HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES & THE HUMAN RIGHT TO HOUSING | HUMAN RIGHTS DAY (10 DECEMBER 2006)

[Sapphire Blue]

http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2006/

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Today, Human Rights Day, December 10, 2006, we have at least one DUer who is homeless.

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Homelessness in the United States and the Human Right To Housing

A Report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

(excerpt)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Homelessness, and the shortage of affordable housing that is its leading cause, are growing crises
in the United States. They threaten and indeed violate basic human rights of the poorest and most
vulnerable Americans.

Homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing in the U.S.: a growing crisis

· By current estimates, at least 840,000 people are literally homeless – on the street or
using temporary housing – at any given day across the United States. Over the course of
a year, as people transition in and out of homelessness, the number rises to between 2.5-
3.5 million. Of that number, some 1.35 million are children.

· More than 3.5 million men, women, and children will experience homelessness in a given
year (Urban Institute). A comprehensive national survey published in 1994 found that
between 1985 and 1990, seven million Americans had experienced homelessness at some
time; 6.5 percent of U.S. citizens, or 12 million people, have experienced homelessness at
some point in their lifetimes.

· Many more are at risk: 14.3 million households – almost one in seven – are severely
burdened by the cost of housing, with housing costs gobbling more than 50 percent of
their incomes. (The State of the Nation’s Housing 2003, Joint Center for Housing Studies
of Harvard University.)

· The lack of affordable housing is a leading cause of homelessness, according to experts
and to homeless people themselves. According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for
Housing Studies report, the gap between the numbers of low income people who need
affordable housing and the total availability of that housing is now 2 million units.
Higher-income renters occupy an additional 2.7 million of the available 7.9 million
lowest-cost housing units, further diminishing the pool of affordable housing. As a
result, according to the Harvard University report, the total shortfall in low-cost housing
units available for low-income renters is 4.7 million.

http://www.nlchp.org/Pubs/index.cfm?FA=7&TAB=0

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 25:

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

[Sapphire Blue]

1. ...

:kick:

[bobbolink]

2. It really helps to see this being called "Human Rights"!

It's come to the point where people are quick to see others' homelessness as "what they have coming to them".

I hope this catches on, and wish it had come out in time to be in all the churches today!

Thanks for another great post!

[Sapphire Blue]

4. It's important to keep pointing out that it's a human rights issue.

I'm really tired of people who try to blame/shame those whose human rights have been violated.

[bobbolink]

6. Gee, I've never been blamed as a victim....

:eyes:

Only right here on DU, is all... in churches, in Dem groups, etc.

This is such an important concept... we oughtta nail it to church dooors everywhere!

:hi: :hug:

[nam78_two]

3. K&R

Thanks for posting!

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thanks so much for your support on this, nam78_two!

:hi:

[bobbolink]

7. yup, nam78_two,..... your support is noted and appreciated muchly!

Mucho megalo mahalo!

:hi: :toast: :hi:

[nam78_two]

9. :)

I do hope things get better for you and I do hope we get that DU sanctioned fund raiser thingie...

:hi: :hug:

[SeattleGirl]

8. Thanks for posting this, Sapphire

A number of years ago, a girlfriend and I were out shopping for our wedding dresses. We drove to downtown Seattle, and went through Pioneer Square (old Seattle). There is a small park there, and the benches were occupied with the kinds of people many folks think of when they think of the homeless: older men, drinking cheap booze about of bottles in paper bags. My friend made a comment, a not-too-kind one, about "the bums". So I explained to her that what she was seeing was only a small part of the homeless population (and that the men were not "bums"), that there were families living in their cars, or in shelters, because maybe one or both parents had lost jobs and they could not afford a place to live, or maybe there had been a major medical problem with a family member and their money was wiped out, or any number of other reasons. This person is a bit snobbish (though not unbearably so), but she listened to what I was telling her, and then she said, "I had no idea. Whole families? Children?" Yep, I said. Whole families.

Being homeless is not a crime; the fact that so many people in this country are homeless IS.