Five Years Of Blogging On Homelessness: Has Anything Changed?
Five years ago, today, I began this blog to do my small part in helping to raise the level of national dialogue on the issue of homelessness. There were only a few weekdays during this period that I, or my staff, missed writing on homelessness. The past five years have been both bitter and sweet. Bitter in the sense that we continue to encounter homelessness in this nation, but sweet that this blog has been part of a national discussion on homelessness.
But enough of the anniversary stuff. The real question is this… has this country’s approach to addressing homelessness changed much in the past five years? Absolutely yes.
Here is my “top ten” list of how the approach to addressing homelessness has changed in the last five years (this is not in any priority):
- Permanent Supportive Housing (some also call this “Housing First”) has become the paramount solution to homelessness. But communities today are struggling with how to fund on an annual basis the support services needed for this housing.
- Chronic homelessness has become a priority target population. But in the past couple of years, episodic homelessness (the newly homeless) has dramatically increased, resulting in local communities changing priorities.
- More and more families have become homeless during a time when families were not considered part of the standard definition of chronic homelessness.
- Hundreds and hundreds of cities across the country adopted “Ten Year Plans To End Homelessness.” But after five years of adoption—the halfway point for many cities—no one is confidently predicting that chronic homelessness will end by 2014.
- Tent cities are becoming the new “shelters” of today. Very few local neighborhoods are allowing traditional homeless shelters to be built. So impromptu homeless “tent cities” are being set up instead.
- Due to the declining economy, less and less resources are available to sustain an existing homeless care system and to invest in permanent affordable housing.
- Homeless prevention trumps traditional homeless services. Pro-active prevention activities are being funded rather than reactive homeless services.
- Social media is actually becoming as effective as traditional media. Facebook, blogs, and Twitter are certainly all the buzz. Who wants to buy stock in local newspapers? Social media is being used to educate and mobilize the community.
- Government, alone, cannot resolve homelessness. It will take both a public and private partnership to end homelessness. That is why local governments are partnering with the business community, faith groups, and private service agencies.
- Finally, I personally feel that community engagement is becoming an important piece to the solution of homelessness. In order to increase resources and overcome NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard), communities are going to have to unite together to overcome homelessness.
What’s going to happen in the next five years? I don’t know. But I’m a realist. I don’t think homelessness will be solved by then.
What happens to this blog in the next five years? Next month, we are transforming LA Homeless Blog into INFORuM, an online journal discussing homelessness, poverty, and housing. Bloggers from all over the country will be joining me to continue this national dialogue.
If we are to high five ourselves, we can give credit to visionary leaders who have helped change the paradigm of approaching homelessness. But sadly, there is so much more to be done.
(Pic from http://23.media.tumblr.com/)
But enough of the anniversary stuff. The real question is this… has this country’s approach to addressing homelessness changed much in the past five years? Absolutely yes.
Here is my “top ten” list of how the approach to addressing homelessness has changed in the last five years (this is not in any priority):
- Permanent Supportive Housing (some also call this “Housing First”) has become the paramount solution to homelessness. But communities today are struggling with how to fund on an annual basis the support services needed for this housing.
- Chronic homelessness has become a priority target population. But in the past couple of years, episodic homelessness (the newly homeless) has dramatically increased, resulting in local communities changing priorities.
- More and more families have become homeless during a time when families were not considered part of the standard definition of chronic homelessness.
- Hundreds and hundreds of cities across the country adopted “Ten Year Plans To End Homelessness.” But after five years of adoption—the halfway point for many cities—no one is confidently predicting that chronic homelessness will end by 2014.
- Tent cities are becoming the new “shelters” of today. Very few local neighborhoods are allowing traditional homeless shelters to be built. So impromptu homeless “tent cities” are being set up instead.
- Due to the declining economy, less and less resources are available to sustain an existing homeless care system and to invest in permanent affordable housing.
- Homeless prevention trumps traditional homeless services. Pro-active prevention activities are being funded rather than reactive homeless services.
- Social media is actually becoming as effective as traditional media. Facebook, blogs, and Twitter are certainly all the buzz. Who wants to buy stock in local newspapers? Social media is being used to educate and mobilize the community.
- Government, alone, cannot resolve homelessness. It will take both a public and private partnership to end homelessness. That is why local governments are partnering with the business community, faith groups, and private service agencies.
- Finally, I personally feel that community engagement is becoming an important piece to the solution of homelessness. In order to increase resources and overcome NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard), communities are going to have to unite together to overcome homelessness.
What’s going to happen in the next five years? I don’t know. But I’m a realist. I don’t think homelessness will be solved by then.
What happens to this blog in the next five years? Next month, we are transforming LA Homeless Blog into INFORuM, an online journal discussing homelessness, poverty, and housing. Bloggers from all over the country will be joining me to continue this national dialogue.
If we are to high five ourselves, we can give credit to visionary leaders who have helped change the paradigm of approaching homelessness. But sadly, there is so much more to be done.
(Pic from http://23.media.tumblr.com/)
posted by LA's Homeless Blog at
9:18 AM
2 Comments:
Congratulations on hitting the five year mark and for being such a powerful voice in the (online) discussion about homelessness. It is, indeed, a bittersweet landmark. Thanks for your work.
Thank you for all you do. Your work is inspiring. Here in San Diego, CA, homelessness is a huge problem, and seems to be on an increase. How can we, as a community, come together to create a solution?
Post a Comment
<< Home