Some are Not So Thankful This Holiday

The US Interagency Council on Homeless published a nice profile of a a new book about homelessness on their website.  This is the story of one author's son called "Losing Tim" and goes through the illness that took control of Paul Gionfriddo's son.  It is a nice profile of a mentally ill guy who needed housing from the perspective of his father.    

The Diane Rehm Show on Monday had an interesting show on homelessness.  It was a story of Dr. Robert Okin who studied the horrible mental health system in the United which allows millions over the last 30 years to live on the streets largely ignored and isolated.  Worth listening to on their podcast.

On any given night, more than half a million people in the U.S. are homeless, and up to 50 percent may be suffering from mental illness. One psychiatrist says these people have become invisible to the rest of us, and set out to learn about their lives. He spent two years talking to and photographing men and women living on the streets of San Francisco. What he found were histories of abuse, neglect, and resilience.

I guess capitalism does not reign supreme in the hotel industry.  The Radisson served as the overflow site in New York City which is serving a record number of family homeless paid to house families in the hotel.  Radisson staff were not happy to hear that the hotel was serving homeless families and has rejected any further bookings from the Department of Homeless Services even if they pay more.  The article says that there were no issues, but the hotel is concerned with the stigma associated with offering a place at the inn for homeless families.  Maybe they could open up their parking garage as was done in Bethlehem around 2000 years ago.

Brian Davis

Posts reflect the opinion of those who sign the entry.