Candidates hear about homeless
When her daughter was just four days old, 26-year-old Gabrielle Johnson was on the streets in the middle of a snowstorm, cold, homeless and hungry.
The situation resulted from a relationship that didn’t work — broken promises and dreams unfulfilled, she explained.
Finally, though, after six months in a homeless shelter, she was able to get her own apartment through assistance from the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance and Donations Clearinghouse.
“It feels good to come home every day,” she said. “I’m tired, but it’s mine.”
Ms. Johnson testified on behalf of homeless agencies yesterday in a forum before lieutenant governor hopefuls at Clark University. Homes for Families, a statewide homeless advocacy organization, sponsored the event; several other homeless organizations and shelters from around the state were also present.
Independent candidate John J. Sullivan and Green Party candidate Wendy Van Horne attended, as did representatives for Democratic hopefuls Andrea C. Silbert and Mayor Timothy P. Murray. All the candidates, including Republican Reed V. Hillman and Democrat Deborah Goldberg, were invited.
The event included morning breakout sessions, in which attendees discussed solutions related to issues with housing, child care, job training, education and shelter stays. In the afternoon, four women — all mothers who had been previously homeless — shared their stories with the candidates.
Cheryl Middleton of Medford recalled her stay in an emergency assistance shelter. Her family’s room, which was in a hotel, had two double beds and a portable crib.
“We lived on top of each other,” Ms. Middleton said of herself and her four children. One of her daughters slept in a 2-foot-square space on the floor between the bed and the wall.
“That’s what she called her room,” Ms. Middleton explained.
After several months, she received Section 8 assistance. If such programs are under-funded, she said “this (homelessness) epidemic will turn even worse.”
Mr. Sullivan said that roughly 10,000 adults and 26,000 children in the state live in similar situations. More funding needs to be given to shelters, he said, and closer attention has to be paid to voucher programs.
Income verification screenings and homeless recidivism rates should also be addressed, he said.
“I don’t think there’s anything worse than being homeless then not being homeless and then falling into homelessness again,” he said.
Kevin Bowe, policy director for Ms. Silbert, agreed, saying that the problem is the result of a leadership failure. Nearly 600,000 people are on the verge of homelessness, he said.
“The first key to end homelessness is leadership,” he said.
School Committee member Joseph C. O’Brien, standing in for Mr. Murray, blamed the issue on a lack of access to good-paying jobs, healthcare, after-school programs and affordable day care.
Ms. Van Horne, meanwhile, said the minimum wage at $6.75 is not a sustainable income.