I finally found time to hang out under the bridge, again. There are fewer people living on the side of the encampment lying closer to Tulane Avenue. I talked to two individuals, "Tennessee" and Charles, who stated that UNITY has been removing the individuals with medical problems and finding them housing in hotel rooms.
Funny enough, I was reading UNITY's website this morning, and found some data from a recent survey they conducted under the overpass. You can read the powerpoint presentation here. The survey focused on the prevalence of health conditions that can relate to morbidity in the homeless. Part of the conclusion discussed the removal of homeless individuals with higher risk for morbidity from the overpass.
Tennessee also stated that many homeless are being arrested and sent to jail, as well. NOPD is arresting individuals for standing on the side of the road with signs and panhandling, as well as for public drunkenness.
Walking further down the row, I met up with Steve from Homeless Pride. He also confirmed that UNITY has been removing people from the encampment.
I also met several individuals sitting closer to Canal Street, one of which had just arrived from Ohio. His house burnt down, and he came to N.O. with prospects for work (being that he is an electrician), and for the warm weather.
I also met a man who had just been told that he has diabetes and hypertension. He was pretty freaked out about this, as he had no IDEA that he ever had these conditions in the past. Hearing that I am a medical student, he asked me for help regarding procurement of medications. As I cannot prescribe drugs, I could only direct him to some nearby locations where medical care is being provided for the homeless. Apparently, he had already gone to a couple of places, and at one (he couldn't remember which), he was refused because he didn't "qualify"... he marched out without asking WHY he was unqualified for medications (I would really like to know). Another location told him that they did not have the funds available. I am going to return tomorrow with some more flyers for these guys, so they can get some medical care.
I moved out to the other side of the overpass camp (closer to the "Riverside"). It was definitely MORE built up than I have seen in the past. The people there seemed more resistant to UNITY, but I could not get a clear picture as to why. It SEEMS that they are looking for a more permanent solution than a hotel room. Many kept stating that broken down houses and buildings left over from Katrina should be re-built and used to house homeless.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A House for DALE!!
I apologize for the long break in blog posts... I've been dealing with exams and Spring Break.
After my last exam on Friday, I stopped by the I-10 bridge on the way to my car to chat with the homeless. I was lucky to catch up with Dale. He informed me that he found a house in the 9th Ward (I think I remember him stating that it was with UNITY). He's signed a lease for a year, and is working, gutting houses. I was so excited to hear the good news. Dale took his two dogs (he adopted another one, after some folks left theirs under the bridge) and all of his belongings from the encampment and brought them to his new place.
Although things are improving, they are FAR from perfect. Dale and I keep in touch via cellphone (as he has just acquired one), and I recently had another chat with him. Apparently his current employer is not paying him for the past several weeks of work. This is not an isolated incident. Many folks under the bridge have been complaining of the same thing. They have jobs in the hope that they will be able to raise enough income to get, and maintain, an apartment, but employers (mostly in the construction business) are taking advantage of the homeless' compromised condition.
Don't worry... there is more to come... so stay posted.
After my last exam on Friday, I stopped by the I-10 bridge on the way to my car to chat with the homeless. I was lucky to catch up with Dale. He informed me that he found a house in the 9th Ward (I think I remember him stating that it was with UNITY). He's signed a lease for a year, and is working, gutting houses. I was so excited to hear the good news. Dale took his two dogs (he adopted another one, after some folks left theirs under the bridge) and all of his belongings from the encampment and brought them to his new place.
Although things are improving, they are FAR from perfect. Dale and I keep in touch via cellphone (as he has just acquired one), and I recently had another chat with him. Apparently his current employer is not paying him for the past several weeks of work. This is not an isolated incident. Many folks under the bridge have been complaining of the same thing. They have jobs in the hope that they will be able to raise enough income to get, and maintain, an apartment, but employers (mostly in the construction business) are taking advantage of the homeless' compromised condition.
Don't worry... there is more to come... so stay posted.
Monday, February 25, 2008
A quick survey...
Hey, everyone... I've noticed that my blog is getting more traffic, so I was wondering how good this blog actually is. I have one survey question posted on the right side of this screen... if you could just pick one of the choices, so I have an idea as to how you feel about this blog, I would really appreciate it. If you have ANY suggestions about this blog, or our activities with the homeless, PLEASE e-mail them to me at dot.contiguglia@gmail.com
THANKS :)
THANKS :)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The documentary crew
Yesterday, Vinci and Harold arrived from New York to work on their documentary about the homeless of New Orleans, and Alison and I brought them around the city to scope things out. After discussing the situation in detail over some coffee, we all headed to the I-10 overpass so they could get some stories and video of the inhabitants. Dale, being a very talkative individual, gave a detailed description of his experiences being homeless. While they were taping him, I had the opportunity to chat with some other folks hanging around.
(Oh... and a side note, I mentioned bringing a homeless individual to the ER, last week... well, Dale told me that he has been in the hospital for the past few days, and no one has really heard from him... hopefully, he will recover soon)
One old man, Henry, came up to talk to me. He was studying to be an anesthesiologist at one point in his life, but blames his wife for making him change his plans and going to work in the oil fields for 15 years, instead. I did not get a story as to what ROLE his wife played in this change of heart, but he claims that this decision is what lead to his current state of homelessness. In order to prove that he had some medical education, he started naming various cardiac diseases along with descriptions of each disease, anatomical terms, etc... until I was convinced that he had gone to school... and I have to say that I AM convinced... he may know more about medicine than I do, actually. Apart from his medical education, he can draw, write (he plans on writing three books about his experience being homeless), and paint. He is from Baton Rouge and arrived in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). At the moment, he supports himself by taking odd jobs cleaning the New Orleans Arena and Superdome, as well as picking up soft drink cans. He told me that he has the option to leave the bridge now (must have met some kind of fortunate event, like a home from unity), but elected to stay for a little while and help his new found friends under the bridge. He believes that the best way he can help is by writing those books, and looks forward to getting started on them.
We continued getting film and talked to Steve, Homeless Pride's Vice President. He had been given a house by Unity, but had issues with his landowner. Eventually the landowner kicked him out, and he is now back under the bridge. He keeps a tight ship, watching out for everyone who comes through. He tries to keep crack dealers and hustling away from the tents around him, and I even saw him chase one individual away while we were there, yesterday. He receives donations such as soaps, wipes, paper towels, and distributes them to the folks around him. Alison and I talked to Steve for a while, and he informed us that there are a couple of other large homeless settlements. One is at "The Wall" where Elysian Fields meets the river, and at Audubon Park near the river (behind the Zoo). I was intrigued by this, and am planning to check out these locations. Of course, there are also MANY homeless staying in the hundreds (don't quote this number) of still-abandoned houses in the city.
As I was passing out more health care flyers, I met another man with some medical education. When I mentioned that I was a medical student, a man with no teeth and a half paralyzed face started spouting out the names of all the cranial bones to me. I was quite impressed. It seems that the homeless community has more of an educational background than many people think. I also met a familiar homeless individual, Morocca... he usually hangs out on the River-side of the encampment with a plush mickey mouse.... which sounds crazy.. but this man is actually NOT crazy... just extremely humerous. Everytime I head out there, he greets me with the mickey mouse and asks me where Toto is or if I have ruby slippers on (being that my name is Dorothy, I am quite used to this). Yesterday, he didn't have the mickey mouse, and with a pout, told me that someone stole it.
After we saw the I-10 overpass, we brought Vinci and Henry to the 9th Ward. They got a lot of video and pictures as we stopped at the breach site, and even ventured into an old gutted-out church. We also stopped at the Holy Cross Community, so they could see a recovering neighborhood. For those of you in New Orleans, you have to check out what Americorps did with the levee area near Holy Cross. There is a path along the water, complete with park benches... it's quite pretty.
Needless to say, it was a BUSY day.
I am working on getting a research project underway. I am not sure what the research will encompass, yet... as I have to talk to some people who are already involved with the homeless, and look at past research articles from other cities in order to determine which information is important, and what I should pursue. I feel that with actual, published data, the City and the local organizations can make better decisions and intervention plans regarding the homeless. Hopefully, I am not being OVERLY idealistic.
(Oh... and a side note, I mentioned bringing a homeless individual to the ER, last week... well, Dale told me that he has been in the hospital for the past few days, and no one has really heard from him... hopefully, he will recover soon)
One old man, Henry, came up to talk to me. He was studying to be an anesthesiologist at one point in his life, but blames his wife for making him change his plans and going to work in the oil fields for 15 years, instead. I did not get a story as to what ROLE his wife played in this change of heart, but he claims that this decision is what lead to his current state of homelessness. In order to prove that he had some medical education, he started naming various cardiac diseases along with descriptions of each disease, anatomical terms, etc... until I was convinced that he had gone to school... and I have to say that I AM convinced... he may know more about medicine than I do, actually. Apart from his medical education, he can draw, write (he plans on writing three books about his experience being homeless), and paint. He is from Baton Rouge and arrived in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). At the moment, he supports himself by taking odd jobs cleaning the New Orleans Arena and Superdome, as well as picking up soft drink cans. He told me that he has the option to leave the bridge now (must have met some kind of fortunate event, like a home from unity), but elected to stay for a little while and help his new found friends under the bridge. He believes that the best way he can help is by writing those books, and looks forward to getting started on them.
We continued getting film and talked to Steve, Homeless Pride's Vice President. He had been given a house by Unity, but had issues with his landowner. Eventually the landowner kicked him out, and he is now back under the bridge. He keeps a tight ship, watching out for everyone who comes through. He tries to keep crack dealers and hustling away from the tents around him, and I even saw him chase one individual away while we were there, yesterday. He receives donations such as soaps, wipes, paper towels, and distributes them to the folks around him. Alison and I talked to Steve for a while, and he informed us that there are a couple of other large homeless settlements. One is at "The Wall" where Elysian Fields meets the river, and at Audubon Park near the river (behind the Zoo). I was intrigued by this, and am planning to check out these locations. Of course, there are also MANY homeless staying in the hundreds (don't quote this number) of still-abandoned houses in the city.
As I was passing out more health care flyers, I met another man with some medical education. When I mentioned that I was a medical student, a man with no teeth and a half paralyzed face started spouting out the names of all the cranial bones to me. I was quite impressed. It seems that the homeless community has more of an educational background than many people think. I also met a familiar homeless individual, Morocca... he usually hangs out on the River-side of the encampment with a plush mickey mouse.... which sounds crazy.. but this man is actually NOT crazy... just extremely humerous. Everytime I head out there, he greets me with the mickey mouse and asks me where Toto is or if I have ruby slippers on (being that my name is Dorothy, I am quite used to this). Yesterday, he didn't have the mickey mouse, and with a pout, told me that someone stole it.
After we saw the I-10 overpass, we brought Vinci and Henry to the 9th Ward. They got a lot of video and pictures as we stopped at the breach site, and even ventured into an old gutted-out church. We also stopped at the Holy Cross Community, so they could see a recovering neighborhood. For those of you in New Orleans, you have to check out what Americorps did with the levee area near Holy Cross. There is a path along the water, complete with park benches... it's quite pretty.
Needless to say, it was a BUSY day.
I am working on getting a research project underway. I am not sure what the research will encompass, yet... as I have to talk to some people who are already involved with the homeless, and look at past research articles from other cities in order to determine which information is important, and what I should pursue. I feel that with actual, published data, the City and the local organizations can make better decisions and intervention plans regarding the homeless. Hopefully, I am not being OVERLY idealistic.
Friday, February 22, 2008
New Orleans' newest plan regarding homelessness
The Times Picayune (local newspaper) just published a front page story concerning the homeless, yesterday (you can read it here). Apparently, the plan is to take the homeless folks from under the bridge and put them into a few giant tents (equipped with triple bunks) where the homeless will recover from their mental illnesses, addictions, and social problems in several months, after which time, they will have enough money to leave the tent for an apartment of their own. I have not seen this alleged tent, yet.. but it's located on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. I'll probably check it out tomorrow.
The article states that there will be beds for 210 males and 12 females in two tents and one barn. Individuals who stay at this location have to be "clean." Those with severe mental illness will be referred elsewhere... but... where?
I'm trying to avoid throwing judgments out, but... if you read the article... it speaks for itself.
here are some (but not all) of the questions I have to ask about this operation:
* what is being done, regarding prevention of the spread of infectious disease (HIV, TB, flu, etc...)?
* The population of homeless in NO is ESTIMATED at 12,000 - 19,000 ... this camp only focuses on the folks under the bridge (a few hundred).... what is being done for the folks NOT under I-10?
* who is providing the outreach and counseling services? how about the medical services?
* how will law enforcement be approached?
* is there any infringement on these people's rights as they are shuttled away and kept in this camp?
*etc, etc, etc...
The article states that there will be beds for 210 males and 12 females in two tents and one barn. Individuals who stay at this location have to be "clean." Those with severe mental illness will be referred elsewhere... but... where?
I'm trying to avoid throwing judgments out, but... if you read the article... it speaks for itself.
here are some (but not all) of the questions I have to ask about this operation:
* what is being done, regarding prevention of the spread of infectious disease (HIV, TB, flu, etc...)?
* The population of homeless in NO is ESTIMATED at 12,000 - 19,000 ... this camp only focuses on the folks under the bridge (a few hundred).... what is being done for the folks NOT under I-10?
* who is providing the outreach and counseling services? how about the medical services?
* how will law enforcement be approached?
* is there any infringement on these people's rights as they are shuttled away and kept in this camp?
*etc, etc, etc...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
A Possible Documentary!!
Well, I have been contacted by Vincent Jean-Baptiste from New York, who is visiting New Orleans, this weekend. He is interested in filming a documentary on the homeless in the NO, and is coming down to check out the situation. Alison and I will be meeting up with him on Saturday... so stay posted to hear the details of THAT meeting. :)
WELCOME, VINCENT!!
WELCOME, VINCENT!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
City Council Meeting = DUD
Alison and I came out to City Hall this morning, in order to attend an alleged chamber meeting concerning the homeless. Much to our disappointment when we arrived at City Hall, we were informed that the meeting had been canceled. :( There was no word on whether the meeting will be re-scheduled... so, we're going to keep our ears open and find out what the deal is.
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