HOMELESS-USA-FACTS
10,000 MEN;MOSTLY MEN, VILL DIE ON THE STREETS OF AMERICA T-HIS YEAR.
IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR,FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
NO ONE PAYS MUCH ATTENTION. THESE MEN BECOME PART OF AMERICAS
NOTHING. THERE LIVES BECOME NOTHING, THEIR DEATHS NOTHING.
THEY DIE ON THE STREETS, IN ALLEYS, IN HOVELS, COUNTY HOSPITALS,
MISSIONS, CHEAP HOTELS, RENTED ROOMS, SHELTERS, BARS, JAILS,
THEY DIE ANYVHERE.
MOST AMERICANS DON'T GO TO THESE PLACES, DON'T CARE ABOUT
THESE MEN. DON'T LIKE SEEING EITHER. DON'T LIKE PAYING FOR
THEIR SURVIVAL OR CARE IN ANYVAY.
IT IS CHEAPER TO DISPOSE OF THE BODIES, THEN SUPPORT THE LIVING.
IT IS EASIER TO IGNORE THEM, PRETEND THEY DON~T EXIST.
IT IS EASIER WHEN THEY DON'T EXIST.
IT IS HARDER TO LISTEN TO THEM, GET TO KNOW THEM.
MOST OF THEM ARE DISILLUSIONED ABOUT AMERICAN SOCIETY.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF HARD TRUTHS AND STORIES TO TELL ABOUT
LIFE IN AMERICA.

IF YOU ASK, MOST OF THEM WILL SAY " I LOVE AMERICA".


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
HOMELESSNESS

THE 1990 CENSUS TAKERS CLAIM THEY ONLY FOUND 275,000 HOMELESS ON
THE STREETS OF AMERICA. IN BERKELEY THE HOMELESS HID FROM CENSUS
TAKERS. APPRX 1 IN 4 WERE INTERVIEWED. THAT CREATES A GUESSTIMATE
OF 1,000,000 +. VETERANS GROUPS ESTIMATE THAT 175,000 OF THE HOME-
LESS ARE VETERANS.
PAST ESTIMATES BY MEDIA AND RADICALS PUT HOMELESSNESS AT 3,000,000.
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THERE ARE 200,000 MENTALLY DISTURBED AMONG
THE HOMELESS, OR 35%. THE NUMBERS KEEP CHANGING, THEY ARE AN ILLU-
SIVE GROUP. MEDIA, RADICALS AND ANTI-HOMELESS COMMENTATORS,ALL HAVE
MANIPULATED THE PHENOMENON AND THE NUMBERS TO SUIT THEIR MOTIVES.

THEY HAVE BEEN USED BY STATES AND MAYORS TO GET MORE FED AID.
THEY HAVE BEEN USED BY EVANGELISTS,CHURCHES, NEWSPAPERS AND POLICE
ADVOCATES. THEY HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR BUSINESS LOSSES,BY MERCHANTS.
THEY HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR DROPS IN TOURISM BY VARIOUS CHAMBERS OF
COMMERCE. THEY HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR RISING CRIME BY HOMEOWNERS.

IN 1991, IN 1990, IN 1989, IN 1988 AND SO ON EXPERTS HAVE
SAID THE NUMBERS OF HOMELESS ARE GROWING. USUALLY, THESE EXPERTS
RUN CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS THAT FEED OR SHELTER THE HOMELESS. THIS
YEAR THEY SAID THAT 30~ 0~ THE HOMELESS ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
AFTER EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OF EVERYONE EXPLOITING AND FEEDING ON THIS
ISSUE IT IS HARD TO TELL WHATS REAL.
I THINK 1,000,000 IS CLOSE. 1,000,000 MAX. BUT YOU HAVE TO FIGURE
THE HIDDEN HOMELESS,& NEAR HOMELESS WHO MAY BE OUT OF SIGHT FOR A
WEEK OR TWO, IN A CHEAP RENTED OR GIVEN ROOM TEMPORARILY,IN JAIL,
IN A HOSPITAL, ON THE HIGHWAY, VISITING RELATIVES ETC. ETC. BUT THEY
WILL BE BACK ON THE STREETS TOMMORROW OR NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER DAY,
WEEK, MONTH, WHATEVER. MAYBE A TOTAL OF 2,000,000. IT FLUCTUATES.
WHO ARE THEY? WHAT ARE THEY? AGAIN, OPINION AND FIGURES VARY
WIDELY ABOUT WHAT CAUSES HOMELESSNESS.

SOME SAY IT IS CAUSED BY THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE FAMILY,THE
CONSERVATIVES SAY THIS TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY SYSTEMS. THE RELIGIOUS
USE THIS IDEA COUPLED WITH A CRISES OF SPIRIT IN AMERICAN LIFE. SOME
SAY ITS THE ECONOMY OR THE RECESSION. I THINK ALL OF THESE ARE CON-
TRIBUTING FACTORS.
SOME SOCIOLOGISTS SAY THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AROUND, THEY ARE
NOTHING NEW. THEY SAY THAT URBAN RENEWAL DISPLACED THEM FROM THE
CHEAP HOTELS AND ROOMING HOUSES THAT USED TO DOMINATE THE DOWNTOWN
CITY CENTERS UNTIL THE LATE SEVENTIES. THE MAJORITY OF THESE FLOP
HOUSES WERE DEMOLISHED ALONG WITH A LOT OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND
STORES THAT THE "DOWN AND OUT" USED TO MAKE A FEW BUCKS FROM,TO PAY
FOR THEIR WINE,BOOZE, CIGS AND $1 A NIGHT CELLS. THEY ARE BOTH GONE.
SO THE DOWN AND OUT END UP SLEEPING ON THE STREETS,OR IN THE PARKS.
THE CHEAP ROOMS, ODD JOBS ETC. ARE GONE. I REMEMBER SEEING 10,000
WINOS AND BOWERY BUMS SLEEPING ON THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK IN JULY
1961. IT WAS WARM ENOUGH TO SLEEP OUTSIDE AND SPEND THE FLOP MONEY
ON MORE BOOZE. I THINK THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE CHANGED BUT, I AGREE
THAT THESE DOWN AND OUTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. FACT, THEY
HAVE BEEN AND ARE LESS THAN 1% OF THE POPULATION.
THEY HAVE BEEN AND ARE USED BY PREACHERS TO REINFORCE A CYCLE
OF POVERTY AND RELIGIOSITY THAT NEVER ENDS. MAYBE IT GROWS. THE CHURCHES
AND PREACHERS GET MONEY, KEEP GOING, BECOME LOCAL CELEBRITIES. THE
DOWN AND OUT STAY DOWN AND OUT AND THE NUMBERS AND CHARACTER OF THE
THE DOWN AND OUT DOESN'T CHANGE THAT MUCH. THE STREET EXPOSURE OF THE
LAST EIGHT YEARS OR SO HAS BEEN EXPLOITED BY THE MEDIA AND CHURCHES,
STRAIGHT POLITICIANS AND RADICALS, AS 'NEW'. WELL IT HAS BECOME UN-NEW
AFTER YEARS OF HYPE AND FOR MANY, COMPASSION FATIGUE HAS SET IN. THEY








UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
HOMELESSNESS

SEE THAT 40 TO 60% OF THE "HOMELESS" ARE VIOLENT, LAZY, FRIGHTENING,
SEXIST, VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND MEAN, MENTALLY UNBALANCED, PROFESSIONAL
PANHANDLERS, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSERS. WHILE THE MEDIA AND CHURCH
ARE HYPING THE ISSUE, THE AVERAGE SHOPKEEPER OR PERSON TO AND FROM
WORK IS SEEING THE SAME FACES IN THE SAME PLACES. THEY SEE THE HOME-
LESS TAUNTING THEM AS WORKING CREEPS, JERKS, MATERIALIST PIGS AND
ASSHOLES WHEN THEY HAVE JUST CASHED THEIR WELFARE CHECKS. THEY SEE
THE HOMELESS STUMBLING AROUND WHEN THEYREHIGH SNEERING AND LAUGHING
AT THE WAGE SLAVE "NORMALS". THEY SEE THEM TWO DAYS LATER,BROKE, SICK
HUNG OVER, SELF PITYING, WHINING FOR CHANGE; OVER AND OVER. THE SAME
FACES, THE SAME PLACES.

I THINK ALL OF THE ABOVE IS TRUE. I THINK THE HOMEOWNERS,MERCHANTS AND
CONSERVATIVE POLITICIANS ARE WRONG IN MOST OF THEIR CRITICISMS
AND CERTAINLY IN THEIR MOTIVES. I KNOW CHURCHES AND SOCIAL WORKERS
PREY ON THE HOMELESS AND HOMELESSNESS. I KNOW THAT MOST OF THEM BENEFIT
FROM THIS PERSONALLY, EITHER MATERIALLY OR SOCIALLY, 50 TIMES MORE
THAN THEY BENEFIT THE HOMELESS. MEDIA HAS PROFITED. SOME CIVIC INSTI-
TUTIONALIZATION HAS OCCURED, BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS ENTREINCHED. I
DON'T THINK ANYONE IN THE POVERTY INDUSTRY IS REALLY TRYING, OR REALLY
WILL SOLVE IT.

I THINK IN SOME WAYS THE DECLINE OF AMERICA IS FORCING IT TO BE-
COME LIKE MANY THIRD WORLD NATIONS WHERE IT IS COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO
BE BORN, LIVE AND DIE ON THE STREETS. AFTER AWHILE IT BECOMES "NORMAL".
I THINK SOME OF IT IS CAUSED BY THE DE-HUMANIZATION INHERENT IN ANY
INDUSTRIALIZED TECHNO-STATE. LIFE IS CHEAPENED IN GENERAL. EVERYONE BE-
COMES LESS HUMAN AND HARDENED TO IT, LITTLE BY LITTLE.

I THINK IT IS USED BY THE MEDIA, THE LOWER CLASS,AND THE MIDDLECLASS TO SCARE THEMSELVES AND EACH OTNTO STRIVING AND COMPETING
MORE SO THAT THEY DON'T BECOME"HOMELESS". I THINK IT IS USED TO SCARE
GRADE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND COLLEGE KIDS INTO STAYING IN SCHOOL AND TRY-
ING HARDER, THE SAME WAY AIDS IS USED TO SCARE GIRLS AND WIFES OUT OF
WANDERING OR EXPLORING. IT IS CONVENIENT FOR AUTHORITARIAN OPINION
MAKERS TO HAVE A TOUCH OF THE THIRD WORLD SO CLOSE. IT IS A FACT THAT
MEDIA IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES DWELT HEAVILY ON CONDITIONS IN THE
THIRD WORLD TO SHOW THE BENEFITS OF LIVING IN AMERICA BY EXAMPLE AND
COMPARISON.

IT'S TRUE, THE MAJORITY OF HOMELESS ARE A DISILLUSIONED,
SPITEFUL, WEAK, UNEDUCATED, MEAN VIOLENT, SEXIST CYNICAL HUSTLERS AND
PETTY THIEVES, ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSERS. THEY TALK BROTHERHOOD AMONG
THEMSELVES WHEN THEY ARE HIGH OR WANT SOMETHING AND THEY STEAL AND
CHEAT AND BEAT AND SOMETIMES KILL EACH OTHER THE NEXT MINUTE OR NEXT
DAY OVER $5 OR A CROSS WORD. MOST OF THEM HATE SOCIETY AND HATE THEM
SELVES. THEY ARE SELF DESTRUCTIVE MORE THAN SOCIALLY DESTRUCTIVE. HALF
THE TIME THEY WISH THEY WERE DEAD AND OCCASIONALLY THEY FIND THE COUR-
AGE TO SUICIDE OUT. THEY ARE NOT THE BIG BAD ROBBERS OR DUDES THEY TALK.
BIG BAD ROBBERS AND DUDES DON'T MOUTH OFF IN THE STREETS ALL DAY FOR
WEEKS AND MONTHS AT A TIME. BIG BAD ROBBERS GO DO IT. NEITHER ARE THEY
THE RADICAL SOCIAL THREAT SOME WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE. MAYBE 5% OR LO%
THAT I HAVE SEEN DURING THREE YEARS IN BERKELEY EVER TAKE A POLITICALLY
PROGRESSIVE STAND OR ACTION ON ANYTHING, EVEN FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. IN
FACT I HAVE SEEN THEM UNDERMINE AC.TIONS ON THEIR BEHALF OVER AND OVER.
I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE INSECURE, EMOTIONALLY INFANTILE,
WANTING TO BE LOVED AND LIKED. THEY ARE NEUROTIC OR BORDERLINE PSYCHOTIC
AND IRRESPONSIBLE AND SELFISH. THEY HAVE A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH
AMERICA, SO THEY SPIT AT THE RICH ONE MINUTE AND SING HALLELUJAH FOR
THE TROOPS IN IRAQ THE NEXT. THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY HAVE THE DEVIL FOR
A FRIEND AND PRAISE JESUS IN THE SAME BREATH. I THINK THEY ARE THE PER-
MANENT SIDE EFFECT OF A MIXED UP SICK SELF DESTRUCTIVE NATION. I THINK
THE 8 YR FOCUS ON THE HOMELESS KEEPS AMERICA FROM FACING THE REAL BIG
POVERTY IN AMERICA





UNITED STATES
HOMELESSNESS


MANY EXPERTS AND RADICALS ALIKE FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MANY OF THE
HOMELESS ARE HOMELESS BY CHOICE. JESUS AND THE BUDDHA WERE HOMELESS
BY CHOICE, PREFERRING TO FOREGO POSSESSIONS AND THE AFFAIRS OF MAN.

MANY OF THE HOMELESS ARE TRYING TO ADOPT SEMI-NOMADIC LIFESTYLES.
MANY OF THE DEADHEADS,RAINBOWS AND OTHER NEW AGE, NEO-TRIBAL,
NEO-PRIMITIVE, NEO-NATIVE AMERICANS LIVE IN NEO-TRIBAL WAYS. AT LEAST
THEY TRY TO. CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS ARE FAR FROM NATURAL OR SUP-
PORTIVE.

MANY OF THESE PEOPLE DO NOT FIT INTO THE TYPICAL NEAT CATEGORIES OF
CIRCUMSTANTIALLY DISPLACED CITIZENS WHO ARE SEEKING JOBS,CARS,
FAMILIES,HOUSES IN TRADITIONAL TERMS.

ALSO, IT IS INDICATIVE OF AMERICA BECOMING A THIRD RATE OR
THIRD WORLD NATION THAT PEOPLE ARE BORN,LIVE AND DIE ON THE STREETS.
THIS IS A COMMON REALITY OF IMPOVERISHED NATIONS.
SF, MAYOR JORDAN BEGINS NEW ATTACK ON HOMELESS, PLAN INCLUDES COMPUTOR-
IZED LIST OF MENTALLY ILL,AND OTHERS TO AVOID SERVICE DUPLICATION.
GETTING MENTALLY ILL AND CHEMICAL ABUSERS OFF STREETS.
4-25-92, 18 MONTH STUDY ON MENTALLY ILL HOMELESS INDICATES LACK OF
COORDINATED SERVICES. COMES UP WITH LIST OF 50 SOLUTIONS. PLANS TO
SPEND $50 MILLION ON NEW 'SAFE HAVENS' BUT MONEY WILL COME FROM FUNDS
USED FOR EXISTING HOMELESS SERVICES.







USA-HOMELESSNESS-FACTS

FEB.,'92, BULLDOZERS DEMOLISH SQUATTER CAMP ON AMERICAN RIVER
IN SACTO. CA..

MARCH,'92,SF, MAYOR JORDAN SETSUP ROAMING VAN TO SERVE HOMELESS.

3-5-92, NYC, HOMELESS PROGRAM CALLED A FAILURE. $2 BILLION SPENT IN
10 YEARS. 23,000 HOUSED IN SHELTERS EACH NIGHT WITH COT & BLANKET.
COSTS S18,000 PER PERSON ANNUALLY. 50,000 EST. SLEEP ON THE STREETS.
NYC BUILT 26,000 PERMANENT HOUSING UNITS SINCE 1984. NEW PEOPLE TAKE
THE PLACE OF PEOPLE WHO GET HOUSING, IMMEDIATELY.
STUDY SHOWS: 29% IN FAMILY SHELTERS AND 65% IN SINGLES SHELTERS
TESTED POSITIVE FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. 1/5 HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS,
1/5 HAVE BEEN TREATED FOR MENTAL PROBLEMS. L/2 ARE HIGH SCHOOL DROP
OUTS, 60% HAVE BEEN IN JAIL.
NYC HAS BUILT MORE HOUSING UNITS THAN THE FEDS. YET THERE HAVE BEEN
MAJOR PROTESTS BY NYC RESIDENTS AGAINST NEW HOUSING & SHELTERS.

SF BAY AREA CLOSES ARMORYS TO HOMELESS. 30 CAMP OUT AT SAN JOSE
CITY HALL, POLICE ARREST THEM .

SAN RAFAEL, CA., 4-18-92, 35 HOMELESS STAGE PROTEST AT CLOSING ARMORY.
13 ARRESTED. NO MONEY TO KEEP IT OPEN.

LAFAYETTE, CA., RESIDENT HOMEOWNERS GET COUNTY COURT TO PASS INJUNCTION
AGAINST MOREHOUSE COMMUNE FROM MAINTAINING TENTS ON THEIR PRIVATE
PROPERTY FOR THE HOMELESS. MOREHOUSE WAS STARTED, HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE
THE RESIDENTS .

MIAMI, HOMELESS SUE IN SELF DEFENSE. EST. 5000 TO 7000 CAMPING ON
PUBLIC PARKS, WATERFRONT AREAS IN VIEW OF RICH. THE RICH OBJECT.

JUNE,92, SF MAYOR JORDAN BEGINS CAMPAIGN AGAINST HOMELESS AND
PANHANDLERS.

EST. 250,000 MADE HOMELESS BY HURRICANE ANDREW IN FLORIDA.

EST. 8000 HOMELESS ON KAUAI DUE TO HURRICANE INIKI.

HUNDREDS HOMELESS DUE TO FIRES IN CALIF.,AUG.,1992.