"The Old Guard"
|
|
|
|
|
How do we support our troops and criminalize our veterans? "New Study Finds 20 Meanest Cities and Constructive Alternatives to a “Dream Denied” The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) today released a report, A Dream Denied: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities, tracking a growing trend in U.S. cities – the criminalization of homelessness. The report focuses on specific city measures from 2005 that have targeted homeless persons, such as laws that make it illegal to sleep, eat, or sit in public spaces. The report includes information about 224 cities nationwide. The Dream Denied report also ranks the top 20 U.S. cities with the worst practices in relation to criminalizing homelessness. The national ranking is based on a number of factors, including the number of anti-homeless laws in the city, the enforcement of those laws, the general political climate toward homeless people in the city, and the city’s history of criminalization measures. In addition to the “meanest cities,” the report identifies examples of more constructive approaches to homelessness. NCH and NLCHP released their last joint report on the topic in 2002. In the 67 cities surveyed in this report and in the 2002 report, there are currently more laws used to target homeless persons, including a 12% increase in laws prohibiting begging in certain public places and a 14% increase in laws prohibiting sitting or lying in certain public spaces. Michael Stoops, NCH Acting Executive Director, said, “Advocates around the country continue to report that homeless people are being unfairly harassed for being on the street when they have no other place to go.” Maria Foscarinis, NLCHP Executive Director, noted, “The report highlights these unjust practices and promotes approaches that aim to solve homelessness, rather than make it worse. These practices that target homeless people forced to live in public spaces are not only cruel and counterproductive, but frequently violate homeless people’s constitutional rights.” While more cities are cracking down on homeless people living in public spaces, cities do not have adequate shelter to meet the need. The U.S. Conference of Mayors report released in December 2005 revealed that 71% of the 24 cities surveyed reported a 6% increase in requests for emergency shelter, with 14% of overall emergency shelter requests unmet and 32% of emergency shelter requests by homeless families unmet. At the same time, Congress is cutting key social safety net programs that could help reduce homelessness. Legislation passed last month by the House and Senate proposes to cut Medicaid funding by $4.8 billion and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance by $732 million over the next five years. These cuts are supported by the Bush Administration, despite the Administration’s stated goal of ending “chronic” homelessness, which is especially prevalent among disabled homeless persons living on the street. Another trend documented in the report is increased city efforts to target homeless persons indirectly by punishing or placing restrictions on service providers serving food to poor and homeless persons in public spaces. Chris Cosden, a lawyer in Sarasota, Florida, who has represented homeless clients in court challenges to three different Sarasota anti-lodging laws, said, “These laws attempt to make the lives of homeless people so wretched that they are compelled to go elsewhere . . . for a legislative body to intentionally do that is just plain mean.” The report also includes information about constitutional challenges to measures that criminalize homelessness. Top Twenty Ranked Cities: 1. Sarasota, FL This article should be extremely troubling to anyone concerned about veterans and veterans' issues since veterans constitute the largest percentage of homeless in America, and the number of homeless veterans is increasing every year. It is estimated that 468,000 veterans are now spending half or more of the monthly income on housing and at high risk of becoming homeless as well. Cuts in veteran's benefits and other social safety net programs threaten to drive the number of homeless veterans even higher. It is estimated that there is currently between 200,000 - 250,000 homeless veterans sleeping on the streets, in shelters or in transitional housing every night. Between 44,000 and 64,000 are considered "chronic" homeless, meaning they are either long-term homeless or are repeatedly homeless. The vast majority of homeless veterans are simply victims of circumstance. A circumstance that now leaves them victim of another circumstance - criminalization. How can we profess to support our troops and allow our nation to criminalize the men and women who fought to defend Her? As a 501C3 tax exempt organization, Old Guard Riders can not lobby or become involved in the political issues, but we can encourage our members and our readers to become knowledgeable and involved on issues of importance. As an organization, the mission of the Old Guard Riders is to assist America's homeless, aging, disabled and disadvantaged veterans in any way that we can. Please use the power of your vote to help in the plight of our fellow veterans. They desperately need our assistance. We can make a difference. For more information about homeless veterans, please see the OGR webpage Homeless Veteran Information Special Note From Ron Eppich, President, OGR My association with Old Guard Riders has afforded me more opportunity to become involved in veteran's issues than I ever thought possible, or even cared to before Robert's death. The veteran's issues that I have personally encountered seem unimaginable in America. We have found the cremated remains of thousands of veterans lying unclaimed for decades on mortuary shelves instead of interred with honors. We have 250,000 American veterans living on the streets in a nation they once fought to defend. A nation that would rather criminalize their condition than overcome it. We give lip service to supporting our troops while they are killed and crippled by lack of proper equipment in combat. Our troops come home to substandard facilities and endless red tape to get the continuing care they desperately need. And all the while, our political leaders bail out large institutions while cutting back veteran's benefits, medicare, medicaid and other critical programs. Now, more than ever before, I am absolutely sure that it will be the average American, not our government, that will solve the plight of our veterans. I would again like to thank each of you who has joined with me through the medium of the Old Guard Riders to make a difference in the lives of America's veterans.
|
Table of Contents
| Announcements |
| The Sisterhood |
Copyright 2007 Old Guard Riders Inc. All rights reserved.
