PEDESTRIAN
SAFETY
EVENT HELD
AT DIMH

A Pedestrian Safety Awareness Outreach program was held at the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (DIMH) on Monday, October 7, 2019.

Representatives from Delaware Pedestrian Council and the Delaware State Police spoke about the importance of visibility for anyone walking the streets at night. Stressed was the critical value of wearing retro-reflective clothing.

October was Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month in Delaware.

► CLICK HERE for the advice and suggestions provided, summarized in ten slides, that Chip Kneavel from the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) presented at the October 22 Pedestrian Council meeting.

ENDING HOMELESSNESS

Myth: Homelessness is a permanent problem. We will never solve it.

Fact: There are in fact many effective solutions to the problem of homelessness.

Permanent supportive housing — a model of housing that combines affordable housing with support services for individuals and families living with mental illness or other disabilities — has been proven to reduce homelessness AND save taxpayer dollars otherwise spent on costly shelters and hospitalizations. Targeted affordable housing assistance for homeless families, like federal housing vouchers, is proven to reduce family homelessness and help keep formerly homeless families stably housed. And living-wage jobs and other support services, like childcare and access to health care, help low-income families and individuals maintain their housing and avoid homelessness.

Myth: Homelessness is not a housing problem, it’s only a jobs problem – and homeless people simply don’t want to work.

Fact: The major cause of homelessness is worsening housing affordability, both in Delaware and across the United States. By every measure, the housing affordability gap — that is, the gap between incomes and housing costs has grown dramatically wider over the past three decades. People simply do not make enough to afford an apartment in Delaware without some form of long-term assistance. In addition, a significant portion of homeless single adults suffer from disabilities and other barriers to employment. Unfortunately, the value of disability benefits (currently around $771/month in Delaware) is not enough to afford rental housing.

Myth: It is their fault they are homeless.

Fact: Three decades of research and experience show that people become homeless for a myriad of reasons: loss of a job or lowered wages, health care crisis, increased rent, a family emergency or even landlord bullying. Surveys at the central intake center for homeless families in New York City show that more than a quarter of families seek shelter directly after an eviction, roughly one-fifth seek shelter fleeing domestic violence, and many others seek shelter after residing in doubled-up, overcrowded or substandard housing. Many families seeking shelter recently suffered job losses or a loss of public benefits.

Myth: All homeless people are mentally ill or addicts.

Fact: The majority of homeless New Yorkers are in families and are homeless primarily because they cannot afford housing.

In New York City, around 75 percent of all homeless shelter residents are in families and around 40 percent are children. Research and experience show that only a small percentage of adults in homeless families suffer from serious mental illness and/or addiction disorders.

For homeless single adults, the rates of mental illness and addiction disorders are higher: around one-third among homeless single adults in shelters, and around two-thirds among homeless adults sleeping on the streets or in other public spaces.

Myth: Housing assistance causes more families to enter homeless shelters.

Fact: Long-term permanent housing assistance leads to significant reductions in family homelessness. A wide range of academic experts have found, in numerous research studies, that permanent housing assistance like public housing or Section 8 vouchers helps homeless families escape homelessness AND remain stably housed. In addition, the myth that providing housing assistance to homeless families causes a surge in families seeking shelter has been disproven by academic research studies and years of experience. Indeed, after the Bloomberg administration eliminated federal housing assistance for homeless families in 2005, the number of families seeking shelter actually increased.

Myth: If people can afford a television or smartphone, then they really aren’t poor.

Fact: Right-wing pundits and ideologues have long tried to deny the existence of poverty by claiming that poor people are not poor simply because they have access to typical consumer goods like cell phones, refrigerators and TVs. As the cost of consumer and even some traditionally luxury goods like televisions and smartphones have gone down in price, the cost of essentials like food and housing have steadily gone up. People own these devices now not simply because it is the next big thing, but because it is often the only way to stay connected to the world. Phones and internet are critical to securing employment and maintaining it. With ever-advancing technology, it is imperative that this vulnerable group not be left behind.

Fact: Not all panhandlers are homeless, but almost all are poor and in need. Whether or not to give money to people panhandling on the streets or in the subway system is a personal decision. But there is certainly nothing wrong with giving money to people in need, and one can also make donations to the many reputable not-for-profit organizations that help our homeless neighbors.

FAQ: Why don’t people living on the streets just go to a shelter?

Answer: The right to shelter was a very important step toward ensuring the safety of homeless people, but municipal shelters can be very difficult places to live for those people who have languished on the streets for years. They are tight quarters with many rules and regulations, which can be confusing. Nearly all municipal shelters for homeless single adults have barracks-style dormitories with as many as 100 beds in a single room, and these arrangements often do not suit the needs of homeless people living with serious mental illnesses like PTSD or mood disorders.