And, as I walked through what was perhaps the “hood-lite” of Kansas City, I realized that the sight of boarded up houses, trash-strewn streets, drug dealers loitering on the corner, and shuttered business districts no longer leaves an impression. The poor neighborhoods and decaying industrial zones of the cities and towns I’ve visited are all beginning to blend. For sure each place has it’s own character, its own reasons for falling into decline, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they are abandoned and broken communities, and that they need a concerted effort on the part of the entire community to make them whole again.

Of course turning around a city in decline is no small undertaking. It takes time to encourage business development and create jobs. Failing schools need funding and skilled teachers. Cities that are losing population need to decide to either contract or develop a plan to attract new residents. And it requires the political strength from city leaders to not be swayed by special interests and cries of NIMBY.

But it can be done. Places like Flint, Mich., have taken dramatic steps towards revitalization–including bulldozing large portions of the city and returning them to parkland. Cities like Little Rock, Indianapolis and Toledo, among others, are following suit.

That said, simply redeveloping a neighborhood is not a solution either. Often redeveloped communities tend to seek higher-income residents, forcing those who had lived in the slum neighborhoods into other slums or on the street. While visiting Detroit, an acquaintance told me about the problems of the redevelopment along the city’s Cass Corridor. High-end condos and rotting homes are plentiful–more modest homes for the middle class are largely absent. Merely relocating the poor is unacceptable.

Understandably higher priced homes mean more money for the tax base. But a vacant and pretty home is just as useless to a community as one that is vacant and dilapidated. A thriving community is one that takes into consideration the needs and contributions of those at all income brackets.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

I’d noticed a row of public housing on Madison Street had been fenced off. But now the houses were not just fenced off, they were being knocked down. Public notices on the buildings announced that they were being demolished as part of a project to replace 194 units of affordable housing with 245 market rate units and a pitiful 134 affordable ones.

Now, this is not the first time affordable housing has been lost in the Old Town portion of Alexandria, and I’m sure it will not be the last, but I was struck with the fact that people had been living in those homes just weeks prior. And, just across the street from the units being demolished, row upon row of public housing bore similar notices. Where, I wonder, are those living in the homes that remain expected to move?

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Those who are homeless are often invisible, ignored.

We chose to see, or not see, the man begging for change as we walk down the street. We forget that our friends who just needed a place to stay “for a few days” are still sleeping on our couch. We ignore the waitress who sleeps in her car behind the diner in town. We pretend homelessness has nothing to do with poverty.

But, last night, as many were watching President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address, thousands of dedicated volunteers were hitting the streets across the country in search of the homeless. Volunteers peered into back alleys and dark corners, beneath underpasses and in abandoned cars. The goal: one night each year cities and towns across the nation make an all-out effort to count the number of people who are homeless. Called the point-in-time census, it is an attempt to take a “snapshot” of homelessness in this country.

So, when dozens of volunteers fanned out to do a search of the district late Wednesday night, I was among them.

Bundled up and armed with just a flashlight, a clipboard and some $5 gift cards for McDonald’s, I set out with a half dozen other volunteers to scour the DC waterfront and around the Navy Yard. We broke into teams of two and searched the area block by block. (It is hoped that by doing the survey late at night, and when it is cold, there will be fewer people to count on the street. Besides counting those living on the street the census counts those living in emergency shelters and transitional housing, or who can otherwise be identified as homeless.)

Not long after we began our search, the woman I was paired up with for the night and I came across a blanketed form near the marina. As we attempted to get the person’s attention, we realized no one was there–the blanket had merely been left in the shape of whomever had last slept there.

But, elsewhere along the waterfront, we did find people living without a fixed address; a couple who called the street home, and a small group of men who slept in tents or beneath the nearby underpasses.

Just a mile from the I-395 underpass that sheltered perhaps a half dozen men, depending on the night, helicopters buzzed overhead and block after block was closed off as part of the intense security measures around the Capitol for the State of the Union Address. I could not help but think that while our first black president was addressing the public, so many other black men have been abandoned to the streets of the district.

Though a few people did not want to participate in the census and remained hidden under their blankets, or shouted for us to go away, most of the people we encountered were willing to be counted and answer the intensely personal questions on the survey. And, though virtually all said they would be happy to move into permanent housing, many expressed resistance to shelters. “They’re filthy,” we were told. One nearby shelter had “mold older than I am,” and “feces on the walls.”

For four hours we walked block by block along the waterfront, then eventually weaving between gentrified and gated communities and some of the district’s poorest subsidized housing along South Capitol Street and the Southeast Freeway.

I am certain that as many people as we did find on the streets of our section of Southwest and Southeast DC, we likely missed many more. And, while the woman I was teamed with and I looked under some highway underpasses, we did not search them all–the aggressive behavior of one individual we had encountered early in the night along with the long, dark field required to get to an area we suspected was home to many of DC’s homeless was enough to dissuade us.

At the end of the night, we had found only 10 people living on the street in the small portion of the district our group searched. The total count for DC and the surrounding metro region will not be released for several months. Last year’s count found 12,035 people who were homeless in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, 6,228 of whom were in the district itself. About 10 percent of the total homeless population last year were found to be unsheltered, 1,238 people–about 25 percent of whom live on the streets of DC.

The use of point-in-time counts has been criticized by some as portraying an inaccurate picture of homelessness that overemphasizes the population that is chronically homeless, and that does not count those who have turned to friends or family for shelter. It is a flaw that has no easy solution, but that does not go ignored.

“As in prior years, the 2009 count does not include persons who are living ‘doubled up’ in housing with relatives or friends as that is beyond the mission of the Homeless Services and Coordinating Task Force’s annual survey. However, due to the current national recession and ongoing housing foreclosures in many local jurisdictions, there is growing concern that many of the region’s residents may be considered ‘at risk’ of becoming homeless.” –The 2009 Count of Homeless Persons in Shelters and on the Streets in Metropolitan Washington

And unfortunately there were not even enough volunteers to search everywhere in the district. As I sat through training classes to prepare us for the census, I noticed that the maps of DC had sections marked off in green, blue and pink. Green areas were to be covered block by block and blue areas as best as resources would allow, with locations of known homeless populations marked out. The pink areas were not to be covered at all. Much of Southeast and Northeast, and all of the areas east of the Anacostia River were blanketed in pink.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

The Washington Post today reported that the crush of those seeking public services has so far exceeded the district’s ability to process applications that some have been forced to spend day after day waiting in line.

It is a far cry from the near mob scene in Detroit last October when thousands of people descended on Cobo Hall to get applications for housing and utility payment assistance from the city of Detroit. The City of Detroit Planning & Development Department had only 5,000 applications and police were called to the scene to maintain order.

But certainly it makes little sense to keep people waiting in line for so long. Even if it is not possible to find the funds for additional staff, it would take little effort to create a waiting list so that applicants need only come to the office when someone will be able to assist them. Though they will still have to wait, it will mean those who are too ill to stand for hours with no ability to take a bathroom break will not find themselves with a trip to the emergency room, or that already impoverished single-mothers will not have to either find child care or drag young children along for the trip.

Further, as Bread for the City’s blog, Beyond Bread,  points out, those long lines at the district’s Income Maintenance Administration offices often mean taking time off from work or school. And that is something those waiting in line cannot afford.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Human beings are not meant to live in the cold. Some of us may enjoy living in cooler regions, but I doubt anyone enjoys spending any real amount of time exposed to the elements without proper clothing.

Yet routinely the poor and the homeless are left ill prepared to shelter themselves from the cold. I recently stumbled across video footage of the last hours of a homeless Vancouver woman’s life, filmed by Kristy Matthews. Shortly after the video was taken last December, the woman died in a fire caused when the candles she was using in a desperate attempt to keep warm set her cart on fire. Earlier this month the Vancouver Sun featured an article on the circumstances surrounding the woman’s untimely death.

Though I often struggle with just how much assistance I can provide someone on the street–after all I can not and should not be expected to help everyone–I doubt I could have ignored a woman in bare feet in the brutal cold. It is heartbreaking and deeply disturbing that we have abandoned those most in need in this world.

But those living on the street are not the only ones who must struggle to keep warm. According to a survey released on Dec. 18 by the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, the number of households receiving heating assistance through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) reached record levels for the second year in a row, increasing from 6.1 million to 8.3 million for 2009. LIHEAP is the primary program in the United States to help low-income individuals and families struggling with their utility payments.

This is not good news as the number of families struggling continues to rise. NEADA is projecting an increase of 20% in the number of families applying for assistance for 2010, noting in a press release that, “The current funding level will not be sufficient to meet the need if current trends continue. In the absence of supplemental funding, states will have few choices other than to reduce benefits, tighten eligibility requirements or close programs early.”

While I understand that electric utilities are no in the business of supplying power for free, it is unacceptable that anyone would be left in the cold. Yet utility shut-offs and arrearages remain high. Some 4.3 million households experienced shut off from power shut-offs in 2009, up from 4.1 million in 2008.  These families owed a total of $1.2 billion, with the average amount owed $279. At a time when many of the top executives at bailed out banks stand to make millions in bonuses, it is a national disgrace that millions in this country cannot afford to pay for heat.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

It is no secret that so many of the homeless in this country are veterans. And little shocks me these days. But I found myself surprised to learn the number of homeless female veterans to be on the rise.

According to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, women are a growing segment of the veteran population. In addition, there is a higher proportion of female veterans with severe housing cost burden. Of the homeless population in the United States, one-fifth are veterans. A conservative count for 2008 found about 131,000 homeless veterans, about 10 percent of which are female. Both male and female veterans often face substance abuse and mental health problems.

“A growing body of research indicates that female veterans have a higher risk of homelessness than their male counterparts.” – Vital Mission: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans

The report suggests female veterans  are often at greater risk of homelessness as a result of higher incidence of sexual assault and victimization, which is linked to higher rates of PTSD. In addition female veterans have lower incomes and are more likely to have children.

And vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are not immune from the current economic state and high unemployment rates. The jobless rate for post-9/11 veterans is higher than the overall U.S. rate and has nearly doubled in the past year to 11.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 1.5 million veterans — 6.3 percent — had incomes below the federal poverty line, according to a 2005 congressional analysis of census figures.

Last month Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the department’s intention to end homelessness among Veterans within the next five years. The plan includes preventive measures like discharge planning for incarcerated Veterans re-entering society, supportive services for low-income Veterans and their families and a national referral center to link Veterans to local service providers.

“Our plan enlarges the scope of VA’s efforts to combat homelessness. In the past, VA focused largely on getting homeless veterans off the streets.  Our five-year plan aims also at preventing them from ever ending up homeless.” Shinseki said in a press release related to the VA’s homeless summit last month.

While much is being done to reduce homelessness among veterans, the U.S. military and the VA need to step up and take care of those who serve this nation. That so many in this country are homeless is bad enough. That veterans who put their lives in danger are homeless is beyond unacceptable.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Poverty and homelessness are large problems. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t small things everyone can do to make a difference. Here are a few suggestions:

• Donate food, toiletries, clothing, and household items to a local shelter, food pantry or organization that benefits those who are homeless or poor. And, beyond just donating your old, worn-out clothing, consider donating items that someone could wear to a job interview.
• Organize a food drive or walk to benefit organizations that support affordable housing or emergency shelters.
• Volunteer. Organizations from Habitat for Humanity to your local shelter are in need of volunteers. To help build or fix up houses or shelters, check with your local public housing authority, or find the nearest chapter of Habitat for Humanity by calling (800) 422-4828 or visiting www.habitat.org.
• Vote. Support elected officials who stand behind affordable housing and a living wage. And support projects in your community that increase access to affordable housing and good jobs.
• Be aware of local laws that make crimes out of being homeless and take steps to change them. Laws that prevent people from loitering, eating or sleeping in public, sitting in certain areas among other discriminatory laws are detailed in a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless: Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities.
• Support local businesses. A thriving local economy means more jobs and a solid tax base to fund everything from education and public transportation to subsidized housing and mental health programs.
• Get involved with a local street newspaper.  Street newspapers educate the general public about homelessness while providing people experiencing homelessness with a creative outlet to have their articles, photos, artwork, and poetry published and providing employment opportunities as vendors and writers. To get in touch with the street newspaper nearest you or to get help in establishing a newspaper in your community, contact Michael Stoops, (202) 462-4822 or mstoops@nationalhomeless.org, or contact the North American Street Newspaper Association, www.nasna.org, 202-462-0011, info@nasna.org.

Of course there are many other ways large and small that you can make a difference. I know how easy it can be to get caught up in everyday life and forget how important it is to lend a helping hand to others. So take this opportunity to spend even five minutes to do something large or small to help someone in need.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

Absent from many discussions of affordable housing are a few realities. First, much of “affordable” housing is substandard, owned by slum lords who charge too high a rent payment for poor quality housing. Second, many people who can afford rent payments in an affordable unit cannot manage to scrape together the standard one-month security deposit.

While I was staying at the Covenant House shelter in New Castle, Pa., I talked with one resident “Kelly” who was there because she was battling cancer. She could not work while she was receiving treatments, and, since her job as a dishwasher in a restaurant was part-time she had no health benefits. So she was forced to apply for welfare, which pays her $195 a month, and live with one relative or another until she found space in the shelter.

She is now on a waiting list to move into subsidized housing. Kelly said she has been criticized for being “too picky” in where she will accept to live, ruling out housing in areas that have frequent gun violence or are substandard.

Even before she got sick, Kelly told me, she was struggling to pay an ever-increasing rent payment. She said the house had several different owners and each new one would charge a slightly higher rent. I asked her why she didn’t simply move. Kelly said she would have moved but she could barely afford rent on her dishwasher’s wages let alone a new security deposit.

I do not know the solution to cleaning up substandard, slum housing. We cannot force someone to provide good housing–we can only prevent them from renting unacceptable housing. Perhaps local governments should be empowered to seize housing when landlords refuse to make the necessary renovations and offer existing tenants the opportunity to improve the homes through the “sweat equity” format used by Habitat for Humanity. Communities must hold slum lords accountable and ensure that a lack of a security deposit does not stand in the way of a safe and affordable place to call home.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

In the bad times, when we struggle and make our way through hardship or tragedy, we vow we will never forget. But we do forget.

When I was first married I can remember struggling to pay the bills and staying up nights wondering how we were going to keep ahead of our debts. On more than one occasion we accidentally closed out our checking account because we balanced it to $0.00. My husband did not have a job. He had been offered a wonderful position with Newsweek covering the 2000 elections but could not take it because he was a British citizen and lacked a work permit. And so we struggled on my lowly reporter’s salary. Yes we had a roof over our head and food to eat, but we did not have any extra money. We didn’t even have enough for him to buy a newspaper while he was stuck at home all day.

Now, I am not proud to say, we have wasted more money in one year than I was earning a decade ago. I can’t imagine having a bank balance of $0. And I cannot understand why he felt we could not afford a newspaper. That is not to say we are wealthy or do not struggle. But certainly I pay less attention to where each dollar goes and need to remind myself just how lucky I am.

Of course I don’t think I am the only one who has forgotten what it is like to truly struggle. I recently had a conversation with a friend who told me that when he was in college he was so poor that he took a second job at a restaurant so he could get a free meal there. Now he earns a very comfortable living as does his partner. He said he has to remind himself that many of his friends do not earn as much and that while he is wondering how they are going to pay for new steel countertops his friends are wondering how they are going to pay for groceries.

So I will not say we should never forget, because we will forget. Instead I will say to look around and lend your neighbors a hand.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper

The sidewalks along Route 65 in Emsworth are in such a state of disrepair that in many places grass and weeds have fully reclaimed the concrete. When I was walking, I passed no one.

Just a little north lies the town of Sewickley. The sidewalks are pristine. There are parks and large beautiful houses. There are dozens of nice shops and restaurants. But, if you work at many of these shops and restaurants, you cannot afford to live in town.

Two towns, two different problems.

When I talked to people at the Emsworth Inn about my efforts to draw attention to poverty and homelessness in this country they suggested I need look no further. Certainly many homes in the town are in disrepair and the sidewalks are crumbling. And there is no thriving downtown. But, to those who despair at the state of their town, I suggest they need look only at themselves. It does not take a great deal of money to clean up trash on your yard; plant a few flowers or trees; and trim the weeds on the sidewalk. Poverty is no excuse to abandon your community and leave it to decay and rot. And it is noticed when a town does not make the effort to take care of small things like sidewalks. It suggests to residents that they are not important–they are not worthy of the effort to keep Emsworth looking nice.

Sewickley could not be more different. The town is beautiful and its homes, parks and sidewalks well maintained. But, if there are not affordable places to live in town, there will be no one to work in the stores that provide a tax base and make Sewickley a nice place to live. Similarly, if residents do not want a community with only a few chain stores and a large mall on the outskirsts of town they must support their local businesses. A successfully community is not a theme park. It is not a place to walk by and look but never shop.

So, the next time you despair at the state of your neighborhood, or fail to patronize its businesses, realize that you have the power to ensure your neighborhood thrives or fails. What you do with that power is up to you.

– By Jennifer E. Cooper