Do Homeless Kids Count?

Somewhere back about 1994-5, Congress was about to do away with the entire McKinney homeless education law. We had just passed the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act and it didn't take a political scientist to figure if McKinney went down the toilet so would IL EHCA. So we made a bunch of signs including the one on the left that says "the question is not CAN homeless kids count, but DO they count?" next to a picture of Charlie. And we mustered together a protest march and a press conference.

We had Republican legislators, (now retired) State Reps. Suzanne Deuchler and Mary Lou Cowlishaw show up for our conference and they made very supportive comments. Our kids carried signs and were very much a part of the action. Barbara Duffield had just started working for the National Coalition for the Homeless and I had met her once or twice, sizing her up after her predecessor, Joan--name escapes me.

Barbara and I spoke often during this crisis. I learned something from/about her. She wasn't a pie-in-the-sky ivory tower advocate, she was grass-roots and VERY determined. I had to ratchet up my efforts to keep up with her. We involved our shelter volunteers and our homeless brothers and sisters who stayed there if they were so inclined. They were. We sent faxes by the bazillion to our legislators telling them to back off this silly plan.

Mary Lou Cowlishaw made a phone call to her Congressman, Harris Fawell, a personal friend. She said something--I can only imagine it was vintage MLC--"Harris, get them to back off this silly plan..." or something like that.

Denny Hastert sent a staffer to talk with me one night as I was squeezing in a few more faxes before our shelter doors opened at 7. STOP! was their plea--you've convinced us. We quit--the "we" being Congress, brought to their knees by a fierce army of advocates and fax machines.

That was then. This is now.

We need a fierce army of advocates to call and fax their Members of Congress, particularly if they sit on the House Financial Services subcommittee. The committee meets Tuesday, July 15, and they will decide the fate of homeless kids, much like back in the mid-90s.

Back then we didn't have email, blogs, or access to the Internet. Now you can click here
type in your zip code and in a flash get your congressperson's name and contact info (HINT, HINT).

Then you could either call or fax (NO SNAIL MAIL OR EMAIL FOR THIS CAMPAIGN) a brief message to urge them to:
1) NOT SUPPORT THE HEARTH BILL, HR 840, (yup, the same bill we supported until today when it was gutted like a catfish and replaced by a piece of crap). We want them to PULL THE BILL and,
2) If an amendment comes up that allows homeless kids to count (letting HUD count them if they've been ID'ed as homeless by other federal programs), then support that amendment.

HOMELESS KIDS COUNT! What a concept. We fought for this 15 years ago and we're still fighting. We won 15 years ago. Will we win this one? We have a lot to lose, because to some of us, homeless kids count to the max.

Seems to me it's time put aside the fantasy sports and reality TV, dust off the fax machines, and write a message to your member of Congress. Feel what democracy is supposed to be--voters letting their legislators know what's important. HOMELESS KIDS COUNT.

Neat Little Boxes? No--It's a Mess!

These are NOT homeless boys. No, their family stayed in a motel after their house was condemned. They paid for the motel with a combination of their own money and agencies' money. The proposed definition of homelessness would NOT consider them homeless.

The latest in negotiations over HUD's definition of homelessness leaves me shaking my silver-thatched head.

For newcomers, or those lucky enough to forget this saga is dragging on, HUD is fighting tooth-and-nail to avoid including families and unaccompanied youth in their very narrow definition of homelessness if the aforementioned are doubled-up with someone who was willing to take them in, or if they've scraped together enough to get a crappy motel room.

When I think back to the homeless families and youth I've known, I fail to conjure up any situations that fit the neat, box-like definition of homelessness that HUD is pushing. The definition isn't even worth typing, but for those who want to see that I'm not making this up, click here.

And that isn't even the definition of "chronic homelessness," the actual definition for HUD-funded shelters across this unevenly housed land. (A "chronically homeless" person is defined as "an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years." )

I want to point out some obvious flaws in their Beltway-bumblehead "logic."

HOMELESSNESS DOESN'T FIT INTO NEAT BOXES.
Proposed changes to the definition assume that a family will stay for a specified period at a motel, or simply stay with Uncle Max and Aunt Martha who have made arrangements with their landlord for a whole slew of "company" to stay for an unknown period of time. THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!!

A newly-homeless family, especially those without a shelter in their area (common beyond the Beltway or metro areas), will usually try the motel route, hoping they'll just be there a short time. Classic case was a family I met in Reno (CLICK to read a more detailed account).

Mom and Dad worked--albeit irregularly--and took care of their 6 kids the best they could. The owner of their house chose not to make essential repairs, thus the house was condemned and the family, including a baby, were evicted. Reno has no family shelter--but they have one for adults (another story for another day). The parents pieced together a combination of their own money and agency money to stay in the motel until they eventually found a place.

HUD would not consider them homeless, and as non-homeless they wouldn't be eligible for the sparse assistance HUD-funded agencies give. THEY WERE NOT HOMELESS? Come on.

SHELTERS, NOT ENOUGH AND NOT FOR EVERYONE

Melissa and her kids in Milton, FL shared their story with us for the documentary we're working on. My fingers would fall off if I tried typing all the contortions this Mom and her kids went through to avoid sleeping on a sandy Florida beach. They did sleep in their car when turned away from the shelter right before Christmas because it was full.

Suffice to say they hopped from motels to friends, to motels, trying the shelter that wouldn't let her stay if she kept her job because it conflicted with their curfew, to motels, to friends...well, you get the idea. THEY WERE NOT HOMELESS? Give me a break.

I could go on and on. And this diatribe of mine doesn't even touch the bombshell of an issue of unaccompanied homeless youth. Some other day... I want to point out some huge flaws in the NUMBERS controversy.

HUD's NUMBERS SUCK WIND
HUD uses their very inaccurate "point-in-time" count which counts people in shelters or "chronic" (I much prefer the term "long-term" or how about the more truthful term "ignored"?) adults the well-intentioned volunteer enumerators happen to find on the streets. HUD gives the number 754,000, often sliding over the confusing fact that it's a point-in-time count--whatever that means. It ends up being reported--in the media and to Congress--as 754k. Not bad for a wealthy nation of more than 300 million. Way to go, America!

The US Dept. of Education, using an admittedly under-counted but more verifiable census of school-age homeless kids, came up with over 900,000 for a school year. That doesn't include parents and younger/older siblings. It doesn't include kids who are not identified as homeless. It DOES include families in motels or doubled up.

Most outrageously, one of the "advocacy" negotiators, citing concerns of unnamed advocates and cities among others, pointed out that the proposed expanded definition would possibly cause the 750k number to be bumped up to 2.5-10 million. HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF AN ADVOCATE if you capitulate to the argument of "not enough resources" as the reason to restrict the definition change? Look at homeless kids in the face and tell them that.

So, let me get this straight. People who lost their housing and move into a motel or double-up or combine those survival strategies are not homeless because a few bone-headed advocates and unenlightened bureaucrats don't want the estimate of homelessness to reflect reality???? Are you kidding me?!

I'm sure they'd justify their position by saying the government doesn't have resources to help that many people. Nah, not in this country of tax-cuts for the richest and a military strategy run amok, and bail-outs for friends in high places, and....

Seems to me that it's time to let the negotiators and advocates who that think it's a vacation to stay in one cramped and crappy motel room for an indeterminate period of time with very little money and a bunch of kids who know this isn't Disneyland--let them try it for a night or two. Then move over to Uncle Max and Aunt Martha's, with their surly landlord who is just looking for a reason to kick someone out.

Then come back to the negotiating table and play nicely. Up to 10 million Americans are counting on you.

Travels Tell the Story...If Only HUD Would Listen

The map gives an idea of where I've traveled over the past 3 years in my quest to give voice and visibility to homeless kids. Although metro areas were unavoidable, most of my driving and stops centered on non-urban areas. I never lacked for homeless kids to talk to....

Trying to update the HEAR US website is one of those one-thing-leads-to-another projects. I realized how out-of-date my travel map was, so I took the time on this refreshingly cool Sunday afternoon to do a new one. It was a trip down memory lane....but I got distracted.

As much as I could wax on about the sights and events of these 64k miles, I found myself thinking of the current infuriating battle being waged in DC over who "deserves" to be defined homeless.

The primary focus of my journeys has been to learn about homelessness from homeless and formerly homeless children, teens and parents. I've talked to hundreds of homelessness experts from places that most people wouldn't be able to find with an atlas. These experts know because they have lived this uprooted lifestyle. They fuel my fire. Their stories, available on our HEAR US documentary, My Own Four Walls, will convince you that they are truly HOMELESS.

I've also had frank talks (because I'm not connected with government) with workers in the trenches--educators and service providers--who painted a frightening picture of how un/under-addressed homelessness is exploding in their communities. I'll stack what I've seen and heard, topped onto my 15 years of running shelters, against a Beltway bureaucrat or politician any day.

BACKGROUND
Some of us have been trying to get HUD to expand their homeless definition--and focus--to include families doubled-up and staying in motels because of hardship. A strong contingent--let's face it, they have the money and clout--have thrown everything they could at our little band of advocates. Barbara Duffield, NAEHCY's policy director, has been at the table, a brutal and draining task, deserving kudos and a huge raise!

But the battle (I'd like another word that doesn't sound like war, but I'm Thesaurus-challenged--nothing does this justice) continues. Sympathizers PLEASE let your thoughts be known! HEAR US has the PIGGIES' Project for this purpose. DO IT NOW!!

Here's the gist of the arguments of those who are opposed to changing the HUD definition of homelessness...

IT WILL INCREASE the NUMBER
HUD already uses an absurd under-count to assure Congress they're on top of homelessness. It's a point-in-time street count that providers will privately tell you is a well-intentioned sham. HUD says 750,000 people are homeless. They don't count families doubled-up, in motels, or otherwise not visible to the counters. Families don't want to be on the street --it puts them in jeopardy of getting involved with the foster care system. Ditto for homeless teens. Don't count them--and they won't count.

IT WILL OVERWHELM the SYSTEM
That's the point--the system is already overwhelmed. It has been--since the '80s. Since HUD has somehow reasoned that it's OK to ignore the existence of families and teens outside their "system" they shouldn't be surprised that we haven't gotten ahead of the problem.

Congress--under both parties--has been negligent in addressing homelessness, diverting resources to...well, that's too much to cover in this tiny blog. Congress, and the President, gives HUD marching orders.

Worth noting: The ignored homeless kid from 20 years ago--the beginning of the fed's "coordinated" approach to homelessness--is now in his/her 20s or 30s. Chances are that homeless child of the 80s is now a homeless adult of the 21st Century. That makes HUD's non-response a virtual feeder system for homeless shelters down the road.

IT WILL CHANGE the 'DEAL'
Take a faulty premise and build on it--where do we see that happening? "Mission Accomplished" comes to mind. Another argument that I can't believe someone would put in writing, "Changing the deal by considering a different group of people homeless could lead to some communities giving up.”

OK, this is where my travels have come in real handy. This "10-Year-Plan," a.k.a. the "DEAL," is a farce. I've seen scads of homeless adults--the ones HUD proclaims to prioritize--who have no place to stay because the shelters are over-capacity. They stand on street corners in cities and towns across the land. They get shoved out of one town by police and they go to the next. Ask around—does anyone think the 10YP is working (besides HUD)?

HUD's 10YP is like saying you're losing weight by not eating cupcakes. It ignores the reality that you're eating cake...and ice cream, etc. It's delusional. It's OK to be delusional about weight loss/gain, but not about children and teens living in highly-mobile, inadequate, insecure, and often dangerous environments.

ARBITRARY DEFINITION
Argh! I don't know how BD can sit in her chair when they say that our proposed definition is “arbitrary.” HUD decides they’re the expert in homelessness (OK, I'll grant them one thing--they've been a part of homelessness creation for long enough) and THEY can define it:
“A ‘chronically homeless’ person is defined as ‘an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”
A ROOM IN THIS SEEDY MOTEL ABOVE WAS THE HOME FOR A MOM, DAD AND 5 SCHOOL-AGE KIDS. IT'S LOCATED IN DUPAGE COUNTY, IL, ONE OF THE MOST AFFLUENT COUNTIES IN THE COUNTRY. THEY WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED HOMELESS UNDER HUD'S DEFINITION. WHAT WERE THEY, VACATIONING??

Missing from their "enlightened" definition are kids and families (and non-disabled adults). Because many communities have NO FAMILY SHELTERS--Reno, Las Vegas, Las Cruces— come to my mind, but lots more would be on the list if I had time and space to compile it--families and teens turn to whatever place they can find: Sometimes motels. Sometimes a patchwork of friends' and family's houses. Sometimes a horrible combination that includes physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse. Typically their choices are places that are overcrowded, unstable, unsafe, unpredictable...but I guess it's OK for families according to HUD.

'REAL' HOMELESS FAMILIES are WORSE OFF
Anyone who would use this argument would be giving away their naïveté in the world of homelessness. Most families who bounce in and out of homelessness get the experience of all forms of homelessness--doubling up, turning to shelters, being turned away from shelters and going to motels, living in vehicles, and then recycling through this devastating circuit.

Seems to me that the millions of our nation’s homeless families would validate my premise given a chance to be heard. But the people responsible for prolonging homelessness will have the comforts of home to insulate their ignorance as homeless families look for a place to call home.

Choices: Kids or Adults or...

In Arizona, where temperatures soar and shelters are far past full, some homeless adults do the only thing you can do--wait for night to fall and temps to drop. Disabilities, mental and/or physical, keep many homeless adults prisoners of the streets.

Sometimes it seems that homeless kids' issues get pitted against homeless adults. Programs depending on federal assistance to serve homeless people must follow Washington's priority proclamations or not get funding. That's a strategy guaranteed to get the attention of beleaguered shelter operators. Right now, as it has been for the last 6 or 7 years, the feds say "chronic" homeless adults are NUMBER ONE!

One could wonder, do they really care that much about the long-term, most challenging to help adults who have lots of problems? That would be nice. That's probably not the case. In fact, scenes play out across the country where communities, often major metro areas, are taking some drastic steps against the long-term homeless adults. Take Seattle for instance....

In that rain-soaked, fairly wealthy and supposedly enlightened community, the mayor has shifted the city's stand on homeless people in encampments from a fairly tolerant position to a CLEAN SWEEP strategy, damn the cost to human dignity. City workers in haz-mat suits descend upon a "campground" and remove all the possessions of those who have little. Not remove them as in put in storage, but throw in dumpsters. The City, with a double-barreled media and legal campaign, supports this travesty by falsely demonizing homeless people, justifying the trashing of their meager "homes."

Real Change Newspaper is the Seattle version of Streetwise, the Chicago paper written and sold by Chicago's homeless vendors. RC led the recent protest against the sweeps. The best description is from RC Executive Director Tim Harris' justifiably profanity-laced blog, Apesma's Lament. You can compare his account with the local press.

Reading of this courageous stance against the sweeps, I could only think back to the days when I organized some lesser-contentious but still powerful demonstrations in Illinois. Or when we pulled together an event to honor the memory of homeless people who had died. It's electrifying to be among--and in solidarity with--people who have lost almost all shreds of their humanity, as far as material possessions go, who stand up for their brothers and sisters who have lost even more--their lives. Adults and children joined together for these events. No one had to choose.

I'm an avowed homeless kids' advocate. Does that make me care less for the adults? Not in your life! In fact, I'll go one step further. I made a modest donation to Real Change, organizers of this sleep-in. I challenge, or invite, or plead with readers to do the same. You may securely donate HERE.

Seems to me that by standing together we stand strong. That's what it's going to take to right the wrongs that have made homeless people--adults and/or children--the scapegoats for all the trash in this country.

Despite the Odds, Pat Pursues New Children's Book

Writing a book--children's or adult's--takes a huge amount of work and an equal amount of perseverance. I've been astounded at the progress made by my friend Pat Van Doren, author of the wildly popular children's book on homelessness, Where Can I Build My Volcano?

Pat's newest book, Family of Five or Six, is now available! It too is a book about homeless kids, this time a family that loses their home during a storm. Artist Wanda Platt, who illustrated Pat's first book, added her talented touch to the cover, but they also had some unique help--5th and 6th graders from Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, FL.

The Volcano book connects these Florida kids with this Illinois author. Pat's first book made its way to teacher Barbie Monty via Tampa school district's homeless liaison, Kathy Wiggins. After reading it to her class and seeing how deeply moved the students were Barbie called me to get Pat's contact info. The rest is history.

The students, after hearing the Volcano story, wanted to convert it to a play to perform at the year-end comprehensive inquiry project demonstration. OK, these kids aren't the average ambivalent students. I know, they interviewed me like professional journalists for this project, a comprehensive look at homelessness. Pat went down to Tampa for their performance and they bonded like Velcro.

Pat's new book needed some expert input. She turned to Barbie who in turn asked her kids. They were all excited about the prospect of Pat's new work. Barbie checked with Pat about adding her young friends to the editing process. Pat quickly agreed.

When Pat needed someone to provide some technical details--what it's like when a hurricane hits, etc.--she turned to these kids and got the lowdown. Pat ended up inviting the kids to provide illustrations. All of this work was in addition to their regular school responsibilities. They sacrificed their lunch periods to be able to do the weekly conference calls.

The results are cool! I'm so excited! Pat's first book shed a bright light on children's homelessness. This one hits it on the head, with Wanda telling Pat, "You did it again, you made me cry."

Seems to me we should shed a tear or two about the invisible families that continue to experience homelessness at a rate not seen since the Great Depression. But we also need to act--all of us--to urge some basic improvements in federal legislation that could ease homelessness for children and teens. If Pat, Wanda, and the Carrollwood students can work this hard to create a book to help readers understand homelessness, then the rest of us should be able to spend a few moments to let Congress know that they need to help homeless families.

Rolling Thunder, Changing Lives

Storms like this are a dime a dozen in Illinois as well as many other states. We never expect disaster to befall us, but who is immune?

With all the natural disasters in the news I struggle to imagine what millions of people are doing to survive the indescribable suffering they are continuing to experience. I'm sorry, but my mind can't wrap around how the cyclone would devastate my world or how the earthquake could disrupt my life. And I'm painfully aware how the geographic distance diminishes my horror or compassion to suffering of millions of children and adults.

I'm listening to a gentle thunderstorm roll through DeKalb tonight. So normal. So soothing. And yet a tornado could be spawned that could change my life forever. We never know, which is why they're called freak acts of nature.

As I review the 31 hours of logs from our interviews that Laura has painstakingly transcribed, I can't help but think of the suffering of each of the homeless families we've interviewed. Some women were almost destined to a life of suffering, being dealt a hand that included horrific abuse and other traumas. Two families had episodic homelessness--one time events that caused their loss- of housing. Both were 2-parent families. Both seem likely to escape further homelessness.

Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that 2-parent families are the answer, please give some serious thought to the issue of sexual abuse of minors and domestic violence. Both those factors are all-too-common when it comes to homelessness and poverty. Throw in the realities of how we treat women in this world and you will be a little more understanding as to why this country has a huge problem with invisible homeless women and families. Yes, it's nice to have the "Ozzie and Harriet" world, but it's not real.

Seems to me that since ours is a less-than-perfect society, one which seems to accept, if not condone, abuse of minors and women, perhaps we should look for ways to help them piece their lives together--quality counseling, supportive services, safe and affordable housing options, drug/alcohol treatment options. Until we do, let's not bemoan the "poor choices" of women and kids who endure destructive forces in their fragile lives.

Argh! I'm Such a Wimp!

At this very moment I'm struggling. The struggle is to stay awake until my 1:30 a.m. interview on Chicago's WGN-AM radio station. I'm an early-morning person, probably getting up when some night owls are thinking about getting some shut-eye. And now I'm listening to a gentle rain on Tillie's roof and I'm thinking of my comfy bed...

NO! Don't think of the bed....

Why would I agree to do this? A good question, one which I might not be able to coherently answer at this point. But the primary reason is that I want people to know about the shameful reality: this nation has a growing population of homeless families and teens. I started HEAR US to give voice and visibility to homeless kids. And WGN is a major AM radio station. I'm sure people listen to it...and I can hope I can put brain-cells together enough to represent this issue.

But back to the bed....

How many of us take our beds--and our homes, our neighborhoods, our lives--for granted? I'm raising my hand on that. Despite the fact that I've worked with the homeless population for over 20 years, I still forget to be grateful for what I have.

When I talk with some of the homeless kids and ask them to describe where they're sleeping, I receive some disturbing, though sadly not surprising, responses. I remember ten-year old Tiffany talking about the scratchy wool blankets (Army-issue) that the church gave out. Her big dilemma every night was to freeze because of the cold air blowing in the church/shelter's windows or to use the prickly blankets.

My brain feels like it is chewing bubble gum...

As the rain becomes more intense, I think of the Oregon family I interviewed last November. It was a raw, rainy day. I dressed for cold and wet weather--coat, hat and gloves to protect me. My friend Rob and I made our way into the woods on the edge of a small town. Hidden from view was a fairly large nylon dome tent. A mom, her male friend and her 3 girls had called that home for about 6 months.

Mine is not suffering, nor is it torture, but I, far from the suffering of this world, I am mentally groaning...

In a New England state park, I noticed the family camping next to me seemed to be more than camping--I guessed correctly that they were living there. The night turned cold, down to the low 30s. This family, mom, dad and 15-month old baby had to struggle without heat because the dad hadn't gotten paid yet so he could buy propane. Talking with the mom the next day she shared some of her story as I shared mine. I also shared my extra little heater, knowing that at least they'd have some heat.

My yawns are jaw-cracking...my fingers and brain struggle to coordinate these simple words...

Our world is filled with abject poverty and suffering beyond my ability to comprehend. The people of Myanmar have re-written the book on suffering following the devastating cyclone that destroyed lives, homes and livelihoods.

This is when I get in trouble...too tired to know when to stop babbling....

I don't have any magic formulas for fixing the wrongs of this world. I struggle with the overwhelming nature of trying to change a system that seems to grow on greed. And, as always, when my flagging spirits need it most, something crosses my path to jar my pathetic whining self. This week it was Clarissa Pinkola Estes' quote:

Ours is not the task of fixing
the entire world all at once,

but of stretching out to mend the part of the world

that is within our reach.”

Seems to me that our humanity needs some reality therapy, mine included. Instead of reaching for the impossible dream of a perfect world, I'm going to aim to fix what is within my reach.


Right now I need to mend my brain-finger connection and my fuzzy brain. The phone will ring shortly--it better--because if I've stayed up this long for nothing...there I go wimping again...