Damning Stats.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/03/10/homeless.children/index.html

Report: 1 in 50 U.S. children face homelessness

(CNN) -- One in 50 children is homeless in the United States every year, according to a report released Tuesday.
The National Center on Family Homelessness estimates more than 1.5 million children are without a home.

The report, by the National Center on Family Homelessness, analyzed data from 2005-06 and found that more than 1.5 million children were without a home.

"These numbers will grow as home foreclosures continue to rise," Ellen Bassuk, president of the center, said in a statement.

The study ranked states on their performance in four areas: the extent of child homelessness, the risk for it, child well-being and the state's policy and planning efforts.

The states that fared the poorest were Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island and North Dakota performed the best.

Homeless children have poor health, emotional problems and low graduation rates, the study found.

"The consequences to our society will play out for decades," Bassuk said. "As we bail out the rest of our nation, it is also time to come to their aid."

The report offers recommendations such as improved support to ensure that children's schooling is not interrupted when they lose their homes, and services to address the trauma of homelessness.

Other highlights in the report, "America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness: "

• 42 percent of homeless children are younger than 6.

• African-American and Native American children are disproportionately represented.

• More than 1 in 7 homeless children have moderate to severe health conditions, such as asthma.

Now.

Call me cynical, but if it were up to some rabid right wingers out there, not only would they turn their back on this problem, they would no doubt beat their chest, as usual, and come up with some rhetoric filled 'idea' to solve the problem (if by 'solving' they mean 'making a tart of it').

A lot of these right wingers (so called) are people on the edge just like most of us. Loosing their job could spell disaster for them. They could lose their house, and be out in the streets. Of course at that point they will look to the government for help. These people who listen to right wing radio, and believe the misinformation they are being fed. They vote against their best interests. One reason is because some people have lost the ability to critically think. For example the right always rallies against regulating businesses. We see where that has got us. Now we have tent cities and homeless children. Businesses continue to close, and jobs get harder and harder to find.

Eric, here is my simple check list on whether or not a nation can call itself civilised and progressive. See what you think of it.


1) Everyone is entitled to the best medical care, irrespective of their present financial status.

2) Everyone is entitled to someplace to live, irrespective of their financial status.

3) Everyone is entitled to the same standard of education, irrespective of financial status.


See, to me, such things are considered a critical part of having a civilised society, yet, often, and yes, you are an exception, when you mention such things to many Americans, they look at you, horrified, as if you just proposed a threesome involving their cat.

First please forgive me for I have had a lot on my plate lately, so I can't post as much as I would like.
The right and many people would say why do those who do not work or produce anything deserve anything. Not that, that is good. It is a problem. It always be a problem. People deserve a safety net, nothing more. No one is equal no is no one the same as the other person. Thus motivated people can not be put on the same level as the non motivated. Dude it is all about greed. If not for all the greed in the world. The non motivated would suffer though not terribly. The motivated would do well. Right now we live in a world were a very small group of very greedy people are ruining it for everyone. The motivated and non motivated..... everyone is suffering. I do not agree with the statement that everyone deserves housing. No they do not. Though it is up to caring of others to try and help. To raise raise these people up and help any way we can. A lot of us may wind up homeless in the economy. Does not mean I feel I deserve shelter. What I would expect and want is the help of my fellow human to try to get through this mess. Maybe a little food, and a kind smile. I know I could get through it. I do not want to be thought of the equal of anyone. I do not want housing that I did not earn. I do want money I did not earn.
I would like help though if I have problems, and with the kindness of my fellow humans I would get through it.

Theophilus wrote:First please forgive me for I have had a lot on my plate lately, so I can't post as much as I would like.
The right and many people would say why do those who do not work or produce anything deserve anything. Not that, that is good. It is a problem. It always be a problem. People deserve a safety net, nothing more. No one is equal no is no one the same as the other person. Thus motivated people can not be put on the same level as the non motivated. Dude it is all about greed. If not for all the greed in the world. The non motivated would suffer though not terribly. The motivated would do well. Right now we live in a world were a very small group of very greedy people are ruining it for everyone. The motivated and non motivated..... everyone is suffering. I do not agree with the statement that everyone deserves housing. No they do not. Though it is up to caring of others to try and help. To raise raise these people up and help any way we can. A lot of us may wind up homeless in the economy. Does not mean I feel I deserve shelter. What I would expect and want is the help of my fellow human to try to get through this mess. Maybe a little food, and a kind smile. I know I could get through it. I do not want to be thought of the equal of anyone. I do not want housing that I did not earn. I do want money I did not earn.
I would like help though if I have problems, and with the kindness of my fellow humans I would get through it.

Hi mate.

Let me get this right in my head.

You wouldn't want a local authority house, even if you were homeless, out of some sense of pride, yes?

Yet, at the same time, you would accept people's charity, and your pride would apparently remain intact. I see a contradiction there, do you see a contradiction there?

I wonder, have you ever slept rought, Eric? For any significant period of time. I haven't. However, I have read enough into it, and spoken to sufficient numbers of homeless people to realise that there the public image is often totally inaccurate.

We might envisage them as drug addicts or wino's, people who had effectively chosen to live that way.

For sure, there are examples like that.

But what I have found are many young people who have run away from absuive families. Perhaps sexual abuse or physical abuse. They could take no more, they need to get away, therefore, they run to a large city, only to end up vulnerable and homeless.

It is an utter disgrace if we have one single person like that, living in the streets.

We can spend public money on vanity projects, why not spend that money in practical projects?

Btw, if by some unfortunate chain of circumstance, you found yourself on the streets, remember this - your chances of landing a new job (so that you can rebuild), would be totally diminished if you are homeless.

And one last point.

A recent study showed that about 25% of homeless are former military men.

Now, I don't give special hero status to soldiers, however, you would think that the least those that sent these men to conflict zones, could ensure that they were cared for, when they returned to civilian life.

Hi we were having this discussion before. I know we disagreed before on this, which is no big deal. I will think this over as I drive today. I probably could of put my last post into better words. Though the same things concern me. I should as said I am not totally against it no. I feel housing of this type should be temporary. No one wants to see people suffer out in the streets or be looked down upon for winding up there. Heck I could wind up homeless myself with just a couple of slip ups or another couple major hick ups in the economy.

Theophilus wrote:Hi we were having this discussion before. I know we disagreed before on this, which is no big deal. I will think this over as I drive today. I probably could of put my last post into better words. Though the same things concern me. I should as said I am not totally against it no. I feel housing of this type should be temporary..

But my point is that for a plethora of reasons, there are millions of people who will never be able to buy a house.

It is much more difficult these days, than it was 15 yrs ago.

Back then, banks were bending over backwards to give anyone a mortgage, these days, 100% mortgages are rare and expensive, often you need to have a substantial deposit before they would entertain you.

The principle behind the idea in the UK, many years ago, was a socially sound one.

And since people do pay a rent on the property, then over time, it pays for itself, therefore, it is not a 'free house'.

Hmmm, this is complicated. Where I live there are a lot of low income housing complexes. So many, in fact, that it's hard to find a place to rent if you make a reasonable living. (It took us about 8 months. Others I've talked to who have moved here had similar problems finding a place to live.) But we, as a family, have just run into a big problem. My husband was laid off. Thankfully we have some money saved up, I have a job (even though it's temporary), we have a 401K we can cash out if we need to, and my husband will be receiving a small, but helpful, "severance" check.

When this happened our number one concern was keeping a roof over our heads. Luckily, besides the DSL internet that I'm on right now, we really don't splurge on extras. (No cable TV, no new furniture, no new TV's. Just about everything we have is used - but it works so we don't replace it.) And I was able to call the DSL company and reduce our DSL cost in half - we need it to search and apply for jobs. I consider us to be very fortunate, though. With the money we have saved and the money coming in from his 401K and final weeks of work, we'll be able to pay the next 6 months of rent.

But in the end, how many people will be like us? How many families with young children will have saved and kept their living costs down in order to survive when this happens to them? Sure, there's unemployment, but if you were living using every penny you earned to pay your bills, unemployment won't cut it. Sure, you could find a new job... but my husband is attempting overseas because the number of people competing for a job here is so high. Even with all the low income housing here, there's a 6+ month wait to get into most. What about families that don't have 6 months to wait?

I have to agree with Steve on this one, housing does need to be available for people.

I also hear this word 'motivation' being used, as if it is a given that if you offer assistance to those who are struggling, they will have no 'motivation' to kick on, and better themselves.

Yes, there are cases like that, of course.

But let's not permit these examples to cloud our vision, and make the assumption that there are not many many ordinary people who NEED help, in order to see any way out of their present situation.

It's hard to have motivation if you are literally in a hopeless situation.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/Story?id=7034770&page=2

Have a Buck? Buy a House!

March 8, 2009

A dollar doesn't buy much these days. But in Detroit, it can buy you a house.

Welcome to Landlord Nation, where foreclosure notices are plentiful and for-sale signs offer at least 1,800 homes for under $10,000 that once were worth at least 10 times more.(A house for $10k. What is it made of? Steve)

Local investors Anthony Pierson, left, and Henry Suell look over the house they purchased for $8500 in Detroit, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009. Welcome to Landlord Nation, where foreclosure notices are plentiful and for-sale signs offer at least 1,800 homes for under $10,000 that once were worth at least 10 times more.

Real estate agent Ian Mason, who specializes in selling foreclosed properties, showed us a two-bedroom, 800-square-foot home that his agency recently sold for a single dollar.

"It wasn't much of a negotiation, " said Mason, who works for Bearing Group. "The seller was ambitiously looking to get rid of it."

That's because the seller, a bank, was losing thousands each month in maintenance costs and taxes just to hold onto the foreclosed home, which is badly in need of new paint, carpeting, and bathroom fixtures -- but otherwise appears structurally sound and free of mold.

For the price of a can of soda, Mason says it's a bargain.

"I think you can make this house clean, safe and functional for $500 to $1,000," said Mason.

There are more than 40,000 vacant properties in Detroit, which has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, and the median home price is a stunningly low $7,000. In many neighborhoods, homes that were fetching $75,000 just three years ago are now selling for ten cents on the dollar or less.

"Some of the homes are very nice. Some of them are falling over," said Mason.

It's not just Detroit. This weekend, hundreds of foreclosed houses were being unloaded at fire sale prices at giant auctions in New England and New York. For the banks that are in possession of these properties, time is money.

In Detroit, home prices have plunged more than 20 percent, but sales volume is up 37 percent in the past 12 months.

Many of the buyers are real estate investors like Bret Russell. The Michigan native has purchased and renovated more than 120 Detroit-area properties, converting them into rental homes. He works closely with Mason to find the best houses at the lowest prices.

"I see very little risk in the market currently," said Russell. "You're buying a home for $10,000. If it goes down to $8,000, your rents are very strong, so from a cash-flow standpoint, you're on steady footing."

Mason says some residents may not be thrilled about a home next door selling for close to nothing, but he says in the long run it's the best thing for Detroit's struggling housing market and economy.

I did see that story about the one dollar house. The interesting thing is that is not the first time that has happened there. About six months ago I saw another story very similar to the one you posted.

lisan24 wrote:Hmmm, this is complicated. Where I live there are a lot of low income housing complexes. So many, in fact, that it's hard to find a place to rent if you make a reasonable living. (It took us about 8 months. Others I've talked to who have moved here had similar problems finding a place to live.) But we, as a family, have just run into a big problem. My husband was laid off. Thankfully we have some money saved up, I have a job (even though it's temporary), we have a 401K we can cash out if we need to, and my husband will be receiving a small, but helpful, "severance" check.

When this happened our number one concern was keeping a roof over our heads. Luckily, besides the DSL internet that I'm on right now, we really don't splurge on extras. (No cable TV, no new furniture, no new TV's. Just about everything we have is used - but it works so we don't replace it.) And I was able to call the DSL company and reduce our DSL cost in half - we need it to search and apply for jobs. I consider us to be very fortunate, though. With the money we have saved and the money coming in from his 401K and final weeks of work, we'll be able to pay the next 6 months of rent.

But in the end, how many people will be like us? How many families with young children will have saved and kept their living costs down in order to survive when this happens to them? Sure, there's unemployment, but if you were living using every penny you earned to pay your bills, unemployment won't cut it. Sure, you could find a new job... but my husband is attempting overseas because the number of people competing for a job here is so high. Even with all the low income housing here, there's a 6+ month wait to get into most. What about families that don't have 6 months to wait?

I have to agree with Steve on this one, housing does need to be available for people.

Hi Lisa. I have had a lot going on the last few days so not communicating as well as I would like.
I hope all goes well for you and your family.

Thanks, I am now a firm believer in when it rains, it pours. This morning my daughter woke up with a fever, and as the day progressed my husband also fell ill. I am currently the only one who is not sick, and I'm trying desperately to get caught up on laundry left from the week I was gone from home as well as figure out the maps for my job.

The good news - I found out Thursday that I got a $1.50 raise at my job! Lol... unfortunately that doesn't really equate to what my husband was making... I'd need another $8-9/hr to get there.

But you are a truck driver, right?? My husband has a Class B CDL as well as his HAZMAT. He doesn't want to get into truck driving, but there's some stuff available over the border in Utah, as well as a little farther east. How hard would it be for him to get to a Class A?? (If you even know...)

lisan24 wrote: Thanks, I am now a firm believer in when it rains, it pours. This morning my daughter woke up with a fever, and as the day progressed my husband also fell ill. I am currently the only one who is not sick, and I'm trying desperately to get caught up on laundry left from the week I was gone from home as well as figure out the maps for my job.

The good news - I found out Thursday that I got a $1.50 raise at my job! Lol... unfortunately that doesn't really equate to what my husband was making... I'd need another $8-9/hr to get there.

But you are a truck driver, right?? My husband has a Class B CDL as well as his HAZMAT. He doesn't want to get into truck driving, but there's some stuff available over the border in Utah, as well as a little farther east. How hard would it be for him to get to a Class A?? (If you even know...)

No it would not be too hard for him to get a class A. Since he already has experience with the class B vehicles. I am sure he could find an employer who would provide training. It would just be a matter of taking the written test to get a learners permit for combination vehicles. Since he has a class B and is familiar with those I am sure with a couple weeks of training he would be comfortable enough with semi's to take the driving test. Once that is passed a CDL is issued.

Theophilus wrote:I did see that story about the one dollar house. The interesting thing is that is not the first time that has happened there. About six months ago I saw another story very similar to the one you posted.

Hope you are okay, mate. E mail me if you want. Anyway, re the story that I posted above, my question is - what sort of house costs between $7-10,000?

I know of no house in the UK, nothing, that would cost that little.

The article stated that the bank was the owner. The cost of maintaing the house was not worth keeping it as far as the bank was concerned. So they are giving them away for very cheap. Could help the economy there if you got enough people to go there for cheap houses. Only problem is where to find a job in the Detroit area.

Theophilus wrote:The article stated that the bank was the owner. The cost of maintaing the house was not worth keeping it as far as the bank was concerned. So they are giving them away for very cheap. Could help the economy there if you got enough people to go there for cheap houses. Only problem is where to find a job in the Detroit area.

I read it like the bank sold it for a dollar, and that the more normal price was the cited $10,000.

Don't know anything about Detroit mind you, so can't comment on what it is like to live there, and, as you say, what the work situation might be like.

Yeah Well Fine Then wrote:

Theophilus wrote:The article stated that the bank was the owner. The cost of maintaing the house was not worth keeping it as far as the bank was concerned. So they are giving them away for very cheap. Could help the economy there if you got enough people to go there for cheap houses. Only problem is where to find a job in the Detroit area.

I read it like the bank sold it for a dollar, and that the more normal price was the cited $10,000.

Don't know anything about Detroit mind you, so can't comment on what it is like to live there, and, as you say, what the work situation might be like.

One thing about Detroit is that is the manufacturing hub for for our big three auto makers. The city it self has an interesting history. You might find it worthwhile to put "Detroit, MI." Into a search engine.