:: Solutions to the Homeless Problem ::

:: Friday, November 22, 2002 ::

Fund Raising with Restaurants, Hotels and Movie Theathers


I ofthen think that getting people together to help homeless is hard and not that effective, but if get people together to have a party, then it would be much easier. So here is another successful story Homeless shelter raises over $40,000 at fundraiser that bring people together to have party and try out various restaurants in town while raising some money for the homeless. There are lots of vacant hotel rooms during winter, and it could be also a good fund raising tool. Get hotels to involve to digest those surplus so that people called in can take advantage of the surplus while making some contributions to the homeless.

Last time when I took my family to Bridgewater Commons Mall Theather to watch Jacky Chen's "Tuxedo", there were only my family and another couple behind, and the show room can accomodate at least two hundreds people. I was thinking what a waste on the facility. It would be a good idea for homeless avocate or charity organization to contract with the theater to buy tickets in volume, say, 10,000 tickets at $1 per ticket, and that way not only the theater can make $10,000 extra income, but the charity organization can sell the tickets at $4, half price throught its channel to students, for example, and raise $30,000 for the homeless. Basically, business surplus is a good resource to raise fund for the homeless.

:: Mr Cheng 3:47 PM [+] ::
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Let Homeless Sleep Inside the Church, Not Outside the Church


I just wrote another letter to New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in respond to another news COPS RIP MIKE ON HOMELESS I really believe the win win situation is urge all the churches let the homeless sleep INSIDE the churches, rather than outsite at the steps or even parking lots. Every time when I delivered sleeping bags with my wife and 4 sons, I was always wondering why not just let the homeless sleeping inside the church since inside is warmer and no one use the churches during sleeping hours anyway. I felt particuarly heart broken is when I delivered sleeping bags to homeless sleeping on the parking lot of churches like St Johns Church at Newark near Penn Station; they lied down like cars parking on the lots. I felt that if I were the God, I would feel very upset seeing that especially during raining nights. Here is the letter.



Dear Mayor, Reading the article in http://www.nypost.com/commentary/ 62178.htm I understand that New York City was trying to get the homeless people out of sight because Xmas is coming; on the other hand, there is a court order that police should not bother the homeless people sleeping on the steps outside churches. Every time I delievered sleeping bags to the homeless people sleeping on the street outside the church; I felt very sympathetic to the homeless sleeping outdoors and was wondering why the church would NOT open the door and let them sleeping inside. It would be a win win situation to ask the church to let the homeless sleep inside the church rather than at the steps of doors, that way NYPD do not have to bother the homeless, and there is no eyesore of the homeless sleeping outdoor. How do you think? Cheng


:: Mr Cheng 12:19 AM [+] ::
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Provide 24 x 7 Service Center for the Homeless on Street


I just wrote a letter to New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in respond to today's news Police arresting homeless at greater rate just like I respond to all mayors in the US should there be a homeless news that I monitor daily on hundreds of newspaper show up. Here is the letter:


Dear Mayor, I am very concerned about the arrest of homeless people reported on the news today http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny- bc-ny--homelessarrests1114nov14,0,2085927.story?coll=ny-ap-regional- wire I have been helping hundreds of homeless people to get off street using my own hard earn money, and I deliver sleeping bags to homeless people sleeping on the street in Greater New York area. I took them to breakfast and lunch and try to help them, and I have been very successful. On the other hand, I can feel their pain at the first hand experience, and I am very sympatheic to them and wish I could have done more to help them all get off street. Sometimes, the life for them is so difficult on the street, and people discriminate them instead of giving them a hand. I know you are a very good mayor and have done lots things for homeless families by increasing sheltors from 2,000 to 8,000 ... I wish you could provide the homeless on the street a safe place on a 24 x 7 basis so that they do not have to stay on street ...


:: Mr Cheng 11:41 AM [+] ::
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Help the Homeless Find Affordable Housing and Jobs


I just came across this message from Homeless.Org saying finding affordable housing and jobs are the most important help to the homeless.


It has been reported that the types of assistance homeless adults felt they needed were help finding a job, help finding affordable housing, and help paying for housing. However, the main types of assistance they usually received were clothing, transportation and help with public benefits. Few homeless actually receive help finding housing, likely because caregivers know its unaffordable or otherwise unattainable for people of their social status.

In fact, while I take the homeless to breakfast or lunch and give them New York City subway pass and cash assistance, the major focus is always finding them an affordable housing, and a furnished room in a private house is a very effective start. I not only provide reference to the landlord and guarantee the rent. I also try to help them to find a job through Labor Ready or all sorts of recruting firms or Internet jobsites. Before they can be on their own feet, I continue to take them to lunch or dinner and give them critical support. What I have done, in fact, is the most cost effective way and what most of the homeless really need.


:: Mr Cheng 11:17 PM [+] ::
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San Francisco Mayor, William Brown, Replies


Below is the reply from Mayor of San Francisco to my suggestions on Proposition N and homeless solutions, and he agrees almost all except hesitating to increase tax on alcohol and cigarettes afraid that business could lost to neighborhood. I have replied and quoted the statistics of New York City, after increasing tax 20 times of cigarettes from 8 cents to $1.50 per pack that drove the price of Marlboro from $5 to $7.50, and the sales of cigarettes of New York City plunged 50% right away, but the tax income surged $70 millions.



Subject: Re: Dear Mayor, here is my solution for homeless issue in San Francisco...

To: "Mr. Cheng"

From: "DaMayor Mayor" | This is Spam | Add to Address Book

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2002 16:48:04 -0800



Mr. Cheng:

I appreciate your interest, I do think your solution to homelessness in San Francisco is workable at this time.

Although the City has excellent programs and many success stories, San Francisco cannot do it alone. We need statewide programs,
resources and regional policies mandated by the state so that San Francisco is not a magnet for those in need of services. New York City gets
hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance from New York State, whereas we have not received significant assistance from the State of
California. That may be changing, however, with Governor Davis recently announcing
that Bay Area social service agencies would receive $8.1 million in
grants to help people
in the region with housing as well as other services. San Francisco's
share is expected to be $2.6 million.

This fiscal year (2001-2002) San Francisco faced a revenue
shortfall of $175 million. In 2002-2003 we are expecting a revenue
shortfall of $150 million. Some of this is attributable to the severe
downtown in the tourism industry, and so I am not as sure as you are that this sector would be "happy" to pay the extra taxes you suggest. In fact,
many in industries related to tourism are having a very difficult time. As for increasing taxes on alcohol, that will only inspire people
to shop out of town where the taxes are not, thus creating fewer, rather
than more, sales locally.

In any case, thank you for your input.

Sincerely,

Mayor Willie Brown



Dear Mayor,

As an homeless issue expert helping hundreds of thousands of homeless
people get off street in Greater New York Area, I have the
following solution to solve homeless problem of San Francisco.

Cheng
----------------------



Solutions to Homeless Problem of Cities like San Francisco

I have been monitoring the Proposition N news for a while
till the result came out today. Basically, it is an argument of
various of proposals of distribution of the existing insufficent funding of either to be cash assistance or providing service to the homeless.
Since it is a zero sum types of thinking and proposals, no matter what
the result is, there remain major defects of the homeless solution
Proposition N trying to provide. It is also a unfair way of making this
decision since homeless and avocate population is far less than other citizens
who are not well educated about the painfulness of being a
homeless.

Since the overall funding is insufficient, the correct
thinking should be toward obtaining sufficient funding, and one major
concern is the
homeless visibility on tourism industry and restaruant
business and the
homeless spending on alcohol; it would be fair to assume that levy a
special tax from hotels, restaurants, liquor stores and cigarettes
...etc to raise the funding to help homeless to get off
street. Who are the most benefit groups when homeless people get off street
with their own home? The Tourism Industry, the restaurants, and any
tourist
related activities, so I am sure they would be happy to pay extra tax
to make that happened. Who suck the most part of the cash
assistance to the homeless? Alcohol industry. So, why not make them pay
extra tax to offset the losed funding from homeless to them? This is
similar to the damage cigarettes cause to the health. Increae the tax and restrict the
area to consume to minimize the damage if can not eliminate
them all together. Suspend the cash assistance from those few who got caught substance abused.

Once there is sufficient funding to deal with homeless
issues; the city government could both provide cash assistance to the
homeless and provide the necessary services and care to the homeless.
The city government could futher encourage the tourism industry and
the restaurants to provide jobs to the homeless people, and
once the cash assistance is increased to a level where $600 per month residential
hotel or furnished room are affordable, I am sure most of
the homeless
would be able to get off street permanently. With years
experience of
helping hundreds of thousands of homeless people get off
street in Greater New York area using no donated money, I know my
expert suggestion is fresh and workable.


:: Mr Cheng 5:16 PM [+] ::
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Cell Phone is a Must for any Homeless

In Thursday, November 7, 2002 Voice-mail box for homeless and poor faces funding loss, it is talking about the award winning voice mail system using by 30,000 homeless people across the nation since 1991. I have to say, it is a good chance for social services or any individual or charity organizations who help homeless to accept the fact that a cell phone is a must for the homeless, NOT voice mail system.


I used to communicate with the homeless I helped in Greater New York area with email and gave them phone card, but I have to admit, cell phone is the best solution. Cell phone was very expensive until this two years when one can make unlimited phone calls during weekend and night hours for a fixed monthly fee.

Every homeless with cell phone, I am able to contact them as soon as I locate the resource for them, and it ends up I was able to get them off street very quick. Some ex homeless could contact me easily as soon as they got hit to be homeless again, and I was able to take quick action to help them not falling back to street. Cell phone is the key.

Every sheltor or social services could equip Nextel and loan their customers (ie. homeless or low income) a Nextel cell phone so that they could be reached throught direct call, and it is free. Voice mail is good to certain point, but cell phone would definitely get them off street and find a job or home much faster. So, the cost of using cell phone itself is well justified.


:: Mr Cheng 12:12 PM [+] ::
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Solutions to Homeless Problem of Cities like San Francisco



I have been monitoring the Proposition N news for a while till the result came out today. Basically, it is an argument of various of proposals of distribution of the existing insufficent funding of either to be cash assistance or providing service to the homeless. Since it is a zero sum types of thinking and proposals, no matter what the result is, there remain major defects of the homeless solution Proposition N trying to provide. It is also a unfair way of making this decision since homeless and avocate population is far less than other citizens who are not well educated about the painfulness of being a homeless.


Since the overall funding is insufficient, the correct thinking should be toward obtaining sufficient funding, and one major concern is the homeless visibility on tourism industry and restaruant business and the homeless spending on alcohol; it would be fair to assume that levy a special tax from hotels, restaurants, liquor stores and cigarettes ...etc to raise the funding to help homeless to get off street. Who are the most benefit groups when homeless people get off street with their own home? The Tourism Industry, the restaurants, and any tourist related activities, so I am sure they would be happy to pay extra tax to make that happened. Who suck the most part of the cash assistance to the homeless? Alcohol industry. So, why not make them pay extra tax to offset the losed funding from homeless to them? This is similar to the damage cigarettes cause to the health. Increae the tax and restrict the area to consume to minimize the damage if can not eliminate them all together. Suspend the cash assistance from those few who got caught substance abused.




Once there is sufficient funding to deal with homeless issues; the city government could both provide cash assistance to the homeless and provide the necessary services and care to the homeless. The city government could futher encourage the tourism industry and the restaurants to provide jobs to the homeless people, and once the cash assistance is increased to a level where $600 per month residential hotel or furnished room are affordable, I am sure most of the homeless would be able to get off street permanently. With years experience of helping hundreds of thousands of homeless people get off street in Greater New York area using no donated money, I know my expert suggestion is fresh and workable.




:: Mr Cheng 10:51 AM [+] ::
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File Class Action to Remove Common Barriers to Prevent Homeless from Getting Off Street


The most powerful means to help homeless people is "Class Action" to Remove Barriers that prevent Homeless from getting off street. For example, PSE&G in New Jersey, and similar engergy service provides across nation, charges$300 deposit to homeless people or low income families in order to provide electric and gas service. This is one big barrier to them; it happens to my tenants, and it happened to many people mentioned in The Homeless Guy .

Other Example like Verizon in New Jersey, and similar phone companies across nation, charge $100 deposit to homeless or low income families to start their phone service. This is another big barrier. There are many other things, that, through Class Action, would be most cost effective way to remove those barrier to prevent the homeless from getting off street and moving up.


:: Mr Cheng 11:00 AM [+] ::
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Ask Your Mayor to Try Homeless Life to Improve Homeless Services


Every time I saw either mayor or the President serving in the soup kitchen on TV during Thanksgiving, I felt they should try to wait in line of soup kitchen during any regular day, especially, raining or snowing day, or sleep in one of the single man sheltor annonimously; that way, they will have the first hand desperated feeling of the homeless being served by them and able to be knowledgable to provide a better homeless service to them, or trying their best to get them off homeless life. Everyone who would like to help the homeless could just write their mayor, house rep, senator, governor or even the President and ask them to experience a homeless life in a soup kitchen and sleep a few nights in sheltor. Here is my share of asking mayor of the New York City to do so, and I received his response as below.


Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 11:38:29 -0400
From: "The Mayor of the City of New York"
To: "Cheng"
Subject: Re: Homeless Services (2002-10-23 11:38:29.109)

Dear Mr. Cheng,

Thank you for your recent letter and for sharing your concerns about the homeless.
My administration is dedicated to reaching out to less fortunate New Yorkers and guiding them toward the goal of independent living. Alongside many public and private agencies, Commissioner Linda Gibbs and the Department of Homeless Services strive to create a continuum of care and provide shelter for homeless people in a safe, supportive environment.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Please know that I value your involvement as we work together to build a better New York.

Sincerely

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor

-----Original Message -----
From: Cheng (wjcheng@yahoo.com)
Sent: 2002-08-19 17:08:34.61
To: The Mayor of the City of New York
Subject: Homeless Services

Dear Mayor,

I am glad that you increased homeless sheltors from 2000 to 8000. I wish that YOU or your head officier of NYC homeless office to stay overnight at one of the single sheltors; that you will be able to have the first hand experience of the pain of single man homeless.

I personally helping homeless people sleeping on the street for past years using my own money; I gave out 2000 sleeping bags each year.

If you or your Head homeless officer could pretend single homeless man, which is always with the lowest priority, you will learn the unforgetable experience of the pain of hundreds of thousands single homeless man in the city.

Dear Mayor, you have done a great job taking Subway yourself and found out the heat in subway station; that's why many of us like you very much.

Would you try to stand in line of soup kitchen to eat with the homeless without letting anyone knowing you are Major?

Cheng


:: Mr Cheng 1:50 PM [+] ::
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Let Desperated Tenant Break the Lease and Give Cash Credit to Unemployed Tenants


Recently, I had another tenant who is the president of a consulting firm. He called me that he had to break the lease and return the condo back to me because his consultants from 36 down to 14 and projected to be 6 next year, and his company could not afford to hold the condo and use it as guest house of his consulting firm. I asked him to meet at the condo right away and talk it through and asked him to get all the stuff out and clean it up as soon as possible, and I released his responsibility to continue paying rent because I can feel that he had his hand full and his company has much less income and more overhead.


I then sent out a for rent offer to a list of hundreds of emails offering $200 credit to people who are unemployed and desperated looking to move and can move in the condo right away. I got people respond the next day and want to take the condo. I promised as long as the tenant is unemployed, I will honor the $200 credit.


It is important to act quick so that no vacancy or very little vacancy of the condo because even if the condo is vacant, the bank still collect mortgage payment from the landlord, and the government still collect the property tax, and condo association still charge maintenance fee. If the vacancy could be minimized, and $200 credit to prospective unemployed tenant could help those who would otherwise become homeless due to no job. The advertisement cost will be zero throught an email referral and no credit check could not only safe the cost but also help those who do not have perfect credit to be able to move right in. And I use a standard lease that also save the atterney fee. Of course, I would not be able to paint the unit or replace the carpet, but I promise the tenant to do it as soon as they find a job and pay me normal rent; in the mean time, I brought my carpet clean machine to clean the carpet and got lots of other minor parts corrected in a very cost effective way so that I can still return full deposit to the desperated tenant who had no choice but broke the lease.


:: Mr Cheng 11:43 PM [+] ::
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Cash Assistance Is the Best Help to the Homeless

I believe CASH is always the best thing, and when I helped homeless people in Greater New York area, I always give the homeless or panhandlers CASH. Why? For example, I used to give them something I though they would need and I thought I would need if I were a homeless, but it often wrong.

For example, I am an expert user of Entertainment coupon that always gives 50% off when you buy, say, McDonald or Burger King. But, you know, if I go use the coupon as a professional, the coupon is often granded, but if I gave those coupons to the homeless, when they use, the coupon were NOT granted. This is aparently discrimination, but it is very real. So, what I did became use coupons to buy breakfast or lunch for the homeless and eat with them. Or I use the coupon to save money and give that CASH to the homeless.

If one going to spend an hour and $20 to buy those items in the goodie bag, I would just give $20 to the homeless person. It is easier and it can be done anytime. For example, I might bring my goodie bags on my way to work and hit now homeless on the street, or when I encountered homeless people on subway, I do not have the goodie bags with me.

So, eventually, I have copies of lists of all the good soup kitchens and shelters in NYC area in my bag, and a copy of open letter to help homeless get off street with a red envelop of $100 so that they could spend $30 to buy one way bus ticket to take Susquehanna Trailways at track #14 of Port Authority at Manhattan to Hazleton PA and pay $50 to check in Maple Cottage Hotel for ONE WEEK stay, and the following morning report to Labor Ready office two blocks away and get paid every day at the end of each day and can pay for their next week hotel stay, and later rent a $200 apartment and continue moving up themselves.

Goodie bag is mentioned by Kelvin is because it is very difficult for people willing to help homeless in CASH, so there are all kinds of substitue. CASH is always the most important and useful thing for a homeless.

Don't turn the CASH you have to those items that homeless people may not need or has already or can buy at much lower price than you could. Don't every turn the CASH into gift certificate that make the CASH less useful. Just give the CASH to any homeless you feel you want to help the way you donate to any charity organization because any organization always has overhead, and your $100 donation could be eaten up, say, 35% or more...

Why NOT just give the CASH assistance to the homeless?

:: Mr Cheng 10:30 PM [+] ::
...