Our Neighbors On The Streets: A Social Justice Perspective

The population of homeless vets fell 12% last year — from about 76,000 in 2010 to 67,000, according to a federally sponsored annual count of homeless people, including vets, taken on a single night in January 2011. This year's count is under way and the results will be available later this year. http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-01-26/homeless-veterans/5

Check out this article which reports that the number of Homeless Women Veterans has doubled between 2006 and 2010!  Let us commit to working with the Veteran's Administration to house and support these soldiers! http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/01/24/410324/homeless-women-vets-double/?mobile=nc

Check Out this article in the Kansas City Star by Mary Sanchez: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/22/3385388/homeless-need-solutions-as-complex.html

Sheriff investigates deputy misconduct allegations By BEN SMITHWICK News-Press Staff Writer January 24, 2012 5:11 AM The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department is investigating a Christmas morning incident in Isla Vista in which sheriff's deputies allegedly disposed of sleeping bags and backpacks belonging to a group of homeless residents. According to local homeless advocate Ken Williams, two deputies allegedly took backpacks and sleeping bags from five homeless residents and threw them in dumpsters around the college town. Mr. Williams, who learned of the allegations from talking to others living on the street, said that the deputies allegedly cut the items up before disposing of them. The Sheriff's Department learned of the allegations on Dec. 29 and launched an immediate investigation to determine the facts in the matter, according to Sheriff Bill Brown. A formal complaint has not been filed. "We take very seriously any allegation ...

Matt Kennedy California Homeless Resources website: http://www.homelessresourcesca.org/ http://www.homelessresourcesca.org/

Eric Jonathan Sheptock is an outstanding social justice advocate who works tirelessly for our neighbors on the streets.  Check out his report on Washington DC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SkoCdoo0Ac

Florida state senator calls for opening stadiums to homeless   Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images So far, Florida taxpayers have contributed more than $261 million to 17 facilities throughout the state, including $37 million for Sun Life Stadium, where the Dolphins play. By   DARA KAM Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Updated: 8:25 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 Posted: 3:11 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 Post a Comment   E-mail   Print   Share   Larger Type Florida professional sports teams have ignored a 25-year-old law long enough, according to Sen. Mike Bennett, who wants to use that law to force teams to refund some of the money taxpayers have spent subsidizing stadium construction. The Bradenton Republican points to a little-known state law that requires that any professional sports facility built with state money be used as a homeless shelter when not in use for an event or acti...

Over Half Of Detroit Homeless Population At Risk Of Dying On City Streets "The homeless in Detroit race a dire situation.  The Detroit Free Press reports that living on the streets puts more than half of them at risk for dying--a far greater percentage than in any other American city." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/09/over-half-of-detroit-home_n_532037.html

(This photo is NOT related to the story) Why I voluntarily became homeless? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/teerika-patterson/voluntary-homeless_b_1223405.html

My good friend emily allen, a housing advocate and lawyer who serves our neighbors on the streets of Santa Barbara shared this with some of us here. Read about our new partnership with the United Methodist Church to build hundreds of new units of permanent supportive housing in Washington, DC". Community Solutions Rocks! http://cmtysolutions.org/projects/innovative-housing-dc