Tag Archives: violence

Posted
October 22, 2012
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No shelter for disabled gunshot victim on dialysis

UPDATE, 10/24/12: Great news! Today, my friend is moving to a very nice nursing facility where he will be able to have rehabilitation for the injuries he sustained when he was shot. My understanding is that he can stay there for as long as he needs to. Thank you to all who prayed for him! God answers prayer! :)

After more than a decade of ministering to homeless people, I’m accustomed to difficult situations and heartbreaking stories, but this one stands out. Posted today on our StreetWatch homeless outreach team’s Facebook page [slightly edited for clarity]:

Please pray for a disabled homeless man on dialysis who’s in the hospital — he was a victim of a drive-by shooting — and has nowhere to go upon discharge. He also has multiple other serious health problems. He recently stayed at Greensboro Urban Ministry’s shelter, whose rules do not allow him to return for six months. (We have asked for an exemption because of his circumstances, but it was denied.) He was shot on the street, shortly after his time ended at the shelter.

He needs to be in Greensboro to continue his dialysis. Because of his health problems and safety needs, it would be very dangerous for him to try to sleep outside again. His multiple complicate the situation, and thus far, social workers have not been able to find a place for him to go when he leaves the hospital.

He is eligible for a housing voucher or supportive housing program, but we are unaware of any openings in these programs. He’s had a hard life and he’s in a hard situation. We believe that God makes a way where there’s no way, and I’ve been visiting him and praying that with and for him. Please pray that with us! Thank you, friends.

Posted
January 19, 2011
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Guilford County homeless providers receive $1.4 million

HUD recently awarded renewal funds for existing homeless programs as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Continuum of Care Grants. Homeless service providers in Guilford County received a total of $1,449,318 — a modest increase of $8,244 overall from 2009. Most homeless service providers received the same funding as last year. With non-profits scrambling to find money in a depressed economy, the HUD grant awards are welcome news.

Here is a list of the Guilford County providers who received renewal funding, along with the amount each received this year and last year:

HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDER PROGRAM NAME 2009 HUD AWARD 2010 HUD AWARD
Alcohol and Drug Services of Guilford, Inc.

Project Home Front

SHP

 $34,996

$34,996
Family Service of the Piedmont, Inc.

Clara House: emergency shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence in Greensboro

SHP

 $70,218

$70,218
Greensboro Housing Authority

Grace Homes: housing program for chronically homeless single adults with physical, mental or substance abuse disabilities in Greensboro

S+CR

 $0

$21,996
Greensboro Housing Authority Home at Last: permanent
supportive housing program for homeless people in Greensboro

S+CR

 $121,548 $0
Greensboro Housing Authority

Housing Opportunities: permanent supportive housing program for homeless people in
Greensboro

SHP

 $477,369

$477,369
Greensboro Housing Authority

Mary’s Homes: scattered site
single-family homes in High Point for homeless, substance abusing mothers in recovery, and their children

S+CR

 $316,152

$423,948
Greensboro Urban Ministry

Partnership Village:
transitional housing for formerly homeless individuals and
families in Greensboro

SHP

 $59,850

$59,850
Joseph’s House, Inc.

Joseph’s House Young Adult Independent Living
Program: permanent, supportive housing program for homeless young adults in Greensboro who are: 1) chronically homeless, or 2) victims of domestic violence, or 3)
disabled

SHP

 $43,730

$43,730
Mary’s House, Inc.

Mary’s House: transitional
housing for mothers in recovery from substance abuse, and their
minor children; located in Greensboro

SHP

 $135,982

$135,982
Open Door Ministries of High Point, Inc.

Arthur Cassell Memorial Transitional Housing
Program: transitional living facility in High Point for homeless recovering addicts and alcoholics

SHP

 $48,919

$48,919
Open Door Ministries of High Point, Inc.

HMIS – High Point: homeless management information system

SHP

 $13,750

$13,750
The Salvation Army

Case Management/After-Care

SHP

 $19,274

$19,274
The Servant Center, Inc.

Servant House: transitional housing program for disabled homeless men in Greensboro

SHP

$47,586

$47,586
Youth Focus Inc.

Youth Focus Transitional Living Program :
serves homeless young women in Greensboro ages 16-21

SHP

$51,700

$51,700
$1,441,074

$1,449,318

NOTES (from HUD.gov):

  • S+CR: Shelter Plus Care Program provides rental assistance for hard-to-serve homeless persons with disabilities in connection with supportive services funded from sources outside the program.
  • SHP: The Supportive Housing Program helps develop housing and related supportive services for people moving from homelessness to independent living. Program funds help homeless people live in a stable place, increase their skills and their income, and gain more control over the decisions that affect their lives.

» Click here to see all 2010 grant awards of HUD’s web site.

 

Posted
March 24, 2010
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State of Homelessness in Guilford County: March 2010

pehPRESS 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.
(more…)

Posted
March 22, 2010
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Local homeless count numbers officially released: “Homelessness on rise”

Totals for the 2010 Guilford County homeless count (part of the annual, nationwide HUD count) were reported to the state and available on the web as of March 12th, as reported here at ChosenFast.com. Those numbers were officially released to the media today:

howmanyOn any given night, 1,064 people find themselves without permanent shelter in Guilford County, new data shows.

The annual “point-in-time” count of the homeless Jan. 27 found that at least that many people were living on the street, in shelters or in transitional housing, according to a report released today by Partners Ending Homelessness.

The annual count is a snapshot of homelessness in the county and officials caution it is not a complete picture of the situation. People often decline to take the voluntary survey and others may not be found during the 24-hour period that it takes place.

In 2009, the point-in-time count found 1,052 people experiencing homelessness in Guilford County.

This year’s count of the homeless also showed:

  • a 55 percent increase in the number of military veterans
  • a 31 percent increase in the number of domestic violence victims; and
  • an 8 percent increase in the number of children

– from ‘Snapshot’ survey shows homelessness on rise : News-Record.com

My experience with our StreetWatch team, as well as observations at shelter and meal locations, and conversations with police officers and homeless people, tell me that homelessness is increasing in our city and county, as it is across the nation. Counting homeless people is a notoriously difficult, and ultimately impossible, task. So I tend to go by trends, based on who we see and who we serve.

Last week, I spoke with Jehan Benton-Clark, director of Partners Ending Homelessness (PEH), about this year’s homeless count totals. We discussed the inherent limitations of a one-day homeless count, and other available data from local homeless service providers which presents a broader picture of the increasing homeless population in our area. I anticipate a more detailed public report from PEH.

Posted
October 11, 2009
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Bessemer beating: More homeless on homeless violence in Greensboro

homelessviolenceFrom the News & Record

A 44-year-old man leaving the Bessemer Curb Market was beaten and robbed by two men Saturday, police said.

About 5:25 p.m., Anthony Brooks was leaving the store at 925 E. Bessemer Ave. when two men approached him, according to Greensboro police.

The men then attacked Brooks, beating him about the head with their fists, police said in a news release. They took his cash and a pocket knife and fled.

An alert was broadcast and the suspects were found in a parking lot at Northeast Shopping Center. They were arrested on Summit Avenue.

Willie James McFadden, 41, of 1906 Taylor St., was charged with robbery with dangerous weapon and assault inflicting serious injury. His bond was set at $10,000.

Donald Keith Smith, 41, alias “New York,” of 305 W. Lee St., was also charged with those crimes. His bond was set at $50,000.

Brooks, also of 305 W. Lee St., was treated and released for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

305 W. Lee St. is the address of Greensboro Urban Ministry — a homeless shelter.