My Thoughts on Changing Homelessnes

Homelessness occurs in every city and town. People lose housing for many reasons. A person might struggle with mental health or drug abuse, be a victim of domestic abuse, or have recently lost a loved one or job.  Becoming homeless is a life altering event that is not expected.  

The Government has spent thousands of dollars trying to solve homelessness. The numbers fluctuate each year but that number never reaches zero. There will never be a time where someone doesn’t face a personal crisis and lose their housing.

I think more funding should be placed in Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing grants. These grants can assistance with paying past due, current and future rent. Security Deposits can also be obtained for new housing. We need to get people out of the shelter or off the streets faster.

Once a person is housed, services need to be provided. A person may possibly need mental health or substance abuse treatment, continued education classes, job placement, or family planning services.  These agencies need to work together to understand what is needed and how a person can benefit the most. Each person needs to be treated as an individual, homelessness is the effect not the cause. Complete care needs to be provided in order for the person to succeed.

Check out my new Twitter Page : https://twitter.com/InvisibleHome16
Please follow me for more information on ending homelessness.

How education can end homelessness: Tracy Sharp at TEDxABQED

What if homelessnesss could be resolved by providing education. This is an amazing video which details how providing an opportunity to someone who is homeless could provide a permanent change in their life. Just think if someone who faced homelessness was given the chance to attend school and housing. This could be a turning point, an opportunity to increase their earning potential.

Hello, please check out my new Facebook page to increase my networking to raise awareness of the increasing homeless population within our community.

https://www.facebook.com/homelesscompassion16/

Let's Get Involved!

http://www.mvhomeless.org/index.html

The Mohawk Valley Housing & Homeless Coalition

The Mohawk Valley Housing & Homeless Coalition website is a resourceful tool for leaning about homelessness within Oneida County, New York. The Coalition is a group of diverse people including the Department of Social Services, Department of Mental Health, organizations that provide services to homeless, City of Utica, City of Rome and former homeless persons.

Table of Contents

• ·         Mission
• ·         Services
• ·         Resourceful Tool

Mission

The Coalition’s mission is “is to prevent and end homelessness in the Mohawk Valley. Our work includes sustaining an inclusive, community wide, system-level planning, program development and program integration process that targets public and private, local, state, and federal resources to the areas of greatest need.”

Services

The website provides contact and program information for people in need within Oneida County. Services are available for emergency housing, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and Homelessness Prevention/Rapid Rehousing. Each program is designed to assist a select group of recipients and has different applicant requirements.

Resourceful Tool

The Coalition’s website would be a powerful tool for people interested in homelessness. This would be a great place to connect with other participating organizations to build knowledge and power to end homelessness. We can also submit a request to join the Coalition. According to the website “an agency, corporation, or individual that does not advocate for the homeless, but would like to support our mission in other ways”.

Let’s all join together and fight to end homelessness.