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Increased homeless in area?
07/05/2010 12:08 PM by John M
A reader write in with an observation on a increase in the number of the homeless in the area:
I am seeing more and more homeless people around here. I was wondering if it’s just this area and what could be done in terms of shelters, etc. There is now a tent in the woods near Glenwood and Government.
In my more immediate area, there was a guy living on the bus stop bench at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue for a good while earlier in the spring, and a woman was living in the doorway of the abandoned storefront at Venable and Pink Streets until recently.
Obamanomics will drive more and more folks into Hoovervilles…How many more days until we get this clown out of office? Or maybe the answer is another stimulus…
There was also someone living in Patrick Henry Park, the little park across from St. John’s Church, earlier this spring, but I don’t know if he’s still there or not. Nor do I know if this is an increase in homelessness, or just that we’re seeing more people living out in the open as opposed to in places where we might not notice them.
Where I work downtown, I’m near Kanawha Plaza. There are several homeless people there but no more now than last summer.
more homeless? Let’s see….foreclosures continue to soar, unemployment is at almost record highs, new home construction is the lowest in recorded history, The EU is crumbling, stocks in the tank, everything the regime tries is a miserable failure,….gosh, I don’t know why there would be more homelessness. I think it’s just your imagination.
I’ve noticed an increase throughout the city, not just in the neighborhood. Not to get into a political skirmish, but to blame Obama for an economic crash that occurred before he took office and at the end of a Republican double term doesn’t really make sense. For the record, I don’t like the stimulus BS either.
But we can blame Obama for the poor policy SINCE the crash…that makes alot of sense.
You are only seeing more homeless in the area because the Daily Planet was moved here to get them away from the V.C.U. and Times-Dispatch corridor.This was planned more than 10-14 years ago, but our neighborhood organization would not take a vocal stance against the move.
This is all Obama’s fault? Riiiiiiight. Thanks for that insight. Super helpful in understanding the multi-faceted, far-reaching, not acute economic crisis.
#6 sim – is it actually down on Oliver Hill Way now? That would also account for the increase in folks on the corners (17th, 18th) down there asking for handouts all day long.
#1 & 5 – a bit of an obtuse collection of statements.
Laura’s insight is overwhelming. How could I have been so wrong for so long?
My guess that giving home loans to those with bad credit wasn’t such a good idea, eh Slick Willy?
I still blame Lincoln.
The Daily Planet website still has their address on Grace St. Is it just out of date? Whatever the cause, something has to be done to get these people into shelters with all this heat.
This description of how to access services (PDF) gives different addresses for different services. Their Shelter Central Intake (Singles ONLY) is at 1400 Oliver Hill Way.
The city opens several cooling shelters whenever the heat index reaches 95 degrees.
The actual figure for truly homeless…no shelter, living on the street, in the woods, etc, is less than 200 for the whole city. The shelter beds are really adequate for those needing and wanting shelter. Many of those who appear homeless are either mentally ill, or who live in adult homes and hang out on the corner, etc. I am told that Richmond has a pretty good network of homeless services.
#12 for what?
Most of the people that you see begging for money on the corner of Oliver Hill Way and East Broad Street actually have a place to live. They stay in a rooming house on Maury Street.