Homeless Services

City is taking steps to help homeless Street homelessness is the most visible and disturbing form of extreme poverty in Baltimore ("City's homeless get frozen out," Dec. 6). Two winters ago, the city opened a small overnight emergency shelter only on nights when the temperature dipped below freezing. Last year, in an important step forward, the winter shelter was open overnight all season. This year, for the first time, Baltimore has opened a 24-hour shelter where the homeless can receive critical services, including help finding permanent housing.

As Baltimore awaits the reorganization of a downtown soup kitchen, a national homeless advocacy group criticized the city yesterday for becoming more hostile to the poor.In its annual report on homelessness, the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty cited three examples of Baltimore getting tougher on the homeless:Plans to move Our Daily Bread. Downtown business leaders want the Cathedral Street soup kitchen that feeds up to 900 people a day moved. In return, business leaders offered to help build and pay for a more comprehensive services center in another section of the city.

The YWCA of Greater Baltimore offered yesterday to take over the Elan Vital Center, an Owings Mills job training program for homeless women that last week announced plans to close amid government reviews of its policies.The YWCA could assume operation of the 20-bed facility by the anticipated closing date of Oct. 29 "if the funding is in place," said Rosalyn Branson, the organization's chief executive officer."It's the kind of work we do," said Branson, whose organization runs a job training center in Glen Burnie and shelters in Baltimore and Baltimore County.

Homeless, other poor still have difficulty finding $268 housingWhile in Baltimore recently, President Clinton announced Housing and Urban Development awards for homeless services ("President gets warm reception," Dec. 24).This was good news for Baltimore and the nation. For the first time in years, Congress approved increases for homeless programs. However, these funds will not begin to address the housing problems homeless people encounter. The need for affordable housing continues to exceed availability.

Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke announced yesterday the formation of a Task Force on Homelessness designed to duplicate the effort of a similar Miami board of business, education, religious and political leaders.The 12-year mayor, who will step down in December, said at his weekly news conference that the task force is being formed as an outgrowth of the recent debate over the location of Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.Last year, downtown business leaders suggested moving the popular soup kitchen from Cathedral Street and out of the path of redevelopment.

Homeless, other poor still have difficulty finding $268 housingWhile in Baltimore recently, President Clinton announced Housing and Urban Development awards for homeless services ("President gets warm reception," Dec. 24).This was good news for Baltimore and the nation. For the first time in years, Congress approved increases for homeless programs. However, these funds will not begin to address the housing problems homeless people encounter. The need for affordable housing continues to exceed availability.

As Timothy Shands lighted a candle yesterday at the ninth annual Homeless Person's Memorial Day vigil, he thought of the possibility that he, too, could have died on Baltimore's streets."

RECENTLY, suggestions to move the Our Daily Bread soup kitchen and Health Care for the Homeless away from Baltimore's core business district have sparked interest in the creation of a "homeless campus" away from downtown.The issue emerged just as the Maryland Food Committee and Action for the Homeless were merging to become the Center for Poverty Solutions or CPS. In response, the leaders of CPS decided to investigate homeless campuses and related programs to help Baltimore in choosing an effective approach to homelessness.

Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke said yesterday that he wants to build a hotel-like residence downtown for homeless people, the elderly and students.The residence, modeled after a similar project in New York City, would provide city services, job training and health care. Residents, who would also include individuals who are mentally ill, are expected to use the facility as a stepping stone to VTC independent living or as a permanent residence."It would provide services and basic human needs," Schmoke said.

Two blocks south of where President Clinton spoke yesterday, a line of poor and hungry East Baltimore residents stood outside the Helping Up Mission in bone-chilling weather waiting for food.As a bread truck arrived delivering rolls, the dozen people standing on East Watson Street agreed that despite being down and out and depending on handouts, they're much better off with Clinton than without. "He means a lot to us," said Sharnita Brooks, 26, of East Baltimore.Clinton's warm reception in Baltimore stems from the aid the city receives from U.S. programs.

With six months to go before moving into their new $15.5 million building on the Fallsway, Health Care for the Homeless officials gave Mayor Sheila Dixon a hard-hat tour Thursday. The three-story building with a partial green roof is walking distance from Our Daily Bread and the city's planned 148-bed emergency shelter and housing resource center. Dixon said having homeless services in one area "maximizes the support people need to get back on their feet." Jeff Singer, president and chief executive officer of Health Care for the Homeless, said the buildings' proximity to one another will "promote synergy" because the providers can walk people from one place to the next and save on transportation.

Using the site of a proposed homeless shelter as a backdrop, Mayor Sheila Dixon announced yesterday that Baltimore will get $31 million in federal funds for homeless services, including $9.5 million in emergency funds under the economic stimulus package. Separately, the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation said it has pledged $1.8 million of the estimated $8.2 million cost of the proposed shelter, which would be called the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Housing and Resource Center. The facility, to be on the site of a city building at 620 Fallsway, would be a "modern, clean and welcoming addition to this community," Dixon said during an afternoon news conference.

The call came to Greg Sileo's City Hall office on a day in late November. A 22-year-old father needed help. The mother of his two children had left them, he was out of work and homeless; he, his year-old son and 2-year-old daughter had slept in an abandoned house the night before. Within 48 hours, Mr. Sileo brought to bear all that Baltimore Homeless Services could provide, and the young family moved into a two-bedroom, semi-furnished apartment thanks to a helpful landlord. City social services found day care for the children, so the dad could participate in job training for which he qualified.

Many people in Baltimore want to do something to help the homeless residents of our city. But as we at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church have learned, some ways of helping end up doing more harm than good. Ten years ago, our church acquired the park that lies at the foot of the Jones Falls Expressway. In an agreement with the city, the Baltimore Archdiocese and the Maryland Historic Trust, we agreed to keep the park as a park. When it became private, we allowed homeless people to sleep there.

Until two months ago, Tammye Brooks had a job and a roof over her head in Brooklyn Park. But the 52-year-old woman lost them both and, desperate, moved to Baltimore, where she lives in a downtown shelter. Brooks, a longtime Anne Arundel County resident, now counts herself among the city's homeless population. She's also one of hundreds - potentially thousands - of people who were expected to be counted and surveyed yesterday during Baltimore's biennial effort to tally its number of homeless people.

One of the oldest and best-known AIDS clinics in the state, Health Education Resource Organization, better known as HERO, will shut its doors within weeks. City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein said the city and state health departments and Baltimore Homeless Services - the three agencies that oversee the bulk of HERO's federal grants - decided to "move those grants to other providers," by mid-December. "From my perspective, this is a decision to protect the patients," he said.

City is taking steps to help homeless Street homelessness is the most visible and disturbing form of extreme poverty in Baltimore ("City's homeless get frozen out," Dec. 6). Two winters ago, the city opened a small overnight emergency shelter only on nights when the temperature dipped below freezing. Last year, in an important step forward, the winter shelter was open overnight all season. This year, for the first time, Baltimore has opened a 24-hour shelter where the homeless can receive critical services, including help finding permanent housing.

Glauber chosen as homeless services chief for the city Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon announced yesterday the appointment of Diane Glauber as chief of the city's homeless services division. The division provides street outreach and shelter to homeless individuals and families in partnership with local nonprofit groups. Glauber, an attorney and long-time affordable-housing advocate, takes over where her predecessor, Laura M. Gillis, left off. Gillis resigned in November, in part because she said it was taking too long to transfer the agency from public entity to private nonprofit group.

The head of Baltimore's homeless services division has resigned, pointing to frustration over the slow pace of the agency's transition from public entity to private nonprofit group as a major reason for her departure. Laura M. Gillis' last day on the job was Tuesday, two weeks after city officials, including City Council President Sheila Dixon, unveiled a work group made up of business and social service professionals that will create a plan to end chronic homelessness in 10 years. City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein confirmed Gillis' resignation yesterday and praised her for her work during the past two years.

A fledgling program that moves homeless people with addiction and mental problems from the streets into subsidized housing is gaining momentum in Baltimore, where 25 people have been placed in 19 apartments since August, and city officials are moving to expand the program. Mayor Martin O'Malley and city Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein support plans to add about 80 more apartment units and about 10 staff positions to the "housing first" initiative. Sharfstein said he is working with Baltimore Homeless Services Inc., a nonprofit arm of city government, and drug addiction and mental health officials to find additional money.