#ThrowbackThursday

Do you still #TBT? Many of us have a short-term memory when it comes to policy, social media too perhaps, cause I haven’t seen a #ThrowBackThursday post since Facebook started showing you your past posts.

The National Coalition for the Homeless recognizes that we are at a pivotal moment in our social policy. Modern mass homelessness, as we know it, began, not that long ago, in the 1970’s. But here we are, again facing threats to social programs that are vital for the survival of working families, and now in the midst of unprecedented economic inequality.

In solidarity with the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Our Homes Our Voices Week of Action (May 1-9) and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival 40 Days of Action (May 14-June 23), we are going to be posting historical information that relates to current trends, policy proposals, and cultural perceptions of those who experience poverty and homelessness.

To kick us off, we’ve included some more detailed history about how and why our organization was formed, and what we have accomplished over the years.

NCH Historical TimelineNCH’s Story

When modern homelessness first emerged in the late 1970s, hundreds of thousands of homeless were forced to fend for themselves on the streets, and many died or suffered terrible injuries. In 1979 a lawyer named Robert Hayes, who co-founded the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, brought a class action lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against the City and State called Callahan v. Carey, arguing that a constitutional right to shelter existed in New York. In particular, the lawsuit pointed to Article XVII of the New York State Constitution, which declares that “the aid, care and support of the needy are public concerns and shall be provided by the state and by such of its subdivisions…” The Coalition brought the lawsuit on behalf of all homeless men in New York City. The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, Robert Callahan, was a homeless man suffering from chronic alcoholism whom Hayes had discovered sleeping on the streets in the Bowery section of Manhattan.

On December 5, 1979, the New York State Supreme Court ordered the City and State to provide shelter for homeless men in a landmark decision that cited Article XVII of the New York State Constitution.

In August 1981 Callahan v. Carey was settled as a consent decree. By entering into the decree, the City and State agreed to provide shelter and board to all homeless men who met the need standard for welfare or who were homeless “by reason of physical, mental, or social dysfunction.” Thus the decree established a right to shelter for all homeless men in New York City, and also detailed the minimum standards which the City and State must maintain in shelters, including basic health and safety standards. In addition, Coalition for the Homeless was appointed monitor of shelters for homeless adults.

On the heels of the landmark Callahan win, the decision was made to take the work of the Coalition for the Homeless national. Robert Hayes organized a meeting of several local coalitions in San Francisco in April 1982, out of which the National Coalition for the Homeless was established.

Solidarity through Experience: Experiential Learning and its place in Homeless Advocacy – Deirdre Walsh

Tonight will likely be an uncomfortable and cold evening for some of the nation’s most influential business executives.  In 14 cities nationwide, Covenant House will host its fourth Executive Sleep Out. The annual fundraiser brings not only financial resources to those combatting youth homelessness, but also much needed attention to the issues of hunger and homelessness. Executives will join together on behalf of the thousands of people around the country who have no place to call home. This act of sacrifice and attention will raise funds and awareness in order to protect the most innocent and forgotten members of our society.

The National Coalition for Homeless will also call upon people to take the ‘Homeless Challenge or participate in ‘One Night Without a Home‘ events throughout the annual National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Solidarity and understanding develops between participants and their peers without homes. These events then bring about greater public awareness and raise much needed funds for services and care for homeless individuals. Those who live in poverty and who do not have a home deserve the same treatment as the highest paid executives and everyone in between. By working together, both challenge participants and people experiencing homelessness can work to end homelessness.

Major fundraisers and awareness events such as Covenant House’s Sleep Outs and the National Coalition for the Homeless’ Homeless Challenge are part of a rising trend throughout the United States. Their goal is to spread awareness about poverty and its effects on the poorest of American citizens. Through these experimental learning events and projects, awareness for homelessness has a deeper meaning. Homelessness can be easily disregarded by the public if they have no understanding of the harsh realities and ordeals undergone by men, women, and children living on the streets. Sleep outs simulate just a small part of those experiences, but teach the participants that homelessness is more than statistics or stereotypes. Homelessness has many causes, many obstacles, and many faces.

With more and more experimental learning events and fundraisers, the question “do these programs actually work?” often comes to mind. The answer is YES! The place of simulated experiences in homeless advocacy is critical. They bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots by uniting people for one cause: to end homelessness. Statistics and facts about poverty are one-dimensional and easy to disregard. One evening on the streets cannot encompass the entirety of life without a home or financial insecurity, but it can help participants to see beyond the factual side of poverty and see the faces of hunger and homelessness. Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is an opportunity for people around the country to join together and bring political and social attention to the impacts of mass poverty and homelessness. Sleep outs not only help finance the efforts of nonprofits such as Covenant House, but also bring people together in support of those who are usually forgotten. Solidarity between all Americans, no matter their financial or housing situations, will enable thousands more to resolve to fight poverty!

AdamAdam Goldstein
American University
Majoring in Political Science with History Minor
Class of 2017

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up in the suburbs. Living in the suburbs puts people in a bubble. They are not exposed to daily reminders of the homeless problem in the United States. I was one of those people.

Growing up in such an insulated community prevented me from seeing anything beyond the average panhandler when I dared venture into the city to go to a restaurant or sporting event. This vague view of the homeless community was shattered once I began to become more cognizant of politics and the wider social issues plaguing many Americans today. After taking a sociology class in the spring of 2014 I knew I wanted to work on this issue. Understanding the structural problems behind homelessness is the first step towards solving them. When a panhandler in the city asked for change, I wanted to know why they asked for money.

At the National Coalition for the Homeless I help to add homelessness to the list of protected characteristics in the District of Columbia’s Human Rights Act. Preventing discrimination is an important step towards busting the cyclical nature of homelessness. My goal in the future is to continue to help those at the bottom of the economic and social totem pole reach success, and what better place to start than at NCH, right in the nation’s capital?

 

Annie LeomporraAnnie
Northeastern University
Masters in Urban and Regional Policy with emphasis on Homelessness
Class of 2015

I grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and I finished my undergraduate degree at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul Minnesota with a degree in Justice and Peace Studies.

My internship with the National Coalition for the Homeless has given me incredible experience in lobbying, writing reports and researching civil rights issues surrounding homelessness. I am currently working with Michael Stoops and the People for Fairness Coalition on trying to add homelessness to the District of Columbia’s Human Rights Act. This legislation would make DC the first city in the country to declare people experiencing homelessness as a protected class. I have also had the honor of assisting with the now published 2014 food-sharing report, Share No More: The Criminalization of Efforts to Feed People In Need.

Anyone who is interested in homelessness issues should consider interning at the National Coalition for the Homeless. You’ll gain incredible experience working for a national nonprofit with an unbelievable staff and you’ll make great contacts in the District of Columbia.

 

JarredJarred Myers
Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Majoring in Law & Public Policy
Class of 2016

I have been enjoying my time with the National Coalition for the Homeless, where I serve as the intern for the National Campaign for Youth Shelter. The amount of hard work and dedication that goes into this great organization continues to teach me great values in working to assist individuals who are currently facing homelessness. As someone who comes from a family of public servants, I have always had an understanding that there will be individuals who have gone through and who are currently going through rough times. However, since I have started my time here at the National Coalition for the Homeless, I have started to catch glimpses at what it takes to live a life serving others. Although I have volunteered at many organizations working to provide assistance for homeless individuals and their families, I would not have imagined being able to view what homelessness was like on a national scale. The National Campaign for Youth Shelter has taught me that there is much more to be done in the prevention and the eradication of homelessness. There needs to be better research and a better understanding of the lives of individuals who are struggling to do what is necessary for them to live a life much more desirable than the one on the street.

 

Auburn TrotterAuburn
University of Central Arkansas
Majoring in Public Administration
Class of 2016

I was granted the opportunity to intern with the National Coalition for the Homeless as a member of the Washington Center Program here in DC. Whilewith NCH, I will be serving as a policy intern for the affordable housing and rental assistance campaign. After graduation,I aspire to work for a non-profit organization that serves both domestic and international citizens, emphasizing on community development. Whether that’s educationally, economically or with programs thataid in reducing homelessness.

When I found out that I was going to be living in DC for three months, I was extremely excited. I came to the city looking to explore and learn about all the beautyit has to offer. Working for NCH has immersed me into the DC culture and I am loving it!I’m very excited to see what I will learn within the coming months of working at NCH. The rental assistance and voucher campaign has become like my baby and I plan to help this campaign succeed!

 

DeirdreDeirdre Walsh
Catholic University of America
Majoring in History with Peace & Justice Studies Minor
Class of 2015

Growing up outside of Boston, Massachusetts I participated and led various community service projects and organizations. I knew that I wanted to continue volunteering in college, but I did not know that it would become such a big part of my life. Upon starting as a student at The Catholic University of America, I began working with weekly service opportunities such as delivering meals to homeless men and women throughout Washington, D.C. I connected with the people I served and learned more about the obstacles they experienced living on the streets and in poverty. I wanted to do more for them. Their stories and hardships gave me a drive to not only work to make sure their daily needs were met, but also advocate for change to help them out of poverty and end the discrimination they experienced.

As an intern with the National Coalition for the Homeless, I have the opportunity to engage with passionate leaders and community advocates who have made ending poverty their goal. The experience to understand grassroots organizing and witness change as it happens is invaluable and will provide me with the tools to pursue advocacy as a career after I graduate. Although NCH is a national organization, it still maintains its personal connection with the people and cause it advocates for. My time here has taught me to always remember who you are working for and to know that when you advocate for change, you advocate for a person.