National Coalition for the Homeless Updates

What is Happening Around the Country?

I attended the National Coalition for the Homeless Executive Committee meeting last week. It looks like both convention sites are doing all they can to protect homeless people. We just hope that the National Secret Service does not come into Denver and St. Paul and mess everything up. It was announced that the Dorothy Day Center will remain open during the Republican Convention in August. The Day Center is basically across the street from the Convention Center in St. Paul. That means that homeless people will be closer to the convention than the protesters in the Orwellian named "free speech zone." Denver has a pre-convention planned breakfast for those attending the convention to explain what is happening in America to homeless families. I wish that I could attend. Each city will have a homeless voter registration drive, and we will post more details in the near future.

Other things happening around the United States:

• Minnesota is looking at developing rules to restrict the invasive computer tracking system for homeless programs.
• New shelter in Dallas was created for 200 people and 550 showed up the day it opened. They have set up mats on the floor for the rest.
• Houston is doing a survey of panhandlers, and paying a pretty penny.
• Colorado trying to develop and expand state funding for affordable housing.
• City is focusing resources on a program called "Project 50" to provide housing to 50 people on Skid Row. This is similar to removing a bucket of water from the Cuyahoga River in an effort to change the flow of the river. The state proposition to overturn rent control lost fortunately. LA Coalition is publishing a manual for mainstream programs to restrict discharges to homelessness.
  
• Things are bad in the South for affordable housing/homelessness. The local trust funds in South Carolina and block grant money are reserved for loans not the development of affordable housing. Additional health care dollars were vetoed by the governor in South Carolina, because they raised taxes on cigarettes.
  

We worked on internal controls for the agency, and worked on some budget issues for the National Coalition. Things are better for the organization since they weathered the storm of the early 2000s. They are setting plans for the future and a new administration in DC.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.