When Will We Truly Tackle Homelessness?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by elizabethlombino

New statistics were released indicating that over 50,000 people access New York City shelters each night. About 50% of those people are children.

This is an atrocity. America is a wealthy, vibrant nation. There is no reason or excuse for these high numbers of homeless individuals and families. Chronic homelessness is preventable. With affordable housing and additional social services, no one has to be homeless long term.

Below is a repost of an article Rich and I wrote close to 3 years ago. The pop culture reference may be very outdated, but the message is the same ~ that anyone can become homeless. And with the rising number of homeless individuals, it is clear that we are all at risk. We must all work together, with compassion and hope, to work to eliminate homelessness.

“Never look down on someone unless you are helping him up.” ~ Jesse Jackson

Anyone Can Become Homeless, Even Former NBA Players, July 2010

Unless you’ve been living under a rock these past few days, you’ve no doubt heard about “The Decision.” NBA superstar LeBron James, now officially ego-in-chief, had a one-hour primetime special to announce his intention to join the Miami Heat. (Being Knicks fans, we think “the Decision” sucks.) LeBron will be offered a nine-figure contract, making him one of the highest paid professional athletes in history. His throne as the King of the NBA will soon be in South Beach.

Juxtapose his situation with that of “Sugar Ray” Williams, a 10-year veteran of the NBA. He is currently homeless and living in the back of his broken-down 1992 Buick. Sugar Ray played in the late 70′s to mid 80′s. Although the salaries were not as astronomically high as they are now, he had fame, fortune and seemingly endless resources available to him. Still, he’s homeless.

Surprisingly, he’s not the first former professional athlete to face the challenge of homelessness. Former NBA player David Vaughn now sleeps in a storage shed, former boxing champion Rocky Lockridge now lives on the streets of Camden, New Jersey, former NBA player Joe Pace lives in a homeless shelter in Seattle, and former NFL player Donnie Green resides in a Maryland shelter. These stories are clear examples of how even the most seemingly financially secure person can become homeless.

America seems to have adopted a “what have you done for me lately?” mentality when it comes to our pop culture icons. Sugar Ray was among the world’s elite athletes during his run in the NBA. Yet once he stopped playing the game he was cast aside and forgotten. As he told the Boston Globe, “[w]hen I played the game, they always talked about loyalty to the team. Well, where’s the loyalty and compassion for ex-players who are hurting? We opened the door for these guys whose salaries are through the roof.”

He’s right. At the exact same moment that Sugar Ray languishes in his car, free agents within the NBA are bartering for $100 million deals. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others take their pick of any team that will provide the highest salaries and greatest opportunities. Will these players one day face the turmoil of some of their predecessors? Only time will answer that question. What is clear now is that these young and vibrant athletes are utterly glorified and practically having money thrown at them to play a game. Once the game stops for them, the glory may stop as well, just as it did for Sugar Ray.

We realize that some of the professional athletes who have become homeless, and some of those who have not, have made less than ideal choices throughout their careers and lives. Elite athletes and other pop culture heroes are not immune to issues of domestic violence, addiction, gambling and other challenges. Even those of us who are seemingly financially stable can be in danger of becoming homeless. It’s not just about the hundreds of thousands of individuals who are dangerously close to homelessness due to unemployment and other financial challenges.

Perhaps homelessness is not solely an issue of finances after all. Perhaps the issue truly is deeper and speaks of the necessity of a strong support system, access to adequate and effective resources, intervention during crisis situations, and consistent and supportive treatment of underlying issues. Advocates have long been arguing that these are the real issues at play. Sugar Ray puts a face to this argument. Let’s hope everyone is watching in HD.

Post originally published on Change.org, July 2010

Filed under: Homelessness, Hope Notes, Poverty, Social Media | 1 Comment »

The Invisible Lives of LGBTQ Homeless Youth

Posted on March 21, 2012 by elizabethlombino

Post also featured on TheBody.com ~ Spread Hope: A Therapist’s Guide to Living and Laughing with HIV

Imagine being a young person and being kicked out of your home for being “different”. Imagine finding a shred of hope in a welcoming shelter with other young people struggling with similar experiences. Then imagine feeling in danger of this hope and shelter being taken away. Imagine worrying that you will once again be thrown away, back to the streets. That some of your only means of survival is to engage in risky behaviors. To feel you have no other choice but to risk your health and safety just for a meal or a place to sleep.

Homeless youth, as a population, are some of the most disenfranchised individuals in our country. Many of these young people are also LGBTQ, which adds another level of vulnerability and stigma. The risks of these teens are countless, including drug abuse, violence, contraction of HIV and other STIs, and ultimately death. To make things worse, this subculture is often hidden and ignored. Recently there was a good piece written by the Associated Press that brought light to the many struggles of these young kids. We need to continue to raise awareness.

What is so difficult to comprehend is that many LGBTQ youth are homeless because they are rejected by those who are supposed to love them no matter what. Many of these kids were told by their caregivers that they are no longer welcome in their own home with their family. They literally are thrown out onto the streets because of who they are. In addition, there are other youth who feel they need to flee from their home in order to protect themselves. Perhaps a parent knows his child is gay and proceeds to abuse her relentlessly. She may leave home in the hope of escaping the abuse. She may feel it is safer to risk survival on the streets than to stay at home with consistent and severe abuse.

When we hear about young people living away from their home, we tend to lump them all together with the term “Runaway.” Our society is quick to judge these kids as the problem – that they ran away from home because they were disrespectful and unable to tolerate authority. Yet the reality is that most homeless youth are living on the streets because they were kicked out of their homes, or they feel so unsafe living with their caregivers who do not accept them as they are. The more accurate term for these youth is “Throwaways.”

Homeless LGBTQ youth are at a severely high risk of engaging in self-destructive behaviors as a means to survive. The practice of “survival sex” is common among them as literally a means of living to see the next day. The risk of contracting HIV is high among this group because of the risky behaviors. Condom negotiation often cannot even be factored in since a young person may be faced to choose between engaging in a sexual activity without a condom or spending the night outside. This is no choice at all. There is also a greater risk of violence and abuse, even within homeless shelters. Rape, forced drug use and other dangers increase the risk of exposure to HIV. Factor in a lack of resources and the strong instinct to survive and it’s a formula for utter hopelessness and disaster.

We need to provide support, safe housing, food and other necessities to ALL of our youth to ensure they do not have to turn to unsafe survival mechanisms that could eventually lead to further spread of HIV and other STIs.  Yet, unfortunately in recent years, funding has been cut to these supportive youth services, including in areas like New York City.

We cannot allow this to happen. Our children deserve so much better than this. They deserve a chance at a future.

To read the piece on TheBody.com, click here.

Filed under: Body.com, HIV/AIDS, Homelessness, LGBTQ | Leave a Comment »

Progress in Gainesville Meal-Limit

Posted on May 5, 2011 by elizabethlombino

Post originally published on Change.org

Success! Gainesville Meal Limit on the Way to Change

It has taken some time, but after close to 8,000 of you signed the petition, Gainesville officials are finally listening!

As we have written, Gainesville officials have enforced a meal limit ordinance to area soup kitchens. The rule states that soup kitchens can provide meals to only 130 people each day. If you are number 131, you do not eat that day. No exceptions.

We also wrote that Kent Vann, Executive Director of the St. Francis House soup kitchen at the heart of this debate, recently made an appeal to officials. His goal was to change the wording of the ordinance to reflect a limit on the time the soup kitchen can serve food, not a limit on number of people.

It looks like Mr. Vann’s creative activism has proven successful!

The Gainesville City Plan Board recently voted unanimously to change the limit to reflect Mr. Vann’s suggestion of a 3-hour time limit. This recommendation will then go to the City Commission in the coming weeks. They will then decide if the changes are to be made. This is certainly a large step toward victory. It shows that some city officials are listening and responding to the pressure of activists.

In addition, many activists involved in this battle feel any ordinance or meal limit is outright inhumane and unnecessary. They are continuing the fight to remove any and all limits. They continue to put pressure on other influential city residents who have supported the meal limit.

The fight will continue. This move forward is big news. Yet, as many activists know quite well, the fighting does not stop until all changes are made. The Gainesville City Commission has shown little empathy for the most vulnerable city residents. There is the possibility that they will not agree to this change.

Please continue to support this important fight by signing the petition. And if you have already signed, please continue to share with your network! Thank you to all who have provided support in this fight!

To read the article on Change.org, click here.

Filed under: Change.org, Homelessness, Poverty | Leave a Comment »

Housing Bill for Housing Assistance for HIV+ NYers Re-Introduced

Posted on March 19, 2011 by elizabethlombino

Post originally published on Change.org

Bill Re-Introduced to Provide Housing Assistance to HIV+ New Yorkers

Advocates continue to fight for the 30 percent rent cap bill to aid New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.

This vital piece of legislation would provide housing assistance for thousands of low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.

This same bill was vetoed last year by then Gov. Paterson after it passed both the state Assembly and Senate. On March 11, the bill was formally re-introduced because New York now has a new Governor.

Assembly Member Deborah Glick and several of her colleagues sponsored the bill, including Senator Tom Duane, who is openly HIV-positive. “While I was desperately disappointed in our inability to eliminate this injustice last year, I remain hopeful that it can be addressed as we move forward,” said Assembly Member Glick.
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Activists continue to fight for the lives of HIV+ residents. Poverty and HIV/AIDS can be a deadly combination. For a person living with HIV to be at risk of becoming homeless is unacceptable. New York will see a surge in financial costs to assist these individuals, not to mention a potential public health nightmare.
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Please join us in telling Gov. Cuomo to sign this legislation into law! For those who have already signed the petition, thank you. Please consider sharing it with your network to help it be a success. We need to see a victory for HIV+ New Yorkers!
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To read the post on Change.org, click here

Filed under: Change.org, Health, HIV/AIDS, Homelessness, Poverty | Leave a Comment »

New York Homeless Youth Deserve a Chance at a Bright Future

Posted on March 17, 2011 by elizabethlombino

Post originally published on Change.org

Tell Governor Cuomo: All Youth Need a Chance at a Bright Future

New York homeless youth are in urgent need of our assistance.

As reported, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is posed to make drastic budget cuts to the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, which provides funding to homeless shelters serving youth.

Such budget cuts could be disastrous to the future of New York State. Wasn’t there a song about this … something like “the children are our future.” This needs to include all children, especially homeless youth, who are at greatest risk of seeing their future cut short.

Homeless youth, as a population, are some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised individuals in our country. Our society often judges them as the problem; that they ran away because they were disrespectful and unable to tolerate authority. Some may categorize them as “Runaways.” Yet the reality is that many homeless youth are living on the streets because they literally have no place else to go. The more accurate term for these youth is “Throwaways.”

They have been forced to leave their home for a variety of reasons. Many homeless youth are LGBT and were told by their caregivers that they are no longer welcome in their own home with their family. They literally are thrown out onto the streets because of who they are. In addition, there are other youth who feel they need to flee from their home in order to protect themselves. Perhaps a parent knows his child is gay and proceeds to abuse her relentlessly. She may leave home in the hope of escaping the abuse. She may feel it is safer to risk survival on the streets than to stay at home with consistent and severe abuse.

Because they are young and without any support, homeless youth are at a severely high risk of engaging in self-destructive behaviors. Drug use, unsafe sexual practices, and suicide are just a few. If their own family has rejected them, how are they ever expected to love themselves? There is also a greater risk of violence and abuse from others. Factor in a lack of resources and the instinct to survive and it’s a formula for utter hopelessness and disaster.

This is the very reason shelters like the Ali Forney Center are in existence — to take in and care for those youth who are discarded from their own family and home. To now have to fight for funding to continue to care for these children is just plain wrong.

Imagine being a young person and being kicked out of your home for being “different.” Imagine finding a shred of hope in a welcoming shelter with other young people struggling with similar experiences. Then imagine feeling in danger of this hope and shelter being taken away. Imagine worrying that you will once again be thrown away, back to the streets.

We cannot allow this to happen. Our children deserve so much better than this. They deserve a chance at a future.

Please join us in urging Gov. Cuomo to not abandon homeless youth.

To read the post on Change.org, click here

Filed under: Change.org, Homelessness, LGBTQ, Poverty | 1 Comment »

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