Enough is enough

It is a damn shame the way society treats homeless people, especially here in Minnesota. I have seen some very disrespectful actions that have been perpetrated against the homeless populations, and the killing part of the matter is there is nothing that they can do about it.

They are talked to like dogs from the youngest to the oldest—homeless people just don’t get any type of respect. If they are sitting down somewhere like the government center or the Greyhound Bus station they are chased away or arrested. If gangs see them on the street they make fun of them or beat them up. Their worst enemy is the sub-zero temperatures that kill at least 100 of them every year in Minnesota alone.

This reality is the very reason why we have got to insist that the Park Board allow the homeless to use at least two of the 170 parks that we have here in the city. We have four new park board commissioners, and they have got to be made to understand that homeless people are human beings. Animals are treated better than the homeless.

Most of these people aren’t homeless because they choose to be. No way. The system caused a lot of it—that 44-day bus strike took its toll on hundreds of unsuspecting people; the job downsizing and companies moving out of state did its damage also.

We can do something about it, even if the homeless can’t.

What about our young homeless? Have we deserted them also? There has been a great deal of research done on homeless youth and homeless young adults. People, this is super terrible. Before I share with you the statistics I want you to understand the circumstances. About 500 homeless youth ages 8 to 17 were on their own, in addition to the nearly 3,000 children who experienced homelessness along with their parents—this in Minnesota on a single night in October 2003.
Wilder Research estimates that from 12,000 to 22,500 Minnesota youth under 18 experienced at least one episode of homelessness on their own in 2003. Forty-six percent of all persons staying in homeless shelters or in temporary housing on Oct. 23, 2003, were under age 21. This includes 2,724 children under 18 who were on their own, and 325 young adults age 18 to 20 years old. The average age of youth on their own is 16. The youngest in 2003 was 8 years old. More than six out of 10 homeless youth are girls.

This situation has got to be addressed right now. The United Citizens Commission has created a program that will teach your high school seniors “tenant training.” This is very important because it will help head off another generation engulfed in homelessness. The new Minneapolis Schools’ superintendent should give this proposal some serious consideration. This is just one of many programs and projects that could change things around.