You'd think what being homeless is, would be obvious by rue

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You'd think what being homeless is, would be obvious

POSTED BY: RUE
UPDATED: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 16:01
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008 11:48 AM

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

According to a report given to Congress on Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), overall homeless numbers, taken from a one-day national count in January, were down 12% from 2005 to 2007, to just under 672,000 people, most of whom were on the streets only temporarily. Chronic homelessness is down even more, almost 30% lower than in 2005, from 175,000 to fewer than 125,000.

There is a rather large asterisk on the new data, however, the result of an ongoing effort to more narrowly define who is actually considered homeless. This is the third annual national HUD count, and in previous years, some cities had been counting families who were living two families to an apartment, for example, or those living in RVs, as homeless. This year, they weren't. This count, say the report's authors, is the most successful to date in tallying only those who were actually in shelters or on the streets - the official HUD definition of a homeless person.

... even HUD secretary Steve Preston sounded a note of caution, saying in a release on Tuesday that there is a "long way to go to find a more lasting solution for those struggling with homelessness every day." Where the two sides disagree is whether a family of four who lost their home to the bank and is now couch-surfing with relatives should be considered homeless.

So why keep these vulnerable families out of the count? It's partially about the power of positive thinking. (riiiight) The number crunchers leading the federal fight believe that as long as Americans continue to perceive homelessness as an implacable problem, they'll never muster the will to help. But if the government can show that the numbers are actually relatively small - like the 125,000 chronic homeless they are now counting - then the public might just be up for tackling the issue.

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When you don't hae a permanent address so you can register to vote, I think you qualify as homeless.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008 11:58 AM

WYTCHCROFT

"It's a great day to be homeless!" Captain Hammer.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008 4:01 PM

ALLIETHORN7

"Oh, I'm Proud to be an American, where at LEAST I know I'm free..."
Well, at least we know they're trying to make us think we're getting better...

-Danny

Wer zu Lebzeit gut auf Erden
wird nach dem Tod ein Engel werden
den Blick gen Himmel fragst du dann
warum man sie nicht sehen kann

Erst wenn die Wolken schlafengehn
kann man uns am Himmel sehn
wir haben Angst und sind allein

Gott weiß ich will kein Engel sein
The Band of the week is... Rammstein

Gott weiß ich will kein Engel sein.
http://www.myspace.com/otherrandomdude

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