the men already standing outside, and be grateful I had an apartment, a fine collection of adjunct "opportunities," a working car heater, and more. If I'm not mistaken, Sam Katz once visited and spoke to the men during one of his failed mayoral bids.

And now, poof, the shelter disappears. . .

. . . or, rather, it has been replaced by another Stephen Starr joint, in this case, a catering operation employing 60 people (but the article states none of the previous tenants applied for work at the new venture).

Here's an excerpt from the news:

However, with Gov. Corbett's decision to cut off of general-assistance money to 30,000 Philadelphians in August and with the approaching winter, homeless advocates say the situation could quickly worsen.

"We will not be surprised if we see an increase in the number of people who need shelter," Scullion said. "It might not be today, but when it breaks, it will be tough."

Andrew Latimore, 57, who is homeless, said it's been hard for people who've been cut off from general assistance.

"A lot of people are off their checks now and only have food stamps," Latimore said. "You can't stay nowhere with food stamps."