High Point’s City Council voted Tuesday to pan aggressive panhandling. The ordinance makes it a violation to continue soliciting after a first request, to use physically or verbally abusive tactics, to block the solicited person’s exit or to otherwise behave aggressively while panhandling. More here. Greensboro has heavily regulated panhandling … > read more
I’ve been writing about local efforts to come up with additional emergency winter shelter, and about the increase in requests for assistance and decline in giving. Today’s News & Record features front-page, above-the-fold coverage of both those issues. “Requests for help rise as non-profits struggle:” (PDF) Some agencies have seen … > read more
The Greensboro City Council is scheduled to vote tonight on buying the Coliseum Inn on High Point Road, and the plan is to tear down the hotel and sell the property to a developer. I don’t really have a strong opinion for or against the City buying and razing the … > read more
Question: “Can a home save the homeless?” That’s the title of Amanda Lehmert’s 11/16/2008 News & Record article on the housing support team program — an initiative to move chronically homeless people from the street into housing. Vincent Sims used to sleep under the Lee Street bridge. He spent some … > read more
At a recent meeting focused on expanding emergency winter shelter in response to the growing number of homeless people on the street, Greensboro Urban Ministry’s shelter director, Manny Matos, addressed concerns such as shelter overcrowding: ” …when we’re dealing with human life, I take the risk. We have to understand, … > read more
Today I saw a woman pushing a stroller down Lee Street, not far from the shelter. It was loaded with bags and belongings in the back, and a baby sat in the front. A tiny toddler walked beside the stroller. On “the block” at Lee and Eugene, in front of … > read more
I saw one of our homeless lady friends at breakfast this morning. She sleeps outside. I noticed right away that she looked really peaceful and beautiful this morning. She struggles with addiction, and that battle is usually evident in her appearance. But not today. I went to hug her and … > read more