originally published on Jan 1 2008 on the HUFF yahoo groups list
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR HOMELESSNESS IN SANTA CRUZ?
by Becky Johnson
Santa Cruz, Ca. -- The average age of death of a homeless person in Santa Cruz County is 48 yrs old. There is no doubt that exposure to the cold, the rain, the dark, and the added stress contributes to mortality rates. These numbers are disturbing and should be triggering bells and whistles at the SC County Dept. of Health. They are not.
But who is to blame?
-- City leaders for failing to provide sufficient shelter
-- Dept of Health for failure to house indigents who are conservable
-- greed in the real estate market, including the practice of evicting tenants in order to sell the house empty
-- low wages offered by employers
-- service providers for failing to raise the alarm due to fear of losing funding
-- local 'family-owned' businesses who urge a policy of police sweeps and criminalization of homelessness
-- landlords who raise their rents precipitously
-- media who ignore the problem or add to the problem by their unsympathetic attitudes towards those suffering from homelessness
-- the Federal govt. for cutting HUD funding
-- The State of California for failing to provide health care for all
But who is to blame?
-- City leaders for failing to provide sufficient shelter
-- Dept of Health for failure to house indigents who are conservable
-- greed in the real estate market, including the practice of evicting tenants in order to sell the house empty
-- low wages offered by employers
-- service providers for failing to raise the alarm due to fear of losing funding
-- local 'family-owned' businesses who urge a policy of police sweeps and criminalization of homelessness
-- landlords who raise their rents precipitously
-- media who ignore the problem or add to the problem by their unsympathetic attitudes towards those suffering from homelessness
-- the Federal govt. for cutting HUD funding
-- The State of California for failing to provide health care for all
-- Churches who have the means, the mission, and the tax advantage to help, but don't
In a way, all the citizenry of Santa Cruz are to blame for allowing homelessness to continue year after year without putting our resources towards solving it.
In a way, all the citizenry of Santa Cruz are to blame for allowing homelessness to continue year after year without putting our resources towards solving it.
Becky Johnson is a member of HUFF, a not-for-profit, all-volunteer, peer-advocacy organization which advocates for the rights of poor and homeless people and works for social justice located in Santa Cruz, California. HUFF meetings are every WED. from 10:30AM to Noon at the Subrosa Café on Pacific Ave. Free coffee if you're homeless.
Snail-mail us at:
Snail-mail us at:
Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom
309 Cedar St. PMB 14B -- Santa Cruz, Ca. 95060
