I may be stupid... but... isn't it possible that translating from mandarin medical terminology into english medical terminology could be the reason HIV is being talked of in terms of cells and DNA? Could there be less stupidity in the world than once thought, and perhaps a lot more miscommunication?
is it really stable and guaranteed? I hear tale of Landlords not getting the subsidies on time and what not, I don't know if that's true or not or just a baseless fear of landlords. Also, if I'm not mistaken and I very well may be,the housing space needs to be approved itself... I've heard of people finding apartments that their section 8 could cover, but then not getting approval to use section 8 on the space... although this is probably to do with illegal apartments... illegally converted basement apartments and what not. there is also the underlying stigma associated with section 8'ers... rent to section 8ers and you're getting crackheads and hookers and people too lazy to fend for themselves. Also, here in NYC where everyone wants to gentrify the slums... section 8ers may be discouraged from renting in these places as they complicate the move towards gentrifying, they're the people that need to be pushed out in order to make room for yuppies, hipsters, artists and respectable folk. We can't exactly sprawl here in NYC like other parts of the country. crack houses are real estate gold if you can get the crackheads out
although hands down, section 8 beats shelters... for the tax payer, for the homeless for everyone.
I agree, getting laptops for the homeless isn't the answer. but if I became homeless tommorow, you better be damned sure that the one item I will be holding on to more than anything I own is my ibook... because there are so many free hotspots in nyc that it would be stupid to let go of such an invaluable resource. I knew a guy who was homeless who carried around an old mac performa every where he went, any chance he got to use it he would dialup, a housed friend gave him a screenname on his aol account.
unfortunately its very hard to get section 8 and very hard to get a place with section 8. at least in nyc many landlords won't rent to section 8'ers.. neither solution works, because shelters are too expensive to run and don't really have the facilities to provide the support needed. There's a lot of bloat in the system. NYC's housing market is way inflated though, I have no idea how well section 8 works elsewhere... here not so well.
Although this all does show that internet can be transformative in these situations. churches and other organizations that do mission and charity work might consider providing internet access on some old machines set up to a network... that people can use to help get themselves on track... a system like this set up at a church could double as accesss for their seniors or whatever... there's flexibility. there's no reason free access to the internet has to be a starbucks/library thing. At the very least, this all suggests that new strategies for helping the homeless are becoming more and more possible. And yes, lets not give a wireless laptop to every homeless person in the city... but there are ways to give greater access without relying on government intervention.
Yeah, I give food to homeless all the time. druggies and alchies, they eat it. There are programs in nyc to distribute food to the homeless, by going out into the streets and subways... I've never seen anyone turn down food. Its not quite right to say that you can't help group 2. I've known some group 2'ers who have gotten themselves together, i know group 1ers who became group 2ers... alchoholism, drugs, depression... all easy to get fucked up by when you're out on the streets. The idea that only group 1 can reintegrate and 2 can't isn't entirely accurate, Mitchel Duniere has shown in his ethnographic study of street vendors on 6th avenue between 8th and west 4th in manhattan how what you call group one'ers can help and mentor group 2'ers and help them get clean and help them start becoming self-sufficient by giving them jobs (manning book tables, scavenging, saving table spaces overnight. Many number 2s were once number 1s. Of course you can't help everyone, and of course some people relapse.. but people with homes relapse as well. The homeless of any kind don't always rely on the housed for help, a lot of them help each other or themselves. This isn't always the case I agree, but many times it is.
I've known many homeless people over the last 6 years, most of whom had cellphones... I met a guy in 1999 who told me it was absurd not to have one, and if you didn't have one you weren't trying to get your life back on track. I've heard these sentiments echoed by many. We're talking bare bones cellphones, not subscription service but prepaid, cellphones for voicemail, you call back on a payphone and conserve minutes... the ones who were computer savy before becoming homeless used the internet regularly. When I was in china, I don't know if this is true because my mandarin is sucks, but a friend told me many of the people in the internet cafe I frequented in Nanjing were homeless... so I dunno... I think if people see ways they can better their situation they will seek them out.
of course the stereotypical homeless people, the crazies and crackheads... do they use this stuff? my guess is not so much... but people trying to get back on their feet, of course. A large percantage of homeless people aren't drunks, druggies and crazies though... these technologies at the very least have the ability to change and better lives and allow people to be the agents of that change, not get lost in the sea of social services without a guide
Maybe I can give a little first hand background. I was in a relationship with a homeless man for a year 1999 - 2000. We had met and I liked him very much, went on a few dates, was surprised to find out he was homeless because he had a phone number and we emailed each other all the time. He had lost his house a few years prior, and had lived on the streets, shelters on occasion (not so easy for men to get access to shelters actually) and on occasion in churches that were sympathetic. His cellphone and internet access were very important for a few reasons, first of all they allowed him to keep in touch with a support network that could help when necessary. If he absolutely had to get off the streets because the weather was too bad for street sleeping and no shelter room, he could often find a place to crash because he could easily contact friends who could put him up for the night, people he knew before he became homeless and also other homeless people who had gotten into SROs (single room occupancy) and would let him crash on their floor. The cell phone and email also was a great aid in navigating the world of social services... organizations to help him find housing, his caseworkers, his doctor and find work here and there. It is very hard to get a job without a phone number you can be reached at, and without a home you don't have a landline... cellphone might be your only chance at getting the job that will help put you back on your feet.
If someone he knew and knew of his situation had an odd job that needed doing he could be contacted by cellphone so that he could make some money. He made good money this way, fixing people's computers. All it takes is a cellphone, a little knowledge of computers, and some flyers reading "need help with your computer, affordable computer help, call peter at 555-5555" is all it takes to make a few bucks. Later on he became unable to walk more than a few steps and was confined to a wheelchair, cellphone and email helped him get the info he needed to get a wheelchair which was paid for by his ssi or adap or something, i forget. It also helped out the day his brand new wheelchair wheel fell off while he was going down a hill... he wasn't too badly hurt, but with the cellphone he could reach a friend in the area who could help him get back to his place. I mean this is putting technology to good use, I think... a little different from texting your friends mindless banter and what not.
Something that a lot of people don't realize is that there are a lot of programs out there for people with these sorts of problems and guess what, most case workers, people at shelters have no idea what is out there in terms of services. Its not their fault, its a lot of stuff to be on top of. Using the internet many people are able to be their own caseworkers, learn about the system, how to find what they need and get the services they need to get back on their feet. They can be more proactive and not just hope that their caseworkers know what they're doing... many do not. you know what else you can find on the internet, housesitting opportunities...
Peter finally managed to navigate the system and managed to get himself a room at a pretty nice sro, shared kitchen... but private rooms and baths. He wouldn't have been able to get it if there was no way for his caseworker to get in touch with him. nobody is going to go find you on the street if your benefits have been approved... people need to get in touch with you.
When peter moved into the place, I met a lot of other people and learned about how they ended up in their situation, and how they were dealing. One of the things that I found striking was that a lot of families are broken up by this, women are granted housing along with daughters but men aren't... the idea is that you give to the people who most need the services... but it builds into the system absentee father'ism... eliminates one of the means of support, the family unit. Many places will not allow men in at all. Fathers and sons left to fend for themselves. Fath
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I may be stupid... but... isn't it possible that translating from mandarin medical terminology into english medical terminology could be the reason HIV is being talked of in terms of cells and DNA? Could there be less stupidity in the world than once thought, and perhaps a lot more miscommunication?
is it really stable and guaranteed? I hear tale of Landlords not getting the subsidies on time and what not, I don't know if that's true or not or just a baseless fear of landlords. Also, if I'm not mistaken and I very well may be,the housing space needs to be approved itself... I've heard of people finding apartments that their section 8 could cover, but then not getting approval to use section 8 on the space... although this is probably to do with illegal apartments... illegally converted basement apartments and what not. there is also the underlying stigma associated with section 8'ers... rent to section 8ers and you're getting crackheads and hookers and people too lazy to fend for themselves. Also, here in NYC where everyone wants to gentrify the slums... section 8ers may be discouraged from renting in these places as they complicate the move towards gentrifying, they're the people that need to be pushed out in order to make room for yuppies, hipsters, artists and respectable folk. We can't exactly sprawl here in NYC like other parts of the country. crack houses are real estate gold if you can get the crackheads out
although hands down, section 8 beats shelters... for the tax payer, for the homeless for everyone.
I agree, getting laptops for the homeless isn't the answer. but if I became homeless tommorow, you better be damned sure that the one item I will be holding on to more than anything I own is my ibook... because there are so many free hotspots in nyc that it would be stupid to let go of such an invaluable resource. I knew a guy who was homeless who carried around an old mac performa every where he went, any chance he got to use it he would dialup, a housed friend gave him a screenname on his aol account.
unfortunately its very hard to get section 8 and very hard to get a place with section 8. at least in nyc many landlords won't rent to section 8'ers.. neither solution works, because shelters are too expensive to run and don't really have the facilities to provide the support needed. There's a lot of bloat in the system. NYC's housing market is way inflated though, I have no idea how well section 8 works elsewhere... here not so well.
Although this all does show that internet can be transformative in these situations. churches and other organizations that do mission and charity work might consider providing internet access on some old machines set up to a network... that people can use to help get themselves on track... a system like this set up at a church could double as accesss for their seniors or whatever... there's flexibility. there's no reason free access to the internet has to be a starbucks/library thing. At the very least, this all suggests that new strategies for helping the homeless are becoming more and more possible. And yes, lets not give a wireless laptop to every homeless person in the city... but there are ways to give greater access without relying on government intervention.
Yeah, I give food to homeless all the time. druggies and alchies, they eat it. There are programs in nyc to distribute food to the homeless, by going out into the streets and subways... I've never seen anyone turn down food. Its not quite right to say that you can't help group 2. I've known some group 2'ers who have gotten themselves together, i know group 1ers who became group 2ers... alchoholism, drugs, depression... all easy to get fucked up by when you're out on the streets. The idea that only group 1 can reintegrate and 2 can't isn't entirely accurate, Mitchel Duniere has shown in his ethnographic study of street vendors on 6th avenue between 8th and west 4th in manhattan how what you call group one'ers can help and mentor group 2'ers and help them get clean and help them start becoming self-sufficient by giving them jobs (manning book tables, scavenging, saving table spaces overnight. Many number 2s were once number 1s. Of course you can't help everyone, and of course some people relapse.. but people with homes relapse as well. The homeless of any kind don't always rely on the housed for help, a lot of them help each other or themselves. This isn't always the case I agree, but many times it is.
I've known many homeless people over the last 6 years, most of whom had cellphones... I met a guy in 1999 who told me it was absurd not to have one, and if you didn't have one you weren't trying to get your life back on track. I've heard these sentiments echoed by many. We're talking bare bones cellphones, not subscription service but prepaid, cellphones for voicemail, you call back on a payphone and conserve minutes... the ones who were computer savy before becoming homeless used the internet regularly. When I was in china, I don't know if this is true because my mandarin is sucks, but a friend told me many of the people in the internet cafe I frequented in Nanjing were homeless... so I dunno... I think if people see ways they can better their situation they will seek them out.
of course the stereotypical homeless people, the crazies and crackheads... do they use this stuff? my guess is not so much... but people trying to get back on their feet, of course. A large percantage of homeless people aren't drunks, druggies and crazies though... these technologies at the very least have the ability to change and better lives and allow people to be the agents of that change, not get lost in the sea of social services without a guide
Maybe I can give a little first hand background. I was in a relationship with a homeless man for a year 1999 - 2000. We had met and I liked him very much, went on a few dates, was surprised to find out he was homeless because he had a phone number and we emailed each other all the time. He had lost his house a few years prior, and had lived on the streets, shelters on occasion (not so easy for men to get access to shelters actually) and on occasion in churches that were sympathetic. His cellphone and internet access were very important for a few reasons, first of all they allowed him to keep in touch with a support network that could help when necessary. If he absolutely had to get off the streets because the weather was too bad for street sleeping and no shelter room, he could often find a place to crash because he could easily contact friends who could put him up for the night, people he knew before he became homeless and also other homeless people who had gotten into SROs (single room occupancy) and would let him crash on their floor. The cell phone and email also was a great aid in navigating the world of social services... organizations to help him find housing, his caseworkers, his doctor and find work here and there. It is very hard to get a job without a phone number you can be reached at, and without a home you don't have a landline... cellphone might be your only chance at getting the job that will help put you back on your feet.
If someone he knew and knew of his situation had an odd job that needed doing he could be contacted by cellphone so that he could make some money. He made good money this way, fixing people's computers. All it takes is a cellphone, a little knowledge of computers, and some flyers reading "need help with your computer, affordable computer help, call peter at 555-5555" is all it takes to make a few bucks. Later on he became unable to walk more than a few steps and was confined to a wheelchair, cellphone and email helped him get the info he needed to get a wheelchair which was paid for by his ssi or adap or something, i forget. It also helped out the day his brand new wheelchair wheel fell off while he was going down a hill... he wasn't too badly hurt, but with the cellphone he could reach a friend in the area who could help him get back to his place. I mean this is putting technology to good use, I think... a little different from texting your friends mindless banter and what not.
Something that a lot of people don't realize is that there are a lot of programs out there for people with these sorts of problems and guess what, most case workers, people at shelters have no idea what is out there in terms of services. Its not their fault, its a lot of stuff to be on top of. Using the internet many people are able to be their own caseworkers, learn about the system, how to find what they need and get the services they need to get back on their feet. They can be more proactive and not just hope that their caseworkers know what they're doing... many do not. you know what else you can find on the internet, housesitting opportunities...
Peter finally managed to navigate the system and managed to get himself a room at a pretty nice sro, shared kitchen... but private rooms and baths. He wouldn't have been able to get it if there was no way for his caseworker to get in touch with him. nobody is going to go find you on the street if your benefits have been approved... people need to get in touch with you.
When peter moved into the place, I met a lot of other people and learned about how they ended up in their situation, and how they were dealing. One of the things that I found striking was that a lot of families are broken up by this, women are granted housing along with daughters but men aren't... the idea is that you give to the people who most need the services... but it builds into the system absentee father'ism... eliminates one of the means of support, the family unit. Many places will not allow men in at all. Fathers and sons left to fend for themselves. Fath