I guess it’s all a matter of perspective. Most people are so far gone that it doesn’t warrant much of an effort. Sure, if it’s the middle of nowhere and there aren’t a lot of people around anyway, I might waste even a half-hour or so listening to the stories–who did what to ruin their […]
The End of the Tunnel project and The Tunnel newsletter would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season! Of course, we know that the down-trodden, miserable-life look is all the rage on the street corners–that’s just part of the game–but I was surprised at how spirited the homeless community can
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Read More »
A nice lady commented that our unhoused problem could be solved if we just found cheap land, created a tiny house village, and equipped each home with solar and composting toilets. Here’s the problem:The people you see on the street represent roughly one-third of the homeless population (btw, they’re far more offended by “unhoused” than
An Ounce of Prevention Read More »
People came in droves to unite with pets during Adopt a Pet at the Park day, and the park has been Jay’s front yard for months. Happy faces and waggly tails were inspiring each other’s existence, but Jay was lamenting the selfless decision he’d made just two weeks prior–to give up his furry friend to
Check that–make it The Governments’ Roles. It’s way out of hand–homelessness, and local municipalities are scarcely capable of handling the issue on their own. Sure, the cities and counties have a responsibility to their citizens, but are they equipped (financially) to handle the multitude of causes of homelessness along with the multitude of pathways to
The Government’s Role Read More »
One of the biggest challenges faced by municipalities trying to address the homeless problem is backlash from the communities that want something to be done about the homeless problem—as long as it’s not done anywhere near them. Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) is the mindset of most people. I can’t blame them. Consolidating the
It’s just a few extra cents, but it makes all the difference. I was talking with some friends who are well-versed in the art of giving. They mentioned that the Round Up campaigns you experience in check-out lines are responsible for very large percentages of charitable contributions in America. I had to think about that.
My home base is in Tucson, Arizona. There’s a problem with homelessness in Tucson. The metro population is just over a million people, and the homeless population is estimated at around 7500. The city recently teamed up with a few homeless service providers to create the STAR program (Serving Together and Rebuilding), an outdoor “safe
Another Tale of Two Cities Read More »
Like a photograph in a war, America’s Point-In-Time counting system for assessing our homeless population is merely a snapshot, missing somewhere around two-thirds of what’s really going on. Unfortunately, it seems to be the most commonly used statistic for, perhaps, all the wrong reasons. The PIT counts are necessary to keep the government (HUD) informed
Of course, we can do better, but sometimes I wonder—can we do worse? There was a problem-solving exercise—I was in the Army ROTC. I was one of a handful of temporary leaders who solved the task at hand—not because I was brilliant enough to evaluate our assets, assess the problem, define the goal, and execute
What’s right and what’s wrong Read More »