Homeless Populations

We are beginning to see an increase in the homeless population. Cities and Counties need to ensure that their citizens are not bothered by pan-handlers, but also must ensure that shelters are available, especially during winter months. The homeless population may need access to ATMs to access their direct deposit social security disability checks or other funds. They also need access to day labor jobs. They don’t have cars and should be able to take public transport.

Homeless families with children should be handled separately from the single homeless population.  Shelter buildings might be provided by churches and government entities with available space. Staffing shelters is often provided by church volunteers.

The Salvation Army has the best experience and the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Catholic Churches usually provides sandwiches and volunteer staffs for winter night shelters.

Alcoholism is common, particularly with the single homeless populations. These are usually men, who have lost their families because of alcoholism. Those who “hit bottom” may have some hope to recover. Alcoholics Anonymous has meetings and many homeless people need access to these.

Drug addicts are included in homeless populations because they have been exiled by their families. They associate with drug dealers who are essentially criminals and families exile their drug addicts. They are knows for stealing, lying and being disruptive. There are more government funded resources for addicts available through the courts.

Mental patients also add to the mix in the homeless population now that we’ve closed most of our State Mental Hospitals. Most of these people are harmless, but some are not. Families are not as opposed to sheltering their own mentally ill relatives unless they are violent.

The homeless population could function as seasonal laborers to gather the harvest, but rural counties or large farms would need to provide a campground they could use to sleep and eat.

The homeless population used to gather by railroad tracks to camp out in groups. They were called Hobos and they traveled in the open boxcars on freight trains, but that is not as common today. The homeless have been shifted around in cities and their migration is hard to track. The homeless population seems to grow and then retract.  It’s difficult to find optimum shelter space.  

All of these homeless people are free to roam. They are not incarcerated unless they break the law. Some will recover from their difficulties and return to a normal existence. Some will continue to remain homeless. Some will eventually die homeless. Mother Theresa dedicated her life to them as she gathered them from the streets of Calcutta.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader