Short Takes

Children's Housing Crisis

New York City's homeless children do not receive adequate health care, according to a study released in June by the Children's Health Fund (CHF) and Montefiore Medical Center. The study, which surveyed hundreds of children in New York City shelters served by CHF's New York Children's Health Project, reveals that approximately 38 percent of the city's homeless children experienced regular asthma attacks in 1998, compared with 14 percent 10 years earlier. This percentage is six times the national rate and four times the general rate for childhood asthma in New York City. The report also found that 61 percent of those aged 2 to 3 years old were behind on their immunizations and that middle-ear infections were diagnosed in 27 percent of patients 5 years of age or younger. Information: CHF, 212-535-9400; www.childrenshealthfund.org.

Americans Like HUD

Most Americans favor HUD despite doubts of its efficacy, according to a survey by the San Francisco-based Novogradac & Co. LLP. The survey asked 800 Americans, "How effective do you find [HUD] in providing aid to low-income families to find affordable housing?" Forty-five percent held a positive image of HUD while 21 percent did not and 34 percent had no opinion or were unaware of the agency. The survey found that more women than men had a favorable impression, more blacks than whites, and more Democrats than Republicans. Only 4 percent found HUD "very effective," which Novogradac attributes to media reports of problems in public housing and the long waiting lists for HUD subsidized housing. Information: Novogradac & Co, www.novoco.com/Press_Releases/survey3.htm

Housing Catch-22

Advocates for the homeless in Portland, OR, have persuaded the city to spend $125,000 for 30 temporary shelter beds for women, according to The Oregonian (7/14/99). The needs of Portland's homeless women have received greater attention since May, when three women were found strangled. Eleven social service and religious groups pressed the city for more emergency shelter. But the money came from a fund for affordable housing, which, according to City Commissioner Erik Sten, would have provided at least two permanent affordable units. "It's just a modest increase in the number of beds," Sten said. "It will certainly help provide a little more safety for women in a very vulnerable condition, but it doesn't do anything at all to solve the underlying problem of homelessness."

High Court Topples Gang Ordinance

Homeless advocates are hailing this past June's 6-3 Supreme Court decision to strike down Chicago's Gang Congregation Ordinance. The ordinance prohibited suspected gang members from loitering in public places. The National Law Center on Homeless & Poverty (NLCHP), along with four other homeless advocacy organizations and the National Network for Youth, had filed an amicus brief in Chicago vs. Morales last year, arguing that any law that facilitates arresting people for merely being in a public space "with no apparent purpose" discriminates against those who have no choice but to live in public. Information: Amy Bracken, NLCHP, 202-638-2535; nlchp@nlchp.org; www.nlchp.org.

Human Rights for the Homeless

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) has launched a campaign to apply international human rights principles to homelessness in the U.S., with three key goals: to assess U.S. homelessness using human rights standards, to develop a framework for implementing the right to housing in the U.S., and to use human rights principles to develop U.S. policy to address homelessness. Information: Amy Bracken, NLCHP, 202-638-2535; e-mail: nlchp@nlchp.org;  www.nlchp.org.

PA Alliance Fights Sprawl

The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which uses historic preservation to revitalize the city and fight sprawl, joined with urban and suburban legislators in June at a press conference to facilitate cooperation across party lines in developing an anti-sprawl agenda. Attending legislators included state Rep. David J. Steil (R-31, Bucks), sponsor of anti-sprawl legislation. Although the legislation deals mainly with suburban growth, state Sen. Allyson Y. Schwartz, a Philadelphia Democrat, said she wanted to make sure any discussions on planning also involved revitalization of commercial and urban areas. Commented Patricia Wilson Aden, president of the Preservation Alliance, "It's a land-use issue that affects Philadelphians in a way that contributes to the decline of our neighborhoods and our commercial area." Information: Preservation Alliance, 215-546-1146; www.preservationalliance.com.

Fannie Mae & NAHB Tackle Green Building

Fannie Mae and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) are beginning work with home builders, lenders, and other community partners to develop and test mortgage financing based on environmentally efficient "green building" criteria. The product will reward buyers of houses that conserve power, save water, require less upkeep, and are built with environmentally friendly materials, among other things. Because borrowers' projected bills would be lower, the mortgage might permit them to qualify with less income or spend more up-front than their incomes would allow. The $100 million initiative, announced in June, will be test-marketed in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Columbus, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Information: Kate Fralin, Fannie Mae, 202-752-6720; Neil Gaffney, NAHB, 202-822-0495.

Copyright 1999

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