For Americans experiencing homelessness, finding a safe place to
store belongings can prove daunting and be a major barrier to overcoming
poverty.
“Imagine if you lost your home. How on earth could you simultaneously manage your life’s possessions and handle the next chapter in your life?” said Nick Fish, city commissioner of Portland, Oregon. “The answer is you can't. You can’t expect someone to be successful if they’re carting around their life’s possessions.”
Portland, known more for its green initiatives than its work with the poor, has recently invested millions in several plans aimed at tackling homelessness, including free storage services, he said.
“Imagine if you lost your home. How on earth could you simultaneously manage your life’s possessions and handle the next chapter in your life?” said Nick Fish, city commissioner of Portland, Oregon. “The answer is you can't. You can’t expect someone to be successful if they’re carting around their life’s possessions.”
Portland, known more for its green initiatives than its work with the poor, has recently invested millions in several plans aimed at tackling homelessness, including free storage services, he said.
An estimated 600,000 Americans are
homeless on any given night, yet there are few city-funded projects that
offer them free and safe places to store their belongings, according to
the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
These often include their most cherished or valuable possessions, such as family photos, medications and important documents like birth certificates and Social Security cards.
But in many cities, such belongings are treated like rubbish, said Paul Boden, director of the San Francisco–based Western Regional Advocacy Project, which aims to eliminate human rights abuses associated with poverty.
“This is garbage, as far as the cities are concerned. This is trash and an unsightly mess. If you can’t lug it when you take off, it’s going in the trash. Period,” he said.
READ MORE: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/11/7/homeless-americansdraggeddownbyneedtocarrybelongings.html
These often include their most cherished or valuable possessions, such as family photos, medications and important documents like birth certificates and Social Security cards.
But in many cities, such belongings are treated like rubbish, said Paul Boden, director of the San Francisco–based Western Regional Advocacy Project, which aims to eliminate human rights abuses associated with poverty.
“This is garbage, as far as the cities are concerned. This is trash and an unsightly mess. If you can’t lug it when you take off, it’s going in the trash. Period,” he said.
READ MORE: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/11/7/homeless-americansdraggeddownbyneedtocarrybelongings.html
No comments:
Post a Comment