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Eric Lee
Sociology 101
Professor Strong
7 December 2015

Homelessness Activism Plan

Homelessness is traditionally viewed and portrayed as a public issue.

Most peoples opinion of homelessness directly stems from the idea that it is
an inevitable circumstance, whether due to drug and alcohol abuse or
mental illness. The fact is that there are several different levels of
homelessness, as well as several aspects of the population affected by it.
There are those that are forced to live in their cars due to eviction for an
inability to afford their rent. Some are teenagers living in vacant and
abandoned housing. Then there are those forced to depend on relatives for a
place to stay, and for all intents and purposes can be considered homeless.
Both public and private activism efforts have been taken place both
here in Baltimore and other cities in the U.S. One such effort is the Baltimore
Project to End Homelessness, an effort lead and coordinated by Sister Helen
Amos, the executive chair on the Board of Trustees at Mercy Health Service
and Warren Sabloff, the developer of the Ritz-Carlton Residence On Key

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Highway in south Baltimore. Another such initiative is the housing first ran
by a group called Project H.O.M.E and headed by Sister Mary Scullion a Sister
of Mercy in Philadelphia. The main premise of the initiative there being
housing the homeless first, then later delivering services to address mental
health issues and substance abuse problems.
The importance of activism is to affected change, and create a
dialogue that will help people not affected become more aware of this issue,
and hopefully change their perception of it. There needs to be a
comprehensive plan that first implements methods of prevention.
Additionally, strategies must be formulated to increase the availability of
affordable housing. More importantly, there is a need for programs geared
toward job training and placement so individuals would have the potential to
again become self reliant.
The first action that should take place in regards to this issue is
Baltimore City Councils appropriation of the vacant houses in the city. A
committee should be formed to raise funds that would allocate them for the
purpose of revitalizing them to be utilized by those affected by
homelessness. In accordance with those efforts, there should a consorted
effort by agencies both public and private to provide services geared toward
addressing first the issue of mental health services and substance abuse
counseling. In addition, there should be programs made available,
specifically for those experiencing homelessness, to get job training and job
placement once they have been placed.

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Of course, in order for this to take place there would have to be a
referendum on this issue. If the measure were passed, there would have to
be certain stipulations governing the occupancy of the available transitional
housing. Those benefitting from the various programs would have to comply
with the appropriate guidelines in order to remain eligible. I think it is fair to
say that most would not be opposed to it. It is very plausible to assume that
it would transform the city in both a literal and figurative sense, giving rise to
hope for those affected by homelessness as well as those affecting change.
With these efforts, no longer would there the general consensus that
homelessness for some is an inevitability. Rather, people would begin to
have a changed perspective on the issue.
In summary, the revitalization of the Baltimore cities communities by
the citys legislative body, City Council. These efforts would in turn have a
positive effect on the citys structural aesthetic and even more importantly
assist those affected by homelessness. A similar action plan that is taking
place in the city of Philadelphia by a group called Project H.O.M.E.