This documents solutions for compassionate people, charity organization or government agency to help homeless move off homelessness. Mr. Cheng has years of person to person experience helping hundreds of homeless to get off street in Greater New York area and remotely through Internet. He has published thousands of solutions on homeless issues. He is a hands on homeless expert helping homeless people to get off street in the United States using his own money.
:: welcome to Solutions to the Homeless Problem
:: bloghome
| Mr.Cheng
::
Treat Your Tenant Nice Can Reduce Homeless Families
I just rented out a one bedroom condo to a black couple who came from Harlem area of New York City. I did not check their credit, nor did I asked proof of income ...etc. I simply showed the unit to them, and they loved it, and I rented to them tonight at 10pm. I gave them the keys and they could move right in tomorrow, 10-31-02, because they have to move out of their place by November 1. They only gave me the deposit and were not able to pay me the 1st rent till November 7, 2002. I told them fine.
I told them all of my tenants sent me Christmas cards and said "Mr. Cheng, You are the best landlord in the world." Yes, I never checked the credit of any of my prospective tenants, nor make them sign lease at lawyer office; I simply rent the condo to the first prospective tenant who love the condo and can move right in. They told me they had a very difficult time finding an apartment, and if they had not met me, they may have to go to social service for help or become homeless because they do not have enough money to pay both first month rent and deposit at the same time before their current deposit to be released after they move out their current place.
I want to tell all the landlord in this country that the tenant default rate is only around 3% and may go up to 4% during bad economy, and even the tenant could not pay the rent on time, they will almost always catch up. Being a landlord of many rental properties for past 20 years, I never did credit check on any of my tenants, NONE owe me a penny. The worst case was a teacher who could not pay me rent for 3 months due to a car accident at out of state, but she catches up and now with me for 7 years.
US Government Should Provide Child Support to Parents
Sister McGeady mentioned in Nun rescues troubled shelter and its youths helped lots of homeless kids run away from their home, and she blames the breakdown of the American family for so many children leaving home. It is very true, but I want to tell you that the major reason American family breakdown is financial reason, and I have realized the solution is for the US Government to provide Cash Child Support on a monthly basis to the children's parents, just like the divorced father paying the child support to his children till a certain age when children can be independent.
Why is the responsibility to raise an American kid is the parents, NOT the US Government? And, as soon as the kid grow up and well educated and start working, the US Government tax them? If the parents of their children are responsible for raising them and educate them, they should be the only people obtain part of the income of their children, NOT the US Government through IRS. On the other hand, if US Government want to tax them, they should provide child support to the parents to raise their children, just like a divorced father paying child support to the mother raising the children to certain age and can be independent. Think twice, if US Government is responsible for the child support, many American families would definitely not breakdown for reasons like father lost jobs, family could not afford the rent, parents fights about poor situation, no money to buy toys, pay education for children ...etc, that all contribute to a kid runaway from home.
Sell Donated Hotel and Use Proceeds to Prevent Unemployed Families from Evicted
New York Times article Bloomberg's Shift of Homeless to Hotels Alarms Some Neighborhoods by Joseph Bergen , talking about all sorts of complains from the neighborboods of a new sheltor converted from a donated Best Western hotel. It could have been better if the donee, Salvation Army, sold the donated Best Western hotel and use the proceeds as cash assistence to those who lost job and was going to be evicted by the landlord because the donated Best Western could have been sold to a lower profile buyer and continue stay as a hotel joining different more economic hotel chains like Econo Lodge, Motel 6 or Super 8, and the like. The local ecology could be impacted the least and provides lower cost hotel rooms during market downturn while continute generating tax to the City. On the other hand, the proceeds could be used as cash assistance to prevent prospective homeless families from being evicted by the landlord during their unemployed period. This would benefit everyone and prevent the family from becoming homeless, this includes helping the landlord who has to pay the mortgage, property tax, maintenance fee...etc. The family ecology of the the landlord, jobless tenant could be preserved.
The scenario is particularly meaningful by knowing the cost for the city to pay for such converted sheltor room is $93 a day, and averagely a homeless family would need help for 11 months. This implies about $2,700 a month to help an evicted homeless family, and it could cost only $1,000 a month to prevent the eviction. And, with the cash assistance, it would take much shorter than 11 months to find a new job. And the neighborhood of the old Best Western will not notice anything but a rename of the hotel under new owner and management which is very normal. The above suggestion is good for general hotel or real estate donation to charity organization because it includes a scenario of outsourcing the sheltor function and take the initial capital for critical core function. Any affordable hotel is itself an income generating sheltor.
Posted at: 10/19/02 12:15:44 AM
Posted by: Mr Cheng (as entered by poster)
Give the left over food to homeless making the homeless 2nd class citizens as the standard practice of this country. It would be more creative to extend 1 more hour of the cafeteria for the homeless or low income and mark down the left over food, say, some 90% off and some 50%, depends on the popularity. Eating at the cafeteria making homeless feel warmer and feel safe and respected. The cafeteria could enforce the dressing and appearance of the homeless entering the cafeteria of the college so that people can not distinquish the difference. Most homeless have some cash income from social security or part time or even full time job, and greatly discount could be affordable while preserving the dignity of the homeless who are also human being.
At last minutes, it could also, say, wrap up 10 bagels for 50 cents, or the like that would encourage the homeless take the left over home for later and for their peer could not come. We all agree the food eating at a nice cafeteria has more value than, say, eating in a crowd basement room. So, by transporting the food from a nice college cafeteria to a sheltor area makes the value of food dropped substentially. College campus is always full of resources, and many homeless people may apply for jobs in college cafeteria or other area once they know the college well; they may also be able to use the libraries where most time are very few students. I have helped many homeless that way when I was at UC Berkeley, and I have helped many ex homeless people working at student cafeteria at Rutgers University near me in NJ, and it works fine. I can see all it will work because I am one of very few homeless solution expert that have daily hands on experience helping homeless to get off street using my own hard earn money. For more homeless solutions, see http://homeless123.blogspot.com
Encourage College Students Find Affordable Housing for Homeless
Reading Students spend a night being homeless by Scott Sisco on Bowling Green Daily News, KY on 10-17-02 , I feel the activity may be very educational and that fit into the spirit of the proposed Homeless Awareness and Prevention Education Program. But it would be much more constructive if there is an activity for the college students to find solutions to accomodate local homeless people by finding affordable housing for the homeless.
College students usually have warm hearts with similar tight financial situation as the homeless but have local knowledge of the affordable housing, such as a furnished room or a cheap apartment. The homeless people can easily find affordable and safe housing and due to the locality, they could also take advantage of the resources of the college as well and feel safe making friends with college students or even having them as housemates. Further more, the college students may help the homeless to find a job since neighborhood of college tends to have lots of quick starting jobs like on campus cafeteria or outside restaurants. I have done that when I was at college and even now getting homeless to live around a local university; I know it works.
The Boston Herald article City unveils plan to help homeless families find housing reminds me on all the pain I incurred helping a homeless family looking for housing qualified for Section 8 Program several years ago. The Section 8 program required them to rent 3 or 4 bedroom house due to the size of the family, single mother with 5 sons, but the money was much lower than the market rent. Even worse, due to such mission impossible or hard situation, dozens of the realtors contacted were not willing to serve with all sorts of excuse. Also, no apartment complex in the area had 3 or 4 bedroom unit available, mostly, one or two bedroom, and individual home owner were not interested in at all.
The situation could have been much easier if, say, Section 8 could provide market rent or could allow this family to rent a one or two bedroom condo or townhouse because there are lots of them available at the time and the money Section 8 provided them was enough for that. Allow a homeless family living at sheltor with much smaller size like a hotel room or share bath hostel to quickly move up to a one or two bedroom apartment with kitchen and own bathroom would not only help the family but help those who were rejected or waiting for a sheltor room.
From: "Mayor24hr" | This is Spam | Add to Address Book
To: 'wjcheng@yahoo.com'" Subject: RE: Section 8 requirements
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 12:38:04 -0400
Mr. Cheng: Your suggestions do make good points, but Section 8 rules are set by the Federal Government; cities and towns are obligated to follow their requirements regarding space per family size ratios and the level of subsidy assistance.
The organization National Alliance to End Homelessness says that their mission is to mobilize the nonprofit, public and private sectors of society in an alliance to end homelessness. The goal is very aggressive, but we have to admit that homelessness can not be ended. You may help a homeless person to get off street or help a homeless family to obtain a Section 8 sponsored housing, but that's only for case by case. The homelessness will always exist. Once one admit the homelessness will never ended, one would not dedicated much resources to try to coordinate lots of organizations that normally wasted lots of resource on administration and breauracracy.
For example, Expert: homeless support lacking. Louisville ranks low in housing beyond shelters mentioned they spent $100,000 just to do a report in respond to NAEH called. Also, in The veteran homeless: A shadowy population struggles to survive Monday, October 14, 2002, veteran homeless sleeping in the woods told the reporter that the agency told them to keep coming back and there are lots of papers to deal with on and on, and sometimes they just received $5 McDonald certificate and bus pass. I would say just use that $100,000 to get homeless off street directly. And cut the agency helping the veteran homeless and give them the money directly. Giving the homeless money directly and monthly would sure to get them off street. I know it works because that's the way I have been doing to get homeless people off street. I never had an illusion or ambition to end homelessness, so I can easily helped hundreds of thousands of homeless people off street with my own money. However, anyone or organization trying to set such a huge goal and missioin impossible goal may eat up lots of up front money and go nowhere.
Walking on the street at New York City, I will give the homeless panhandler $20 bill to help him. Why? Because I do not think a coin or even a dollar bill will make much help, and giving the homeless $20 bill would not make me poor. If I encountered too many homeless people, I would skip my lunch or dinner to get my budget balanced. Sometimes, I have to postpone buying a video game to my sons, but which is well justified. Seeing The veteran homeless: A shadowy population struggles to survive , I feel that we should have more people willing to give $20 bill to the homeless they see. $20 bill will not only help the homeless we encountered in more meaningful way but also make the homeless feel warm from the society and do not feel that much hopeless.
One evening I was rushing to catch the train with a colleague. On the way, I gave $20 bill to an old homeless panhandler; I heard two people yelled at the same time. My colleague said "...You are crazy, do you know what he use the money for? ...etc." And the homeless said "Sir, did you give me the wrong bill? all I need is a $1 bill; I am afraid that you pick up the wrong bill and not having enough money to buy ticket home..." I told me colleague "... Well, it is none of my business, and I have no time and interest to know. Isn't that the company give us paycheck and ask no question as to what we use the money for?" I told the homeless person "... Please do not worry, it is my dinner money but I can eat in tonight, you have a good night..."
Provide Homelessness Awareness and Prevention Education Program in School
While wearing the DARE ( Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Tshirt of my kid and attending DARE graduation, I was wondering it may be very important to have a similar education program to teach students about homelessness and try to prevent it from happening to themselves when they grow up, just like DARE to prevent them from using drug.
The article Newfound Area School District’s homeless liaison is safeguard for homeless students mentioned the new law — the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act — requires every state to have a homeless coordinator and every school district a homeless liaison just went into effect on July 1, 2002. I feel that this was a big step forward, and the state coordinator and district liaison of homeless education that ensure stable education for kids from homeless family may further be supplemented with the Homelessness Awareness and Prevention Education program.
The program may teach students that everyone could become homeless due to various reasons like car accident, discharge from hospital, domestic violence, landlord sold the house, lost job...etc. The program may teach student where and how to find help should any of the situations happened or going to happen so that they will not get stuck when those situations do happen sometime in their life. The program should teach students save a portion of their income and never waste so that they will have much better chance to prevent homelessness from happening. It would be very important to teach the students how to help those homeless people and families, at least, they would not discreminate the homeless when they grow up.
The Boston Herald article City unveils plan to help homeless families find housing reminds me on all the pain I incurred helping a homeless family looking for housing qualified for Section 8 several years ago. The Section 8 program required them to rent 3 or 4 bedroom house due to the size of the family, single mother with 5 sons, but the money was much lower than the market rent. Even worse, due to such mission impossible or hard situation, dozens of the realtors contacted were not willing to serve with all sorts of excuse. Also, no apartment complex in the area had 3 or 4 bedroom unit available, mostly, one or two bedroom, and individual home owner were not interested at all.
The situation could have been much easier if, say, Section 8 could provide market rent or could allow this family to rent a one or two bedroom condo or townhouse because there are lots of them available at the time and the money Section 8 provided them was enough for that. Allow a homeless family living at sheltor with much smaller size like a hotel room or share bath hostel to quickly move up to a one or two bedroom apartment with kitchen and own bathroom would not only help the family but help those who were rejected or waiting for a sheltor room.
Require All Mayors in the US Two Weeks of Homeless Life
I have always believed the service providers should themselves use their services in order to understand the quality of their service and improve it at the customer's view. So, I was always wondering if it could be made a law that require the mayors of the US to experience homeless life for, say, two weeks, for the term, and live through as many sheltors in the city as possible to find out the first hand feeling and pain of a homeless person. I was glad to see the news article Candidates for Mayor Break Down Homeless Issues from The Daily Californian that Mayoral candidates of Berkeley, CA, Tom Bates and Shirley Dean accepted a challenge from a homeless advocate Friday to become homeless for a weekend if elected.
Since many homeless people are NOT jobless; they are working hard but just the wage is much less than the living wage. I believe during day time the mayors can still working at the mayor's office like many homeless working at their jobsite, but, during night time, the mayors would go to sleep at a sheltor as other homeless people. I really would like to see some mayors got their wallet stolen in the sheltor, got bitten like other new homeless people, are forced to go to bed very early and thrown out at 4:45am or 5:15am ...etc. And, during lunch time, wait in the long line of the soup kitchen especially during raining or snowing day.
Reading a news article about homeless research by Helen Gardiner, a researcher with the University of Calgary, I found one of the so called surprising result is that the homeless need a free transit pass to find job. However, it is not surprising to me at all, but it costs $60,000 to do the research. In New York City, whenever I saw a homeless need help on the way to and from work, I bought a New York City Subway weekly pass ($17) for him or her. This way s/he can move around in the New York City. During raining or snowing day, they could sleep on the 24 hour subway if they find no other shelter.
I also have copies of the list of churches or charity organization providing food and sheltor with time, phone numbers and address. So I could help the homeless as soon as they stand up in the subway and start begging "... I am a homeless, just got out of detox, and I am hungry...", or panhandlers on the street when I passed by. As you can see, a free transit pass is so important for the homeless not only for the purpose of finding a job. They have to be able to move around in the City to attached distributed resources.
I have been helping lots of homeless people in the Greater New York area using my own money and accumulated lots of knowledge of helping all kinds of homeless people get off street in a very cost effective way. Sometimes, I feel I am at the Ph.D level on the subject of homeless issue, whereas many homeless articles from newspaper are just at the grammer school level, so I always wanted to share my homeless expertise to the homeless, charity organizations, government agencys.
Recently, I came across a homeless article from USA Today discribe a homeless person's blog documenting his daily homeless life experience; I studied through his blog and decided to create this Homeless123 blog to share my homeless expertise to help those who think it is hard to get out of homelessness and want to help homeless people start new life.
