Confronted by seasonal temperatures and the chill of winter, many Baltimore residents may find themselves heading to their thermostats. But for the 3,000 to 5,000 who are homeless on any given night, such a comfort difference is a moot point.
Activities organized in conjunction with National Homeless Awareness Week in November -- an art auction, a 5K walk, and promotions by local hotels and restaurants -- represented attempts to create new solutions to an age-old problem and to increase community awareness. But for the homeless of the city, the week was just like any other.
Larry, 54, has lived in Baltimore since age three. He is homeless and eats one meal a day at a soup kitchen or shelter. In order to purchase a second meal, which he says is harder to obtain due to limited hours at shelters and soup kitchens, Larry solicits money on the streets. Earlier this season, he stood in front of the Baltimore Museum of Art holding a sign describing his plight.
"I don't make a habit of doing it," Larry said of asking for funds. "I do it to survive. I hate doing it because I have pride, but sometimes you swallow your pride or starve to death."
According to a recent citywide census of Baltimore's homeless population, as many as 5,000 individuals, including 250 families, are without permanent shelter. According to Office of Homeless Services Director Alex Boston, the report, conducted in April, confirmed much of what was already suspected about the magnitude of Baltimore's street dwelling population.
The extensive census was the first of its kind. It has been hailed as starting point for assessing the homeless problem and making the necessary improvements. "We had never done a comprehensive census both on the street and in shelters," Boston said. "We wanted to get a baseline. Mayor [Martin] O'Malley is into statistics and evaluating statistics."
Some 45 percent of the 1,149 individuals surveyed as part of the census reported histories of substance abuse. Boston asserts that service providers in the city would put that figure at more than half.
Father Aaron D. Dowdell of the non-profit Franciscan Center on West 23rd Street, would not be surprised by these findings. "Cities with homeless populations see two problems, mental illness and substance abuse," Dowdell said. "No matter what city you're in, there aren't enough programs to combat those problems."
And while many of those surveyed volunteered information regarding drug and alcohol problems, information about mental illness among the homeless population was harder to measure. "Mental illness is another thing that is a large issue," Boston said. "But people don't self-report that."
Recent release from jail or prison and simple eviction from a permanent home are also common factors that leave individuals on the streets.
The city of Baltimore employs outreach personnel to go onto the streets and interact with homeless citizens. The city's main role in combating the problem however, lies in the Office of Homeless Services' role as an administrator of funding. The office has an annual budget of $24 million comprised of city, state, and mainly federal support from the Housing and Urban Development Department that it distributes among 60 programs and organizations in the city.
The various nonprofit programs concentrate efforts on unique sections of the homeless population. Some serve only women, others are geared toward families, and still others concentrate efforts on men, as they represent over 70 percent of Baltimore's homeless population. While Boston commented on a need for more services aimed at helping the city's homeless women and children, Larry finds the converse to be true. "A lot of places only help women and children," he said.
But there are sources of hope. The Franciscan Center offers services to all members of the homeless population and has a new agenda that tries to first meet the immediate needs of Baltimore's down-and-out, and then direct them to services designed to improve their situations. The Center's services include a nutrition program to supplement its lunch service and pantry offerings, an outreach van that handles medical services, AIDS outreach and peer education about risky sexual behavior, and an eviction prevention program through which citizens are given funds to pay their rent in order to prevent eviction and homelessness. The eviction assistance program is funded through the city's Office of Homeless Services.
Residents of Baltimore especially are confronted by the threat of eviction, according to Boston, because they are required to allocate too large a portion of their income towards rent. Establishment of permanent, affordable housing is one thing that might improve the homeless situation. "It's cheaper to keep people off the streets," Boston said. "The city's doing different things to deal with that [affordable housing]. It's a long-term goal."
The job of this and other organization is not easy however, as even these programs are suffering cutbacks as a national economic recession curbs private donations. "We've really been hit after September 11," Dowdell said. "Because of today's economy people are more cautious about how they're spending their money and many [non-profits] are suffering as a result."
Boston notes however that resources that are offered at various centers are still well publicized. "The chronically homeless know where to go and know where the services are," he said.
As for the immediate cold weather concerns and citizens' safety, the city has a plan in place for the winter months that includes opening additional shelter beds at a multi-service center on Federal Street and disseminating cold weather "tips" through the media. Administered by the Health Department, the "Code Blue" program debuted last year and was successful in preventing death and other cold weather tragedies. Four deaths occurred due to hypothermia rather than the 12 expected. Code Blue was activated on 34 nights last year.
"Last year we had the lowest number of deaths due to cold during a very cold winter," Boston said.
