There are an estimated 40,000 homeless persons in MN per Wilder. HHH and
shelter/ homeless providers have become a bloated bureaucracy: better known as
Mission Creep.
Side note, for those of you who dismiss CJ Sparrow as an eccentric, trouble
maker or both....I can assure you that he is a person who pulled together Up
and Out of Poverty Now MN. He has a very thick skin , one might say ruthless (
having experienced this myself, I overall maintain deep respect for his work.)
Well politics is like that. David Tilsen knows how messy politics can be. Hey
David , did not know you were part of Haymarket press! Kudos! See, the
complexity of politics..from insulting David to realizing he laid the way for
much progressive work. Sincere apologies David. By the way, the poverty pimp
title had nothing to do with David.
Anyway, CJ's work resulted in the Exodus Hotel's existence in downtown Mpls
along with other housing for homeless persons.
Anyway, back in my day ( the 1980s) viewing Homlessness persons as a bunch of
skid row folks was transformed. Starting in Philly, the Union of the homeless
started with the focus of Homeless persons being seen as an integral force in
changing the stereotype from dysfunctional, morally bankrupt people to an
analysis of Race, Class, Vets and others underserved by our various (assumed to
be) benevolent systems.
The political analysis? Stop providing charity and start seeing Homlessness as
a social justice issue. The classic canary in the coal mine.
as the homeless bureaucracy grew in Mpls, the charity view took over in shelter
bureaucracy.
Folks wound up working in shelters who had very little understanding or stomach
for the social justice versus charity stance. As my career for many years has
been in Mental health I am not saying there were not MH issues going on. But
again, it was dealt with as seeing people with MH issues as less than versus
having a voice.
Shelter workers who rose up in the bureaucracy did not address social justice
alongside of the charity approach. The jobs in the shelters paid fairly well
for people who,had BAs in German or fine art or English. They got ok pay, had
power and had simple jobs...check 'em into the shelter and do what you might
feel like doing in terms of advocacy..but there were very ambiguous ( thankyou
Arthur Himellman for this accurate descriptor) expectations.
I worked for pay for relatively short stents in shelters...largely due to
deciding to do unpaid social activism re: homelessness. I mean really !!!? How
can anyone be ok with the pathetic lack of real advocacy by shelter providers?
The meeting of racial disparity, economic disparity and lack of assistance for
persons dealing with mental health issues, PTSD, our vets ..well it is a
powerful meeting point related to homelessness.
Lack of accountability: I worked on call at Dorothy Day center several,years
ago. They had access mental health there in the center. They served some folks,
but they also sat in the office or office sat empty quite a bit.
I noticed that a very quiet man who I got to know was sleeping outside or he
laid his head down and slept at Mickey's Diner ( he was such a nice man they
let him do that at Mickey's). I wondered why he had not gotten help with
housing at Dorothy Day. He was a vet, had some physical,healer issues. I
decided to use my spare time to get him the services he deserved. He wound up
on SSDI and for a room he loved in an SRO. He,loved that room..he read,
listened to his music and the last few years of his life...had peace.
This is NOT about how great I was to help..it is an example repeated over and
over about the lack of care, lack of accountability for non-profits using up
money.
Hennepin county does not know how much they spent on Heading Home
Hennepin...this is outrageous.
So, nah....not getting off a soap box anytime soon. There is a need for an
accounting of how this bloated and ineffectual poverty industry has squandered
money.
Could care less about anyone dismissing the term poverty pimp.
Am looking forward to going over patiently and meticulously how HHH spent
money, what if any accountability they have been held to. Maybe Mikkel Beckmann
or Kathy ten Broeke cam shed some light.