Dear Maija, I'm homeless, but I've been working really hard on trying to get my life back together. (I used to play a trumpet outside of sporting events but some kids stole it one night after the Reds lost.) Lately I've been writing a lot, but I can't get my work published in the local homeless newspaper because all they seem to write about is how offensive you are.
by Hannah McCartney
02.20.2012
96 days ago
Community Forum to Discuss New Study on Homelessness
Winter is perhaps the most trying time of year for homeless Cincinnatians; the bitter cold isn't exactly inviting when you're not surrounded by four walls and a heap of blankets or proper clothing. This Thursday, a just-released study from the Family Homelessness and Housing Stability Task Force will be reviewed at the Christ Church Cathedral Undercroft during a community issues forum. Conversation is encouraged; ask questions and introduce concerns. The findings of the study will be explained and presented by Alice Skirtz, Chair of the Family Homelessness and Housing Stability Task Force, and Josh Spring, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. The study, conducted over a year, examines family homelessness and housing instability in Hamilton County. According to Josh Spring, Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, the report suggests a 73 percent increase in unemployed workers in Hamilton County from 2005 to 2010. The study culminated after a series of intimate focus groups with families suffering from or on the edge of homelessness across the county. Along with discussing the issues at hang, the forum will include recommendations for dealing with housing, unemployment and health care. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless seeks to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. The Homelessness and Housing Stability Taskforce was developed by GCCH to pool together resources to best evaluate and solve problems of homelessness across Cincinnati. The forum will be held Thursday, Feb. 23 at noon at Christ Church Cathedral Undercroft. 318 E. Fourth St. Bring a bagged lunch or purchase one for $5.50.
Homeless, Empowered, Married
0 Comments · Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Though I’ve technically never been homeless, I realize that like so many people I’m really just a paycheck or two or a major illness or some unforeseen catastrophe from being in some serious financial ut-oh. Giving up sometimes seems like a great idea. Or getting a simpler job.
Ending Us vs. Them
In search of a model for ending homelessness and promoting inclusion
0 Comments · Wednesday, May 20, 2009
For some homeless people, “three hots, a cot and some assistance” won’t get them off the streets and into permanent housing, according to Pat Clifford, executive director of the Drop Inn Center. Cincinnatians understand that, and he believes that’s what really inspired the Homeless to Homes report produced by the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless.
'Nobody's Above the Law'
Rebel lawyer Jennifer Kinsley works to defend individual rights
2 Comments · Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Cincinnati Police officers were due to sweep a homeless camp on the riverfront, arguing the responsibility to guard public safety. But local attorney Jennifer Kinsley counter-argued First Amendment protections and won a restraining order, resulting in a conversation about how to approach homeless shelters here and across the U.S.
It's Not the Hopeless Coalition
0 Comments · Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, where I work, likes to say it's an advocacy organization, distinguishing itself from agencies that provide direct service to clients. The distinction is valid, except for the fact that the Homeless Coalition offers some very important services: a place for homeless people to receive mail, to use a telephone, to have a cup of coffee or a drink of cold water. A place for homeless people to sit down for a few minutes in air conditioning or heat.
