Short Takes

How Do I Count Thee?

San Francisco's first homeless count in 15 years, compiled from street volunteers and emergency shelters, came in at 4,800. Advocates say that is too low by at least half, missing those in treatment centers, doubling up in friends' houses, or just hiding from view. Meanwhile, affluent Marin County's first homeless census came in far higher than expected – over 4,000. Marin's year-long count involved all agencies serving the homeless, and used a coded system to protect anonymity and prevent duplication. According to the results, 39 percent of Marin's homeless live in cars or outside, 29 percent in emergency shelter, 21 percent with family or friends, and 10 percent in treatment or short-term institutional facilities. (San Francisco Chronicle, 4/29/00 & 5/24/00)

The Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, a collaboration of 16 social service and government groups, says day labor should not be encouraged for the homeless because it offers no specific job skills, job history, or work guarantees; gives a false sense of security without enabling long-term planning; and its periodic nature allows the avoidance of substance abuse problems. The statement came in the middle of a controversy over Franklin Square in Savannah, GA, a homeless gathering place and also a day worker pickup site. Although only 20 percent of day laborers are homeless, nearby business owners wanted to move the pickup site across the city to a homeless shelter. (Savannah Morning News, 5/22/00)

Would You Like Interest With That?

New York landlords are currently required to place security deposits into interest-bearing accounts and are then allowed to keep one percent of the deposit as an administrative fee. But with current rock bottom savings interest rates, there's often little return left for the tenant after the landlord fee. Proposed state legislation would change the landlord fee to 20 percent of the interest earned, protecting tenants' returns, and finally giving landlords incentive to comparison shop for interest rates – that is, if they are following the notoriously abused security deposit regulations at all. (City Limits Weekly, 5/22/00) 

NPA Takes Actions A'Plenty

During the National People's Action's April conference 700 participants visited American Express board member Daniel Ackerson, who agreed to meet with AmEx's CEO and board chair to discuss policies concerning predatory loan investments. The next day, 400 participants attended the National Association of Mortgage Brokers' conference, and NAMB President Michael Hindman agreed to discuss NPA's proposed modifications to Representative Bob Ney's weak consumer protection bill. The Federal Reserve committed to previously requested hearings on modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act, and representatives from the other bank regulatory agencies agreed to attend as well after conference participants held up screws to show they were being screwed by financial modernization. (Gordon Mayer, National Training and Information Center, 312-243-3035)

A Baseline of Dignity

After ten years of controversy, The Urban Rest Stop opened on March 29th in downtown Seattle, and had over 200 visitors in its first four days. Sponsored by the Low Income Housing Institute, and funded by HUD, The City of Seattle, and the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, the Rest Stop provides free bathrooms, showers, and laundry facilities for the area's poor and homeless. Visitors provide minimal information for demographic statistics and inventory control. Program Coordinator Ronnie Gilboa hopes to develop a series of Rest Stops as a public health measure. Perhaps more importantly, they can provide some basic human dignity otherwise unavailable on the streets. (Ronnie Gilboa, 206-443-9935)

Justice Served

Pennsylvania Ku Klux Klan leader Roy Frankhouser has agreed to pay five percent of his income for the next ten years to Bonnie Jouhari and her daughter in compensation for repeated threats made to Jouhari in conjunction with her fair housing work. (See Shelterforce #s 105 & 109.) Frankhouser will also perform 1,000 hours of community service and issue a public apology.

The World's Most Profitable Business

Landlording may not be the world's oldest profession, but in New York City it's certainly one of the most profitable. Still, NYC's Rent Guidelines Board not only passed rent increases of 4-6 percent for next year (3-5 percent for lofts, 2 percent for SROs), but also retained the poor tax (a $15 "supplement" for rents under $500/month) and the minimum rent provision. Advocates charge that the Rent Guidelines Board – nine upper-income males, seven of whom are white – is a "boys club out of control" whose members not only won't live with the effects of their votes, but engaged in tactics to prevent tenants from testifying at the public hearings, and had those who protested ejected or arrested. (MetCouncil on Housing, 212-693-0553; NYC Rent Guidelines Board, www.housingnyc.com)

Segregation or Support?

The Thomas J. Pappas school in Phoenix, which provides education, meals, medical and psychological care, and clothing to homeless children, is hoping to expand. The school, which began 11 years ago with eight students, now serves over 600 from kindergarten to 10th grade. Washington lobbyists are attempting to raise funds for two more such schools in Arizona before moving on to other regions. Some groups, including the National Coalition for the Homeless, believe Pappas unfairly segregates homeless students, causing social and educational isolation. Pappas supporters argue that without permanent address or adequate transportation, many homeless students can't access mainstream schools. (Cyndy Woods, cwoods@azedlink1.k12.az.us)

Copyright 2000

Back to May/June 2000 index.