{"id":7513,"date":"2018-04-03T12:55:15","date_gmt":"2018-04-03T19:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/?p=7513"},"modified":"2025-12-16T12:56:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T20:56:24","slug":"homelessness-do-locals-have-the-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/2018\/04\/03\/homelessness-do-locals-have-the-answers\/","title":{"rendered":"Homelessness \u2013 Do Locals Have the Answers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

PUBLICCEO, Timothy L. Coyle, consultant specializing in housing issues]<\/em><\/p>\n

Homelessness is a scourge of humanity and a bitter failure of government. \u00a0The victims of this incompetence and malfeasance are, of course, the homeless. For homeless individuals with alcohol or other substance abuse it\u2019s likely it is due to a lack of coordination of services. \u00a0For those with mental illness, it\u2019s an abdication \u2013 government simply not doing its job. \u00a0For veterans, it\u2019s a disgrace. \u00a0For all those other able-bodied individuals who spend night after night outdoors \u2013 suffering from a lack of affordable housing \u2013 government funding isn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n

The National Coalition for the Homeless cites as the main causes of homelessness: \u00a0lack of affordable housing; poverty; lack of affordable health care; domestic violence; mental illness; and substance abuse. \u00a0(Upon closer examination, however, both lack of affordable housing and health care can be attributed by a high rate of poverty.)<\/p>\n

California is home to more than one-fifth of the nation\u2019s homeless people, and the numbers are continuing to grow. \u00a0The state estimates the number of homeless in California is nearly 500,000. \u00a0Los Angeles County says its homeless population increased by 13,000 people last year, to a level approaching 60,000 \u2013 tho providers think it\u2019s much higher. \u00a0Same in San Francisco, which believes its homeless population has grown to over 30,000. \u00a0Metropolitan areas like San Diego and San Jose have jumped to just under 10,000 apiece. \u00a0Meanwhile, the feds vowed in 2010 to end chronic homelessness by 2020; 2015 for veterans.<\/p>\n

No one in the U.S. should be homeless. \u00a0In a wealthy country like ours, that boasts one of the world\u2019s most generous safety nets, homelessness shouldn\u2019t exist at all. \u00a0Combined, the federal and state governments spend billions every year for the nation\u2019s down-trodden, especially those with the particular torments of the homeless population. \u00a0So, where does all of this money go?<\/p>\n

The whole funding thing is a mess. \u00a0A recent study of the Institute for Local Government listed dozens of federal funding programs for the homeless \u2013 baffling even the beneficiary shelter and service providers. \u00a0The same report reveals that state providers have been wrestling for 10 years over how to spend a half-billion dollars of voter-approved funds for shelters here in California. \u00a0Lastly, local governments are desperately using a variety of local funding sources to address their growing homelessness problem. \u00a0These sources include public safety funding and resources, local sales tax, animal care and regulation fees, transit or transportation assistance, development fees, transient occupancy taxes, bond proceeds and local general funds.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the division of funding for homeless relief between federal, state and local governments is perplexing, at least. \u00a0Billions are spent every year but what is government\u2019s strategy for dealing with the problem? \u00a0No one knows because as you go from agency to agency, the message is mixed. \u00a0What do the feds say? \u00a0How about HUD? \u00a0Or VA? \u00a0Or HHS? \u00a0Our HCD? \u00a0They all want to help. \u00a0But, how?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not even certain government is asking the right questions. \u00a0They still ask: \u00a0does the problem stem from the nation\u2019s lack of affordable housing? \u00a0Is it a mental health problem? \u00a0Or, one dealing with substance abuse? \u00a0Does the problem deserve a brick-and-mortar solution? \u00a0Or, should services be provided? \u00a0If so, which ones?<\/p>\n

If it is housing supply, how does government get around the fact that in most places in California government is the problem? \u00a0That most housing approvals are being debated not in the city council chambers but in municipal court? \u00a0This is not to mention that the main housing subsidy funding coming from the federal government comes mainly in the form of vouchers \u2013 which aren\u2019t tied to a building (or a building program, for that matter) but simply supplement incomes for purposes of renting housing. \u00a0Vouchers aren\u2019t a supply strategy and may not match up well with a plan to curtail homelessness.<\/p>\n

When it comes to homelessness the federal government should be the primary funding source but it may be that the best idea is to leave solutions to the locals. \u00a0Shelters like Father Joe Carroll\u2019s facility in downtown San Diego do well in attending to the emergency needs of street people. \u00a0Or, maybe funding needs to go toward programs like PATH Beyond Shelter in Los Angeles, which concentrates on a more comprehensive approach to serving this needy population. \u00a0Or, the transitional housing approach of Peacock Commons in San Jose may be the most sensible. \u00a0Seems like the locals know best.<\/p>\n

Everyone has an idea of what might we might do to deal with homelessness. But, maybe we\u2019re attempting too much. \u00a0Let the locals decide. \u00a0After all they\u2019re living with the problem. \u00a0And, why not send all that money from Washington to them directly?<\/p>\n

Might be a good start . . . and the beginnings of a good ending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PUBLICCEO, Timothy L. Coyle, consultant specializing in housing issues] Homelessness is a scourge of humanity and a bitter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","darknews-slider-full":"","darknews-featured":"","darknews-medium":"","darknews-medium-square":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"News MoLo","author_link":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/author\/admin\/"},"category_info":"News<\/a>","tag_info":"News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7513"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7513"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7514,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7513\/revisions\/7514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.newsmolo.com\/EDC\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}