Posted on 03/03/2017 5:10:01 AM PST by Prov1322
Just beyond the covered walkways surrounding the $325 million transformation of the Gallery at Market East sits a woman with a cardboard sign. On it she has scrawled, “Recent widower and hungry.”
Her name is Michelle, she tells me when I stop at 12th and Market to talk. She won't give her last name. She’s 46 and has been on the streets for about a month.
Chances are you've seen a lot of people like Michelle lately, on the streets, inside the subway stations, keeping warm on vents, and under stairways. Panhandling and sleeping, and sometimes squatting inside the bathroom stalls at Jefferson Station when you really, really have to go.
“That shouldn’t be allowed,” a woman in front of me scoffed while we waited in line to use one of the only stalls that hadn’t been commandeered by homeless women.
The official numbers from the last homeless count haven't been released yet, but everyone I’ve talked to – from the city’s Office of Homeless Services to Project HOME to SEPTA – has said they feel comfortable calling it now:
There are more homeless people on the streets of Philadelphia. (At last count there were about 6,200 homeless people in emergency and temporary housing, including 900 on the street. Over the course of a year, OHS estimates that 15,000 experience homelessness.)
“You can’t help but notice,” said Carol Thomas, director of outreach services for Project Home. She was one of a long list of people I've talked to about what I considered a sudden explosion of homeless people in the city. “It’s a big increase.”
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
The official numbers from the last homeless count haven't been released yet, but everyone I’ve talked to – from the city’s Office of Homeless Services to Project HOME to SEPTA – has said they feel comfortable calling it now:
There are more homeless people on the streets of Philadelphia. (At last count there were about 6,200 homeless people in emergency and temporary housing, including 900 on the street. Over the course of a year, OHS estimates that 15,000 experience homelessness.)
“You can’t help but notice,” said Carol Thomas, director of outreach services for Project Home. She was one of a long list of people I've talked to about what I considered a sudden explosion of homeless people in the city. “It’s a big increase.”
...and this is 2016, 6 full weeks into the Trump presidency...WHY hasn't he fixed this yet. (...do I have to say {/sarcasm off} here?)
After decades (decades!) of democrat party rule in this city and 8 years of Hope'n'Change here we are...it will be Trump's fault in 3, 2, 1...
Philly *PING*
Funny, isn’t it, that when a DemocRat is in the White House, homelessness isn’t a problem. But when a Republican gets in...
HA...2017...
I will receive criticism for this but, if that 46 year-old woman voted for Obama I have no sympathy unless she repents and apologizes
“You can’t help but notice,” said Carol Thomas, director of outreach services for Project Home. She was one of a long list of people I’ve talked to about what I considered a sudden explosion of homeless people in the city.
“It’s a big increase.”
A sudden explosion, ha
I remember some FReeper predicting this last November.
Yep, blame it on Trump.
They did this exact same ploy during Reagan’s years. That’s how Comic Relief with Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, and Robin Williams got started.
In other words, if you have good national economics and a conservative President, he has to be blamed for impoverishing people somehow, even though (as Jesus said) the poor will always be with us. Years before and years after the person in charge took office.
The CONCERN FOR THE POOR WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF ALL THE POOR PEOPLE reminds me of Judas Iscariot complaining about the woman spending money on scented ointment to anoint Jesus, in the same story where Jesus said the poor will always be with us.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+12%3A4-8&version=KJV
But Chuck Schumer just got $48 million to rebuild a single elementary school....
Also barely literate. A 'widower' by definition is male. A widow is female.
Well, at least this was the case back in the day when we had only two genders to worry about.
The Left’s pet stalking horse: “the homeless.” Making their highly anticipated reappearance under a new Republican administration. What city will be the next to bemoan the legions of downtrodden castaways on their streets? Seattle? New York? LA? Place your bets ...
BUMS
We need to bring back the State Mental Hospital systems. Many of these poor wretches belong in there. They would have support, stay on their meds, and be much better off than sleeping on heating grates and crapping in the gutters.
God forbid she should point to Obama's last eight years of elite cronyfare, or even be grateful that Trump wants to create jobs and stop the drugs pouring in. But no.
Ping!
“There’s a lot at play – above all, poverty. Of the 10 biggest U.S. cities, Philly ranks first in poverty and last in job creation.”
You honestly believe this happened overnight? This city has been run into the ground by democrats since Frank Rizzo left in the late 70’s. It has morphed into a crime and rodent ridden cesspool. Degenerates abound. No go zones are too many to mention. Even Center City isn’t safe. Now we’re being told 6 weeks into a Trump presidency that homelessness is a big problem? Where did it go the last eight years? On vacation to Honolulu!?
Thanks for the ping.
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