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Fade to black – Is government leveraging homeless agencies out of business? Thursday, March, 4, 2010
Is politics the problem or the solution to homelessness? Monday, March, 1, 2010
Why do you hate in the name of God? Monday, February, 22, 2010
Cardboard is for shipping, not for housing Thursday, February, 18, 2010
Throw the bums out—RPG game re homeless should be sent back Monday, February, 15, 2010
Down-sizing affordable housing could increase the reduction of homelessness Thursday, February, 11, 2010
Down and exploited in Beverly Hills - Is TMZ.com exploiters? Monday, February, 8, 2010
Is marriage the solution to poverty or is it the cause of poverty? Saturday, February, 6, 2010
Book on homeless man and Los Angeles journalist is highlighted by Long Beach Book Week Thursday, February, 4, 2010
Why homelessness is decreasing while hunger and poverty is increasing
Monday, November, 16, 2009
I Wonder If Private Ryan Will Ever Be Housed? Can We Really End Veterans Homelessness in 5 Years?
Last week, I was in a homeless meeting sitting around a couple of folding tables, the type you might buy at Costco. It was definitely not some polished wood conference table in a corporate board room.
Around the table were homeless professionals. Outreach workers, agency executives, city employees, and representatives from the Veterans Administration. We were talking about how to help the dozens and dozens of veterans we have encountered floundering on our streets.
With all of the talk lately about how the federal government is committed to ending homelessness among our veterans, I was expecting some professional presentation on how the government is streamlining its intake process, as well as providing immediate housing for the men and women formerly in our armed forces who have ended up on our streets. Boy, was I wrong.
The VA rep, obviously a talented and seasoned government professional, spent the next 20 minutes explaining the regulations and bureaucratic system for homeless veterans who dared to venture in the fox holes of VA services and housing.
I think I’m getting old. Or at least after 13 years of fighting government bureaucracy for the sake of hurting people in our society, I’m losing patience. Years ago, I would have been diplomatic. Or even kept my mouth shut. For the sake of people I’m committed to helping.
But on this day, I just couldn’t. My blood was boiling, my heart pounding. I kept looking down at my shoes, like I was in trouble with the principal. I just couldn’t look in the eyes of the rep. My heart and my head were heavy, hearing this gobbledygook. I felt sad. Not angry. Sad.
So I bluntly interrupted her. I couldn’t control myself. “I’m sorry… I’ve been an executive of a homeless agency for over 13 years. I have a Master’s Degree, for God’s sakes,” I blurted out. Surprising her, and the rest of those around the table who know me as someone who is respectful. “What you are describing is completely confusing. Bewildering. If I—a homeless agency executive—have no idea how to navigate your system to get help, how in God’s sake will people who have been struggling on our streets for years figure out how to get your help?”
There was silence. Some heads nodding in agreement. Like others around the table were feeling the same way, but didn’t have the courage to voice their doubts. The rep clearly acknowledged my frustration, but then went on to try to explain the system in more detail. More gobbledygook. I tuned out. Like I was some teenager listening to the principal lecture me in her office. You know, like the adult voices in a Charlie Brown television special. Wah, wah, wah…
I remember a couple of weeks ago, quite a few of us were excited when the federal Department of Veterans Affairs announced they wanted to end homelessness among veterans in the next five years. They are ready to invest $3.2 billion in “rescuing those who live on our streets.”
In fact, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, the courageous U.S. Army General who was willing to publicly clash with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld over the lack of planning for the Iraq War, proudly pronounced recently, “No one who has served this nation as veterans should ever be living on our streets.”
I wish this was the case. That the $3.2 billion will help thousands and thousands of our veterans access housing. But if the system is as confusing as what I had heard in last week’s meeting, I have my doubts.
I wish it weren’t so. I wish it were like a Charlie Brown special where everything turns out for the best at the end of the show. Or a Tom Hanks movie where they rescue the army private at the end.
I think the VA, and the rest of the federal government for that matter, should hire Steve Jobs to make their system user friendly. Think Apple Store. iPod. MacBook. iPhone. Wouldn’t it be amazing if homeless men and women, veteran or not, could walk into a government office and be greeted by smiling sales people with colored T-Shirts who are eager to explain every product in the store?
The services are so easy to comprehend, like a politician explaining his stump speech in a 15 second sound bite on CNN, anyone on the streets can understand. Bright colors. Cool signs. Bells and whistles.
Maybe part of that $3.2 billion, even a small fraction of it, could be used to hire a polished Madison Avenue marketing company to show how government should be presenting its services for people living on the streets.
We certainly have to change the paradigm of how we approach homelessness in this country. It can’t be business as usual.
Maybe we should start by just making access to housing and services easier.
(Pic from http://abovethevile.files.wordpress.com)
Thank you sooo much for calling out the pathetic V.A. system. I really appreciate your blog. I will come up with something for the faith community soon.
Rhonda
Posted 2009-11-19 19:51:12
A Third Wave Of Addressing Homelesness Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Civil Overestimation Friday, April 3, 2009
WWYD? Monday, November 13, 2006
705 Missing Homeless People: Where Did They Go? Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Body Found In A River Near Long Beach
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