19 March 2010
Humanitarian Resource
Institute
Phone: (203) 668-0282
Url: www.humanitarian.net
United Nations Arts Initiative
Arts Integration Into Education
Url: www.unarts.org
Twitter: unarts
Economic Crisis Devastates Rich & Poor - Tent Cities
in America
Despite claims of a recovery, states and municipalities remain in a
state of economic emergency, that began with the collapse of the housing
market in 2007. Larry Summers, White House Chief Economic Advisor describes
the current landscape as a "Statistical Recovery and Human Recession."
[1]
Normally the poor and impoverished represent the most severely impacted
populations in a recession, but today's economic emergency has also devastated
middle and upper class Americans:
- Two market
crashes: 2001-2002 and 2008, with severe damage to life savings and retirement
accounts. [2]
- The elimination
of regulatory oversight on the merged commercial/investment banking industry
facilitated widespread predatory lending, mortgage and appraisal fraud. To
date, upwards of 6 million victims have lost their homes to foreclosure,
[3] with 7-9 million additional mortgages in the pipeline, eligible for modification,
according to the HopeNow Program. [4]
- 17.3%
real unemployment/underemployment [5] is not expected to stabilize until
2015, [6] the projected time for recovery of the US housing market. [7]
- Small
businesses and the self employed continue to struggle without assistance
or economic relief. While the U.S. unemployment rate finally dipped below
10 percent in January, construction industry unemployment actually jumped
to 25 percent (The Toolbelt Recession). [8]
The current
economic landscape has been compared to an economic Katrina, without a disaster
declaration. The Humanitarian Resource Institute "UNArts National Service
Initiative" is advancing a national campaign that targets unmet needs analysis
on the household, small business, nonprofit and corporate level in every
U.S. city. Unmet needs reports, strategic planning and relief assistance
is the priority for the duration of this economic emergency.
The "UNArts National Service Initiative" provides a unique opportunity
for members of the arts and entertainment industry to serve as facilitators
on the grassroots level. Community meetings, press conferences, concerts
and performances provide a platform for the executive directors of frontline
service programs, to "Bridge Unmet Needs to Untapped Resources." The
campaign is being led by Stephen Michael Apatow, [9] founder of Humanitarian
Resource Institute and the United Nations Arts Initiative who is also an
artist/publisher in the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
(ASCAP) and artist member of the Country Music Association.
On The Front Line
Click here for a demographic needs overview by Zip Code.
Includes: Statistical Brief, Food insecurity rate, Child food
insecurity rate, Population, Poverty rate, Child poverty rate, Unemployment
rate and listing for food banks.
Tent Cities in America: A Pacific Coast Report
National Coalition for the Homeless [10]
American’s Great Depression was greatly defined by the newly homeless and
their creation of tent cities. As the homeless gathered in shanty towns they
began calling them Hooverville’s, after the sitting president, Herbert Hoover.
Unemployment grew, rural communities collapsed, industrial cities were economically
shaken and both small and large businesses failed, as millions more Americans
became homeless for the first time.
Currently, the United States is experiencing the worst economic crisis since
the Great Depression and its associated social ills are similar. Americans
are once again experiencing a significant growth in poverty and double digit
increases in their newly homeless. Just as during the Great Depression, temporary
housing has begun to dot the national landscape, from coast to coast. Tent
cities can now be found across the United States, ranging from large organized
communities to makeshift encampments. This is not to say that tent cities
have not remained on America’s landscape since the 1930s, but due to the current
recession, there has been a rise in homelessness, and tent cities have received
more media attention.
Since the Great Depression, Americans have tried unsuccessfully to cure
the social ill of modern homelessness by treating its symptoms rather than
its causes. A severe lack of affordable housing and a scarceness of jobs
that pay a living wage are the root causes of homelessness. But, failing
a final solution-based strategy to ending homelessness, we are now assigning
rank-and-resources within a hierarchy of needs and conditions, measured along
a compassion scale of those who are deserving, less deserving and undeserving.
Los Angeles estimates that 1,534 people live in homeless encampments. Sacramento
estimates that roughly 900 single adults and 100 families are living in tent
cities. Nashville and Des Moines each has approximately 200-250 people living
in tent cities. Providence has one tent city with roughly 30 single adults.
Seattle has one city-sanctioned tent city with 100 beds. [11]
Regarding the size and scope of the homelessness in the United States:
Homeless Veterans: The National Coalition for the Homless estimates that
150,000 veterans are homeless on any night and 600,000 will experience homelessness
during the course of the year. [12] The VA estimates that 131,000
veterans are homeless on any given night. And approximately twice that
many experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively,
one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway,
alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and
served this country. The vast majority are single, most come from poor,
disadvantaged communities, 45 percent suffer from mental illness, and
half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served
in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon,
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Operation Iraqi Freedom, or the
military's anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. 47 percent
of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. [13,14]
1.35 Million children are homeless during the year, 200,000 on any given
day. [12]
Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year. [15] Many of
these children are lured into prostitution. [16] Runaway, thrownaway and
other homeless American children who use 'survival sex' to acquire food,
shelter, clothing and other things needed to survive on America's streets.
[17]
The National Coalition for the Homeless believes that now is the time that
we, as a country, must embark on a final campaign to Bring America Home
and end homelessness once and for all; through a coordinated and comprehensive
national response that addresses the housing, income, healthcare, civil
rights, and causal factors and consequences of extreme poverty.
Organizations in The Spotlight
- FeedingAmerica.org:
Formerly known as the Second Harvest Foodbank Network. Access to Food Banks
and Statistical information can be accessed by zip code or state.
- HungerActionCenter.org:
Advocacy support.
- NationalHomeless.org: National Coalition for the
Homeless.
- ConsumerLaw.org:
National Consumer
law Center.
Inspiration, Healing & Recovery
YouTube: Arts Integration Into Education: CMA Artist
Stephen Michael Apatow releases "The Eagle Will Rise"
References:
1. Summers: ‘Statistical Recovery and Human Recession’- Davos Live - Wall
Street Journal. Url: http://blogs.wsj.com/davos/2010/01/30/summers-statistical-recovery-and-human-recession/tab/article/
2. Bogle/Stiglitz: Economic Crisis Dialogue: Humanitarian Resource
Institute, 5 March 2010. AIIE: "The Eagle Will Rise,"
Harvard Law Record. Url: http://www.unarts.org/news/aiie_ecd352010.html
3. Yes, Regulators Can Stop Foreclosures: The Nation, 10 December 2009.
Url: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091221/kaufmann
4. HopeNow: Url: https://www.hopenow.com
5. Broader U-6 Unemployment Rate Increases to 17.3% in December, Wall Street
Journal Blog. 8 January 2010. Url: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/01/08/broader-u-6-unemployment-rate-increases-to-173-in-december/
6. Obama Advisers Predict High Unemployment, Low Growth for Next Five Years:
Daily Finance. 12 February 2010. Url: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/obamas-economic-advisers-high-unemployment-moderate-growth-fo/19356653/
7. Latest Housing Recovery Prediction: 2015: Wall Street Journal, 13 May
2009. Url: http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/05/13/latest-housing-recovery-prediction-2015/tab/article/
8. Taking on the Tool Belt Recession: Center for American Progress. 3 March
2010. Url: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/tool_belt_recession.html
9. Stephen Michael Apatow: Founder: Humanitarian Resource Institute, United
Nations Arts Initiative, Pathobiologics International. Url: http://www.apatow.org
10. Tent Cities in America: A Pacific Coast Report: National Coalition for
the Homeless. Url: http://nationalhomeless.org/publications/Tent%20Cities%20Report%20FINAL%203-10-10.pdf
11. U.S. Conference
of Mayors 2009 Status Report on Hunger & Homelessness: Url: http://usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/USCMHungercompleteWEB2009.pdf
12. National Coalition for the Homless: Url: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
13. National Coalition for Homeless Veterans: Url: http://www.nchv.org/
14. National Community Support for Armed Forces and Wounded Warrior Project:
Humanitarian Resource Institute, 27 July 2009. Url: http://www.unarts.org/news/woundedwarriors_7272009.html
15. National Runaway Swithboard: Url: http://www.nrscrisisline.org/
16. Running in the Shadows: A two-part article and video series in the New
York Times on the growing number of young runaways in the United States. Url:
http://www.1800runaway.org/media/nrs_in_news.html#NYTimesOct2009
17. Commercial Child Sexual Exploitation: "The Most Hidden Form of Child
Abuse," Says NASW Member Richard Estes: National Association of Social Workers.
Url: http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/2001/091001.asp
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