The National Alliance to End Homelessness, in the first national estimate of the homeless population in a decade, has said that 744,313 people were homeless on one night in January 2005.
``Of those, 56 percent were living in shelters; 44 percent were not. About 6 in 10 were single adults; 4 in 10 were in families. Close to a quarter _ 23 percent _ were considered chronically homeless,'' the report said.
The scores of homeless people in this area may break down statistically in a similar manner. But the common ground likely falls apart after that.
The majority of the homeless in this region are not the stereotypes you hear about in urban areas: drug addicts and alcoholics, veterans with combat disorders and mental health outpatients.
Kathie Greenblatt, executive director of Catholic Charities of Delaware & Otsego Counties, said at least 127 people in Otsego County were homeless late last month, according to a survey by the Coalition for Housing Solutions of Chenango and Otsego Counties.
``We went to Laundromats, feeding programs, Wal-Mart, places where we thought we might find homeless people. And we did,'' she told a reporter.
And many of those who are homeless are families, women and children, people down and out because of losing a job, facing divorce or domestic violence.
The homeless also may have jobs that paid too little and medical bills or housing that costs too much. Sometimes people who have jobs that pay minimum wage or less can't afford housing.
In Otsego County, the problem of finding affordable shelter is daunting because rents are kept high by demand from students and tourists, according to Rep. Kathy Clark, R-Otego, chairwoman of Otsego County's Human Services Committee.
Greenblatt said Catholic Charities was lobbying state lawmakers on behalf of the homeless and impoverished, seeking an increase in allotments for needy families and individuals.
Can you believe someone going through a tough time qualifies as a single person for just $337 a month, of which $200 is earmarked for housing? A family of four gets $666 a month, with $291 earmarked for shelter.
Obviously, the system is forcing people to choose between food, energy and shelter _ which will necessarily lead to a portion of them becoming or remaining homeless.
Joyce Boyd, Otsego County's acting Social Services Commissioner, agreed that the state-set allotments for homeless people are unrealistically low. So low, in fact, that ``people are forced to move in with friends and relatives,'' she said.
State Sen. James Seward agrees that the allotment is too low and would support an increase. But he's not willing to push the legislation himself, putting the onus on the governor, who has not put forth a proposal.
Apparently there are not too many state lawmakers, who make at least $80,000 a year and are allotted about $150 a day for room and board while in Albany, willing to go to bat for the poor or unfortunate. That's a shame.
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