The women’s winter shelter closed at the end of March. The Greensboro Urban Ministry shelter is full. She’s applied to the Salvation Army’s shelter program, but hasn’t gotten in there, either. There are no other shelters in Greensboro.

A nurse at the IRC (a friend of mine) suggested she call me. Our StreetWatch ministry provides tents and sleeping bags for homeless people who sleep outside. She asked me for blankets and she wanted to know where would be a safe location for her to sleep? And quite honestly, I didn’t know what to tell her.

I’ve had so many calls lately about homeless women on the street in Greensboro. They all need someplace to stay. I get calls from the homeless women themselves, calls from police officers, calls from homeless service providers. The shelters are full, what are the options? Well, not many that I know of.

There are women’s shelters in other towns nearby, but that’s not an option for many of these women, for various reasons. I’ve suggested to all of them that they go to the IRC, which has a housing program, but what I hear back is that unless they have an income, there’s no housing available. (Makes sense and I knew that, but I remain hopeful that someone will have housing vouchers!)

Most of the homeless women who sleep outside have a boyfriend or husband. If they weren’t with a partner when they became homeless, they find one quickly. I hear from many women that companionship and safety are very important when you live on the street. A woman living outside alone is much more vulnerable.

I’m not sure what to tell the lady who called me today. There are two tent cities within walking distance of downtown, but neither has single women living there and at both places, the residents have a voice in who joins their community, so there’s no guarantee that either will be the right fit for her. I’m not sure if she’d prefer community life or a place to herself. And it’s not always easy to find a safe, legal place to camp. (Property owners have given permission for homeless people to camp on the land where the tent cities are located.)

I’m about to go to the StreetWatch storage unit to pick up blankets and a sleeping bag and go find this lady. I still don’t know where she’ll sleep tonight. Another homeless woman sleeping outside in Greensboro. That’s messed up. We need a women’s shelter. Well, we need more shelter space for homeless people, period. But women, especially, do not need to be living outside. And women living alone on the street? That should just never, ever happen.

Meet Brad. He lives in a homeless camp, but wants to move inside before winter. To do that, he needs a job. He has lots of skills and experience, which he talks about in this video. Please watch and share.

In June, Urban Ministry officials say they helped 2,369 individuals filling 997 food orders with 1,613 bags of food as part of their emergency food program. That was an increase of 632 people from May. Emergency food orders are running an average of a 20% increase for the previous months.

In addition, the organization is seeing higher traffic at its Potter’s House Community Kitchen, especially children

>> Read all of “Urban Ministry seeing higher numbers of hungry people” at News-Record.com.

Greensboro was rated 4th among 25 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the highest rates of food hardship in the US in 2010. Greensboro Urban Ministry’s numbers suggest that the situation has worsened.

Want to help? Call 336-271-5959 or visit GreensboroUrbanMinistry.org. The GUM food bank is located at 305 W. Lee St. in Greensboro and donations are always welcome.

from Why Area Is Important:

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD, approximately 643,000 individuals and persons in families experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2009. Multiple federal programs provide assistance targeted to those experiencing homelessness or more broadly assist low-income populations. GAO reported that in 2009 federal agencies spent about $2.9 billion on over 20 programs targeted to address the various needs of persons experiencing homelessness. Some federal programs may offer similar types of services and serve similar populations, potentially leading to overlap or fragmentation.

from What GAO Found:

GAO reported in July 2010 that at least seven federal agencies administered more than 20 programs that provide some type of shelter or housing assistance. Similarly, five agencies administered programs that deliver food and nutrition services, and four agencies administered programs that provide health services including mental health services and substance abuse treatment. This range of programs has resulted in a fragmented service system.

and

Without more formal coordination of federal programs to specifically include the linking of supportive services and housing, federal efforts to address homelessness may remain fragmented and not be as effective as they could be.

under Actions Needed:

The plan recognizes that collection, analysis, and reporting of quality, timely data on homelessness are essential for targeting interventions, tracking results, strategic planning, and resource allocation. As noted above, currently each federal program generally has distinct data requirements. The plan acknowledges that a common data standard and uniform performance measures across all federal programs that are targeted at homelessness would facilitate greater understanding and simplify local data management. Consistent with the plan, representatives with USICH noted that agencies are taking steps to improve and coordinate data, specifically citing the December 2010 announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs to participate in Homeless Information Management Systems over the next 12 months.The formal coordination among agencies outlined in this plan may minimize fragmentation of federal programs and help address gaps in supportive services while linking housing and supportive services. The linking of these services is considered to be important for effectively delivering assistance to those experiencing homelessness.

» Read U.S. GAO – Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs

 

Mark

 

If you’d like to help Mark, here are some things he mentioned that he needs:

• dishes, glasses, utensils
• pots and pans
• TV
• towels
• lamps
• welcome mat

» Keep reading “I’m in MY house” at StreetWatch on Facebook.

» Previously:  (Video) StreetWatch: Mark, back at the homeless camp, looking for work

Thankfully, the closing of the dorms didn’t displace any families, but it does mean that for now, that’s three families or 16 individuals Greensboro’s Center of Hope won’t be able to house, and in a city with many more homeless people than homeless shelter beds, that’s not good news.

According to Center of Hope Executive Director Jackie Lucas (via email), no new families or individuals can move into the Center of Hope until the new mattresses are purchased. You can help. Please send a monetary donation to:

Jackie Lucas, Executive Director
The Salvation Army Center of Hope
1311 South Eugene Street
Greensboro, NC 27406

Thank you!

Related news story, from Fox8:

“The Social Security Administration (SSA) has proposed changes to the way decisions are made for awarding disability benefits based on a mental impairment. These changes will threaten the ability of people with serious mental illnesses to obtain benefits….

The changes appear in a regulation that would amend the “Medical Listings” -the standards that SSA uses to determine eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. While the proposed new Listings include some very good features, these are undermined by a provision that could limit the number of people with mental illnesses who can qualify to only one or two percent of the nation’s population. This is far below even the most conservative estimate of the number whose mental health disability makes them unable to work (the criterion for eligibility for federal disability benefits) and who therefore need this monthly income.”

~ Read all of “Social Security Disability Rules to Change – for Better and Worse: Agency Needs to Hear from You” — then, take action!

Our county had a good treatment center which offered detox, outpatient, and inpatient services. The center stayed full, with a waiting list, from the day it opened, but still, it was good treatment, and people got help there. But there were issues with Bridgeway, the operator contracted to provide services, and the state suspended admissions in August. The county is transitioning to a new provider, DayMark, but new patients won’t be admitted until at least late November. So that’s four months with no county substance abuse treatment.

Uninsured/under-insured Guilford County residents in need of substance abuse treatment can go to ARCA in Winston, RTS in Burlington or ADATC in Butner for detox and crisis stabilization. But those services are limited to 14 days. While that’s helpful in some cases, in many cases, it’s like sticking a bandaid on a seriously injured car crash victim and dumping them back into the middle of the interstate. Those in recovery from cocaine addiction, for example, often need significantly more residential treatment. They need to be in a safe, structured environment while their brains begin to heal. And at just 14 days’ clean time, a crack addict’s brain looks like someone turned the lights out.

Much is said about “community-based treatment,” which means non-residential (not in a facility), but in reality, it sounds a lot better than it often works. “Best practices” and “client-centered therapy” are also important parts of good treatment. But the substance abuse treatment available locally to alcoholics and addicts who don’t have good health insurance coverage doesn’t always measure up to those terms.

I’m a realist. I know that the biggest reason why we don’t have the needed treatment is because there’s not enough money to pay for it. Local and state treatment programs are paid for primarily with tax dollars. There’s always been a shortage of treatment beds and treatment options. And the current economy has no doubt worsened the situation. But I also know the cost of addiction that most taxpayers don’t see or think about. It’s “pay me now or pay me later.” When treatment-ready alcoholics and addicts can’t get the help they need, and they continue in their addictions, taxpayers still end up paying for it.

People who can’t access needed treatment services often continue to cycle through emergency rooms (the most expensive form of healthcare) and detox programs. That costs taxpayers money. Active alcoholics and addicts who are on disability may use government benefits, such as SSDI or SSI checks, food stamps or utility vouchers to buy alcohol and drugs. Taxpayers pay for that. Police officers, jailers and judges can tell you about the correlation between addiction and crime. Again, taxpayers pay.

The cost of the destruction of lives — both the addicts’ and their friends and families — cannot be measured.  Alcoholics, addicts, and their friends and families lose time from work dealing with crises. Alcoholics, addicts, and their friends and families deal with mental and physical health issues — some which contribute to the alcoholism and addiction, and some resulting from it. Families break up and relationships end because of alcoholism and addiction. Single-parent families are at a greater risk of poverty and are more likely to receive government assistance. All of this adds up to more taxpayers dollars.

There’s much stigma, misinformation and mythology attached to alcoholism and addiction. This probably contributes to the lack of advocacy for increasing treatment options. But if we were to really look at the bottom line, we’d see that “detox and done” isn’t really serving anyone.

It’s easy to appeal to compassion and make an emotional case for providing treatment for alcoholics and addicts who are ready to do the next thing. But the pragmatic case is just as compelling, if not more so. Currently, adequate treatment is not available because our community can’t afford to provide it. But the truth is that taxpayers are already paying (and likely paying more) for not providing adequate treatment services, which raises the obvious question: Can we really afford not to provide it?

From DayMark’s web site:

Daymark® Recovery Services, Inc. is a mission driven, comprehensive community provider of culturally sensitive mental health and substance abuse services… committed to using the most current best practices and effective, research-based treatment programs to assist all citizens working toward achieving optimum health and recovery.

DayMark plans to retain at least some of Bridgeway’s staff and tentatively plans to re-open on November 1st. No decision has been made as to whether or not detox services will be provided by DayMark. Those services are currently being provided by ARCA in Winston.

Bridgeway lost the contract to run the treatment center following the death of a detox patient in January. And there had been other problems shortly after Bridgeway’s opening.

» Previously: Death at treatment center impacts recovery options for county’s homeless residents

Our county could easily use hundreds more than the 56 beds at the treatment center. These are needed services, and I hope that the transition to DayMark goes smoothly and substance abuse treatment in Guilford County continues to improve and expand.

PRESS RELEASE

Jehan Benton-Clark
For Immediate Release
336.553.2715 (O)
336.215.1295 (M)
Jehan@PartnersEndingHomelessness.org

State of Homelessness in Guilford County

Guilford County, NC—March 22, 2010– Homelessness has become a national issue of significant proportion with over 300 cities and counties across the country implementing plans to address this human tragedy.  In Guilford County, the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative focuses on actively implementing, evaluating and updating Guilford County’s Ten Year Plan which is aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents of Guilford County by ending chronic homelessness and reducing all types of homelessness by 2016. The Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative focuses on generating housing and strengthening prevention & supportive services.

Homelessness is defined by the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) as a person sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation (e.g., living on the streets, or residing in an emergency shelter, or transitional housing) while, chronic homelessness is defined as an 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.

Three methods of data collection are used to gain an accurate picture of homelessness trends and the people experiencing homelessness over time in Guilford County. These methods include an annual Point in Time Count, an annual local school system count, and information and data collected by the State of North Carolina’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Point in Time counts, conducted annually across the nation, are designed to collect data on the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness on any given night. The information collected provides a snapshot of unduplicated sheltered and unsheltered individuals and families experiencing homelessness as defined by HUD. On Wednesday, January 27^th the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County conducted Guilford County’s Annual Point in Time Count. The survey included only individuals willing to answer questions about their living status within a single 24 hour time period.  Every individual or family experiencing homelessness are not included as some refuse to participate, avoid the survey, or are not found within the 24 hour time period. The 2010 Point in Time Count reveals that 1,064 individuals experience homelessness on any given night and 131 of those individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness. This year’s snap shot shows increases in homeless veterans, domestic violence victims, and homeless children, with a 55% increase in the number of Veterans living on the street or in emergency shelters, a 31% increase in the number of domestic violence victims who are experiencing homelessness (with 40% of those victims being male), and an 8% rise in the number of homeless children.

The Guilford County School System reports data annually on the number of children experiencing homelessness over the course of the school year. This data, based on the US Department of Education’s definition of homelessness, includes children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations. During the 2008-2009 school year the Guilford County School system reported 1,585 children experiencing homelessness over the course of the school year. In addition, to the 2008-2009 school year count, on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Guilford County Schools conducted an additional count to help provide a snapshot, with a total of 1,230 children experiencing homelessness on that day.

HMIS, a software application that records and stores unduplicated counts of client-level information on the characteristics and service needs of homeless persons. The Carolina Homeless Information Network manages North Carolina’s HMIS system. It is used by homeless assistance providers to coordinate care, manage their operations, and better serve their clients. Aggregated data in the system gives insights into the extent and nature of homelessness over time. Data collected in the HMIS system reflects that Guilford County had over 4,770 individuals and families who experienced homelessness over the course of the year in 2009.

Guilford County has made many strides over the past three years to address the issue of homelessness, however the economic downturn and housing crisis has disrupted the stability of many people. The challenges of living without permanent shelter are great and all the more heartbreaking when children, veterans and victims of Domestic violence are involved. The three pronged approach to data collection used in Guilford County reveals only a glimpse of the problem. It does not include the many people surviving outside of the system who are imminently homeless or precariously housed.

Unemployment and underemployment are the top reasons people in Guilford County experience homelessness, according to this data. Respondents state that jobs, affordable housing, shelter and healthcare are the most important community services needed in Guilford County. Families and individuals experiencing homelessness are not the only ones harmed by this situation. Guilford County citizens and the economy as a whole are impacted as well. It is essential that all groups pool their resources and coordinate efforts by strengthening existing partnerships and creating new ones. Our community has great needs, but through your support of the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative we can help …connect…support ….and restore lives. We know that Time Counts and that with your help, together we can ensure that Guilford County will be a community that ends homelessness.

About the Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative

The Partners Ending Homelessness Initiative works to encourage public understanding of the causes and conditions of homelessness and lead a strong and stable system of care for individuals and families to reduce homelessness in Guilford County. For more information, please visit www.PartnersEndingHomelessness.org. Partners Ending Homelessness can be contacted at 336.553.2715 or by email at info@PartnersEndingHomelessness.org

About the Homeless Prevention Coalition

The Homeless Prevention Coalition is a diverse, community-based coalition working to end homelessness in Guilford County through advocacy, information, funding, and networking. For more information on the members of the Homeless Prevention Coalition, please visit http://www.hpcgc.org. For more information about the 2010 Point in Time Count contact Shanna Reece, Executive Director, The Servant Center at 336.275.8585 or shannareece@theservantcenter.org, or Steve Key, Executive Director, Open Door Ministries, at 336.885.0191 or skey@odm-hp.org.

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