Why Membership Matters to Hunter Scott:

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Hunter Scott is a student at American University and was an intern at NCH this past spring. Since his time working in NCH’s office, he has remained involved with the Coalition and the battle to end homelessness. Read Hunter’s unique perspective on why Membership Matters to young people:

I’ve had a passion for working for the homeless since I was an intern at San Francisco’s Project Homeless Connect, where I often used publications and tools provided by NCH to do the work of the organization. Many young people place importance on volunteering with direct service providers, hoping to help the homeless in a face to face capacity. After taking this attitude myself, I decided to get a different experience by interning at NCH during my sophomore year in college. While there, I worked on NCH’s social networking presence, measuring its impact as an effective advocate for the homeless online. During my internship, I learned how working in advocacy organizations, especially national advocacy organizations like NCH, provides the tools needed to create the broad social change that I hoped for after volunteering in direct service capacities. After I finished my internship, I took a grant writing and non-profit management class. I decided to partner with NCH for my projects to support its advocacy work. Today, I continue to support NCH because they provide the needed national progressive voice on all matters relating to homelessness, and will lead the way in bringing the homeless in this country home.

Fred Karnas has been involved at NCH for decades. His long term commitment to ending and preventing homelessness is inspirational and we at NCH are grateful to have members as supportive and enthusiastic as Fred. Below he explains why Membership Matters to him:

How did you first become involved with the National Coalition for the Homeless? In what ways do you continue to be involved with the Coalition?

In the mid 1980s, in Arizona, I worked closely with Louisa Stark, NCH’s first Board President.  She shared many of NCH’s early reports and activities.  In 1989, I participated in the Housing NOW! March in DC, which NCH co-sponsored, and I had the opportunity to meet many NCH Board members and staff.  Then in 1991, I became NCH’s Executive Director, having the privilege of serving for nearly 5 years in a leadership role with some of the most courageous and committed social justice advocates in the nation.

Why do you believe that your Membership Matters at NCH?

Sadly, even after nearly three decades of work by many, the abomination of homelessness remains with us.  Membership in NCH is critical because in the cacophony of voices on how best to end homelessness, the voices of those most affected are often drowned out.  Supporting NCH provides people who are, or have, experiencing homeless, a critically important platform to be heard. 

How do you interact with NCH? In what ways have you benefited from being a member?

I could list many many ways that I have benefited from NCH’s work, from the excellent reports on homelessness-related topics that others often ignore to an increased understanding of the importance of addressing crimes against homeless persons.  But, for me personally, the greatest benefit has been the connection to advocates across the country who are doing heroic work day in and day out to end homelessness.  I have learned so much from other NCH members over the years that has informed my work and motivated me to continue to walk the walk.

Thank you Fred for being such an integral part of NCH!!  To join NCH and help us prevent and end homelessness click here and find out why Membership Matters!

There are very real and important reasons why homelessness in America grew to such crisis levels during our lifetime and why it continues to exist today. There are also a number of basic ways that each of us can help locally to prevent, reduce and end homelessness nationwide. 
 
Beginning today, the National Coalition for the Homeless is launching Membership Matters, a new membership campaign to help Americans better understand homelessness as a national problem with local solutions. During this campaign we’ll introduce you to effective, meaningful and reasonable ways that each of us can make a lasting difference in the life of a family or individual who is either un-housed or at-risk of homelessness.
 
There’s a building sense among advocates and academics that the current national levels of funding and services is only enough to manage the problem of homelessness in America. The sustained lack of affordable housing, living-wage jobs and access to affordable healthcare is preventing America from moving towards a permanent and lasting solution to homelessness. NCH believes that there are profound consequences to managing this social crisis for too long: the United States is at risk of producing the first generation of chronically homelessness individuals and families who are housing resistant and a nationwide network of social supporters who questions whether homelessness can be ended.
 
Membership Matters is not a fundraising campaign. In fact we are adjusting the cost of joining or sustaining membership in NCH down to make your membership decision easier. If you are or were homeless or living in poverty, your membership fee is waived. All other membership rates for students, individuals, families, organizations and corporations have been reduced and are also negotiable to ensure the greatest levels of involvement and participation in NCH.
 
Over the next eight weeks, we’ll be rolling out NCH’s Membership Matters campaign with:
•     The Facts and Myths of Homelessness in America
•     Action Alerts to let your lawmakers know how to have the biggest impact
•     10 Recommended Strategies for Local Involvement that you can use at home
•     Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand the lives of the homeless
•     Top Story News tweets throughout the day.
•     Blog posts from staff, national experts and NCH members.
•     Membership surveys
•     Research, reports and white papers on topics of importance to ending homelessness.
•     …and lots more.
 
Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference!  Become a member of the National Coalition for the Homeless! (Click Here)
 
Be a part of a growing movement of concerned people: current & formerly homeless, activist, advocate and all who are committed to ending homelessness. We want and need you to join, sustain or renew your membership today, because at NCH we believe that Membership Matters. 
 
Neil J. Donovan
Executive Director

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is expected to publish later this week in the Federal Register interim regulations for the new Continuum of Care (CoC) program under the HEARTH Act and a summary of these regulations.

Eligible activities & program requirements of the CoC program addressed in the regulations are:

  • Permanent housing ( PSH for people with disabilities and rapid re-housing) (PSH)
  • Transitional housing (TH)
  • Supportive Services Only (SSO)
  • Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
  • Prevention (For High Performing Communities designees)

“HUD expects the regulation to be published in the Federal Register in the coming week. The interim regulation will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The final Homeless Definition is in effect for administration of the CoC Program interim rule.” -HUDHRE.info

Read the Regulations and Summary

To each person, the word “home” carries a different meaning. For some, it is simply a roof over one’s head. To others however, the word “home” carries greater significance: it implies a certain sense of comfort provided not only by the protection of having a physical shelter, but also by the support given by a person’s family or loved ones. Thus, having a “home” can also mean having a community to rely upon.

This is exactly what the word “home” meant to the residents of Camp Take Notice (CTN) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The camp was a grassroots tent community of homeless people who worked to create a safe and sober atmosphere in which they could receive food and shelter. CTN partnered with Michigan Itinerant Shelter System-Interdependent Out of Necessity, an organization that facilitates tent communities for the homeless, to create the camp.

Photo by Michael Dietsch

Unfortunately, the Michigan Department of Transportation ordered the eviction of the camp, stating the residents of CTN were trespassing. Homeless persons were forced to move out of the area on June 22nd, 2012 and abandon the community they called home. An eight-foot wall is now being built around the area in order to prevent the establishment of any other encampments.

Of the 68 camp residents, only 33 qualified to receive one-year housing subsidies; the others were left to fend for themselves. In a situation like this, real sustainable solutions for every resident need to be provided. Unfortunately, this rarely occurs when dealing with criminalization of the homeless. Many simply believe that by implementing camping bans and similar laws, the homelessness issue will disappear. Yet, without sustainable solutions attacking the root of the problem, the homelessness issue will still remain widespread.

Michigan Senator Rebekah Warren has worked tirelessly to delay the eviction, and help create alternative solutions to the problem. “I am deeply concerned for the well-being of the residents of this camp and I believe that all people deserve basic necessities like shelter, running water and electricity.”

Senator Warren sought another property that could serve as a new location for the camp but was regrettably unsuccessful in her attempts due to MDOT’s unwillingness to delay the eviction. Consequently, there was insufficient time to find another location. Despite these setbacks, she remains committed to the issue by continuing to look for long-term solutions to the homelessness issue.

While Senator Warren’s work is inspiring, too few public officials champion the issue of homelessness. In fact, many support criminalization efforts that negatively target the homeless in an attempt to “deal with the homeless problem.” Everyone deserves to have a place they can call home. Creating barriers to housing not only violates basic human rights, but it also counters the better interests of our society. It is thus imperative that more actions be taken to prevent such criminalization laws from being put into place.

By Sahana Malik, NCH Summer Intern

See NCH Staff talking more about Home and Homelessness. (Special thanks to Speak For We for the insights, platform and innovative thinking!)

On July 10, NCH hosted a briefing at the capital to discuss acts of violence against the homeless and advocate for hate crimes legislation.  The importance of this issue was marked by the attendance of the four co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Homelessness: Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th), Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-23rd), Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30th), and Representative Geoff Davis (R-KY-4th).

Greg, victim of violence

All four congressional members spoke passionately about the remarkable number of violent acts against the homeless that have been recorded, as well as the overwhelming lack of data currently available.  Representative Johnson also discussed her bill, HR 3528, which would include “homeless status” in current federal Anti-Hate Crimes legislation and further require the collection of data on hate crimes committed against the homeless.

Afterwards, NCH played an equally horrifying and crucial video that displayed images of homeless individuals being beaten up.  It was difficult to watch as some of the most vulnerable members of our society were targeted and battered for circumstances outside of their control.  This video reinforced how vital hate crimes legislation is to protect the homeless.

The briefing also featured three speakers who testified about their different experiences with violence against the homeless.  The first to speak was Captain Wierzbicki of the Broward County (Florida) Sheriff’s Department who was instrumental in the passage of hate crimes legislation against the homeless in Florida in 2010.  He stressed the need for law enforcement participation in the passage of such legislation because of their role in reporting hate crimes and working with homeless individuals.

The next speaker was David Pirtle who testified as to his experience living on the streets of New York and Washington, DC due to mental illness.  Mr. Pirtle not only witnessed others being brutally beaten, but suffered abuse repeatedly himself.  His compelling story reinforced that people living on the streets are deserving of protection, particularly because of added vulnerability to the elements, illness, and hunger.

Lastly, Maria Foscarinis, current director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) and former NCH staff, testified as to the efforts by NLCHP to combat homelessness.  She drew attention to criminalization efforts across the country to penalize people for “activities of life” performed in public spaces.  She stated that access to affordable housing is a human right and that governments should seek to deal with the root causes of homelessness.  For example, permanent supportive housing has proven to be not only widely successful, but a financially responsible solution.

This event demonstrated the shared recognition amongst government officials, advocates, law enforcement, the homeless, and concerned citizens that hate crimes legislation should be expedited to protect this segment of the population. Such legislation will not only punish and deter individuals from committing bias-related crimes, but it will make a statement to the community that the homeless are deserving of such protection.

By Allison Dinmore

Homelessness occurs when someone “lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.” This definition, however, fails to take into account the true hardships and complexities of what it means for a person to be without a home. Because of prejudice and negative perceptions, living on the streets often makes someone invisible. For this reason, the voice of a homeless person, while audible, may not truly be heard.Can You Hear Us?

Our country was founded on the premise that no voice should go unheard and no injustice unchallenged. It is thus imperative that our country upholds this principle by listening to our equals, housed or un-housed. The Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau is a program of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) in which individuals who have been un-housed speak about their experiences. Such a forum educates the public and generates understanding about the plight of the homeless. It is through such understanding that we as a country can identify the root causes of homelessness and seek out solutions to end it.

On July 25th, NCH will host a public forum on homelessness that will celebrate the voices of the homeless. Join us, as T. Sanders, David Pirtle, Steve Thomas, and John Harrison reveal their personal experiences with homelessness.

Can You Hear Us?
Date: July 25th, 2012
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Taras Shevchenko Park, 23rd and P Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) supports today’s Supreme Court ruling enabling the expansion of medical coverage to those most in need. Homeless people suffer from multiple health problems at a higher rate than those who aren’t, yet 55% have no medical insurance. Increased access to Medicaid will provide medical services to the country’s most vulnerable citizens who would otherwise remain uncovered. Such an increase will facilitate management and recovery from untreated medical problems, as well as prevent many from entering homelessness due to unmanageable medical bills. While NCH applauds this initial step towards change, it will continue to advocate for a health care system that guarantees access and eliminates all financial barriers to health care services for all Americans. NCH looks forward to discussing equitable and practical solutions to ensure that all homeless people have equal access to medical coverage.

Here is the Supreme Court’s full decision.

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) supports today’s Supreme Court ruling upholding sound healthcare legislation and affirming individual mandates. Today’s ruling brings us closer to recognizing that all Americans should have access to medical care, regardless of financial or health status.  The individual mandate will increase affordable healthcare access to more of our country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.  While NCH applauds this initial step towards change, it will continue to advocate for a health care system that guarantees access and eliminates all financial barriers to health care services for all Americans.  NCH looks forward to discussing equitable and practical solutions to ensure that all homeless people have access to medical coverage.

Here is the Supreme Court’s full decision.

AllisonAlison Dinmore is a third year law student at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law working on her J.D. and a certificate in Public Law and Policy with a concentration in Housing Law.
“Through my experiences volunteering in legal aid clinics, numerous homeless shelters, a low-income, medical treatment facility, and non-profit policy firms, I have seen that often unavoidable circumstances can force an individual or their family into the state of homelessness. I believe that members of the legal profession not only have a moral imperative to do everything in our power to prevent homelessness from occurring, but also to ensure that it no longer continues to adversely affect society’s better interests. I chose to intern with NCH this summer because it is uniquely positioned at the national level to provide homeless individuals with opportunities they lack to empower them to help themselves, as well as affect broader-reaching change through education and advocacy. I intend to continue learning more about policy and causes of homelessness so that upon my completion of law school, I will be better equipped to help create and implement real and lasting solutions to end and prevent homelessness from occurring.”

Jake Walters is a junior at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, studying Sociology and History.
Growing up in the suburbs I always felt sheltered and unaware of the world around me. After taking a few sociology classes in college I felt that I had gained some deeper understanding of society, but this was only through books and in a classroom. This internship, or probably any, can’t truly give me first-hand knowledge of the inequalities many people deal with, but it’s a practical step into a world where I can help the people who I have read so much about. It’s a way for me to see the world in a new light and to further my understanding of how society grants privileges to some and not to others. The reality is for everything I can do to help homeless individuals there is just as much that they can do to help me see the world in a more realistic light, and interning with the National Coalition for the Homeless will allow me to help myself just as much as it will allow me to help others.

Jesica Ray is a junior at Dickinson College, located outside of Pennsylvania. She is a Law & Policy major.
“I have lived in New Jersey my entire life and was always too afraid to look at the world outside of my comfortable hometown. I would say my life has been pretty sheltered, and most notably, safe. However, last summer I worked at Lacoste in the Atlantic City Outlets in NJ and was shocked by the reality of what I learned in school or read on the news. Who knew that just 5 miles outside of my home, there was a world of poverty, homelessness, and pain! Long story short, I met a homeless woman named Joanne*, who showed me that homelessness is not a choice and that they are people just like you and I. For this reason, among many, I am now at the National Coalition for the Homeless, and will dedicate my time researching and issues surrounding homeless youth.”

Katherine Nguyen is a rising sophomore at the Rutgers Camden School of Nursing in Camden, NJ, and is also the Homeless Advocacy Fellow from the Bonner Foundation.
“My primary project at the National Coalition for the Homeless is an initiative called Homeless People Action Networks (HPAN). I will be reaching out to state and city homeless coalitions around the country to create advocacy groups completely comprised of currently or formerly homeless people so that these advocacy groups can have the most authentic voices for their concerns. The purpose of HPAN is to connect all of these advocacy groups into a central, collaborative network that can act as a guide for those seeking help and services. This is an initial organizing effort on behalf of the NCH, and ultimately the hope is that HPAN will continue to run independently after the project is off the ground and running.”

Kelsi Sullivan is a senior at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. She is a Religious Studies major and an Asian Studies concentrator.
“I could not think of a better place to be this summer than amidst people who are passionate about what they do and committed to making a visible difference in the world. Homelessness is something that could happen to anyone and it is important to give a voice to those who are traditionally voiceless. This summer, I hope to learn the different ways in which we can prevent homelessness and create viable solutions for the future that will end homelessness all together. Theologian Ellie Wiesel once said: ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.’ So, in a world full of indifference, its time to be an active citizen dedicated to making positive change for those who need it most.”

Lauren Karl is a senior at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. where she is studying History, Political Science and Values, Ethics and Social Action.
“I have always been interested in how service, advocacy and activism are connected. The National Coalition for the Homeless is amazingly dedicated to the people they serve, not only as individuals, but also as part of a larger movement. This summer I will have the chance to act not only as an advocate, but also encourage others to advocate for themselves. It is through this second action that I believe real change can occur; once a person is empowered to speak on their own behalf they are far more likely to successful achieve their goals. I am very excited to be here for the summer and am confident my experience will be phenomenal.”

Sahana Malik is a senior at the University of Michigan studying political science and psychology.
“Growing up in a small economically-depressed town in Ohio, I was able to see on an intimate level what it means to struggle for money. Some of the people I personally knew were facing problems obtaining basic necessities for survival. Although these people were not homeless, they lived with the fear of possibly becoming homeless. I firmly believe not enough is being done today to help people living on the streets of America, and I want my generation to spur a change. As an activist looking to specialize in human rights law, I wanted to work for the National Coalition for the Homeless in order to contribute to the efforts to protect the civil liberties of the homeless. I am privileged to be given the opportunity to turn my passion into action.”

Marc McCue is a Summer VISTA volunteer from Anaheim, California.
“I am happy to be working as an intern with the National Coalition for the Homeless because homelessness is a very personal subject for me. I spend two years of my life sleeping in abandoned houses, warehouses and bus benches. With the help of public and private organizations I was given a place to live and the opportunity to recreate my life. I believe no matter what the reason for homelessness is everybody deserves a safe place to call home. NCH is working on a national level to help provide housing for many individuals and families. It is an honor to be working with the National Coalition for the Homeless and doing my part to not only provide shelter to those who are already homeless, but to eliminate homelessness altogether.”

Meghana Sthanam is a rising junior at Vanderbilt University studying Neuroscience and Cellular and Molecular Biology.
“Coming from Birmingham, Alabama, I’ve personally become very aware of the plight of homelessness in the city. For the past several years, I’ve done scientific research in a laboratory, but this summer I wanted to somehow more directly benefit the community. So I turned to the National Coalition for the Homeless, an organization I saw that has clearly enacted so much change nationwide. At home and at school, I became cognizant of the less fortunate around me, even though I live in the affectionately termed ‘Vanderbubble’ and it became more difficult to passively allow such injustices to occur so close to me. I am so thankful to be part of such a commendable advocacy group. I am very passionate about my project on LGBT homelessness, and I hope that my summer here will make an impact!”

Zach Stone is a sophomore at Colorado College studying political science and religion.
“I’m from Bethesda, MD and have lived in the greater DC area all my life. Here at NCH, I am primarily working with the Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau, a program that consists of individuals who have experienced homelessness first hand.  These individuals give presentations across the country, sharing their experiences and expressing what they believe can be done to combat the injustice that is homelessness. I was driven to come work for NCH because of their ongoing reputation as a non-profit committed to achieving their goals. I knew, as an intern at NCH, I would be given the opportunity to do real hands on work and make a visible impact on the surrounding community.”

And check out this post (Part 1 and Part 2) by Taylor Southall, a Summer AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer working through NCH’s program at the Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place.