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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Homeless is Up


Families crowding together into single homes because of the bad economy helped increase the number of homeless families last year, even as the total number of homeless individuals dropped, federal housing officials reported Wednesday.

Roughly 190,000 families spent at least one night in a shelter in 2009, up from 169,000 families in 2008 and 131,000 in 2007, according to the Housing and Urban Development Department's annual report to Congress released Wednesday. That increase, the report said, "is almost certainly related to the recession."

"It may be that many families already at risk of becoming homeless lacked sufficient support networks and became homeless almost immediately after the economy turned down," the report said. "A much larger group turned to family and friends and may be doubled up and still at great risk of becoming homeless."

HUD attributed the 2009 increase in family homelessness to the use of emergency shelters, rather than transitional housing. Homeless families stayed in shelters an average of 36 nights in 2009, up from 30 nights the year before, the report said.

"Not only did family homelessness continue to increase ... it also seems to have become more severe in the sense that it took the typical family longer to leave shelter," the report said.

HUD defined a family as a household with at least one adult and one child.

HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez said the trend of families crowding together is expected to continue.

The Obama administration plans to unveil at the White House next week a national strategy to combat homelessness, with a goal of ending the problem, Marquez told reporters in a conference call.

"We are closer than ever to that," Marquez said.

Overall, 1.56 million people spent at least one night in emergency shelters or transitional housing, the report said. One-third of those individuals were part of a homeless family.

Volunteers counted 643,000 homeless people, sheltered and on the streets, during one given night in January 2009, the report said.

Chronic homelessness dropped 30 percent since 2006, which the report said may be due to an increase in resources.

The number for homeless families jumps in the summer as the school year ends. More individuals seek shelter during the winter.

Next year's report will show the impact of the $1.5 billion in homelessness assistance allocated under the economic stimulus, Marquez said.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Viewpoint: A plea for the homeless.


By Jade McDowell- Wed, 06/23/2010 - 20:56
Luckily, he was homeless. That’s what I told my family.

I was e-mailing home after a particularly rough week at my internship with the New York Daily News. Almost all of my assignments that week had involved death or serious injury, and the emotional toll of interviewing traumatized witnesses and grieving family members had gotten to me.

That’s why, when I arrived at a fresh and rather gruesome accident scene, I was relieved to hear witnesses say the man killed by the taxi was homeless. The story was suddenly downgraded to a couple of factual paragraphs on a back page. No “family and friends” interviews necessary.

I hope that bothers you.

Unless you grew up riding public transportation in a big city, I’m guessing you don’t have much experience with the homeless. Sure, there were homeless people in the town you grew up in, but what were they to you? Scenery to peer at from the safety of your car? A scary nuisance to be avoided at all costs when you visited the big city? The subject of a Laurel class service project?

Whatever way you look at it, there’s one thing they probably weren’t: human beings with feelings, a past and a future.

Homelessness became a lot more real to me when I moved to New York. Now my morning commute often brings me face to face with it. The plea may include a musical performance or a touch of humor, but it usually sounds something like this: “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention? I’m homeless and I’m hungry, and if you could spare any change it will help me get something to eat today.”

I am always impressed and humbled by the response. For every person who looks awkwardly away, there is always another who begins rifling through their pockets for loose change or dollar bills. They do it with an air of someone who has given out hundreds of dollars over the years, even though they don’t look like they have that many dollars to spare.

I’m not suggesting you go out and invite the first homeless person you see to sleep on your couch. There are plenty of transient people out there who have serious mental illnesses, who are dangerous or who will spend any money you give them on drugs.

But we can’t lose sight of the fact that not all of them are that way. In the last couple of months, I’ve met plenty of very nice, normal people who happen to be between homes at the moment. Times are tough, and not everyone can afford to make rent.

My advice? Go with your gut.

I certainly don’t get swindled by every “Vietnam Vet” sign I pass, but I don’t automatically rush past with eyes averted anymore. If I like a street performer’s music, I give them a dollar and a smile because I respect their art. I gave money to a panhandler with no arms the other day. I figured, “Maybe he really has a nice house and makes plenty of money. But hey, no matter how much money he has, he still doesn’t have any arms.”

You don’t have to give out money on the streets, or even give out food. Do what you feel comfortable with, whether it’s donating to a respectable charity, volunteering in a soup kitchen or just changing your attitude. Whatever you do, stop listening to society and start talking back.

Homeless people are people, too.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Another Loss For The Homeless.


Six months ago, in an unprecedented move, the Bloomberg administration revoked 2,600 federal housing vouchers they had previously issued to low-income families across the city. Already, 27 of these families have had to return to homeless shelters -- a number that will only increase as time goes on.

Please sign the online letter and call on New York City to prevent 2,600 more families from being forced back into shelter.

Take Marissa and her two daughters. In May, they became homeless again after the City cancelled their voucher. Since then, they've been living out of suitcases -- temporarily sharing one bedroom of her sister's apartment.

Last week, Marissa told WCBS's Marcia Kramer that she prayed every day to stay out of shelter: "I don't want to go back there. If that's one place I can avoid, I will avoid it for the rest of my life." After the story ran, the City offered Marissa rental assistance. But for most families, the nightmare continues.

The Bloomberg administration says they simply can't afford to rehouse these families, but it just isn't true. According to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, reinstating rental assistance would cost just $25 million a year -- compared to the $47 to $77 million price tag of housing these families in homeless shelters.

The fact is the Bloomberg administration has options to get these families back into affordable housing: (1) they can use federal stimulus dollars to give short-term assistance until next year's batch of federal housing vouchers; and (2) they can move families who have already lost their homes -- like Marissa's -- to the top of the list for available public housing.

Take action today, and sign the letter asking the City to implement these common sense solutions. Go to: http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/Save2600Families.

Thanks for everything you do to support the neediest New Yorkers. Together we can win this fight and prevent more families from becoming homeless.


Sincerely,

Mary Brosnahan
Executive Director

PS - Watch Marissa's story on WCBS News with Marcia Kramer here: http://wcbstv.com/topstories/housing.subsidies.cut.2.1747080.html

Monday, June 21, 2010

Twitter Us


DO YOU TWITTER ? And if so, would help us spread the word of Real Men Love 2 Cuddle Tee's to raise the funds that are needed to fund His Love Street Hotel? Web site Realmenlove2cuddle.net " Help us make a difference in a life " and restore hope.

Thanks Trey

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Real Men Love 2 Cuddle New Address



Real Men Love 2 Cuddle tee shirts and ball caps have moved from
Realmenlove2cuddle.com/ to Realmenlove2cuddle.net Please tell your friends and remember all proceeds go to the homeless.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

" Trust In God "


Ambitious-Yes and why not, my best days are ahead of me. Watch for us in 2010 and the construction of "His Love Street Hotel" for the Glory of "Jesus Christ" and those who are homeless and whom gave up hope. Also thanks too the thousands I have met through face book and my space. If, you would like to donate or buy a

"Real Men Love 2 Cuddle, tee shirts or ball-caps go to Realmenlove2cuddle.com/

Have a bless Saturday Night.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Why are people homeless?


Specific reasons vary, but research shows people are homeless because they can’t find housing they can afford. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more then 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing, and a family with one full-time worker earning the minimum wage cannot afford the local fair-market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the United States.

HUD also notes that the generally accepted definition of housing affordability is no more than 30 percent of monthly income going toward housing costs. Families or individuals who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing are considered “cost-burdened” and can have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care.

The lack of affordable housing is a significant hardship for low-income households and can prevent them from meeting their other basic needs, such as nutrition and health care, or saving for their future.

You can learn more about why some specific groups experience homelessness – families, youth, and veterans, for instance – on our blog.

How can I get help if I am homeless or about to be homeless?
The Alliance is a research- and policy-based organization, and as such is not a direct-service provider with the capacity to directly assist people in need of immediate assistance.

However, we do know of some places that may be more helpful. Immediate sources of aid in your community can be found by consulting your local department of social services or your local branch of the Salvation Army or United Way. You may also find it helpful to consult directories of homeless service providers by the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Coalition for the Homeless.

An organization called Neighborworks also has a hotline, 888-995-HOPE, and a website to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. For assistance specifically with default/foreclosure or rental needs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided a list of approved housing counseling agencies.

What do the demographics of homelessness look like?
Data indicates that the average homeless person is a middle-aged African American man, but the chart below provides more insight into the demographics of the homeless population in the U.S. Below is a chart with common demographics from the 2008 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, published in July 2009.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

La Popular Tamale House


Our fundraiser today was canceled due to the rain in Denver Colorado. I would like to give a special thanks to Dan, the owner of La Popular Tamale House in Denver, Colorado, who donated 10 dozen tamales for our event. Dan is going to replace his generous donation of tamales for us on this upcoming rescheduled Tuesday. I thank God that I have been blessed with special people like Dan as well as Jeff from The Country Buffet in Englewood, Colorado, who go above and beyond to help out those in need. Thank you Dan for your continued blessings.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Hundreds of Homeless Find Shelter in Vegas Drainage Tunnels


LAS VEGAS, NV (April 28, 2010) – Lisa Holmlund looked up and saw the bright lights of Caesar’s Palace. Millions of people do it every year, but she had a view seen from a perspective few others know is possible.

She was peering up through a street manhole that allowed the brilliant lights to shine down into the drainage tunnels that are home to hundreds of homeless people.

Holmlund, director of student ministries, and four other young adults from Montecito Covenant Church in Santa Barbara, California, traveled during spring break so they could minister to people above ground and beneath the gutters.

Estimates of the number of people who live in the tunnels range from roughly 400 to 2,000. The complex maze of tunnels run beneath some of the glitziest hotels. They are part of the city’s underground storm system built to protect the desert adult playground from occasional heavy rains.

“It is pitch black in the tunnels,” Holmlund says. “It had rained a few times this past month, so it was also damp. We definitely had to walk through gross water in these tunnels filled with garbage, broken bottles, old sheets, random everything. I'll be honest - there were times I got really nervous while in the tunnels.”

The team was led to the tunnels by Strip Church, which draws its name from the famous stretch of Vegas real estate. The church is connected with XXXChurch and Fireproof Ministries, which reach out to people working and living on the strip as well as other places that many people fear or feel too uncomfortable to visit.

One of the women on the Montecito team had been eager to go with Holmlund when the pastor invited her to participate. Holmlund did not know the woman’s past and was surprised by her response, “That’s where I was homeless and on drugs.”

“Jesus has obviously made a huge transformation in her life,” Holmlund says. “It was so interesting to have her share with us about the lives of these individuals who are willing to do anything to make a living, specifically if you are a single mother. We learned later that more than 90 percent of the women who are dancers or strippers in Vegas are single moms.”

During part of the trip, the group traveled on the Strip Church bus (top photo) boldly painted with the message “Jesus Loves Sin City” and a picture of Jesus emblazoned on the side. “We drove all around the city in it, including up and down the strip,” Holmlund says. “People stared at us, some took pictures of the bus, some cursed at the bus and turned their head away thinking we were sinful ourselves. Some laughed. It was crazy.”

The five-member team (lower photo) ministered to prostitutes, addicts, homeless, and employees of adult bookstores, Holmlund says. The team also made balloon animals for people at a local swap meet while sharing the gospel, also serving meals at several sites.

Additionally, the team helped Amistad Covenant Church host a dinner for people who are not part of the congregation. Amistad is the first Evangelical Covenant Church plant in the city, having formally launched earlier this month. Arturo and Sandra Sales, who are planting the church, assisted Holmlund in planning the trip. Click here to read a previously published story.

Holmlund said she initiated the trip because “I wanted to look at compassion, mercy, and justice in uncomfortable places.” The five now have an expanded vision of what that means.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Denver's Homelessness Plan


Did you know that in Denver?

43% of the homeless are women and children.
Many hard-working people have become homeless because they have lost their job or had a healthcare crisis.
Area shelters can only provide a fraction of the beds that are necessary.
Over 40% of people in shelters are working and only 10% of the homeless earn money from panhandling.
The Cost of Inaction
Studies in New York and Philadelphia showed that the average person who was chronically homeless accessed over $40,000 per year in public services. In San Diego, the costs were as high as $200,000 over 18 months. The details of these costs can be found at the Interagency Council on Homelessness website.

These same startling costs are true for Denver's homeless.

One night in jail cost $174 per arrest. It would not be unusual for four arrests and bookings to occur per year at a cost of $696.
A monthly stay in emergency shelter costs $775; the typical stay is six months or $4,650.
Two meals a day at soup kitchens cost $2.66. Meals for 200 days cost $532.
Emergency room visits costs $1,000. Homeless individuals average two visits per year at $2,000 per homeless person.
One night at Denver C.A.R.E.S. "detox" center costs $295. Chronic alcohol/drug abusers averaged 80 nights per person last year. The annual cost was $23,600 per person.
One hospital stay averages $29,921. In 2004, 1,074 homeless people were admitted for hospital stays in Denver. Those who only access healthcare through the emergency room do not receive follow-up care or services beyond immediate intervention, making them more likely to return to the hospital in the future.
Denver's Road Home employs the "Housing First" model of providing stable housing coupled with the appropriate social services. Under this model the cost to house and provide services to the chronic homeless is:

Monthly rent for an efficiency apartment in Denver is $376. A year's lease totals $4,512. This total cost is reduced as the occupant is stabilized and is responsible for paying 30% of their earned income toward rent. The cost of providing other social services is $10,000 per year.
For people in shelters the cost is less:

40% of homeless people living in shelters work. These households are able to initially pay a portion (average: $100/month), the annual subsidy is $3,312. Social services cost is substantially less for a non-chronic homeless person.
Mayor John Hickenlooper and the Commission to End Homelessness, through a comprehensive community effort, have established a plan to end homelessness in the City & County of Denver. Find out more about the plan.
Panhandling is a difficult issue faced by every major city, and Downtown Denver is no exception. People who panhandle may need help, but the experience of numerous social services agencies indicates that money given to individuals on the street often supports destructive habits, including alcohol and drug addiction.

The Downtown Denver Partnership encourages Downtown workers, visitors and residents to redirect their generosity to the institutions best suited to helping our city's homeless and struggling citizens. By donating your money and volunteer time to organizations and service providers, you play an integral part in improving the lives of these individuals.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A Win For The Homeless


New York City just got a little bit saner. You helped make it happen, and I'm writing to say thanks.

On Friday, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the City is dropping plans to charge homeless families "rent" to stay in shelters. Instead, the City will have shelter residents set aside any extra money they make in savings plans. Once they leave the shelters, they can use these savings to find real housing and get back on their feet.

In just two months, we went from a misguided plan that would trap homeless New Yorkers in shelters to a real incentive program that will help rebuild their lives.

That change happened after we spoke out. More than 6,000 New Yorkers signed the petition against shelter rent sponsored by Working Families and the Coalition for the Homeless. Our effort got the media's attention, and once the press started reporting on the plan to charge the homeless rent, City and State leaders quickly began looking for other options.

Assemblymember Keith Wright and State Senator Daniel Squadron deserve much thanks and praise for leading the charge in Albany to stop the City's rent plan and promote the savings program instead. And Mayor Bloomberg and City leaders deserve credit for embracing this alternative.

You can read more about the City's announcement in this New York Times article.

This is a real victory for all New Yorkers. Thanks again for being a part of it. Now let's win some more.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Homeless Numbers " Alarming"


More families with children are becoming homeless as they face mounting economic pressures, including mortgage foreclosures, according to a USA TODAY survey of a dozen of the largest cities in the nation.
Local authorities say the number of families seeking help has risen in 2010 in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle and Washington.

"Everywhere I go, I hear there is an increase" in the need for housing aid, especially for families, says Philip Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which coordinates federal programs. He says the main causes are job losses and foreclosures.

Other factors have been higher food and fuel prices hitting families with "no cushion," says Nan Roman of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Many mayors have 10-year plans to end homelessness and had reported progress until this year. The most recent official count, in January 2007, found 971,888 people living on U.S. streets or in shelters, down 8% from January 2006.

"We saw family homelessness began to increase last winter," says Sally Erickson, Portland's homeless program manager. "There's definitely a spike in the last six months." The number of requests for emergency shelter doubled from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal 2008, which ended in June.

Darlene Newsom, who runs United Methodist Outreach Ministries' New Day Centers, which provide shelter programs for families in Phoenix, says the number of requests is "alarming." She says families who never sought help before are calling.

Los Angeles says it has no 2009 data. Miami reports no major change. Chicago has not had a surge in requests, but more come from renters evicted because of landlords' foreclosure, says Nancy Radner of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Media Letter.


Editor

My name is Trey Louis Noran, and I am a Reverend for the homeless. I am known in several venues from the entertainment business, as my God mother was “Mae West” to my Ministry called “His Love Street Ministries” along with a tee shirt named “Real men Love 2 Cuddle.” My mission is to open a homeless hotel and several Out-reach centers through out the USA to help clear up some of our nations major homeless situation.

The need is major but I do not only want to feed and shelter the homeless, but also help them clean up and gain productive employment. Why do I come to you? In my many travels through life, I have learned it is not only a person’s talent, but also whom you know.

When it comes to the homeless, I have many well-wishers that wish me the best. I have Stars from Tina Turner to Cher on face book, although they believe that what I am doing is great they only send me messages of “Good Work” and “We love what you are doing.”

What I truly need is a push to get the word out nationally and a newspaper that will take an extra stand for God and help me. I have worked hard this last year and a half to get the word to Hollywood and Nashville, but now I need the media. Please search deep within your heart and help me make a difference in a person’s life and to save a life by giving them the promise of a better future. Therefore, many in the homeless world have given up. They hurt, hate and commit crime just to get housing even if it is for just one night. Let us stop a major part of this unnecessary heartache through my vision from God to open a Homeless Hotel and Outreach Center. I have used all of my strength and determination to fight for this cause for over two decades and find that I now need the media’s help. Please help me publish my cause in your newspaper or tell your Media friends.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

" His Love Street Hotel " Denver, Colorado


His Love Center is designed with God’s best in mind, run by Pastor Trey Louis Noran; following a vision God gave him over twenty years ago. We have a true desire to help those whom are homeless and full of despair – to help clean and educate them, to help them find meaningful employment, and show them the true Love God... gives. Pastor Trey Noran’s original vision was to do more than simply feed the homeless and pray for them. In 2010, the dream that God had instilled in his heart many years ago will be brought to life. Just because people are homeless, does not mean they have second- or third-best?