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Homeless In America

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with Litchfield Realty

I read this ad today and was appauled to see how many mothers and children are living like this. We are suppose to be the United States of America.  What is our leaders doing to help these familes? Why are the shelters filled to capicity?

Original content by Debi Boucher

 

Homeless In America

"There but for the grace of God, go I" - attributed to John Bradford, 16th Century

In any given night in America, 700,000 to 2 million people have no home to go to. Staggering statistic? Yes. And these numbers were from 1996.


In Colorado Springs, Fountain Creek runs parallel to Interstate 25.
It has become 'home' to many of the city's considerable homeless population. It is estimated that Colorado Spring's chronic homeless number about 350 persons, and about 750 more have joined the homeless population due to job loss. That puts the number of people living on the streets, or along the creek bed, at approximately 1100.

Homeless in America

Local Shelters are filled to capacity, and while the city struggles to find a solution, the homeless camps remain. Some cities around the country are providing basic services to their 'tent cities' on public land, such as portable toilets, (which I saw today at a few of the camps I photographed), trash pick up, firewood, and mobile medical vans.

Homeless in America

A few of the homeless are there because they want to be. Most are not.

Homeless in America

 

Homeless in America

Why not designate an area, provide the needed services, and give these people a place to live with some dignity while we all await better times?

Homeless in America

Proudly, in just 24 hours, we as Americans donated 10 million dollars to the relief effort in Haiti.

Homeless in America

Granted, it's not on the same scale, but are the fast growing tent cities across America not also a crisis?

Homeless in America

Statistics show that most homeless are men. But more and more women and children are joining them as families lose their jobs, and with them, the ability to pay rent. This is a cold, and dangerous way to live.

While I took these photos in Colorado Springs, I'm sure they are indiscernible from any other city in the country.

Blog Update:

While researching statistics for this post, (very little current data exists), I ran across an online book by Kenneth Churchill, called the American Homeless Land Model.  On the very first page, I read something that I had never considered before.  I emailed Mr. Churchill asking permission to use it in this post.  I wrote this post before hearing back from him.  I am printing this shocking truth now, with his permission:

"The law forbids the common lands as a place of abode for the accruement of resources and the protection of life and property. There is not one square foot of land in the United States where a homeless person can stand, for a moment in time, legally. It does not exist. Homelessness is unlawful. A Homeless person's existence is unlawful. Their homelessness status is a condition of perpetual criminality. They are continually on someone else's land; inevitably asked to move on to some illusory lawful destination, presumed to exist, but never found."

I would also like to add that I emailed our local Pikes Peak Association of Realtors today, and received a swift reply of support for a call to action among our 3,000 members.

Contact your local board!

Question - What is NAR doing to help?

 

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Photos and content by Debi Boucher, DBoucher Photography, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced without express written permission. 

 

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Comments (3)

Brian L. Nelson
AllTrade Home Inspection - Lake Tapps, WA
Seattle WA - Tacoma WA Home Inspector

Good information, its tough times for a lot of people out there in the current economy.

Feb 19, 2010 01:59 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

So tough to see but we need to.  As a former single mom, I was astonished to see the statistics on single moms being one of the largest poverty groups in the country.  So sad!

Feb 19, 2010 02:00 AM
Don MacLean
New England Real Estate Center Inc. - Easton, MA
Realtor-Homes for Sale- Easton, Mass 02356

As sad as it is, even if we establish a place, food, water and safety for every walk of life in every country  you will still be faced with this problem.

It doesn't matter where you stand here or Haiti its the worlds problem.

Don

 

Feb 19, 2010 02:11 AM