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Our Purpose: To Help the Homeless Learn How to Help Themselves
. PERi ds The Unique and Universal Struggle of Homeless Women:
Story by Brett Loewenstern
H
omeless women around the country have more worries than simply lacking food and shelter; every month they have to repeat the same stress of getting the right materials necessary to stay clean and comfortable during their periods. Women in the streets generally have no access to proper pads and tampons, the lack of which can lead to infections and disease. However, being aware of the issue can be the first step to solving it as multiple women have already shown, and some experienced themselves. Ramona has been living in different shelters throughout the last two decades, having grown up in Hollywood, Florida and a straight A student and when she studied at Florida Atlantic University. “I really was a happy child in the beginning and had a good life,” she said. “I would go out on the boat every weekend and sometimes scuba dive as well. My father was a pilot and my mother a caretaker; everything was great. However, behind my smile was a girl who was sexually abused through incest while living with a family that turned their back on me. This set me up for a lot of PTSD to come into my adult life. “As time went on, I still had a normal life. I studied, worked, and even had a baby. I also had an inheritance to my name and had a comfortable life. However, the mid-nineties became my hardest years. Within three months, I lost both of my parents, my baby, and the estate that was granted to me. My parents were everything that I had and when they were gone, I lost myself and everything was taken from me. In addition to losing her family and estate, Ramona was also fired from her job at Broward County Aviation because of her frequent trips to the doctor due to her muscular dystrophy. With all of this happening, she found her way into a shelter and became friends with the people around her.
Around this time, she was able to receive her feminine products because the shelter provided them for her. However, according to her, other women had it harder to find what they needed. “Women who didn’t stay at the shelter I was at may have had it worse. I know that in prison, they would supply the worst-quality pads any woman could ever use. Aside from that, women in the streets usually steal tampons from the laundromat or convenience store as well as use tissues and newspapers. Seeing these other women having a hard time really put things into perspective for me.” Solutions may seem limited besides resorting to newspaper and laundromat complementaries, but there are organizations working to create better ones. One non-profit organization, in particular, The Beauty Initiative Inc, provides women with sanitary products and empowerment according to Ashley Eubanks, who founded the nonprofit from a personal experience. “After seeing a woman panhandling with blood-stained clothing, I knew that I had to do something, so I started my foundation,” Ashley wrote in an email. “The Beauty Initiative Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization and our mission is to help people feel clean and restore their dignity by providing hygiene products to those experiencing homelessness and/or financial hardship. “Our inaugural initiative, Help Her Period, provides menstrual supplies to women that are homeless and girls in schools. We have provided over 3,000 bags filled with 40+ items after collecting over 130,000 items in one year.” In addition to organizations like The Beauty Initiative, other shelters themselves provide programs that assist women in need of proper health care and materials.
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The Lotus House Shelter in Miami has an entire health care clinic that works with each woman individually, whether it be help during her period or pregnancy. Organizations and shelters like these exist around the country for the sole purpose of bettering the lives of women in the streets, especially when it comes to their periods. While these organizations aim to aid homeless women’s struggle, the majority of these women still don’t have the right help and risk infections and disease. In most cases, pads and tampons are taxed and expensive making a period more of a financial burden leading many women to use the same tampon or pad for the duration of their period — risking not only a yeast infection, but a deadly one known as toxic shock syndrome. It can be life-threatening, but it is also preventable with fresh tampons and pads. Although the simple solution may seem to be providing tampons and pads to women in need, they also need a proper place to clean — a common issue for homeless men as well. In addition to the physical necessities, homeless women need to be able to know that they can speak up about their period and ask for help. In a society where talking about menstruation is somewhat taboo, the first step to breaking down the barriers is awareness. Not only an awareness of women’s struggle, but that of the plight of homeless women who suffer the most.
...women in the streets usually steal tampons from the laundromat or convenience store as well as use tissues and newspapers.
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The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019 1
About the Homeless Voice The Homeless Voice houses, feeds, and finds jobs for anyone who is homeless. We serve up to 500 homeless daily and serve over 45,000 meals each month. The Homeless Voice distributes a street newspaper in all major cities throughout Florida including Tallahassee, Lake City, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.
COSAC Foundation PO Box 292-577 Davie, FL 33329 954-924-3571
The Homeless Voice Newspaper has three functions.
Publisher: Sean Cononie Editor-in-Chief: Mark Targett Executive Editor: Sara Cunningham Creative Director: Andrew Fraieli Contributers: Brett Loewenstern, Kristen Grau, Maria Mor
1) Educate the public on homelessness and poverty issues 2) Provide temporary employment to those without a job 3) Raise additional funds for the Florida based shelter We have grown into a multifaceted agency that feeds, shelters, and arranges for each homeless person to receive the necessary access to social and non-compulsory religious services to enable a return to a self-reliant lifestyle. For the small percentage of people incapable of living independent lives, we provide a caring and supportive environment for their long-term residency.
Part of the International Network of Street Papers
Join our fleet of Monthly Angels today: Fill out this form and along with your check for $25 mail to:
Monthly Angel Program PO Box 292-577 Davie, Fl 33329
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Your contribution keeps our organization afloat! Our Angels are a very important part of our service and ease the burden of our monthly bills. Thank you for your help in caring for our poor! With your donation, we are happy to send you our Homeless Voice newspaper. Choose your preferred method of subscription below:
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Thank you for your support Angels! Your support keeps our doors open!
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The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019
Monthly Angels
Donate Online: HomelessVoice.org/Members | Donations are tax deductable & help South Florida’s Homeless Andy Herrmann Anna Hadley Anne Jahre Angela Martinez Barbara Robinson Bill & Laura Fash Caroline Vidal Center for Social Change Charles & Tracy Rice Cody Anderson Dana Jackson Daniel Guevara David Reiff Edwin H Kluge Jr Elizabeth L Strauss
Eylin Cuadra Frank Pamelia GI Enterprises & Associates, Inc Gerald Keller Greentree Financial Group Gregory Smith Ileana Dubovici Jared Carrell John Dinielli John & Linda Evans John Pascale Jorge Herrera Jorge Sanchez Joseph Maiuro Kelly Filer
Kim R Davis Kristin Clampitt Laura Annetta Lauren Groffman Lawrence Calella Louise Goldberg LongReach Mario Medina Marjorie Vidaillet Mark Duske Michael Prokop Natasha Bravo Olga’s Banquet Hall Patrice & George Shurland Patricia Brinson Paul & Rosalie Pierce
Praxi Solutions Richard Berk Richard Mayo RM Beaulieu Roanne Cobuzio Rufino Garcia Samantha HackerFernandez Sean & Rema Campbell Stephanie Salera Summers Motors Susan Stover Teresa Black Timothy Osborn Victor Lanza Walton Brown
Current Country-Wide Homelessness 2018 Sheltered: 358,363 people Unsheltered: 194,467 people Total: 552,820 people In Florida: 31,030 people According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
~Cathy’s Prayer List~ Brian Jeff Betsy Romeo Maggie The Kalins Devon Diane Karm
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To add a name to Cathy’s Prayer List, text 954-410-6275
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The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019 3
The Word for
home·less
/'hōmles/ e
T
he word “homeless” holds onto its negative connotation like the people using it hold onto their purses, and their line of sight. Or rather, the word “homeless” has its derogatory connotation thrust upon it like the expectations given to them by the passersby. “Homeless” is used in common day-to-day language to describe what’s seen as a drunk/crazy/druggie/ dirty/lazy bum on the sidewalk asking for change. Someone who probably has a beard; someone who probably smells; someone who must just not be trying hard enough to find a job and is just lazy and letting his habits consume him. But the people that are homeless in the country break far outside that limited scope. It doesn’t describe the waitress working table after table and can’t afford rent, nor the person who has a job, has an income, has no drug habits or criminal record and is still sitting on the street from foreclosure. This pidgeon-hole definition of “homeless” far from covers every person who, for whatever reason, doesn’t have a home. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “homeless” is defined as “having no home or permanent place of residence.” This begs the question of what defines a “home” though. American law is more specific; Title 42 U.S. Code § 11302 defines homelessness situationally, generally — and can be seen in full in the sidebar — as someone who either “lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence”; sleeps in a place “not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings”; living in a shelter; or who’s loss of housing is imminent. By this definition, a tenant of a soon to be torn down apartment building is homeless, even if they aren’t on the street yet. But what of someone living in their car? The scope of the definition is limited in common thought, constricted to the obvious and disdained, and it needs to expand. With the umbrella-term of “homeless” comes almost an objectification of that stereotypically thought of person; a dehumanizing of someone who might fulfill that stereotype of having an alcohol addiction and being homeless, but also excluding the acknowledgement of others that fall under the definition and do still need help. A Homeless youth kicked out of their home for their sexuality could be someone on the street. A teen running from abuse at home could be homeless. A lovely, kind person with depression and fell into a rut with alcohol could be that person sitting on the corner, not able to find a way out. What needs to change is our connotations of being “homeless”, our education on how to help them, and the understanding that they are people. People sitting on the street encompassing the stereotype of looks could have been a successful photographer and writer in the past, but hit hard times. This could be a person who, in the near future, will land a job as a radio host and never be homeless again. The point is that this is a person, with difficulties, a past, and — hopefully — a future.
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adj.
By Andrew Fraieli
Title 42 U.S. Code § 11302 (1) an individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; (2) an individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; (3) an individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for lowincome individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing); (4) an individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided; (5) an individual or family who— (A) will imminently lose their housing, including housing they own, rent, or live in without paying rent, are sharing with others, and rooms in hotels or motels not paid for by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, as evidenced by— (i) a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days; (ii) the individual or family having a primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel and where they lack the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days; or (iii) credible evidence indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days, and any oral statement from an individual or family seeking homeless assistance that is found to be credible shall be considered credible evidence for purposes of this clause; (B) has no subsequent residence identified; and (C) lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; and (6) unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes who— (A) have experienced a long term period without living independently in permanent housing, (B) have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, and (C) can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.
As written in the McKinnely-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
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THE POLICIES & LAWS OF FLORIDA CITIES Story by Kristen Grau
If
you’re homeless in Jacksonville, the city will provide you showers, food and mental health counseling. But if you’re homeless in West Palm Beach, the city will blast incessant children’s music to drive you away. When it comes to being homeless in Florida, you might have a drastically different experience depending on which city you reside in; some cities have more resources and a better track record than others, whereas some don’t even have homeless shelters. Each city comes with its own benefits and challenges. Here’s a glimpse into some major Florida cities’ homeless climate with telling examples of how law enforcement and city officials treat the homeless. They are listed in no particular order.
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West Palm Beach Homeless Population: 1,332
Orlando Homeless Population: 2,010
Last year, Orlando launched a “Downton Ambassador” program, where 12 city employees — not law enforcement — monitor the area and report “aggressive panhandling,” their website says. However, the Orlando Weekly said they observed a “lackadaisical effort” when they observed them in action last year. In 2014, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer started an initiative called Housing First. It’s aimed at providing permanent, stable housing for homeless people and veterans. According to the program’s website, Housing First has moved 385 chronically homeless people — people who have been homeless for at least a year — as of 2017. Some of the cities’ major homeless advocacy organizations back the program, including Pathlight HOME, Homeless Services Network and the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness.
§ Key West
The Palm Beach Post reported in July that the city used music as a deterrent for homeless people on the patio of an expensive pavilion. Specifically, two repetitive children’s songs known as “Baby Shark” and “Raining Tacos.” The songs reportedly would be put on a loop all night long. There are also zero homeless shelters in Palm Beach County, according to the Post. There’s one still being discussed in Lake Worth Beach. However, The Downtown Development Authority has a program similar to Orlando’s Downtown Ambassador program called the “Downtown Clean Team.” The team is made of former homeless people who clean the downtown area while reaching out to current homeless people along the way.
Jacksonville Homeless Population: 1,959
The homeless population in Jacksonville has been decreasing, but access to affordable housing still remains limited in Northeast Florida. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s Downtown Homeless Task Force is, however, providing resources for homeless people during the day. One of the biggest examples of that is the city’s new Urban Rest Stop, equipped with a mental health resource center. According to the Florida TimesUnion, around 75 people visit the rest stop each day. It provides laundry services, showers, housing applications, computers, food and more.
Ft. Lauderdale Homeless Population: 2,302
Ft. Lauderdale gained national attention when officers arrested three people for feeding the homeless — one of whom was 90 — at a downtown camp. But in 2018, a federal court ruled that organizations feeding the homeless was subject to First Amendment protection, the Sun-Sentinel reported last year. The city relocated most of the homeless in that same downtown Ft. Lauderdale camp into hotels as part of a new housing plan. The city has been working on a lowincome apartment complex that was to originally have 680 apartments, but will now have 500, according to the Sun-Sentinel. While the complex is under construction, according to the same reporting, all but seven of those driven out were provided housing.
Miami
Homeless Population: 4,235 Miami officials have recently rolled back several protections homeless people in the county had. In February, the city abolished its Pottinger Agreement, a rule that has prevented police officers from arresting them or seizing their property since 1998. Miami argued the agreement wasn’t necessary anymore because of additional services and more police trainings, the Miami Herald reported. Most recently, in June, the city broke up homeless camp comprised of sex offenders. It’s especially difficult for homeless sex offenders to settle into a location, as a local ordinance requires they can’t live within 2,500 feet of a school. On top of that, they can’t live within 1,000 feet of day care centers, parks or playgrounds — nor can they live in public housing. Miami has been passing these restrictive laws since 2018, a report from The Marshall Project found.
§ Tampa
Homeless Population: 575
Homeless Population: 1,817
The center of homeless life in Key West is a shelter next to a Stock Island jail called Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter (KOTS), which holds about 150 people every night. According to its website, it houses over 300 unique people every month. However, local officials and nearby residents debate its future. For several years, the Miami Herald reported, residents and Monroe county officials have pushed for its relocation, but the city wants it to stay. The last deadline the county gave was Sept. 27 of last year, but the city missed it. The new deadline is Sept. 27 of this year with no plans to move it yet, according to the Herald. The reason officials are torn on what to do with KOTS is because of their conflicting preferences for what to do with the land on where KOTS is and where it’s been proposed to move. City Sheriff Rick Ramsay wants to build officer housing where KOTS is currently, while the city wants to use the new proposed location for low-income housing, the Miami Herald reported.
In 2012, CBS News reported that the Tampa-St. Petersburg area had the highest rate of homelessness in the country. But in 2019, Tampa is making serious efforts to make sure that doesn’t happen again. The non-profit Dawning Family Services launched a campaign to fund a three-story emergency shelter for $8 million on Aug. 29, the Tampa Bay Times reported. It’s expected to hold up to 250 people for around 90 days. Another non-profit, the Homeless Empowerment Program, wants to partner with Tampa officials and the school district to build more permanent housing, according to the Times. The school district hopes this widens the pool of entry-level workers, something the local schools are experiencing a shortage of. It’s unclear when these plans will be formalized. But in early August, Project Return, a non-profit that provides housing for some of Tampa’s mentally ill residents, sold the apartment complex it owned, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Project Return gave its over 20 tenants less than two months notice, scaring many of them, which forced outside advocacy organizations to assist those moving out.
St. Petersburg Homeless Population: 2,777
St. Petersburg is known for its Rapid Rehousing program, where homeless people can move in someplace for a short period of time — up to six months — while they try to find employment. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, research suggests this program shortens stretches of homeless more effectively than shelters or traditional housing. The city began this in 2016. The police department also launched a Police Assisting the Homeless unit (PATH). These officers regularly visit and offer help to the homeless, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Some services PATH provides is transportation to shelters (or the Veteran Affairs Healthcare System for veterans), buying personal hygiene necessities and even buying bus tickets for them to travel. The Times said the unit had made 2,169 contacts with the homeless, with 923 accepting help.
The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019 7
Looking for fun and friendly newspaper vendors interested in becoming their own boss. Contact Ginny 386-758-8080
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The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019
THE MANY LAWS OF FLORIDA’S PANHANDLING Story by Maria Mor
St. Petersburg - Banned: • In downtown commercial areas • Near banks or ATMs • At bus stops and public transportation
Kissimmee - Banned: • Near banks or ATMs • At bus stops and public transportation • From sundown to sunup - Illegal to wear a military uniform while panhandling or imply that you are out of town and stranded. - If someone says “No” you cannot follow them or be within 3 feet of anyone to ask for donations
Orlando - Banned: • Asking for money or receiving donations from cars that are stopped at red lights, stop signs, or exit ramps • At ATMs • While blocking a parking lot • In a large audience such as people eating or watching a performance
Ft. Lauderdale - Banned: • In public city parks • City parking lots, government buildings, and near sidewalk dining areas (within 15 feet) • On beaches, beach sidewalks, and main avenues
Boca Raton - Banned: • Collecting money, passing out pamphlets, or waving signs - Must remain on sidewalks and road shoulders - Can no longer wonder into busy intersections
W
e either scramble for our bag in search of a couple dollar bills trying to beat the traffic light, or we lock our car doors and quickly avoid eye contact. Maybe we make a snarky comment about the beggar looking for some loose change; possibly, we send them prayers of hope and good faith. However, how often do we sit in our cars at those red lights and question if panhandling — the act of begging for money on the street — is actually a legal act? It turns out that each of the fifty states have settled regulations on the matter. In Florida, panhandling is a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine up to $500. The Sunshine State also ranks the highest in arrests for panhandling, with Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach County having most of them. According to statewide data presented in a lawsuit filed by Southern Legal Counsel, 1,000 arrests have been documented since 2017 in those three counties. The Florida Police Department often warn panhandlers days in advance before any new ordinance takes place, and, during face-to-face interactions, sheriffs always tend to give a warning prior to an arrest. If the subject does not cooperate after the warning is issued, they are taken into custody. The laws are mostly focused on roadways, making it illegal to obstruct highways, streets, or roads. Yet, depending on where you live in the state, begging may or may not be an illegal act depending on the city’s own statutes on it. Here are those statutes for some major cities.
Panhandling in the US Circuit Split on Criminal Statutes Below are the state laws for the rest of the country on panhandling’s legality. It is important to note that, in all 50 states, acting in a threatening way, continuing to demand money after someone says no, or blocking someone’s path is illegal — which national authorities define as aggressive panhandling. • The First Circuit: Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island has found that statutes banning median panhandling are unconstitutional, but laws prohibiting “aggressive panhandling” are OK • The Fourth Circuit: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia ruled that “panhandling and solicitation of charitable contributions are protected speech” • The Sixth Circuit: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee ruled that begging is protected by the First Amendment • The Seventh Circuit: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin upheld a ban on an oral request for money right now • The Ninth Circuit: West and West Coast, has held that day laborers have the right to solicit work, but airports can ban solicitation.
Some cities criminalize the act of giving to the homeless, like in 2014 when two pastors and a 90 year old man were arrested in Fort Lauderdale for feeding people in need. Similarly, in 2011 the antipoverty group Food Not Bombs were taken into custody for feeding the poor at a local Orlando public park.
Miami - Banned: • Asking for money in tourist areas at all • Within 20 feet of a bank, ATM, or parking payment machine
Daytona Beach - Banned: • Within 20 feet of an entrance or exit of commercial zones, bus stop, public transportation facility, automated teller machine, and any parking areas • In public restrooms operated by a government agency • After the sun goes down • Overaggressive panhandling: defined as acting in a threatening way, continuing to demand money after someone says no, or blocking someone’s path - $200 fine and an arrest for people who solicit in newly outlawed area
Tampa - Banned: • Aggressive panhandling, defined as acting in a threatening way, continuing to demand money after someone says no, or blocking someone’s path
Ocala - Banned: • Within a 20 feet boundary around business entrances and exits • At Bus stops and other public transportation • ATMs and similar machines • Parking lots/garages/meters/pay stations • Public restrooms and gas pumps • After dark – between half an hour after sunset until half hour before sunrise - Before the revamping of the panhandling ordinance only ATMs had a non-panhandling law set a 15 feet
For local non-profits or alternative giving campaigns, check out HOPE South Florida, Food For the Poor, Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, and the COSAC Foundation that publishes this newspaper. Remember, just a small dosage of human decency goes a very long way!
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An Execellent Way Ministries Visits The Veterans Inn Story by Andrew Fraieli
A
n Excellent Ways Ministries has recently committed to bringing dinner for the residents of the Veterans Inn every month, hosting the first a month ago and the next on September 1. They set up tents and music giving everyone on the property something to eat and a kind word. Originating in Lake City, where the Veterans Inn is located, the resource center is led by Pastors Simon and Dorenda Middleton
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Tammy Cononie
Independent Beauty Consultant Enriching Womens Lives ™
Check out our new Homeless Outreach iPhone App! Download our app, snap a photo and tag your location
11965 Swooping Willow Rd Jacksonville, FL 32223 904-607-0971 ccononie@yahoo.com
We are in Need of Donations 4700 SW 51st Street Suite 208 Davie, FL 33314 Phone: (954) 924-3571
Canned Goods Coffee Peanut Butter Water Grocery Store GC’s Boost or similar shakes Mayonnaise Eggs liquid Pancake syrup Soda
Call or Drop off Tuesday-Saturday 11 am- 6pm The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019 11
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The Homeless Woman’s Monthly Struggle 12 The Homeless Voice | Vol. 20 Issue 7, 2019