Pine Street Inn’s Post

Homelessness is increasing dramatically among senior citizens in the United States—a trend 61-year-old Wesley Thomas knows all too well. After 29 years living on the streets of Washington, D.C., Thomas understands the challenges—and the promise—of tackling the rapid aging of the population experiencing homelessness. Our new, comprehensive feature report goes behind the data to uncover a compelling story and explore a future path towards sustainable solutions to complex challenges of homelessness: https://lnkd.in/eTteyy56

The 2024 Point-in-Time count is THIS WEEK! 🎉 Did you know that the Point-in-Time count is a requirement under Federal Law? Candace Valenzuela, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administator, shares why this count is important. "HUD relies on data collected by Dallas County, Collin County, and communities across the country to track progress towards reducing homelessness. When you join your friends or church community during these cold January nights to count your neighbors experiencing homelessness, the result is that HUD can award dollars and other assistance to communities that demonstrate the both the need and the willingness to put a stop to homelessness." https://lnkd.in/gaqtZbKP #Endhomelessness #HousingForward #PITCount

An in-depth look at the measures being taken to end veteran homelessness, and the variety of programs designed to adapt to evolving needs. Understand how communities are being held accountable towards this national goal.

"As the [point in time] numbers are added up, it’s important to ask: What is the nation learning from this data? And more importantly, how are local leaders using it to craft more effective and humane homelessness policies? We have solutions that work — we just need the political will to invest in and scale them.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with all of the information on zoning and affordable housing, I'd highly recommend checking out this podcast episode! Inam Teja sheds light on not only the need for affordable housing but also the benefits of living in communities with homes for all. #yyc #affordablehousing #zoning

Homelessness is where the individual’s thought patterns have been shaped by their personal experiences and their environment. The problem is systemic in nature, the gap between the brain and consciousness has become toxic, they have lived a life where they could not SEE the water that they were drowning in. This environment started to diminish the consciousness at five years old, thus creating within the gap, a form of drowning that they could not understand. My experience has shown that people who have been traumatized at five via through abhorrent levels of authoritarianism, severe drowning will unfold. I can go to any inmate in prison and ask, what happened to you at five and they will say, how did you know? The brain, when born was a tool, but due to adverse childhood trauma, the brain will for survival purposes, become a weapon. The majority of people reading my comments won’t be able to comprehend what I am saying. To fix homelessness, stop the systematic abuse that goes with authoritarianism. Replace it with enlightenment! Meaning, replace all pedagogical practices with heutagogical ones. Heutagogy focuses on the intangible driver of one’s life, here, you realize that you become what you think about. Do you pay any attention to what you think about? What does that mean?

We must stop thriving off the backs of the needy. part 2 This is a win win situation for both the state and the homeless community. Homeless veterans and citizens mobilized and paid as a new and valued state sponsored temporary employee. If Private Corporations and Bankers manage to get state & federal government to clear up all the legal issues with Tiny homes constitution alone? The Country's poorer citizens would be Tiny home owners. By allowing the homeless to work and thrive in Tiny Home communities to be created instead of the homeless filling the streets and gas stations? Getting to live traditionally in a house no matter how small and without much police presence would be a mental health miracle for most. The homeless could even enjoy new trade schools, new restaurants, new tiny home communities theme parks, movie theaters, hospitals, mom and pop stores, or new grocery chains with the available, locally farmed produce they generate on their Tiny Home lots. At this point they will feel like Americans again. And thrive just like other workers elsewhere in this country? The homeless might become a blessing to America. Or its greatest curse if we do not help them to exist more traditionally. If they ever become a huge angry army of homeless? They will clean up entire cities by raising them all to the ground. Remembering that January 6th anger will not compare with this.

As homeless rates increase across the United States, it has become a policy focus across all levels of government. The most important place to start is the main cause of homelessness: the lack of affordable housing. We must acknowledge that a combination of a minimum wage which does not cover basic housing needs and a shortage of low priced units in our state will result in some of our neighbors being unhoused. You can learn more about this topic by reading the rest of our newest Weekly Perspective blog post here: https://lnkd.in/ggnCmta2 You can also attend our March Friday Forum on the topic of "Permanent Supportive Housing" online on March 8th, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Registration and details here: https://lnkd.in/dv5kWzKz. We will learn together what drives homelessness, what programs work to end homelessness, and why sometimes those programs fail our communities. Image description: blue text reading "New Weekly Perspective on the Blog! Homelessness in Missouri: What Housing Programs are Available?" with a background photo of a person handing over a house key #EmpowerMOperspective #WeeklyPerspective #Blog #Missouri  #HousingJustice #Homelessness #HousingCrisis #AffordableHousing #HousingIsAHumanRight

Right now, too many of us in the Bay Area struggle to afford housing, face threats of eviction, and experience homelessness. But there’s hope 🙂💖 We’re joining together, as neighbors and advocates — renters and landlords, homeowners and people experiencing homelessness — to unlock a new future for our communities where no one is left behind 🏡💙 For #AffordableHousingMonth we’re building a #BayArea where we value everyone’s humanity, where we treat everyone with justice and dignity, and where everyone belongs. https://lnkd.in/g7SnCVtR

“We need to have a maniacal focus on creating more housing, and importantly, targeting that housing towards extremely low income households.” - Dr. Margot Kushel Margot Kushel MD is a rockstar for those of us who work in and care about health and homelessness. This podcast video done by Mark Horvath of Invisible People highlights findings of the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s, the California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness conducted by The University of California, San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. 8 findings of interest covered in this interview: 1) Housing does help and people want housing 2) $300-500 could have prevented homelessness for more than 83% of those surveyed 3) People over 50 and experiencing homelessness medically present as someone in their 70s or 80s 4) Family homelessness is underrepresented as options for shelter and services sometimes separate parents from their children due to lack of options 5) Median age of people experiencing homelessness in CA is 47 6) Systemic exclusions based on race have resulted in overrepresentation of people who are Black Indigenous and People of Color 7) One of the most important things we could do to reduce homelessness is to fully fund the Housing Choice Voucher program 8) Housing and supportive services are a powerful combination to end #homelessness Watch or listen to the 53 minutes to get more context around these important findings https://lnkd.in/g6rATTfS #HousingIsHealthcare #HousingStability #AffordableHousing