In this article about a local homeless man who left town, a homeless service provider said: “Most true homeless are disabled — especially mentally. They don’t hold up a sign.” I think she was saying that the majority of unsheltered homeless people are not standing on street corners holding “homeless … > read more
During a recent conversation, Liz Seymour commented on the practice of holding meetings about housing and homelessness at times and in locations that exclude the homeless: “It would be like having a meeting about disability services on the second floor of a building with no elevators.” She explained her thoughts … > read more
“They may be out there, but there’s not many of them out there… If you know where there’s a veteran sleeping under a bridge, you call me immediately and we’ll make sure that man does not do it.” — Bill O’Reilly, “The O’Reilly Factor,” Fox News If anyone can give … > read more
From North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness blog: “Often, agencies providing shelter to the homeless don’t realize that they fall under the Fair Housing Law or the American Disabilities Act. But in fact, whether you are providing short or long term shelter, chances are one of these laws apply to … > read more
As I sat down at the kitchen table, I caught a glimpse of a familiar grin out of the corner of my eye. It was a homeless friend, captured in a photo accompanying Jeri Rowe’s story about Wheelchair Man (real name, Marty), on the front page of today’s News & … > read more
Notes from the state homeless conference, 04/10/07: He had a home, a family, two cars and job making $60K a year. Then he got divorced and lost his job. The loss of his family and his life led to depression and alcohol use that made him unemployable. He lived from … > read more
Notes from the state homeless conference, 04/10/07: Michael was a healthcare worker, struggling with addiction. He cared for his grandmom after she was diagnosed with cancer, but lost hope when she died and his addiction worsened. With no other family support, he became homeless. He eventually went to a treatment … > read more
Yesterday, I spent time with a homeless friend who’s working hard to get off the street before another winter gets here, and he’s struggling against the barriers. He talked to me about some of the difficulties that homeless people face in Greensboro: Greensboro’s primary homeless shelter for adults houses individuals … > read more
Beth at Greensboring wrote a recent post about her encounter with a homeless panhandler on High Point Road. She wasn’t sure how to handle the situation, but she chose to buy the man breakfast. Great choice, and the one that I most often encourage people to do. If someone tells … > read more