Posted on Dec 5, 2015
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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Do you know the Answer to Resolving Homelessness?

This not only about our veterans that are homeless, but all Americans. Let's see what Carrie Nowocin, CEO, Carry Me Productions (affordable housing) ahs to say about it

I posted the entire article here for your review and feedback.

Over the last 10 years many large cities have been promising to end homelessness, and now we have a “crisis”. Sorry but this is NOT a crisis, this is a social epidemic and anyone can fall victim to it. A crisis typically has a solution/plan within a few days. A crisis is Katrina. A crisis is the BP oil spill. Homelessness is NOT a crisis. Since we got that out of the way, we can discuss a “cure” to this epidemic.

To find a cure for anything, we must first assess the issue.

Who experiences homelessness?

People don’t always become homeless overnight.
Not everyone who is homeless is mentally ill or has a drug addiction.
The majority of those who are experiencing homelessness work.
The majority of those who are without a home are not counted in the “city” counts.

What are the causes of homelessness?

1. Lack of affordable housing.
2. Low wages.
3. Mental health takes its toll.
4. People do not have health coverage.
5. Addiction
6. Lack of support services (family, social, economic)

What do most city officials want to do about those who are homeless?

1. Decentralize services within major cities.
2. Tear down living spaces so people leave the area.
3. Shame those who feel hopeless.
4. Hide people. Out of sight, out of mind.

So then, what is needed?

1. More affordable housing.
If we do the math, a single person living off minimum wage makes an estimated $18,720 a year (without taxes). In order to be able to live alone comfortably, a 1 br needs to be $416/month.
Uh, I don’t know any major cities where anyone can find a 1br for that price. No wonder people are homeless.

2. Stop thinking of only housing those who are “chronically” homeless. If nonprofits only focus on those who are chronically homeless (3 yrs or more), then more individuals will become chronically homeless. The whole idea is counter-productive.
To find a solution to homelessness, I have listed the types of homelessness by Tiers. 6 being the least at risk of health concerns and 1 most at risk of health concerns:
(a) Tier 6 (Preventative care) – Just like we do with healthcare, preventative homelessness care would teach people how to manage their money and live within their means. If someone can only make minimum wage, they need to not try to live in a large city. I know that sounds mean, but really it’s not. When I was in college, I did an internship in Rochester, MN. My rent was $230/month. Guess how much money I saved. Oh, plus I didn’t have a car. I took the bus everywhere.
(b) Tier 5 (Intervention) – See someone on the verge of becoming homeless, help them. Move them out of their current situation and provide social services to help with money management and financial planning.
(c) Tier 4 (Transients) – Build hostels for them to stay in. There are many transients in cities like Venice Beach, CA where all they need is a room. There are some hostels, but not enough for those just “passing through”.
(d) Tier 3 (Newbies) – Emergency shelters should only be serving these people. Shelters should be segregated as such:

Sex
Families
People with pets
Veterans
Disabled (physical and mental separated)

These are the folks and families that are just out on their own. Life took a turn where they lost everything and no one was there to intervene or help to prevent it from happening. Provide social services to help these people get back on their feet. A lot of the time, these people know what happened, but just don’t know how to get back on track. Support groups and counseling would be great for this tier.

(e) Tier 2 (Hotel dwellers or couch surfers) – Once identified, this tier needs to be moved into temporary housing. The housing would consist of homes converted into a “transitional home”. The housing should also be segregated as presented in item d.

This group usually consist of families with young children. They stay in hotels at the first of the month, until their money runs out. Then they typically live in their car or crash at a friend or family member’s house for a few months.

(f) Tier 1 (Chronic) – These people have been homeless 3 or more years. Typically they have become “stuck” in this system because they were brushed aside. Most of those who are chronically homeless are struggling with multiple physical and mental health issues, which can all be helped.

3. Stop making people feel bad because something caused them to become homeless.

4. Stop handing out Band-Aids. Blankets and tents are not going to solve anything. I’m appreciative for those who help others in need, but people need to stop believing that blankets and tents are a solution to problems.

5. Stop trying to hide the homeless. If they are hiding, we can’t help them. Hire them to clean the streets they live on. Give them hope, not hate.

6. Stop focusing on decentralizing services and start focusing on the gaps of the services.

7. What is and isn’t working? That’s the first assessment I would conduct if I was in a large city. If nonprofits are going to join an alliance or coalition, have a solid plan to address the needs of the people.

8. Think about converting abandoned buildings in to dorms. (We have a program for this if interested.)

9. An alliance (what we call partnership) should consist of the following and no more than one of each:

Social service provider
Financial planning assistance
Legal counsel/assistance
Housing provider
Mental health provider
Disabilities provider
Education/Job training
Liaison for all to work together
Outreach group

I don’t tell people we are experts in this sector, but to be honest, it’s not rocket science.

The solution is to forget about making a ton of money and go back to the reason your nonprofit was started, to help people.

So now the breakdown in spending.

This is how I envision it going down (if I was a big leader with 100M to spend):

1M for staff which would include all providers listed under item 10.

40M two additional emergency shelters (Tier 3 above). These shelters will include all services under item 10.

20M for Tier 5 and 6. This would be considered more community investment money. Help people move out of the expensive locations and find jobs and education options to help them become successful. (We have a plan in progress for these Tiers but what we do won't cost nearly as much because we have partnered with others who are experts.)

10M for Tier 4. Build clean places for people to stay short term. Provide police protection and get people off beaches and county parks.

15M for Tier 2. Invest in transitional and permanent living spaces which families and individuals can stay in for low cost until they get back on their feet. (We have a program in progress for this tier as well, but at a fraction of the cost.)

14M for Tier 1. This might be used for rehab for substance abuse and mental health. Offer nice places for people to recover from their illnesses. This would be an investment in the community. The cities can partner with some private centers to help those who really want the help but can’t afford it. The county could purchase distressed land to build ranches and therapy centers for those recovering from homelessness.

If you or anyone you know are interested to learn more about any of these Tiers and how I suggest they be implemented, contact me [login to see] .

I’d be happy to share. I just want to help people get OFF the streets and make some of these nonprofits get out of the housing business, including Carry Me Productions. If you’re tired of social Band-Aids, please consider donating to our cause. Invest in your community. Our passion is to carry people to safety and independence.
Edited >1 y ago
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
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I'm going to go into a "cold logic" mode here, and I am going to sound VERY heartless for a moment.

Let's draw a parallel.

World Hunger, and Clean Water. It's not that the world doesn't have ENOUGH Food & Water to support the people, it's that we are Logistically set up to get that Food & Water to the people who need it. We have an ABUNDANCE of resource, but a LACK of Logistics.

Imagine for a moment you are on a patrol, and in a firefight, and you are 300 meters from your outpost. You are out of ammo. There is MILLIONS of rounds at your basecamp, and all the help you could possibly need to deal with the situation... but it is "just too far away," in both distance and time to help you NOW.

Now, let's look at housing in the same way. We have plenty of SPACE. The US is mostly empty space. It is. Additionally, we have plenty of available housing. We do. Conservatively speaking the number of empty BANK OWNED homes more than doubles the number of homeless families.

So this is NOT a resource problem. That makes it a "Logistics" problem (at first glance).

After we acknowledge that, we have to start looking at the where's and who's. Where are the "epicenters" of homelessness? And who are major "victims" of it?

We can assume the vast majority will be near our city centers, which helps the logistic problem somewhat, but we do have to account for "cost."

We cannot just give homes away (or we can). We need a program to marry people up to homes, and figure out why they don't have them. Is it a cost issue. Is it an employment issue (also cost). Is it another secondary issue? But we first have to get past the Logistics concept.

Were it ME in charge, I would have bailed out the Mortgage companies by "purchasing" those empty houses as "real-estate for Americans" whether as Writing off Debt (just get rid of foreclosures on predatory loans) or Homeless Housing (like Section 8). Keep in mind this is a "Swag plan" with 15 seconds of thought. I sure as hell wouldn't have given them a blank check to keep profiting off the American's investment.
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LTC Joseph Gross
LTC Joseph Gross
8 y
With all of these solutions we run into the simple human problem also known as the Tragedy of the Commons. People do not care about or take care of things they do not earn. We always have to consider that.

Does anyone know the percentage of homeless who simply won't do what is necessary to not be homeless?
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Maj John D Benedict
Maj John D Benedict
8 y
Jenn Moynihan - That is a good question, but I think you'd have some difficulty trying to get an accurate percentage.
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Maj John D Benedict
Maj John D Benedict
8 y
I heard a not so pleasant statistic the other day. I don't think it was Greg Hunter; maybe one of his guests. (by the way, check out his YouTube channel). Anyhow, they said that banks have been holding homes they either repossessed, or were told to not sell them, or not repossess them...all in an underhanded(sorry, perhaps we should use the word subtle) effort to keep the housing bubble somewhat inflated.
I didn't realize there were twice the number of homes owned by banks, as there are homeless people. That needs to be addressed. It seems to me if banks could get some money out of these homes instead of sitting on them, they'd be better off.
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LTC Wayne Brandon
LTC Wayne Brandon
>1 y
LTC Joseph Gross - Was having the same thoughts, myself. And then there are those who choose to be homeless. That may come as a shock to some, but they do exist and will resist any effort to remove them from the street by what they view as 'heavy handed government'
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs, there's a fella in California that is not talking about it, he is doing something about it! He is able to build them for about $500! What can we do - stop smacking our gums and do something as well! This helps me identify where some of my time will going once I return to the USA! Deeds, not Words!

https://gma.yahoo.com/california-man-builds-houses-homeless-shares-video-homeless-154504719--abc-news-house-and-home.html#
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CSM Michael J. Uhlig
CSM Michael J. Uhlig
9 y
Absolutely SGM Mikel Dawson, that is an awesome idea! At USASMA we were very involved with Habitat for Humanity in the El Paso area and made a huge quality of life difference for a half dozen or so families during our 10 months there!
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
9 y
CSM Michael J. Uhlig I look forward to your return and hopefully we can work together on some very good projects - I've dedicated a lot of my spare time to helping veterans! It feels great! Thanks for the link. I'm going to share it with Carrie's Mom Anita Nowocin from Carry Me Productions. They are making a difference too . Check out their website: http://www.carrymeproductions.org

SFC Mark Merino SGM Steve Wettstein PVT James Strait SMSgt Tony Barnes CSM Michael J. Uhlig MAJ Ken Landgren CPT Jack Durish PO1 John Miller SN Greg Wright Sgt Kelli Mays TSgt Julia Faulks] SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Hunter Logan SGT Sara Hodgkiss CPT (Join to see) MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4"
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CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
>1 y
Please remember the Clinton Foundation's involvement in Haiti!
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SP5 Jeannie Carle
SP5 Jeannie Carle
>1 y
MSG (Verify To See) - YES! Ft Ord CA comes to mind!
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CPT Military Police
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Edited 9 y ago
COL Mikel J. Burroughs Is the way out of homelessness through one's self? The answer could be in changing one's own behaviors. Everyone looks at the factors of "Why are people homeless" "Causes of homelessness" "Factor's contributing to homelessness" It's been looked at in ad nauseum. Let's look at how people got out of homelessness and if we can put a model together to help other's help themselves. Responsibility doesn't belong just to society but it also lies within the individual.
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LTC Joseph Gross
LTC Joseph Gross
8 y
Recognizing there will always be a percentage who won't work even though they can. They are the 10% that ruin any solutions for the rest.
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Do you know the Answer to Resolving Homelessness?
SSG Dwight Amey MSA, MSL, BS, AS
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COL Mikel Burroughs, family or friends are the first line of defense to preventing homelessness, especially kids! I know our family institution is largely dysfunctional with divorce and selfishness. Homelessness will never be totally done away. Compassion and not judgement is the first hurtle to get over before we can really begin to help. How can we help those who we think do not deserve it?
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SFC William H.
SFC William H.
>1 y
SSG Amey: I read all the posts up to here. Your sentence above saying " compassion and not judgement is the first hurtle"; that is the crux. When I looked at the picture the Colonel posted, the little ones looking back were my sister and I 60 some years ago. What that look is, is unknown to most people. When I saw the kids, I felt shame. That's the way I felt when I was that age. Not going into a big bio, but it was Aunts and Uncles that saved us kids. She is married and I am retired Army. I may at times show some bluster on RP but that's not me; not when it come to kids. Thank you!
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SSG Mark Franzen
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What if they were to be able to stay on a base that has been closed and have someone monitor them and pay for there stay in which they could afford and pay electricity.
the people that are watching them it would be a Paid position
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
>1 y
SSG Mark Franzen That is a great idea and one that is trying to be approved at the old installtion that use to be Fort Ord, CA, but of course its running into political horse crap just everything else we try to fix in this country. Politcs and bureaucracy is slowing it down! Here's a story that talked about homeless being able to camp out at the old instalation back in January 2015. This would be a perfect place to provide housing for homeless veterans as well civilian - why not?

LTC Stephen C. LTC Stephen F.CPT (Join to see)CMSgt Mark SchubertLTC John ShawPVT James Strait Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS COL Ted McPO1 John Miller SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SN Greg Wright1LT Christopher SorgePO2 Ed C.SrA Christopher WrightPO3 Michael James SMSgt Minister Gerald A. "Doc" ThomasCapt Christopher Mueller SP5 Mark Kuzinski

http://www.thecalifornian.com/story/news/2015/01/06/monterey-county-homeless-census-set-jan/21366977/
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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
>1 y
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, thanks for mentioning me. SSG Mark Franzen's recommendation would need to be approved and incorporated into the base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process to be effective.
The BRAC process tends to close bases in heavily populated and sparsely populated areas. SSG Franzen's concept would be more easily applied in high density areas assuming the homeless population lives nearby. Having these located in warner areas in the southern USA would make some sense for many reasons.
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Cpl Kevin Osborne
Cpl Kevin Osborne
>1 y
This won't help with housing, but with food.
When I was stationed in a grunt regiment the chowhall was in pretty bad shape since no officer's ate there. I proposed that we provide the leftovers to the homeless in exchange for their social security numbers to prove that the food was being eaten. We could not do so for fear of lawsuits, I wonder if the basehousing idea would experience similar litigious claims?
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SPC Rory J. Mattheisen
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Sir, I believe the correct model to ending homelessness in America is to create Community Action Centers(CAC). All existing non-profits well be pulled under this umbrella, and all funding directed toward providing the solution. Most cities/counties resources are spread out and the process is very frustrating. We have, as you have pointed out, a very fragmented funding system in which many people want to help, but when a non-profit gains a certain amount of notoriety the board begins to seize control and draw ridiculous salaries.
First: We need people with the heart to help in these positions, not people who seek recognition and fame. Pay structure @ the CAC is as follows: max salary 70K per year, salary to be adjustable to bring the employees household to 70K annually in order to make sure the home life of employees is stable and secure.
Second: All funding is directed to local offices until that areas problem has been resolved then annual overage is sent up to county, state and federal levels to be redistributed in the areas of highest need. All funding is to be used to get citizens into homes, not housing. Actual homes that they are buying, through loans backed by the CAC.
Third: Order of precedence is: Elderly, Families, Veterans, emptying the existing housing projects nationwide , & finally those in rental contracts. Temporary housing units for single people to be built in a squad bay format, families in studio style apartments. Old schools are ideal locations for temporary housing as the infrastructure is designed for large populations. The gym provides squad bay area and showers, classrooms serve as studios, and the cafeteria can serve meals.
Fourth: The people in the program with advanced labor skills, mechanical, construction, and culinary have preference in the hiring process for the CAC. Partnering with clothing companies to buy unsold clothing at cost will put clothes on their backs, staff mechanics can put donated vehicles into like new condition, partnering with our military construction groups will keep the cost of construction down and allow the SM's great training.
I believe that we could solve the homeless problem nationwide under this format in less than 10 years. People will leave temporary housing with everything they need to succeed and a home of their own, many of them for the first time in their life. The CAC can then be retooled to work towards community improvement projects funded completely by donations. The rich still get their write offs, the poor get to change their staion in life, and the governments bottomline is increased because people making more money pay more taxes.
I believe Americans could and would erase poverty under this system.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
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Some mothers are one child support check away from being homeless.
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MAJ Rene De La Rosa
MAJ Rene De La Rosa
>1 y
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/2015/05/47-don-t-have-400-to-cover-an-emergency-expense.html
This is a serious problem in America. Emergencies, of course, happen when least expected. But when almost half the nation does not have $400 to pay for an emergency, that is concerning.
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LTC Stephen F.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs as somebody who has been homeless from May 1995 to November 1999 while I was fully employed and being homeless since July 2014 while being disabled unemployed I understand that homelessness is a very personal situation.
There are many reasons for being homeless some are voluntary while most are involuntary.
Some remember when the psychiatric facilities released most of those labeled insane because they mistakenly believed they would be better off outside of those facilities. We learned that many died of exposure over the years, some were beaten to death, and who knows how many very terrified. I remember encountering some of these men and a couple women in those years and I know enough of the insane personally to have compassion on them.
There are group solution which are effective in specific areas including cities and towns. Each state has some common laws as well as unique laws.
Carrie Nowocin, CEO, Carry Me Productions raises many good points and I am glad she is not advocating one solution approach fits all requirements.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
9 y
LTC Stephen F. Carrie and her Mom Anita Nowocin are doing great things to help homeless veterans and they working right along side Virtual World Solutions d/b/a Sponsor a Vet Life to get some of those homeless veterans suffering with PTSD, TBI and MST into our program. They are both great Americans!
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COL Ted Mc
COL Ted Mc
9 y
LTC Stephen F. - Colonel; They weren't called "Insane ASYLUMS" for nothing.

Closing them down and providing "the same services in the community setting" simply didn't work. It didn't work for two reasons:

[1] the government DID NOT provide "the same services in the community setting"
and
[2] the people who needed the structured setting in order to make sure that they availed themselves of services didn't have one so they simply didn't avail themselves of "the same services in the community setting".
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CPT Military Police
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
COL Mikel J. Burroughs
9 y
CPT (Join to see) Thanks for the additional link and information!
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SFC Michael Hasbun
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Well, given as how empty homes outnumber the homeless, I would think we ALL know the solution... Most just don't like it..
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