(According to the 2010 edition of the WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA, there are an estimated 100 million homeless people worldwide. 3.5 million of these people live in the United States.)
In Las Vegas, Nevada alone, it is extimated that somewhere between 13,000 and 32,000 people are homeless and do not have these three basic needs wo which they have a basic right and which are essential to sustain life. As I have said these figures are only estimated. I would doubt there is an actual count that is accurate. But the problems is becoming more and more evident to the point that it is now obvious to most everyone. Many homeless people such as myself (I have been homeless since the second Saturday in April 2010.) are not counted. I have also been unemployed but not part of any set of unemployment statistics since March 2009.
One may argue that there are many attempts to remedy this problem by both government (Social Services, etc.) and not-government Organizations (NGO's) such as Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, etc. The argument is quite valid, but the resources and efforts are woefully inadequate and sometimes amount to near criminal neglect. It is time for the victims (i.e. the homeless) to band together and form a grassroots effort to remedy the problem. The advantage of this is the homeless have a "hands-on" experience of homeless and may be better able to difine homelessness (providing a more accurat statistic) and better qualified to define effective help for the remediation of the problem.
I propose to establish tent communities for the homeless where the homeless can live and have the basic necessities of water, food and shelter.
Cabin tents usually measure about 10' x 10' up to 11' x 20' This is the size of a small bedroom or even a studio apartment in some places.
The problems or questions are:
1. Where can a land site be found?
2. What will it cost or is there a way to have at least some of the cost covered by donations or other
sources?
3. The site must be accessable to food and water (at least for drinking).
4. Electricity would be nice, but life can managed without electricity which hardly predates the
twentieth century.
A. If running water and electricity are available to the site, how are they to be paid for?
5. It would be nice if the community could be open and free to anyone with a need for a place to
live. The reality is the lack of skills and training to deal with drug addiction, violent drunkeness
and other disruptive behaviors seemingly makes this unrealistic (I have had other thoughts
about this and will address it at a later date.); however providing a free place for people to live is
very realistic and is a primary goal. What will be the criteria for denying the community to
some people.Trying to help everyone regardless of their circumstances would probably result in
in helping no one. To get such a community accepted by local government and mainstream
society, it will have to be a model community.
6. What about sanitation?
7. What about the cost of tents and other camping equipment? Can these items be purchaced with
housing/rent vouchers? I could have bought a tent and the bare basics for long-term camping
with the first and only voucher of $400 which I received and no one but me would have had to
know about it. The cost of a basic camp set-up is still within the range of $400.
8. Can food banks such as Three Square and other sources of discarded food be depended on to
provide an adequate diet for the entire community at least 6 days per week?
9. How does one encourage the people in the CNCC community who will work hare to contribute
when there will also be inevitably drones?
Advantages to residents:
1. A reasonably secure place to live with a physical mailing adress.
2. The re-establixhment of self-esteem with a sense of having positive contributions to make to
society.
3. a place to call home which can be personalized with art, houseplants, pets, etc. where one will
not be embarrased to have visitors.
4. Opportunities to enhance or learn new job and business skills. For example, cooking for the
camp (if a person can be part of a team which successfully does this, they have the skills to
manage an institutional facility's food nees; hospitals, schools, business cafeterias, etc.
5. Learn how to run a business such as a coffee shop, laundry, special education school, or cottage
industry.
6, Learn new things such as languages, handicrafts, etc. from neighbors.
7. Community residents will have a small bit of private outdoor space in addition to their tent
where they might want to experiment with flower and vegetable gardening.
9. Community residents will also have a better chance of getting a traditional 9 ti 5 if they want to
or further their education either by attending formal schools or utilizing the public library, etc.
(The community will likely have needs for various job skills and talents.)
10. Involvement in other organizations which CNCC will need and want to be involved with on a
mutual basis, such as, Food not Bombs, Amnesty International and the list goes on.
11. For those who with dreams of being a writer, I want this blog to become a monthly newsletter
It will need regular contributors, reporters, columnists, etc.
For those who are interested in participating in such a project, please contact me at michaelcoy2@yahoo.com or michaelcoy91@yahoo.com. Also contact the same e-mail addresses to request future newletters and additional information as it becomes available. Or go to this blog http://homelesscnccblogspot.com. Please share these addresses with anyone you know who might want to participate for whatever reason.
I have had this idea since early 2008 and was told I could not do it. I have spent most of my life doing the things I was told "I could not do" and having a marvelous time doing them; paying cash for brand new luxury cars in my early twenties, traveling and living abroad, putting myself through school, etc. In recent months I have had a more vested interest as well as two years of thinking about this idea and have discussed it with numerous people. Many have shown enthusiasm and offered encouragement. I am very grateful for this. I am also most grateful for many helpful ideas and suggestions. I would like to discuss this in a group setting. Please contact me if you would be interested in participating in such a discussion.
I am also very greatful to FOOD NOT BOMBS for what they do and for an idea for an organization name. Thank you, Michael C. Coy
