Article Contributed on: 7/3/2008 9:31:00 AM
The Brad Side of Things - The True Solution to Denver's Problem with the Homeless
With the DNC coming up fast, Denver's homeless problem is poised to be placed in the national spotlight. From shipping them off to the mountains for a week, to hiding them up in some hotel, countless ideas have been proposed, all of which I feel do not address the actual problem. My solution is the following:
There currently is an amazing program in place in Denver to combat homeless. The program at Step 13, http://www.step13.org is a good model that the government might be able to use and build off of. It promotes work and self-respect and allows those that want to succeed to succeed while allowing those that don't want to put in the effort to fall through the cracks. This program is a man's shelter that provides a meal and shelter for one night, with the condition that the next day the man must stay clean and sober as long as he is in the program, and go out and attempt to find work either in one of the in house businesses or through some of the partnerships Step 13 has with business owners.
My solution would be to create a national Step 13 type program. Step 13 does not want government money and I trulyrespect that. They do not want to get lost in all the red tape and become dependant on government funding. I would have this program parter with other businesses that need labor. These homeless people could replace the illegal aliens the American businesses currently employ, and you would kill two birds with one stone!
Once there are ample jobs, housing and the foundation set, homeless men and women could enter these "shelters" (they aren't even shelters because shelter to me seems like you can cover your head for free...) and be able to turn back into productive members of society. You could even have a community college partner with it and offer nightly classes on basics in technology and other fields to help educate these people in the shelter lobby or other room.
Another great program in denver is CHARG, http://www.charg.org/ which could also be brought in and partnered with. CHARG stands for the Capitol Hill Action and Recreation Group. They are a group for those with mental illness to find support and guidance and friends they can rely on. The group is fully run and housed with people with these sort of illnesses and a few volunteers. Many of the homeless in the US do have problems with bi-polar and other mental disorders and by parterning with a group like this they too can recieve the support they need to they can be productive members of society again and make a positive change in their lives.
Anyone who cannot or will not abide by the rules set forth will be and should be allowed to be left to their own devices. I still support the idea of soup kitchens and providing free food to these people through churches and other organizations but other than that I almost feel that giving money to a homeless person should be a misdemanor offense. Any person that wants to help these people get on their feet and become self sufficient should donate to one or both of the organizations I listed above. They both do excellent work and provide a great service to the people of Denver.
I invite everyone to investigate both of these programs further and reconsider giving that few extra bucks you were planning to give the "ex-vet" with the sign on the street and give it instead to these programs that promote real change and are making a difference.