4/30 | Tom Waits Tribute | P.A.'s Lounge | Somerville Homeless Coalition Benefit

[aboutonething.livejournal.com]

Another exciting event in Somerville during SOS weekend!!!

On the heels of Tom Waits' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, P.A.'s Lounge hosts a Tom Waits Tribute on April 30, 2011 to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

Participating bands include: Coyote Kolb, Dan Baker, Danielle Miraglia, Dave Aaronoff and The Protagonists, Joe Fletcher, Movers & Shakers, The Resurrectionists, Sleepy Very Sleepy, Tig & Bean, Tim Gearan, and Tony the Bookie.

Doors at 8:30 p.m. 21+. The cover charge is $10.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.aboutonething.com
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191551907542389
http://www.somervillehomelesscoalition.org/

This event was inspired by Tom Waits' recent fundraising for homeless organizations, as well as the release of his first book of poetry—Hard Ground—which pairs his writing with poignant portraits of homelessness by Michael O'Brien.

In this spirit, all proceeds from the tribute will be donated to the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The mission of the Somerville Homeless Coalition is to provide homeless and near homeless individuals and families with individualized supportive services and tailored housing solutions with a goal of obtaining and maintaining affordable housing.

Comments

[turil.livejournal.com]

While you're mingling with the SHC folks, maybe you can suggest that they start working on eliminating the laws that contribute to people becoming homeless. Laws making it illegal to build your own home, for example, are really dumb and cruel to those who would love to build their own small space to live in. Laws preventing people from putting an RV, tent, or other temporary home on public property (a parking lot, beach, woods, etc.) also make it more difficult for those who would be fine living a nomadic life. And laws making it illegal to sleep in parks, or in cars are really cruel, to those who prefer to be legally free to sleep wherever they are, rather than to be forced to stay in one of the homeless shelters around here, to be treated like some kind of criminal (really the shelters function pretty much the same as prisons).

And, of course, getting rid of laws that say you can't live in certain buildings/areas due to zoning regulations are just ridiculous.

Changing the laws to protect people's rights to life, liberty, and such (we can start with the UN human rights list) should be a top priority for long term reduction in homelessness problems.

Also, it would be brilliant if they actually helped people BEFORE they were homeless, when there was a threat by a landlord, or family member, to kick someone out. When I knew I couldn't afford to pay rent anymore, I went to the SHC to ask for help, and they told me they couldn't do anything until I was actually homeless. And then they told me to not move out, and instead wait to be legally removed after the landlord went to court to get me evicted. Which was just really fucked up, as far as I was concerned, since that was cruel to the landlord, who never did anything illegal or even mean to me.

So yeah, a more long-term approach would be great. As it is now, the SHC is going to need your money forever, because the problem isn't going to go away with them doing what they are currently doing (which is just helping people apply for government housing).

On a slightly different topic, a Tom Waits tribute is awesome! Did you invite Stephen J Walther Jr to play? (I think he's still playing these days, though I know he had a kid and might be busy with dad duties and such...)

Hooray for SHC (and Tom Waits!)

[masswich.livejournal.com]

The Homeless Coalition is the best. Its one of the nonprofits I give the most to, when I am feelin' in a givin' mood. They do good work right here at home to keep people sheltered.

And Tom Waits is the best. SHC is also having their big gala Saturday night, if you're more into dinner than raspy signing, though.

[shcincorg.livejournal.com]

Hi Turil,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We are right there with you on working to prevent people from ever becoming homeless in the first place, and absolutely support lobbying for laws that help, not hurt, the homeless population.

Unfortunately, HUD's definition of homelessness require that an individual be technically homeless (i.e. not living in a car, or on a friend's couch, etc., something that is changing in 2012) before they have access to many of our programs, which sounds like what you encountered. We know homelessness is a problem that will not be "solved" with just one quick fix, but with a combination of political advocacy, civic planning, more affordable housing, and homeless prevention it is possible.

Take a look at our newest annual report here, to see what we've been working on in the past year, and what we hope to accomplish in the future:

http://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/Report/SHCreport.pdf

Let us know by e-mail at somerville homeless coalition at gmail dot com, if you have any other questions or want to discuss things further. Thanks!

Re: Hooray for SHC (and Tom Waits!)

[shcincorg.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the support, masswich! Did you make it to the Under the Roof event Sat.?

We're excited for Tom Waits as well! Should be a great night!

[turil.livejournal.com]

Alas, you're night right here with me. Not at all. Both philosophically and professionally you are no where near where I am. (In fact, my case worker bailed on me, and refused to schedule another appointment with me years ago, and ignored all my emails with no explanation whatsoever, after apparently not actually submitting my application for Boston's housing lottery, and having me apply for something I was totally not qualified for.)

The thing that you don't seem to be aware of is that there is no law saying you can't help a human being. Maybe some of your funding has restrictions on it, and some of the programs the government offer have restrictions, but there's absolutely no reason that you, as an organization, have to wait to help anyone. Ever.

Prevention is the best cure, so if you really want to help people, get to them long before they are legally homeless. You can still help people get the government programs, too, but that doesn't really require that much in the way of resources, especially if you ask for volunteers from the pool of people you've already helped avoid homelessness, as well as from the general public.

Again, as soon as you start working on real solutions to the core problem of making it illegal to do basic human things, such as sleeping, building a shelter, going to the bathroom, and not having a permanent address (for business, educational, and government purposes), and not being allowed to live in certain buildings because of zoning restrictions, rather than wasting too much time on after the fact band aids like you mostly do now, homelessness will indeed mostly disappear.

I'm not interested in contacting you personally, I prefer public discussion for important topics. I believe it's better for everyone that way. If you are interested in people contributing ideas for alleviating homelessness in Somerville, you could start an open discussion thread here on LJ Davis Square, so that more people could help your work become easier and more effective.