:: Solutions to the Homeless Problem ::

:: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 ::

Library can be your Living Room and Office

Dr Jyh from Key West FL rented a furnished room right next to Edison Library for only $500 a month. Every morning he walk to the library to read World Journal and other magazines. He said the library is like his living room and his friends can meet him there.

Boss Hu also goes to library every day when he comes back from Taiwan for a week or two to do his business; he said library is like his office. He plays very cool and calm and find himself a very small corner at the first floor children area.

Frank drove his brand new Toyota Yarvis to Piscataway Library every morning after complimentary breakfast at Piscataway Senior Center next door. He uses the Internet computer there brought his lunch, a microwaved yam, to eat at the newly renovated cafe area around 2pm and go home. He does not eat dinner; he said dinner is not good for long life health.
:: Mr Cheng 1:52 PM [+] ::
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Long Stay Hotels vs Senior Housing

Long Stay Hotels has becoming one of the Homeless Solutions that is cost effective with community sense. It is not much different from many brand new popular Senior Housing which also has long stay hotel setup except that seniors do not need to move out every 28 days, and they have more common facilities such as library room with Internet access, breakfast area with free breakfast once in a while. It also depending on the luxury of senior housing which is similar to various levels of long stay hotels.

So, for homeless can not afford apartments or families not having permanent jobs, do not hesitate to consider long stay hotel. The tip is that if you pay by week, it is about 4 days fee. e.g. If every day hotel charges $40, if you pay by week, it charges only about $160, but if you pay by month, it will be about 3 weeks, i.e. $480, which has further saving. Apartments often requires one year lease, whereas, many families have only short term jobs such as 3 month to 6 month contracts and may need to relocate every so often.

Many charity organizations or social welfare department often use long stay hotels as shelter for emergency family stay before section 8 housing available which may take months.
:: Mr Cheng 2:45 PM [+] ::
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On A Dollar A Day vs 99 Cents Buffet

I read a book called On A Dollar A Day in the Border store closing sale, and I sent the authors, a couple who are high school teacher in San Diego, one of my homeless solution, i.e. 99 Cent Buffet.

Basically, it came from Mr. Lin's Lunch Box Buffet in New York Chinatown where I took many homeless people to eat. It charges $4 a meal with 4 out of 100 dishes with free rice and soup (not all you can eat type). According to Mr. Lin, $1 goes to store rent, $1 goes to wage, $1 goes to food and $1 goes to his profit. So, after 5pm, the take out will have $1 discount, i.e. only $3 a meal, and you can trade free rice with another dish.

Since the portion is big, so I showed homeless people to drink the soup first, and save half rice and half of 4 dishes into the soup bowl for next day brunch, and eat the rest, do not waste. Now, even better, they use box rather than plate.

So, how does 99 Cents Buffet work? For $1 food cost, you can not save, but $1 for store rent, high schools can save it by using high school cooking facility and cafeteria, and $1 wage can use high school volunteers or build into club or cooking class and training program such as Special Kids and Regular Kids program. And, high school is the hub of each town, many homeless American all went to high school. You may even provide the meals to seniors or poor families.
:: Mr Cheng 11:54 PM [+] ::
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