According to Big Think, "Los Angeles County claims nearly 59,000 homeless, a 12 percent increase, while the city itself is up 16 percent."" These figures do not take into account that all throughout California, homeless population is growing at an unsustainable rate. Orange County is up 42 percent; Alameda County, 43 percent; Kern County, 50 percent; and San Francisco, 17 percent.
Some people have claimed that it is due in part to gentrification, where areas are improved so that it conforms to middle-class taste. Others, put the blame on drugs, alcohol, lack of opportunity, unemployment, or simply bad luck and planning.
Regardless of the cause, it is a problem that must be addressed immediately, as there is the potential of a breeding ground of diseases that are percolating within the homeless population that have not been seen since medieval days.
Enter Ted Hayes, an activist and problem solver for the homeless in America.
Having first hand knowledge about living on the streets voluntarily doing so for eight years to fully grasp the reason as to the etiology behind the homeless Ted is a maverick of social ideas and success.
In 1993, Ted founded Dome Village, situated by the what is now known as the Staples center, his Dome Village became a model for temporary housing. In 1998 he addressed the White House for the creation of a national homeless plan to end homelessness. He ran for Los Angeles City Counsel in 2001 in the 9th district of California. In 2008, he ran against Maxine Waters, a heavily funded incumbent. Despite losing to her, he spent substantially less money, but received more votes per dollar than Waters spent.
Ted has used his experience to help develop a strategic plan that would transition people from their tents, trailers, or simply off the streets into a safe and nurturing environment.
Ted's plan, "The New Frontier II: Operation Humanity, calls for collaborative of volunteers transcending the barriers of political, religious, ethnic, skin color, class, economic and social strata, thereby embracing everyone who advocates to government (federal, state, county, municipality) as well as international bodies such as the United Nations, the Hague, and various non-government organizations (NGO) such as Human Rights Watch groups, for civilian as well as US Military Veterans whom are GOD’s children entrapped in hard core, chronic, street-sidewalk homelessness.
Phase one is using the Domestic Peace Corps to gain the trust of the homeless, and move them into temporary shelter's already designed for them. Clean facility where they have access to food, showers, medical, dental and psychological help. This is a temporary facility to get the homeless off the streets.
Phase two relocates the once homeless into a separate facility where by they can get, rehabilitation, and assessment of physical and occupational skills. Education and training will be offered at this site. The duration of time spent at this site would range from nine to 15 months. Depending on how well they are adjusting to the situation.
Phase three is a continuation of phase two with emphasis placed on the final transition of placement into society.
Phase four, the final destination is where the individual can choose to enter into either mainstream society, where they will have arranged for permanent housing, transportation to work, medical, dental, and any other supportive services. Or they may choose to enter into a pre-planned charter community, "an already functioning, welcoming, mixed social class community designed to serve as the business center of a rural area i.e. house, employ, feed, provide healthcare for and protect all its participating citizens at a much lower cost of living threshold than is required for mainstream living."
As Ted conveyed these transitional phases are important to help people because once they become acclimated to living on the street the transition into a more normal society would be traumatizing.
Ted's plan would not cost any federal dollars. He would call upon the President to use his executive order to end the homeless crisis. By appointing a Czar to advocate for the homeless, to appoint programs to aid in the planning of communities, and get appropriate facilities to transition the homeless from where they are located currently to a more rural area. The president would use his "bully pulpit" to get Wall Street investor's to buy into the idea of a new type of housing development designed to be both productive and sustainable.
Mr Hayes has a prolific social media presence, and can be found on Facebook at Mister Patriot. He is going to Washington to address the politicians on the conditions of homelessness, and present his strategic plan to address it. He can also be found on Twitter where he tweets about the 14th Amendment, and its significance.
If you want to know more about Mr. Hayes, his plan to eradicate the tragedy of homelessness, you can learn more by visiting his website: http://tedhayes.us/page0.html
Comentários