Report shows decrease in homelessnessKaren Warnick - The Independent ARIZONA — A report issued several weeks ago by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stated that the latest estimate of homelessness had declined in “every major category or subpopulation since 2010, the year the federal government established a strategic plan to end homelessness. The method HUD uses to measure the scope of homelessness is based on a single night in January of each year, called a Point-in-time Survey. The method uses data reported by some service providers in cities and counties across the country. In Arizona, local homeless housing and service providers have reported a decrease of homeless of 3,149 since 2010, a 23 percent reduction. However, the Arizona annual homelessness report put out by the Department of Economic Security reported that in 2012, “…one in every 230 Arizonans (over 28,000 individuals) experienced homelessness in Arizona during 2012. This reflects an increase of 12.8 percent from 2011.” The Obama administration came up with a plan to end homelessness for veterans and the chronic homeless by 2015 and for families with children, and youth, by 2020. Chronic homelessness is defined as those that have a disability including serious mental illness, chronic substance use disorders or chronic medical issues, and those who are homeless repeatedly for a long period of time. Though HUD claims a general decrease, 28 states and the District of Columbia saw increases, with large cities like Los Angeles and New York City reporting some of the largest increases. What is not reported, said critics of the reports, is the number of people who are staying with other family members or friends due to the loss of their job and/or home for various reasons. Also not reported are those that live on the streets or in vehicles and not shelters. The fastest growing population of the homeless is families with children. Arizona reports that half the homeless are families, which is higher than the national average. Law enforcement and city officials in Navajo and Apache counties were asked whether the White Mountains area had a homeless problem. All reported that in varying degrees, there is a problem and it is getting worse. Jim Molesa, chief deputy with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, said they see a higher number of incarcerations in the winter from homeless people who just want a warm bed. “We see them day in and day out,” he said. His counterpart in Apache County, Chief Deputy Brannon Eagar, said they do not have a big problem, but there are homeless in the area, though less than in Phoenix because of the weather. He said they try to get them taken care of through local churches and charities. Springerville Town Manager Steve West said they have a large transient population, but it is usually people passing through who get stuck for one reason or another. Some only stay a day; others stay for months, depending on their circumstances, said West. Several school districts in the area were contacted and they all reported keeping track of homeless students and providing what services they can. The Bread of Life Mission in Holbrook is the only emergency homeless shelter in both Navajo and Apache counties, said Executive Director Cherise Merrick. Though they do have problems and help people with recovery and job skills, their main goal is to house those that do not have anywhere to go. The mission only has 30 beds, with separate sleeping areas for men, and women and children, but most nights they have people sleeping on mats on the floor. Merrick said the problem is getting worse, not only in her mission but for the other charitable organizations that she works with. She said they all work together to help with whatever they can. She keeps records for each day and reported that the number of meals served in 2012 was 2,109 more than 2011, the number of “bed-nights” was 545 more, and that 2013 is already higher at the end of October than for 2012. Though they try to help with services, Merrick stated that, “When we send someone to HUD, they have to be on disability to get HUD housing. If they have no income or official disability, they don’t qualify for most government services.” Several media stories in recent weeks have reported a growing trend of cities passing anti-camping and anti-food sharing laws that police are strictly enforcing. In Raleigh, N.C., a ministry had been feeding the homeless in August, as they’ve been doing every Saturday and Sunday for six years, when police threatened them with arrest if they did not stop. In Orlando, Fla., laws against feeding the homeless were upheld in court. New York City Mayor Bloomberg has placed a ban on citizens donating food to homeless shelters for the reason that the food might not be nutritious enough. Philadelphia banned outdoor feeding of people in city parks; Denver has a ban on eating and sleeping on property without permission; and Las Vegas, whose homeless population has doubled in the last 10 years, has made it an offense to feed indigent people. A church in Louisiana was ordered to not give out water because it didn’t have a government permit. But, perhaps the worst example comes from Hawaii state Rep. Tom Brower, who has been using a sledgehammer to smash the shopping carts that homeless people use for their possessions. He is quoted in several news articles as saying, “I got tired of telling people I’m trying to pass laws. I want to do something practical that will really clean up the streets.” Over 50 cities have enacted these kinds of laws, including Phoenix, which passed a law about giving out food to the homeless. Several cities are providing one-way bus tickets to the homeless if they will leave and not come back. A local law enforcement official that used to work in the Phoenix area said that practice has been going on in the Valley for years. Reach the reporter at kwarnick@wmicentral.com © Copyright 2013, White Mountain Independent, Show Low, AZ. |