“NO ROOM AT THE INN: NO BEDS AT PHILA SHELTERS!?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its annual report to Congress on homelessness in June 2011.. In particular, the number of homeless families “has increased 20% from 2007 to 2010″ and “the proportion of homeless families in shelters and transitional housing has increased from 30% to 35%” during that same time period.
In Phila, recent statistics show that some 425 families are housed in emergency shelters, 335 families are in transitional shelters, with an estimated total of more than 6,000 homeless women, men and children in this city in shelters, transitional housing, or on the streets. The city has recently reported that “all of the 1,544 beds for families at city-funded shelters are occupied.”
Staff writer, Jennifer Lin of the Phila Inquirer recently documented the story of 23-year-old Yasmeen Goodmond, a mother of 2 children who was told at 2 homeless shelters that they simply just did not have any available beds for her. Mrs Goodmond had to place her children with family members while she walked the streets at night to survive, getting no sleep or rest at all.
As the Inquirer article pointed out: Advocates for the homeless say that the city’s shelters for families always fill up in the summer, but that this year, that seems to be happening sooner than usual. The director of Philadelphia’s Office of Supportive Housing (OSH), Dainette Mintz, conceded that more families than usual are being denied immediate help. The city had to turn away 591 families at the Appletree Center – double the rate of 2 years ago.
Another contributing factor has been the turmoil at the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) concerning the scandal surrounding former executive director Carl Greene, who was fired last year among numerous and costly charges of misconduct.
PHA currently has 100,000 families on its waiting list for either housing or federal rent subsidies, according to the Phila. Inquirier.
Many city resources are full and strained to capacity and not able to meet the growing demands and needs of the increasing homeless population. This reflects the national situation as well. Shaun Donovan, HUD Secretary has gone on record that the federal agency was “just not as far along in developing tools and solutions to end family homelessness.”
As reported in the June 2011 ONE STEP AWAY cover story 100K Homes, concentrated outreach by more than 250 volunteers to identify the most “vulnerable” individuals has helped to accurately compile numbers and data to begin to address the needs of the chronic homeless population and find solutions.
One of the Philly street veterans I interviewed in May is JR. JR frequently stays nights at a couple of men’s shelters in Center City. He usually finds a bed with little trouble. But he has also seen a spike in single men needing help. During the summer, he pointed out that many services provided to help during the fall and winter months do not “operate in the summer” and “you can usually get a bed easy, especially in the beginning of the month when dudes get that check, and get their drink or high on. These places are half empty. But now…. damn….it’s getting full quicker all the time, and they are holding on to their spots…..”
Another result of the 100K Homes outreach has been the eyewitness proof that the homeless population is pervasive, not just in Center City Phila but almost within every neighborhood or section of the city. We have seen and talked to people sleeping in parks in North Philly, Germantown, West Philly, Kensington, etc.
Attorney Marsha Cohen, Executive Director of the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) emailed ONE STEP AWAY this exclusive statement:
The HAP, a legal services non-profit that provides free civil legal services to homeless men, women and children living in Phiadelphia, remains deeply concerned at the lack of available shelter beds for homeless families, and with the pending close of Ridge (Shelter) for single men (and women) living in Philadelphia.
HAP is currently contemplating legal action against the City for the current lack of shelter beds for homeless families and for the City’s alarming removal of children from their families, when families can no longer “make their own arrangements.” Most of the men and women who attempt to access City shelters numbering over 25,000 each year, have already spent months, sometimes years, living doubled or tripled with family or friends.
HAP feels strongly that Philadelphia must do better to shore up the safety net for families and individuals who fall upon hard times. Housing – be it shelter, or low income subsidized housing opportunities, must become an immediate priority for the current administration. That said, HAP views litigation as a very last resort. We much prefer to work with OSH and the Mayor’s office to brainstorm together on how to resolve the current crisis and we remain hopeful that the City will add additional shelter beds or cots to the current stock to address the immediate crisis.
posted by Erik Younge: email me at: eryounge@gmail.com
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