User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/2009fallanalytical/group 2

=Group members= sign in here with ":" (a colon and three tildes).
 * Stephenmhogan
 * JamiB
 * AshleyLincoln
 * KenzieLockhart
 * JennaJohnson
 * Kstekoll

=Overview=
 * 1.summary

In our group we focused on the Homelessness issue in Seattle Washington. We talked about the problems the homeless community face and the issues they must overcome in order get out of the vicious cycle. The Project includes information on several efforts and organizations to help homeless, as well as several city ordinances and laws that prevent the homeless from escaping their current way of life.


 * 2.reflective assessment


 * 1.successes


 * Things we felt went well is the information we learned about the homeless community. We felt it was a problem that we all noticed in our every day lives, and that it would be an interesting subject to learn more about.
 * 2.failures


 * Things we felt could have been better were the way things flowed together. It was tough to get us all together and work on it at one given time. We found it difficult with such a large group for us to meet all at once. We feel some contributed more to the group than others.


 * 3.future strategies


 * If we were to work on the project again we would hope to be a smaller group with more contributions.

=Introduction: A Narrative=

My teeth chatter and my body trembles. I lay there dreaming of a warm bed, warm food, and hell even a pillow to rest my weary head. I roll out of my makeshift bed comprised of soggy cardboard and a blanket I found in Pioneer park, only to find one of my shoes was missing!

Who would take my shoe? It was falling apart held only together by duct tape I found on a box in the alley. My socks would be wet within minutes of wearing them due to the large holes created by years of wear and tear. Despite the poor condition of my shoe I still held it near and dear to my heart, it was one of the last possessions I had to call my own.

I thought about the day previous and ran my day through my head to try and recall the misplacing of my shoe. I woke up in the best place envied by all my homeless companions. The doorway of a local bakery that often leaves day old pastries in a box out front. I rolled up my bed and put it in my cart for the day. I proceeded to go buy my real change papers for the day and picked prime real estate located just under the giant pink elephant on Denny Way. I stood there for hours. It was a recent day out weather wise and no teenaged children spit on me nor flipped me off, so all in all a good day.

As the day was ending one of my usual buyers, Marjorie, brought me meatballs she had made the night before. I returned to the bakery to find my spot had been taken by Sam. So hand in hand, my meatballs and I walked down the street to the next best place, the crepe shop. I rolled out my bed and my mouth was watering with anticipation. I kicked off my shoes, got into my bed, and whipped out my spoon.

The meatballs were fabulous. It could also be from the lack of food. I hadn’t had a bite to eat since I was kicked out of the overcrowded shelter two days ago. I filled my mouth with a meatball when all of a sudden Sam came around the corner eyeing my food. He reached for my spoon, I reached for my shoe....

=Problem= Everyone knows that all homeless people are filthy, psychotic, alcoholic dope fiends who roam the streets looking for cigarettes, change, and their next victim. None of them care about bettering their lives, and all of them are homeless because they have made that personal decision. Right?

These stereotypes are what seem to have permanently lodged themselves in the minds of the public when they think of homeless people. Really this segment of society is tremendously diverse, and those people who are seen on the street who contribute to these stereotypes are a small minority of the group. The true face of homelessness is one that goes unnoticed: normal people who just so happen to not have homes. These are people with jobs and aspirations who are struggling to make ends meet.

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is defined as homeless. Also an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter or temporary living accommodations is homeless. Any individual who resides in a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation is also defined as homeless.

One of the more successful efforts to document the extent of homelessness in the Seattle area is the Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness’ annual One Night Count. On one night every year, volunteers go through various areas of the city and count how many people are staying in cars, under bridges, on park benches, etc. as well as collect data from homeless shelters and transitional housing providers. The 2009 One Night Count, which took place in January, counted 2827 people without shelter for the night.

How Do People Become Homeless?
Seattle's historic Pioneer Square, formally known as the Skid Road district centers on Yesler Way. This road is often said to have been a "skid road" in the literal sense serving a saw mill owned by Henry Yesler. Skid roads were roads that were used to skid or drag logs through woods and bog to saw mills. The out-of-work loggers would hang out on Skid Road hoping to find work and would often run out of money, sleep on the streets, and find themselves reduced to begging. This is where the connection between the operation of skidding logs and being poor, unemployed and homeless originated.

No where in King County can you afford a one bedroom apartment on minimum wage. Nationally, 22% of homeless people report some income from paid work in the past month. Minimum wage has not kept up with inflation to allow people to make their own way, thus reducing many families to homelessness. The One Night Count found 1,946 people surviving outside without shelter in parts of Seattle and King County in 2006.

One factor contributing to the problem of homelessness is the fact that it is a difficult demographic to learn about. Even acquiring the seemingly simple statistic of the number of homeless people in a given area proves to be a difficult task.

The Vicious Cycle of Homelessness
Why don't they get a job? They just spend all their money on booze. We have our assumptions about the homeless, but getting a home is a lot more than simply "getting a job". If you are homeless and are filling out an application, what do you put in the current address section? You can't leave it empty, they surely won't hire you, but if you make one up and they find out, you won't get the job either. If somehow you are able to get a job, how much do you expect to make? It is impossible for a person working minimum wage to afford a one bedroom apartment in king county, you cant even afford a studio in Seattle. Your job is in Seattle, so you have two options, commute or live in a shelter, but the shelter kicked you out because it was at maximum occupancy last week. You only make $300 a month, you have to pay for the bus, you must pay utilities, and food would be nice, but you can go to a shelter for that. After all the bills though, you cannot hope to pay for rent. And it all starts again. You cannot hope to pay for bus passes now, and you have to make due on the streets while you attempt to make it through work. You lack the facilities to shower and your appearance goes downhill...you lost your job, and right back where you were when you started.

There simply is not enough that is being done to prevent homelessness or help individuals escape it. Its a never ending cycle with little to do about it.

Homelessness is Awful
There are many laws that effect the homeless population of Seattle in a very negative way. These laws, which are enforced to promote an overall courtesy in an area are called civility laws. The problem with these laws is that they target homeless people, making it impossible for the homeless population not to break the law. A few of these laws include restrictions or bans on the following: public urination, sitting on the sidewalk, and being in the city parks. The main issue is not enforcing these laws, it is that there are few other options for homeless people. There are no public restrooms. A person has to sit at some point and it is illegal for them to not only sit on the sidewalk but to be in the city parks or under bridges outside the city at certain times of the day. So where are they supposed to go? Additionally, the Parks Exclusion Act bans an individual from all city parks if they have been banned from one.

Additionally, the Clear Alleys Program, which was put into effect in early 2009, has removed dumpsters from alleyways. Instead, different colored trash bags which are collected as many as three times a day fill the alleys. This program has significantly diminished the amount of potentially scavengeable resources that the homeless community has access to. Not to mention the shelter provided by the dumpsters from pedestrians who harass homeless people. Another step taken by the city has been to replace several trash cans in the Belltown neighborhood with mini solar compactors that cannot be reached into. This further cuts down the free resources for scavenging homeless people. Interestingly, the official reason provided by the city for this move was to cut down on the number of stops waste management trucks would have to make in the area. It makes sense that city officials would worry about this, considering the fact that the Clear Alleys Program increased the number of trash collections so drastically.

=Solutions= There are many programs to help the homeless get back on their feet. Non-Profit organizations such as Real Change, and Food Not Bombs help support and feed the homeless in their time of need.

Grassroots/Private Efforts
The Real Change Newspaper in the Seattle area is a street newspaper, which gives low-income people a voice and ends goal is to end poverty and homelessness in Seattle. The newspaper was started when Tim Harris 34 years old at the time move to Seattle from Boston. His goal was to start a street newspaper. The first published edition of the Real Change was published in October and vendors were recruited. Now the newspaper has over 400 vendors in the Seattle area, whom buy the newspapers for 35 cents a copy, they then turn around and sell the newspaper for a dollar donation.
 * Real Change NewsMagazine

Nonprofits
Dress for success was created to “promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”
 * Dress For Success

The organization was started in New York City back in 1997. It is now an international not-for-profit organization whose goal is to help women with their career development. Currently in the program, a woman is given a suit for an interview. She then can return the first suit for a second suit when she is given a job. On the first visit, women are given appropriate appeal for the industry they are interviewing in. Women are able to receive service by referral only and must already have an interview lined up before they may receive clothes.

Currently the organization has helped more than 500,000 women worldwide. Recently they have helped women in Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Mexico, Poland and West Indies.

Making Homelessness Less Awful

 * Dignity Village

Much like the Tent Cities of Seattle, establishments all around the country have been created. Dignity Village of Portland, Oregon is one that has made tremendous strides with neighborhoods and city councils. Dignity Village was established days before Christmas 2000 by a group of eight homeless men and women. They pitched tents on public land in hopes of creating a safe, sanitary, self-governed place to live as an alternative for Portland’s poor and homeless. Dignity Village has several laws in place each member must follow. They operate hot showers, toilets, garbage pick up and disposal, group kitchens, group gardens, health care, and access to computers. Of course Dignity Village could not operate without the help of others. People volunteer for the building of enclosures and the distributing of food. Dignity Village has the rights to reside at there current site in Sunderland through 2010. Nickelsville could thrive with the help of Dignity village as precedence.


 * Nickelsville

In July 2008, the Mayor’s Office of Seattle issued an edict that homeless people may not stay on city property. In response, a group of homeless people organized and wrote a letter to Mayor Nickels, requesting land be provided for the unsheltered homeless. In September 2008, the group set up a clean, sanitary tent city complete with toilets and garbage disposal, which was served an eviction notice twelve hours after its construction. Four days later, Seattle city workers came in and destroyed the seventy tents and five wooden structures that made up the tent city. Since then, the group has been moving from site to site, despite the city’s efforts to stop the group.

As of recently, Nickelsville has been forced to move due to a local police sweep. They were located at a park near the Port of Seattle. They plan to relocate to a local Baptist church. Efforts are being made to help retrieve items taken in the sweep and to help move miscellaneous items.

With the recent crash in our economy many people have lost their homes. Many have done the unthinkable and moved themselves and their families into temporary shelters often comprised of tents and make shift enclosures. Tent Cities have become more well known throughout the United states. Tent Cities within Seattle, WA have several rules and regulations to ensure safety and meet the city ordinances, though many laws and housing ordinances have made it difficult for a permanent tent city to exist. Residents of tent cities often have to pack up and move within approximately ninety days due to trespassing laws.

SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women Housing Equality and Enhancement League) are two local organizations perusing efforts for the homeless. They are King Counties largest shelter network comprised of fifteen indoor shelters and two tent cities. According to camp organizers, before a homeless individual can reside in the camp their names are checked into a county list of sex offenders to ensure predators are not permitted in the camps. The use of drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited. Security workers are on duty twenty-four hours a day, litter patrol is done on a daily basis, and bus passes are distributed daily in order to help residents get to work or appointments.


 * Shelters

There are many shelter options for the homeless in the city of Seattle, as well as plenty of organizations that work to aid the homeless population. The federal Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program funds efforts to prevent homelessness among people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and their families. The Seattle Human Services Department is the regional coordinator of these funds for programs in King and Snohomish counties. Lifelong Aids Association (LAA) devotes much of their time to helping homeless diagnosed with AIDS and HIV.


 * Free Food - "Food Not Bombs"

Food Not Bombs, or FNB, is a world wide effort to bring food to the needy. FNB chapter in seattle is very active to support the homeless community. Every sunday and saturday, volunteers provide vegetarian dinners for any who need a meal, as well as providing free produce at "Free Markets" around town on those days as well. Their motto, "Because Food Is A Right". According to article 25, section 1 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself (sic) and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."


 * Baby Boutique

There are many families in Seattle that are living homeless. Many of these families have small children in need of clothes and supplies. Baby boutique supplies over 1,000 homeless families with the essentials needed to keep their children clean and happy. After obtaining a referral by a case worker, families are allowed a shopping trip once every three months. Families are allowed to shop for one coat, two pairs of pajamas, three pairs of socks and underwear, two pairs of shoes, four toys and six books, one sippy cup, three bottles, one blanket and two bibs.

=References=

"Homeless Statistics ." Homeless Info. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Humane Services" Seattle.gov. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Seattle Homeless." Democracy Now. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Definition." HUD.com. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Dignity Villiage Homepage." Dignity Villiage. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Family Services." Wellspring Family Services. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Youth Services." Seattle.gov. Web. 5 Dec 2009. .

"Food Not Bombs." Food Not Bombs. Web. 9 Dec 2009. .

"Nicklesville Homepage." Nicklesville. Web. 9 Dec 2009. .

"CNN Tent City." CNN. Web. 9 Dec 2009. .