National Homelessness Awareness Month prompts action in Dallas

Rick Yost says:

I'm impressed with Leppert- I mean, finalizing a temporary solution has to be tough.

National Homeless Awareness Month- gee, and I had almost forgotten all about them.

November is the perfect month for such well-deserved 'awareness'. Near the end of the month there are endless photo ops for concerned American Mayors to don aprons and dish out Thanksgiving dinner to the down-trodden. Simply heart-warming!

Of course, afterwards, everyone returns to the regularly scheduled program.

Scott Doyle says:

The regularly scheduled program being nightly beatings. WE NEED MORE DRINKS UPSTAIRS, RICK.

Rick Yost says:

Scott- Next time in, bring a laptop and take advantage of our free wifi.

Come to think of it, we should be donating wireless laptops to the homeless. Well, they could write their articles for the Stewpot here.

Scott Doyle says:

Couldn't help but notice you resting a drink on your laptop last night, Rick. I'd be too paranoid to take a laptop out to a bar, especially with a very accident-proned friend in attendance (he's actually the guy who commented above from a phone).

Pavel Lishin says:

I am Scott's accident-prone friend, and I make it a point to never set a spillable drink on my desk anymore; I've already had to spend $500 repairing a laptop after spilling juice on it :(

Rick Yost says:

It's an old laptop, and it was an empty coffee cup. Even I have to mark my seat or I'll lose it.
Thanks for steppin' in.

Scott Doyle says:

Well Bill, I challenge you to find someone who isn't aging.

I'm confident I won't end up in said refugee camp, considering it seems quite the majority of homeless peeps make it a point to not help themselves regardless of opportunity to do so. Not sure if you've ever worked with them, but it's quite frustrating giving time and money to people who simply take advantage of others' goodwill. Obviously this is not the case with all homeless, but it seems to be a common thread in many.

I won't denounce efforts to help them, but I don't quite encourage it. And considering this is an online community for DFW, you shouldn't get so uppity simply b/c we communicate with each other regarding things not related to the article.

Rick Yost says:

Hey Bill. I take issue with your "blues-hippie-syncophants" remark.
I like all kinds of music.

Catherine Cuellar says:

Actually, 90% of homeless people (including 1,000 children) seek help - but Dallas doesn't have enough shelter beds, let alone affordable housing and supportive services, to accommodate them. Only 10% of homeless people, who are so mentally ill, physically disabled, addicted, or all three, are the ones seen and associated with the problem. You may see those "chronically" homeless as choosing a certain lifestyle; I see them as sick people in need of medical treatment for their disease(s). I'd rather have them in a professionally managed environment than on the street. I also know the city is not acting just because the church acted. The church's decision was in response to Operation Rescue -- but the church wants a partnership and has offered city social workers space in their parking lot for outreach. The city is responding because 1) doing nothing doesn't work, 2) it looks bad if they can't cooperate, and 3) the temperature is going to drop soon and if homeless people aren't sleeping indoors, Dallas County taxpayers will bear the cost of treating hypothermia cases at Parkland. Also, the Mayor's expected announcement is just part of a slew of events next week to <a href="/news/2007/nov/05/dallas-help-homeless-week-starts-november-11/">Help the Homeless</a>.

Scott Doyle says:

Of course they seek help, but how many of them make meaningful attempts to turn their lives around while they're receiving it?

I'm fine with my money aiding people who can't help themselves (the mentally and physically disabled/ill, not so much the addicted). However, when tax monies are continually used to provide food and shelter for people who can support themselves but choose not to is where I have an issue. Seems to me the majority of homeless are fine living their life that way and simply take a hand-out when available. That's simply my perception - if anyone has a link to studies indicating otherwise, please share.

Rick Yost says:

On the 'Dallas' Homeless Week starts Nov 11' thread, there is a video from the Central Dallas Ministries- several homeless people are interviewed. Dallas needs to see it.

And by the way, the blind man in the video should not be sleeping on the street- he has a definite impairmant, and should be placed somewhere where he's safe.

I'll amend a post I made to another thread with a similar subject line- I still don't believe that Dallasites should have to pay anymore taxes to deal with the local homeless- I think it should come from the Federal Government.
The U.S. should give grants to all its major cities to construct domiciles for all the homeless. Then they should be given jobs, and educated properly if necessary. As well as any other assistance they might need to start over. We're into nation-building, how about life-building?

This dilemma for society will only get worse due to the illegal immigration problem.

The homeless population in America is a national problem. Let the big guys, in the nice suits in Washington come off all their big wheelin' and dealin', and actually help their constituents- homeless Americans.

Rick Yost says:

Yeah, I can picture my Humanitarian award on the mantle now!

I'd love for all my fellow countrymen to be healthy, happy, living well, and educated. Life would be a bit less moronic, and a little more interesting.

No one should be discarded or dismissed, but it's just not right that Americans are nervous to walk around their own hometown because of desperate people- our own people.

Scott Doyle says:

First, I have no idea why this 90/10 split is still being thrown around. Pretty sure CC didn't poll a sample of homeless before commenting.

I severely doubt many of you have spent any kind of time around homeless people. As I've stated, I have no issue providing peeps who cannot help themselves food and shelter. For those who can help themselves, there really needs to be a system of checks and balances in order to weed out those who make no effort to get a job and be self-sufficient...regardless of monetary source enabling them to do so (but for the record, I concur with Rick). If we simply setup a shelter with a revolving door open to anyone without anywhere else to go, goodwill and tax money is going to be taken advantage of. People need incentive to change.

I truly believe that more than 10% of homeless choose this lifestyle and are comfortable with it. Obviously I'm not talking about turning away kids or the helpless, but I can't stress enough that there's no helping someone who won't help themselves given the opportunity.

Catherine Cuellar says:

Data from the <a href="http://www.mdhatx.net/">Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance</a> and <a href="http://www.ich.gov/">US Interagency Council on Homelessness</a> supports the statistical figure I cite. Only 10% of the transient population is considered "chronically" homeless - but that group locally and nationwide represents 90% of the cost of homelessness each year (when you add up the cost of each and every arrest for loitering, panhandling, or public intoxication, and add the price of emergency room medical care). According to the same data, about 1/4 of the homeless in Dallas County are children and youth.

And as for who will pay -- Dallas, Fort Worth, and other cities have elected to develop a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness because if they don't, they lose out on federal HUD money to develop affordable housing.

Robert Kelly says:

kirk- i work in fair park, and in a word, yeah, there is a solid percentage that choose that lifestyle. And from what I have seen, its closer to 20%

Pavel Lishin says:

At some point we have to figure out just how much personal responsibility for our lives we can attribute to the diseases we carry around. If an alcoholic homeless man is a victim to his vice for "choosing" (using your quotes here) to live on the street, then thousands of alcoholic men are "victims" when they beat on their wives in a whiskey-fueled rage.

Robert Kelly says:

Kirk - I own a retail store near the cotton bowl, and I see these people everyday. If you and people like you were actually out amongst these people rather than looking for some "studies", you might have a little more credibility with me. I talk to Dale, Emory,and Bill and many others everyday. I made no global conclusions-only what I saw in my little corner of south dallas.

Rawlins Gilliland says:

Well, thanks to Scott, there we have it; Only last night I listened to (the latest) 'family values Christian' speaker pronounce (again) that being gay is a 'lifestyle choice'. (Of course, this went without saying as who hasn't struggled with the age-old 'Men!/Women!' decision/choice of which gender we were going to exclusively bed in this lifetime?). And now apparently we learn that so too being homeless is a lifestyle choice through Scott's compelling narative! This explains why President Bush is rumored to be preparing to ask congress to pass a constitutional amendment making it impossible to marry a homeless homosexual.

Rick Yost says:

If logic and reality disagree...reality wins.

To most of us who by necessity are healthy, strong, confident individuals who've learned to work at least our own little part of the system in which we all live- letting your life dwindle to sleeping in the street is just not logical.

Most of us are somewhat educated, have had at least some stewarding from our parents or others we looked up to, and have developed principles we live by that keep us from ever slipping into such a predicament.

The '90%', standing in line all day, trying desperately to take advantage of what programs are available, have had at least some of the same experiences, and possess similar principles that you and I do. They're trying their best to get into or back into the 'game'.

The '10%' we encounter on the street at night, may not have had the same life experiences you and I have- this doesn't necessarily make them bad, just hard for us to relate to.

And I agree with Scott- to a degree, every move made, or not made, is a choice.

Rawlins Gilliland says:

Actually I agree with all of you. But I wanted to have some fun since Scott was clever as was Kirk. But trust me.... I spent 4 years in my 20s hitchiking across this globe and from Paris to Hawaii and even Central Park NYC...I slept in the open...because I was a penniless young adventurer. But many people I met who were sleeping in those parks and under those bridges had stories to tell. And every story represented someone's life choices, and yes, life reversals of fortune over which no choice could have been made. To this day I have spent time with people who are homeless and written about a man who lives in the forest only blocks behind my house. A man who once had a wife and 3 children and a lucrative job future.

Yost knows well the nocturnal stories in his camp. And the stellar Cuellar has info stats and back stories as well. I have plenty of my own and believe me when I tell you (you will not)....believe it ....it could happen to you.

Off to vote.

Rick Yost says:

Whether or not we understand, or ignore, or have had similar experiences to the homeless, there is still (according to some estimates) 3.5 Million homeless in the U.S..

If one of us here, was in charge, what would we do to end the problem?

Scott Doyle says:

Point of clarification: Scott Doyle (verified) and Scott (anonymous) are different people. I'm no Chris Jones.

With all due respect, Editor CC - surely you, of all people, realize that pointing at a group's homepage and saying they agree is not proper citation...especially when everything on the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance page is under construction and not viewable. I literally would like to read up on these figures, so please provide if available (I read as much as I could of Kirk's for the time being, might read more tonight).

Call me crazy, but last I checked the resources available to aid the homeless are extremely limited. I'm not saying we shouldn't help any of 'em; I believe we should maximize the effectiveness with which our resources could help a person get off the street for good. Disabled peeps, be it mentally (i.e. Axis 1) or physically, and chilluns should be our priority. I, personally, do not believe drug addicts/alcoholics with no other ailments should fall into the priority disabled category - they've made poor life choices to get where they are.

Welcome to reality: not every homeless person has the desire or ability to no longer be homeless. We don't even have the resources to help those who could change their life given the opportunity. Why not first help those who could benefit most?

Catherine Cuellar says:

Scott Doyle, the latest stats can be accessed <a href="/news/2007/apr/17/report-indicates-9-decrease-homeless-living-dallas/">here</a>. Bear in mind, there is no homeless census, just a "point in time" survey - a count of all people in shelters, on sidewalks, and under bridges on one day. Obviously over the course of a year that number fluctuates a great deal and people who couch surf or are otherwise out-of-sight on the day of the count aren't measured. Bottom line -- on the day of this year's count the homeless population was 48% men, 29% women, and 23% children.

I agree resources we have should go first to those who are trying to help themselves (which the vast majority of homeless people are trying to do). I also appreciate your realization that there are nowhere near enough resources to help even a fraction of our existing service-seeking homeless population. And while I don't think it's a disability, I do think addiction is a debilitating disease requiring treatment.