Thanksgiving 365

Elana Shneyer

With the holiday season upon us, all of a sudden we are reminded of those in need, specifically the homeless. Homelessness exists 365 days a year. Working at The Partnership for the Homeless for the past few months has reinforced those things for which I am thankful. I am thankful for the education I had access to which helped me get to where I am today. I am thankful for the job I have which allows me to affect change everyday while providing me with an income and health insurance. And, most highlighted by my work experience, I am thankful for the roof I have over my head each night, and the comfort I get from knowing that I have a safe and secure place to sleep.

Unfortunately, too many Americans, and New Yorkers specifically, do not have that comfort. In the US there are approximately 3.5 million homeless people. Monday night, November 20th, 2006, 34,595 individuals were sheltered by the city. 13,859 were children. This number does not include the 3,843 unsheltered individuals the city estimates live on the street. It also does not include the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in substandard, dangerous or inadequate living conditions, doubled and tripled up.

There are a myriad of reasons an individual becomes homeless, but there are some irrefutable structural realities that turn a tough situation into a crisis. Homelessness is a problem that we as a city and a nation have the know-how and the resources to overcome if we made a serious commitment to do so. We need policies that increase access to education at all levels, quality healthcare for all, living wage jobs and incomes for those who are unable to work and finally, affordable housing for all New Yorkers, including those with extremely low incomes. These policy areas are not just for homeless New Yorkers, or those who find themselves in the throws of poverty, but for all New Yorkers. If we take on these structural issues together, and work for permanent solutions beyond shelter, we will see a New York, and a United States of America, that is really by and for the people.

To that end, among other initiatives, The Partnership recently embarked on its third annual Voter Registration and Empowerment Drive where we coordinated voter registration and education workshops at over 40 homeless shelters throughout the city and GOTV efforts at nearly 60 shelters to increase the electoral base to truly represent all New Yorkers. So, while some political parties were exploiting the homeless for political gain we in New York in cooperation with the National Low Income Housing Coalition's Voterization Project, were working toward expanding the educated voting base. To read more about our drive click here and here .

New York will continue to find itself in the tragic situation it is each night until we have policy, political engagement and public education focusing on real, long term solutions to poverty. Let us be thankful for the roof we have over our heads and work toward ensuring that everyone can be thankful for that each and every day.

For more about the work of The Partnership for the Homeless please visit our website at www.partnershipforthehomeless.org.

Comments

Thanks for posting Elana (us Elana's have to stick together).

I am very impressed by the work Partnership for Homeless does - especially the voter enfranchisement. I hope other blogs pick up on your work.

Elana writes eloquently about the homeless crisis in New York City, something too often taken for granted. I am a mentally ill person with an education, family support, housing and an income. My life could have easily been one of a homeless person on the street without my safety net. Plus, I am white, which, believe it or not, is a great advantage even in "liberal" New York City.

Dan - I the fact that health insurance companies are not required to provide equal care for mental health as they do for other kinds of health is a massive injustice and one that costs a lot of lives and money in the end of the day.

I heard that mental health parity legislation has passed in the Assembly and in the State Senate. Getting that ratified would be a major deal.

I don't know how medicare, medicaid and family health plus (new yorks health insurance program for low income people) take care of mental health. But access to care is obviously a huge part of solving both homelessness and a lot of unneeded misery for people at all income levels.

(I'm not the Elana that wrote the blog post - I'm Elana from DMI)

The legislation that Elana L is referring to is commonly known as Timothy's Law. After ten plus years of advocacy in the mental health community the NYS Senate passed S8482 (you can look up the details of it by clicking here and entering the bill number). This legislation is considered a first step toward parity health insurance coverage for mental health. It still needs to be passed by the Assembly and then approved by the Governor. Advocates are optimistic about the possibility of passage this session, but it will take a strong grassroots (and netroots) effort. To find out how you can help, click here.

Dan also brings up an important point regarding mental health and homelessness. While mental illness is certainly not the sole cause of homelessness, serious mental illness is disproportionately prevalent among homeless single adults. People that are homeless and have a mental illness remain homeless for longer periods of time for reasons Dan outlined, less contact with family and friends, more barriers to employment, and a tendency toward more contact with the legal system. As Health Care for the Homeless Clinician's Network wrote in October 2000

"It is an outrage that here in America so many people who suffer from mental illness remain homeless- these individuals are among the most vulnerable, not only to multiple co-morbidities including substance abuse, but also to stigmatization, exploitation and brutal victimization."

But the ways to end and prevent homelessness remain the same, more affordable housing, more supportive housing, access to quality education and living wage jobs, and at issue here, access to affordable and quality health coverage, both mental and physical.