Ski Mask Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 my apologies to texas for being compared to a bunch of yahoos. Criticism may halt shelter fee plan Minister maintains proposal's intent is to help poor become more self-sufficient Rick Pedersen The Edmonton Journal EDMONTON - Homeless people won't be charged to stay in Alberta's overnight shelters unless the idea wins support from the people who run the inner-city facilities, says the cabinet minister who brought down a firestorm of criticism with the controversial idea. "My intention on this is to help the clients get more self-sufficient," Stan Woloshyn said Sunday, two days after he let the idea slip during an interview with a Calgary TV station. Despite efforts to build more low-income housing, waiting lists keep getting longer so a new approach is needed to reverse a dangerous increase in the numbers of homeless Albertans, he said. Woloshyn is Seniors minister whose portfolio includes housing. "I am very, very worried about what colder weather is going to bring," Woloshyn said, pointing out that Edmonton had to open its LRT stations to the homeless last winter in an attempt to make sure people didn't freeze to death. On Friday, Woloshyn talked about having welfare recipients, the working poor and people collecting benefits for severe handicaps pay up to a third of their income to stay in homeless shelters. Most of the money would be set aside in a trust fund, to be used to rent a room or apartment. Woloshyn said Sunday the idea is not to take money away from the homeless, but to help the working poor and disabled people with incomes put money aside for a damage deposit and a month's rent so they become independent. He hopes people on welfare could also take part. "This is to try to give them a leg up," he said. "If they leave the shelter and they are living day-to-day and they don't have enough for a damage deposit and the first month's rent, what are their chances of staying out of a shelter?" The government would not claw back any of the money but the shelters might need to deduct a percentage of the money collected to cover the cost of administration or to fund programs, he said. "This would largely be a decision by the shelters." Details must still be worked out -- his department knows of no similar program -- and his staff have not yet talked with the shelters to find out how many clients have enough income to participate in such a program, he said. He admitted the idea wasn't ready to be presented to the public. "I let it slip to be honest. The story got out a little bit ahead of what it should have been." Premier Ralph Klein said the proposal, which he hasn’t committed to yet, must be approved by the Tory caucus and cabinet. “What Stan is trying to do is provide a hand-up rather than a hand-out,” Klein said. “I don’t see anything sinister in it. I’ve encouraged ministers to think outside of the box and find new and innovative ways of doing things. This is not grabbing money from the poor.” Each shelter attracts different kinds of clients so his department officials must still assess each shelter individually, Woloshyn said. This work has not been done. The shelters have not been consulted. He said his staff do not know how many shelter clients have incomes, how much they make or if they could afford to put aside a third of their income for rent or some other smaller portion. But the shelter charges would never become a barrier to entrance, Woloshyn said. "I wouldn't want anyone turned away from the door." rpedersen@thejournal.canwest.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Mask Posted October 21, 2003 Author Share Posted October 21, 2003 summary: all politicans in alberta are lunatics. the housing minister suggested a plan that would require people who work and stay in homeless shelters to pay a fee for staying. A FUCKING FEE TO STAY IN A HOMELESS SHELTER. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poop Man Bob Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 I'm confused as to where the Texas reference comes in, but apology accepted. Back to the topic - that is a bad idea, as I'm sure you already know. The entire purpose of a shelter is to serve those with little to no means. Life would only be that much harder if they were forced to spend what small amounts of money they have on a warm bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.T Boy Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 the premier of alberta (ralph klein) and a good chunk of everyone else who lives there wish they were from texas. they love guns, fucking their cousins (sorry) and just really have some desire to move to texas. this is exactly why i left and wont ever go back. albertas a fucking disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
effyoo Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 Originally posted by T.T Boy the premier of alberta (ralph klein) and a good chunk of everyone else who lives there wish they were from texas. they love guns, fucking their cousins (sorry) and just really have some desire to move to texas. this is exactly why i left and wont ever go back. albertas a fucking disease. You know what? You're goddamn right. The longer I'm out of the province the harder it is to come back. Every single time, I just think, "Why? Why am I going back there?". I work here for the chance to leave. Ugh. Thanks for reminding me about how much I want to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaBar2 Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 On Homeless Shelters For the most part, very few true tramps will even set foot in a "homeless shelter." Tramps do not consider themselves "homeless." Wherever they jungle up is "home." The current 2003-2004 Queen of Hobos, Mama Jo LeCount, who runs the Uplift Organization in Kansas City (a homeless support, shelter and feeding group) told me that their questionaires reveal that if a person spends as little as TWO WEEKS in a homeless situation that there is over a 90% chance that they will never live in a home again and will never return to gainful employment. I was shocked. "Mama Jo, why in the world would that be true? TWO WEEKS? Jeeze, I spent months, years living outdoors, and I didn't become permenantly homeless. What's the difference?" The difference is that I was "homeless" BY CHOICE. I had an exit strategy. I had a plan of work, and the ability to return to the world of the working poor anytime I chose to do so. I worked when I wanted to, and laid out when I wanted to. Most people who become homeless do not do so by choice. They are devastated by losing their job, their home, all their furniture and stuff. (I wasn't. I piled the shit up out on the curb, dusted off my hands and said "GOOD RIDDANCE.") The unwilling homeless are shattered and humiliated by finding themselves out-of-doors with no prospects. They feel defeated, beaten. Like losers. And they adapt to being "losers." As they adapt, they discover that being homeless ain't so bad, in fact, it can be sort of good. NO MORE STRESS. At least, not stress from jackass bosses, ringing telephones, collection agencies, demanding clients, etc. They become sort of adept at getting their needs met through the relief missions and homeless agencies. Pretty soon, "qualifying for benefits" becomes more-or-less like a full-time job. "Go back to work? Why? I live at the mission now, rent free. I eat two out of three meals at shelters. I can make thirty or forty bucks a day panhandling--enough for cigarettes, a few beers and a burger for lunch. To hell with working for wages." They become homeguards. Most tramps regard homeguards with a distinct contempt. They call them "mission stiffs," weak, dependent, scared of hopping trains. Unable to survive "out there." True tramps survive like a coyote. They hustle, they dumpster-dive, they fly a sign, they work, they recycle cans, they do WHATEVER IS NECESSARY to make a living. They are independent, and generally speaking, pretty hardy. They hate homeless shelters and especially church missions with all their rules about "no smoking," "no drinking," "no visitors," "no dogs," "men and women sleep in separate areas," "no bringing in all that gear, packs, bindles and sleeping bags" and so forth. Fuck missions. "Homeless" is an epithet. DON'T BE HOMELESS. Be a stand-up tramp and a true hobo. Live out of doors with some PRIDE and some BACKBONE. And, BTW, I rode the Canadian Pacific through Alberta a couple of times, and I thought it was a great place. The people, except for the cops, were extremely friendly. We spent time in both Calgary and Medicene Hat (actually, Dunmore) and except for getting arrested by the RCMP in Medicene Hat, I thought it was a great place. I always wanted to go visit my anarchist friends up in Edmonton, but we never made it up there. What's the problem with Alberta? Other than the fact that it gets colder than a welldigger's ass in winter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.