Vote for senators
University of Central Oklahoma
America not too healthy WASHINGTON (AP) — The American Public Health Association says the United States lags behind other developed nations in public health with Arkansas bringing up the rear. "State governments across the country are cutting back on basic services, due in part to reduced federal support and a depressed economy," the organization said. The study listed Arkansas as the only state whose public health was ranked as consistently poor. The report considered such factors as access to care, environment, behavior, education, poverty and government spending. States scoring well in the report card included Hawaii, Maryland, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. "Given the nation's poor performance in public health relative to other developed countries, however, even the highest ranking states may take little satisfaction in their performance," the organization said in its report.
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Student Voice Since 1903
THURSDAY November 12, 1992
Unsheltered faces By Tami Watson Staff Writer Homelessness, once a topic of great concern, has been pushed to the wayside. By ignoring the topic, the American public hoped the problem would go away. But it hasn't. In fact, it's getting worse, said Eugene Daniels, homeless representative within the Department of Human Services.
THE PROBLEM "Homelessness is slowly increasing due to the economy and other factors," said Daniels. Poverty due to the bad economy is the No. 1 factor, but the increase in the number of single-parent families, lack of affordable housing and high health care costs also add to the problem, said Daniels. "High health care costs can cause the wage earner of the home to lose a job," said Daniels. "Affordable housing is also a big problem. Oklahoma doesn't have a problem with available housing, like many states do; there is just not a large amount of affordable housing available." Daniels said the economy has also resulted in a decrease in donations to shelters and missions for the homeless. "Funding is always a problem," he said. "People want to help, but they can't. It's a domino effect." Christine Byrd, program developer for the Jesus House said the poor economy has hurt the five Oklahoma City area shelters that she supervises. "We have increasingly seen less funding from private donations," she said.
..cle4VAWNWP/74
HOW THEY ARE FUNDED
Seniors keep growing WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Census Bureau study takes a look at the graying of America. The 1990 Census counted 31 million people aged 65 and over. Government projections indicate that group could reach 68 million or more by the middle of the next century. Better medical care has sharply increased the share of the population that reaches old age.
A survey taken last year by the DHS shows that most shelters in Oklahoma receive the majority of their money from churches. "We sent the survey to 106 shelters and 77 of them responded," said Daniels. According to the survey results, the shelters said they received 64 percent of their funding from church donations. "The majority of funding does come from churches. But, churches are also feeling the pinch of the economy. That means less donations from the largest donors," said Daniels.
WHAT'S BEING DONE DHS is currently looking for ways to provide low income housing, said Daniels. "We have also created task forces to better coordinate ways to provide more for less," he said. With the recent election of a new president, there is a chance of improvement in the economy. But if it doesn't get better, things are going to keep getting worse, said Daniels. "If we don't do better (receive more funds) and if the economy doesn't improve, we will see more struggling," said Daniels. "It will just keep getting worse." Photos by Mike Simons