What will become of California's growing numbers of homeless children ?

[RLF]

It is estimated that there are 80,000 to 95,000 homeless children in California.

In absolute terms, there are more homeless children today in California than ever before. The percentage of children who are homeless is greater today than at any time since the Great Depression

43% of homeless children are molested; 66% are violently abused.

Homeless children are 12 times more likely to wind up in foster care than housed children.
Over 20% of homeless children do not attend school at all.
When in school, homeless kids are twice as likely to repeat a grade or be suspended.
Homeless children go hungry twice as often as other children.
Homeless children have 5 times more stomach and diarrhea problems, and 4 times as much asthma.
Homeless children are reported in fair or poor health twice as often as housed children.

What about Redding and Shasta County ?

http://redding.com/news/2007/mar/27/more-suffer-street-county/

There is Hope.......

Sacramento –Senator Denise Moreno Ducheny’s (D-San Diego) Senate Bill (SB) 303 was approved by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee

Along with a diverse list of California organizations supporting the Housing Affordability Act The California State Firefighters Association, PORAC (Peace Officers Research Association of California) and Father Joe’s Ministries of San Diego were among the SB 303 supporters which attended the hearing to urge its passage.

SB 303 aims to reverse the trend of California’s housing supply falling far behind the ever-growing demand. It is this imbalance that economists say is one of the primary reasons for the runaway prices in California’s housing market that make homes unaffordable for much of the state’s workforce. SB 303 is designed to ensure responsible planning, require full compliance with environmental laws and boost affordable housing for all income levels, Ducheny told the committee. Local and regional governments will maintain control of the current process for determining how much housing is needed (Regional Housing Needs Assessment, RHNA) and where it will go. Now, however, the land will be zoned when the site for housing is chosen by the local community.

“More certainty means lower prices,” Ducheny said. “People who build our homes, people who keep our communities safe and teach our kids are still being priced out of the market. Our local governments have the right and responsibility to plan for places for people to live. We just want them to go the extra step of making sure that their process provides places that are truly appropriate for the housing they’re planning,”

Mathew Packard, vice president of Father Joe’s Villages, testified that his group’s charitable organizations work with the homeless, under-employed and people with AIDS among others.

“The Housing Affordability Act recognizes that all communities have a role to play in providing housing that all Californians can afford,” said Packard. “It is an important contribution of this bill that it recognizes that those on the lowest economic rungs must be included in our vision of the future: not with handouts, but with a chance to live a life they can afford and continue to be an essential part of our communities.”

Other organizations supporting SB 303 include the California Business Roundtable, AFSCME, California Council of Churches Impact, California Black Chamber Foundation, Major Builders Council, California Affordable Housing, Inc. and the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance.

http://dist40.casen.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=%7B3A828B7E-9F32-431B-A6F1-32C67AF694FD%7D&DE=%7BE64942C4-D5BB-446F-B44C-0F3404E8FC4E%7D

E-Mail the Governor---Support SB 303 !!

http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Redding CA Loaves and Fishes Ministry - Home

[Grouch]

have their shitty parents move to navada where they can afford to live?

[Stylerod]

Originally Posted by RLF

43% of homeless children are molested; 66% are violently abused.
[/url]

That's 109%!!!

[motivez]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

That's 109%!!!

[Joe_Cool]

Originally Posted by RLF

Homeless children are 12 times more likely to wind up in foster care than housed children.

Apparently foster care is what will become of them. Problem solved.

[RMNIXON]

The Homeless numbers have actually been dropping in LA County and also Nationwide:

Survey finds homeless numbers drop countywide but are up on skid row




By Susannah Rosenblatt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 12, 2007

The number of homeless people living in Los Angeles County on a given night has dropped significantly in the last two years, but more people are concentrated in downtown Los Angeles' skid row, according to a survey by a city-county agency.

Countywide, the number of homeless dropped from 88,000 in 2005 to 74,000 this year, according to a federally required biennial report of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The 5,100 people sleeping on skid row represent a 40% jump from 2005.

"It still indicates a tremendous amount needs to be done," said Orlando Ward, spokesman for the Midnight Mission on skid row.

More than 1,000 volunteers canvassed the county between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Jan. 23, 24 and 25 to collect statistical data, conduct telephone surveys and gather information from shelters and other institutions.

More than half of homeless people across the region are in the city of Los Angeles. While the homeless populations in central Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley have grown, the rest of the county has fewer homeless people, the survey found.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky questioned the reliability of the numbers but said the report at least provides some comparisons among different regions and groups.

Due in large part to a shortage of emergency shelter and affordable housing options, the vast majority of people without homes end up sleeping on the streets; just 17% found beds in shelters or other housing.

Large numbers of homeless people reported trying unsuccessfully to enter a shelter or housing program, according to the report. Job loss, eviction, family conflicts and alcohol or drug problems were the most common causes of homelessness.

The report found more than 50% of the county's homeless are African Americans, nearly 24% are Latinos and roughly 12% are military veterans. And the large majority have mental problems, are disabled or are substance abusers.

The report can be found at www.lahsa.org.


But still an alarming number of children:

Approximately 15% of these, or 10,100 are children under the age of 18.

__________________________________________________ _____________


But that certainly does not mean we should rush headlong into some foolish "feel good" Senate Bill.

Why the big promotion?

This is a debate forum!

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

That's 109%!!!

Excellent mathematics.

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by Stylerod

That's 109%!!!

60% of the time..it works every time.