Obama "Heartbroken" Over Homelessness

Tonight, President Obama directly addressed the growing homelessness crisis during a prime time press conference, saying he's "heartbroken" that any child is without a roof over their heads. In a bold and noteworthy move, he also called for a shift in the national perception of homelessness and an overhaul of our embedded judgments and beliefs.

Do I sense change in the air?

Reporter Kevin Chappelle of Ebony posed this question:

A recent report found that, as a result of the economic downturn, 1 in 50 children are now homeless in America. With shelters at full capacity, tent cities are sprouting up across the country.

In passing your stimulus package, you said that help was on the way. But what would you say to these families, especially children, who are sleeping under bridges and in tents across the country?

And here is President Obama's answer:

Well, the first thing I'd say is that I'm heartbroken that any child in America is homeless. And the most important thing that I can do on their behalf is to make sure their parents have a job. And that's why the recovery package said, as a first priority, how are we going to save or create 3.5 million jobs?

How can we prevent layoffs for teachers and police officers? How can we make sure that we are investing in the infrastructure for the future that can put people back to work right away? How do we make sure that, when people do lose their jobs, that their unemployment insurance is extended, that they can keep their health care?

So, there are a whole host of steps that we've done to provide a cushion for folks who have fallen on very hard times and to try to spur immediate projects that can put people back to work.

Now, in the meantime, we've got to work very closely with the states to monitor and to help people who are still falling through the cracks. And, you know, the homeless problem was bad even when the economy was good.

Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours.

And so we're going to be initiating a range of programs, as well, to deal with homelessness. One area in particular I want to focus on is the issue of veterans. The rate of homelessness among veterans is much, much higher than for non-veteran populations.

It's refreshing to hear the President acknowledge so many of the things we advocates repeat until we're blue in the face: Homelessness affects children. Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Homeless stereotypes are not representative of reality. Nobody should be homeless in a wealthy country like the United States. This problem existed even during good economic times. We must put an end to veteran homelessness. 

All in all, he handled the question well. 

Of course, it wasn't perfect. There are many things I wish the President had mentioned in his response (housing) or answered more thoroughly (what would you say to a homeless family?).

But at the same time, it's a significant change that this issue is being discussed at a White House press conference. It's relieving to know that the mainstream media and lawmakers are aware of the far-reaching scope of the homelessness crisis. And it's empowering to hear the President deliver a compassionate and pointed, articulate response to a difficult question about the most vulnerable victims of our economic crisis.