www.preblestreet.org

Check out Portland Maine’s “Preble Street” and the new Women’s Housing it is opening this month for 40 previously homeless women who will have apartments, semi private bedrooms and a quiet shelter space , this is a HUGE change from sleeping on cots in the corner of large shelter rooms. The Portland Press Herald has […]

support gays and lose homeless funding

Preble Street’s Homeless Voices for Justice program has lost a major funding source from the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland and the Washington-based Catholic Campaign for Human Development ended their support and financial backing of the program after last falls political issue about Same Sex marriages. Over $17,000 in funding has […]

From March 2006

http://atomic-temporary-4589657.wpcomstaging.com/2006/03/22/personal-hygene/ I was reading older posts and found this about the importance of personal hygiene and a before and after picture of one of the men I used to work with.

Fragile:

Change of focus for a minute to the other side of the desk. Mine. CNNMoney.com headline depicts social work and several related careers as “stressful jobs that pay badly.” When done right, social work is a dirty and messy job working with people in crisis and helping them to rearrange their lives. So, of course I […]

Welfare is about children

Like this girl who lives in California. She eats because of food stamps and has housing because of cash aid.

Jason Missel – lost on Skid Row

Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a mentally disabled man who was dumped on downtown Los Angeles’ Skid Row over half a year ago and doesn’t know his name. …[He] has ‘Jason’ tattooed on his arm. He does not remember his birthday and has no idea where his family might be. When […]

USICH : What is it , why do I give it a #fail ?

USICH stands for United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Nothing on their page will tell you that, unless you hover over the tab in your internet browser. I literally had to Google it. I am hoping that, as an agency , they are better at their job than they are at getting their name out […]

Housing First hits Fairfax county

Off the street and back on your feet faster, teaching people to be tenants and housed rather than the coping skills to survive life in a shelter. That is Housing First and it is my favorite type of Homeless Recovery Service. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033101566.html Read how it is working in Fairfax with a young single mother who […]

Census Homeless Count in the dark

In the black of night a swinging flashlight draws near, the arc of light growing as someone approaches. You hear footsteps and realize that they are coming directly to you – where you are laying in the open. Is this a recipe for disaster or a really accurate way to count the number of individuals living […]

Heavy, the 1 person Homeless Population of Times Square

As the story goes, Time’s Square has been cleaned up. No more porn shops, less obvious drug deals and no homeless people. That is, except for Heavy. I believe in HOUSING FIRST and Housing for everyone. But, I also believe in individual dignity and the right to choose what is best for your own life. […]