As Economy Slides, Coalitions Look Locally for Relief

Budget cuts. Overcrowded shelters. Declining donations. Waiting lists.

These words are becoming all too familiar to homeless shelters and service organizations across the country. In fact, a survey released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week confirms what shelters have been saying for months: the foreclosure crisis and economic downturn have increased homelessness significantly in the past year... and average of 12 percent across the country. And with unemployment growing, homeless advocates do not the situation improving in the near future.

Yet, despite this bona fide homelessness crisis, people sleeping on shelters and sidewalks have been left out of all of the bailout action that has taken place in Washington. So homeless coalitions are organizing, coming together to put pressure on their local elected officials for much-needed relief.

Here's what four communities are doing to appeal to their local government to stem the rising tide of homelessness:

• Seattle homelessness advocates assert the city does not have enough warm, safe places for homeless people to sleep. Seattle officials, however, claim otherwise. So advocates and homeless alike camped out on the steps of city hall earlier this week for a "Night of Mercy," urging city officials to treat the city's homeless population with the dignity they rightfully deserve by expanding the number of shelter beds provided by the city.
• The New Jersey Advocacy Council to End Homelessness is making sure that its state officials are not only committed to ending homelessness, but keeping their promises to do so. Earlier this year, the group released its first ever Congressional Report Card for U.S. Senators and members of Congress based on their level of support for key homelessness issues. According to the NJ Advocacy Council, the report card garnered significant local media attention that had elected officials contacting the group to find out what they could do to improve their grade.
• Denver's overflowing shelters and devastating drop in donations have advocates worried. In fact, the situation has become so dire that on Wednesday the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless called for the declaration of a state of emergency. According to John Parvensky with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless:

The federal government has committed nearly $1 trillion over the past four months to bail out Wall Street, to bail out the banks, to bail out the auto industry. We feel that it's about time our nation bail out some of our most vulnerable citizens; those who are on the streets or those who are hanging onto their housing and about to become homeless.

• A coalition of nonprofits, churches, and synagogues held an evening candlelight procession in Marin, California to call for the creation of an 80-bed emergency shelter. The city has been hit particularly hard by the foreclosure crisis, which has clogged the shelter system and forced vulnerable individuals, some with long-term illnesses, to sleep outdoors.

Government officials are no doubt facing some difficult budgeting decisions in the coming months, as decreased revenue will require significant cutbacks. Ensuring that a community's citizens are not sleeping on the streets, however, must remain a priority no matter how dire our economic situation.