Economic chaos creates surge in homelessness

Source: CNN.COM

The number of homeless families in Massachusetts has surged -- a spike that has overwhelmed the state's shelter capacity and forced it to again place homeless families in motels.

Driving the increase is the sour economy, rising energy costs, escalating unemployment and shortage of affordable housing. For the first time, the state is tracking how many families are winding up homeless due to foreclosures.

"You're seeing a perfect storm," said Robyn Frost, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless.

The upswing is also putting pressure on a landmark initiative by Gov. Deval Patrick to virtually end homelessness in Massachusetts in the next five years.

In just the past 12 months, the number of homeless families living in Massachusetts motels has skyrocketed from 17 in September 2007 to 550 in September 2008. That's on top of another 1,800 or so families in shelters.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/06/economy.homeless.ap/index.html

---

I guess these newly homeless won't be able to contribute their fair share of the 700 billion to Wall Street. </sarcasm>

caging them...

Court Decisions on Homeless People’s Voting Rights
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/getinvolved/projects/vote/court.html

The Coalition for the Homeless has been fighting for the Homeless' ability to vote for many years and have made progress.

We know repukes will try but the law is not on their side.

This has been a huge problem for the last several years but the media had no clue, or seemed not to have one by the absence of their reporting.

Now that the wealthy are hurting, the poor status of the economic situation on non-wall street types get reported.

I say we start with McCain's extra houses.

Those suffering could have the loudest voice.

This is truly a crisis in my state. There is a question on the November 4th ballot to cut our income tax from 5% to 2.5%, and I can only imagine that any programs that help the homeless will be drastically impacted of the proposition passes.

NY, CT, NJ, CA, . Even now, I wonder how anyone can live in San Francisco or Seattle. My sister is now based in San Fran, but she loves it.

some candy.