Our view: Plight of local homeless may require more attention

If it's getting difficult in today's economy to make ends meet in local households, imagine how much harder it might be for those who already lost their homes to get back into decent living accommodations.

[Calvin]

Editor: How about a contribution from the P.O. in conducting some research and analyzing who the homeless are, what are their needs for housing, and what's an average length of stay? Are the majority of homeless male or female? Do they need overnight lodging just for one person or a family? That would be a useful contribution to general understanding of the homeless situation, editor.

[Dan]

I think it could be prudent to use the space we have, maybe renovate the Chambersburg Jail and take the bars off (Which can be melted down for $$$) and allow homeless people to go there for shelter.

[Dan]

Calvin, that research is very difficult to obtain, they are a very transient population in a rural area. Homelessness is not just the people you see on the streets. Its also those who "couch hop" with friends. Who the homeless are? Well, they are anybody. They are anybody who loses their job unexpectintly. Families living with their other family memebers are also considered homeless. The need is for housing period. A wide variety of housing. The housing in many cases is not for those you see on the street. Often times those are your down and out populations, they have become acustomed to life on the street and have a very hard time aclamating back to life in a home. To get more specific there are 2 types of homelessness. Cronic and Episotic homelessness. Episotic homelessness is your families who hit a snag, stay with family, and get back on their feet. Cronic homelessness is often times what you see on the streets, they are those who end up back on the streets several times a year. It is important to rememeber that homelessness is not just those on the street with signs and bottles, its those who live in the woods, in friends places, in shelters..etc.

[still not fooled]

Perhaps the Public Opinion could set a community example and provide a large contribution to the Homeless Shelter or the Salvation Army.

[What Up]

What the homeless could do it tell people there pets. In this county they would then be well off. They would be fed and housed no questions asked.

[Karen]

I ran a homeless shelter for over a decade. Hopefully they've looked into state block grants and HUD funding because there's a fair amount of it available to communities. It takes a bit of sophisticated grant writing and support from elected officials but it's worth the work,

[makes cents]

I know they do as much grant writing as they can for the Franklin Co. Homeless Shelter. Funding is being cut everywhere. BTW, is Candleheart still around?

[Dan]

Carlisle has a comittee on homelessness and what can be done, what is being done, and what can be approved, does Chambersburg have one?

[Mary]

Dan wrote:

Calvin, that research is very difficult to obtain, they are a very transient population in a rural area. Homelessness is not just the people you see on the streets. Its also those who "couch hop" with friends. Who the homeless are? Well, they are anybody. They are anybody who loses their job unexpectintly. Families living with their other family memebers are also considered homeless. The need is for housing period. A wide variety of housing. The housing in many cases is not for those you see on the street. Often times those are your down and out populations, they have become acustomed to life on the street and have a very hard time aclamating back to life in a home. To get more specific there are 2 types of homelessness. Cronic and Episotic homelessness. Episotic homelessness is your families who hit a snag, stay with family, and get back on their feet. Cronic homelessness is often times what you see on the streets, they are those who end up back on the streets several times a year. It is important to rememeber that homelessness is not just those on the street with signs and bottles, its those who live in the woods, in friends places, in shelters..etc.

Dan, you give up too easily. Agencies who provide services and food to homeless keep track of how many people they provide for and feed. It is from these agencies that some data can be gotten by a newspaper reporter. Why are you making excuses and throwing up your hands as if it's impossible? If those agencies who are providing suppport, food, and services to "homeless" are not keeping records, then they are not good stewards of the money donated to them. It sure sounds like your philosophy is: "We don't know who needs help, we don't know much about them, but we sure need more money. Just keep those donations coming!" That, Dan, is irresponsible.

[makes cents]

Alot of the food programs etc. don't just feed the homeless but the working poor.

[noone]

Dan wrote:

I think it could be prudent to use the space we have, maybe renovate the Chambersburg Jail and take the bars off (Which can be melted down for $$$) and allow homeless people to go there for shelter.

They would rather use it for a Halloween Fright Night or Animal Shelter. I just don't understand how we can put the needs of animals before people. The County is in need of a shelter the old jail sits empty, We pay electric, any heating cost for fuel, repairs and it sits empty. Thank you Commissioners for spending my tax monies so wisely.

[noone]

still not fooled wrote:

Perhaps the Public Opinion could set a community example and provide a large contribution to the Homeless Shelter or the Salvation Army.

This information is not hard to find, contact the county they have the stats.

[noone]

Karen wrote:

I ran a homeless shelter for over a decade. Hopefully they've looked into state block grants and HUD funding because there's a fair amount of it available to communities. It takes a bit of sophisticated grant writing and support from elected officials but it's worth the work,

The County has a Grant Writer why are they not utlitilizing these obtions.

[America rocks]

This letter reeks of SOCIALISM.

Our beloved Ronald Reagan warned us against such things: Beware the WELFARE STATE.

The FREE MARKET will save everyone.

[Dan]

Mary wrote:

<quoted text>Dan, you give up too easily. Agencies who provide services and food to homeless keep track of how many people they provide for and feed. It is from these agencies that some data can be gotten by a newspaper reporter. Why are you making excuses and throwing up your hands as if it's impossible? If those agencies who are providing suppport, food, and services to "homeless" are not keeping records, then they are not good stewards of the money donated to them. It sure sounds like your philosophy is: "We don't know who needs help, we don't know much about them, but we sure need more money. Just keep those donations coming!" That, Dan, is irresponsible.

The people that give food for the homeless are giving food to many of the Cronic Homeless population. It is this population that is it almost impossible to help. I in my profesional life, have had a client that lived on the streets of Harrisburg. We had an apartment lined up and set for her, however she did not want it. She had adapted to life on the streets. Cronic homeless people need assistance with food and supplies, ie blankets...etc. Episotic homelessness is the population that needs to be adressed. A family that lives with another as I said before is homeless. Services need to be targeted at this population agressivly to get them back on their feet if not only to avoid them transitioning into the category of cronic homelessness. If these people can be assisted back to their feet they can become productive citizens again. I am saying we don't know who needs help becasue it is hard to find people. If someone lives in the woods of caladonia with a tent with 2 kids, how would you find them. If someone lives on a campground how would you know, if someone lives with friends and familys and goes from place to place with no real consistency for the children how do you find them. IF you target these populations you can help them.

[Jessica Carnes]

Is this a result of my letter to the editor? No, matter, the urgency of the plight for the homeless needs addressed. It is shameful in a country such as the USA that anyone be homeless. It's a crying shame.