December 2019
www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com Your Opinion Matters
The Homelessness Crisis – We Are Better Than This
Governor Northam's Letter to Trump Administration Reaffirms His Commitment to Welcoming Refugees
The Hampton Roads Messenger 5
BY DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX
when the skies opened up. that
I was returning from an errand The
punishing rain came down with such vigor
despite an umbrella, the
bottom inches of my pants were soaked. With my wash and wear hair, and just half a block more to walk, I shrugged the rain off, until I saw a woman sheltering herself from the rain in a narrow but covered side entrance to a church.
The opening could not
have been more than 4 feet wide, and sister was easily five feet tall. She had wedged herself, somehow, into the space and was lying horizontally with a newspaper over her head. From across the street, I could see her beautiful dark chocolate skin, but also her disheveled clothing, and no layers to shelter her from the rain. Watching her reminded me that we are going into the season of high risk for those who have no shelter. Many can make it during the warmer months sleeping comfortably outside, but as temperatures drop and precipitation
increases, a circus. thousands
are vulnerable because they have no shelter.
When we elect a clown, expect Too many urgent national
concerns are being swallowed by this man who lacks the gravitas to behave as President. The man who calls his colleagues "scum,” who attacks Black people, especially Black women, with impunity, who dodges the Constitution every chance he gets, who might spark a major crisis by stomping over oversight, and who might cause a government shutdown later this year if he doesn't get his way.
And then there are the human needs that are being ignored. According
to Housing and the Department of Urban Development,
during a "point in time" survey on a night in January 2018, more than half a million homeless people were counted
(
files.hudexchange.info/
resources/documents/2018-AHAR- Part-1.pdf). While there are flaws in this methodology, it is as close as we can get to a scientific measurement of the homeless. There are half a million people, mostly men, mostly white, but way too many African Americans. African Americans are 13 percent of the population and 40 percent of the homeless. The homeless are primarily concentrated
in California, New
York, Florida, and Texas, but you can find them in almost any community. Two-thirds of the homeless are sheltered on a given night, but a third are sleeping on the streets, on park benches, in alleys, under awnings. To quote the late great Congressman
Elijah Cummings, "we are better than this."
are
Nearly 40,000 of these homeless veterans.
Nearly 40,000 are
youth. Their homelessness flies in the face of our values as a country. Those who have served our country should not have to sleep on the streets. Those who have not had a chance at life should not find their chances on a park bench.
This is not just about
homelessness. It is about an economic crisis that has made affordable housing difficult to obtain, with jobs and economic security even more difficult to obtain. While 45 crows about our healthy economy, the Fed has lowered interest rates because it is concerned about the health of the economy. And low unemployment rates
belie the
absolute angst that millions of our fellow citizens are experiencing.
The homeless data are daunting enough, but there is also hidden homelessness. Too many – 4.4 million – are living in other people's houses because they have no homes of their own.
While there is nothing wrong
with "doubling up" families when it is voluntary, involuntary doubling up is a prescription for disaster. Compound this with the number of young people who are "couch surfing" because they have no place to go. I've met young people who are living
in storage
units because they have no homes, managing their
sanitation needs in
gyms and hotel bathrooms. Some of these folks have full-time jobs that pay so little that they can't afford housing. We are better than this.
The specter where people of homelessness
is incompatible with the rhetoric of economic expansion.
progress and economic From San Francisco, with tents live
underneath freeways, to Washington, DC, where homeless people sleep on streets that appear to be prosperous, to New York City, where some of the homeless have mental health issues, and nowhere to go. Our compassion compass is off because we are so focused on shenanigans that we have ignored people.
Still, about 552,000 people
were shelter-challenged when HUD executed their "point in time" survey. It's a flawed methodology, but one that challenges the nature of predatory capitalism in our society and in our economy. No one should have to sleep in the street, wedge herself into an awning, or stand in line for temporary shelter. We are so much better than this.
BY GOVERNOR RALPH S. NORTHAM 2019, Virginia's
In a letter dated November 25, Governor, Ralph
Northam expressed his view that Virginia would like to accept more refugees. The content of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
I have read federal Executive Order 13888, and I write to reaffirm Virginia’s position that we welcome refugee resettlement in the Commonwealth.
Virginia has welcomed refugees
who are fleeing war, persecution, or other dire circumstances. We know that no one chooses to abandon their home until conditions become so difficult that the unknown is preferable.
The United States has long
presented itself as a haven, a place of stability and economic prosperity. We promote the ideals upon which this country was founded, of liberty and freedom. But to uphold those ideals abroad, we must allow access to them here at home. We must practice what we preach.
Virginia helps refugees settle into new homes only in those localities that participate in the Virginia Community Capacity Initiative, which ensures that a community’s elected officials, faith leaders, schools, and other stakeholders are
committed to helping Christmas Towne FROM PAGE 2
enthusiast to present the “Wondrously Extraordinary Inventions of Professor Martin Picklepants.” The newly-created space will feature amazing vehicles, fantastical cars, a flying bike and even an airship.
Dickens’ Christmas Towne,
located in the lower level of the Decker Half Moone Center at Nauticus, will be open November 23 through December 31. Visitors encounter non-stop music and entertainment, a huge indoor train display, a children’s craft room, shops, sweet and savory fare, and a variety of family-friendly activities.
Another new twist this season is
the Dickens After Dark series—catering to an adult audience and taking place on three select Friday evenings (December 6, 13 & 20). The evenings will feature specialty cocktails, craft beer favorites, delicious food, and adult holiday fun. Themed nights include a Fireside Roast
& Toast, Love Actually Movie Night, and a Push Comedy Club Night.
After Christmas, families will
enjoy a new lineup of themed days, including Princess & Pirate Day, a Pajama Dance Party, Dog Day at Dickens, S.T.E.A.M. Punk Day, and finally, the ever-popular family New Year’s Eve Party and Great Balloon Drop on December 31.
Opening Weekend will feature
the giveaway of a free copy of A Christmas Carol book with each paid child (ages 3-12) admission, while supplies last.
Admission to Dickens’
Christmas Towne is $7.50 for adults, $6 for military adults with I.D., $5 for children (ages 3-12), and free for children ages 2 and under. A group rate is available for parties of 15 or more. Tax is added to all admission rates.
refugees
build new homes and lives. We work with resettlement agencies that have
deep ties to these communities. We have always been clear that successful resettlement
only happens with
community involvement. Because of our proximity to
Washington, D.C., we are a preferred location for many Special Immigrant Visa holders – Iraqi and Afghanistan refugees who provided services to the U.S. military in those countries, and whose lives and families are in danger because of that service.
In recent years, as the federal
government has lowered the number of refugees accepted into the United States, so has Virginia’s refugee number dropped. We have the capacity to accept and help more refugees than we currently have.
These are people who no longer have a home. History shows us that this could happen to any of us. We must all imagine ourselves in their shoes, and treat them as we would wish to be treated. If I were ever in such a position,
I hope a friendly
country would take me in and let me rebuild my life in peace and safety. I believe people of decency would share that hope. Virginia’s lights are on and our doors are open, and we welcome new Virginians to make their homes here.
Sincerely, Ralph S. Northam
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