A Life of Adventure, Empowerment, Activism, and Dancing

This dream was shared by Kate Towson, a 23 year old living in Sacramento working for Sacramento Steps Forward, an organization that creates initiatives to rally the community towards a shared and collective effort to end homelessness.

My dream is to make everything an adventure and to never be afraid to strike out on my own….i want to travel the entire African continent, and empower communities to treat their women equally…i want to help this country enact laws guaranteeing all gay men and women can be married….and i want to make sure i spend each weekend dancing/at a concert

In December of ’09, Kate sent us an update on her work in Sacramento…

Here is some good news from Sacramento:

Well, two things actually. Yesterday we had our Policy Board meeting, which Sacramento Steps Forward helps coordinate and execute. Very fancy pants. The mayor chairs this Board and its staffed by city councilmembers, service providers, big businesses, etc. Its like the exact opposite of all our other Committees (which is mostly homeless people, nuns, rabbis, outreach and social workers and college kids)…but, its the most powerful in the sense that the decisions made there usually become a reality.

First thing that happened? The Policy Board ruled to approve Stepping Stones. Stepping Stones is the “official” version of Safe Ground, which I spoke about in my last post. Stepping Stones would be a permanent, transitional encampment. Homeless people will live in Tuff Sheds for up to one year, and while living there access services like resume-writing, job-hunting, free medical care and other empowerment tools. Also, they’ll be food, showers, toilets and SAFETY. All in all, a very good thing and about 1/18 the price of placing a homeless in jail or the ER (which is normally how cities handle the homeless). For example: It would cost the county (i.e.: taxpayers) $170/night to imprison a homeless person for one night to “get them off the street”. To place a person in a temporary homeless shelter, it costs approx. $50/night. To place a person in a Safe Ground/Stepping Stones….a whopping…THREE DOLLARS/night. See how we’re saving people money while also fixing a heinous human rights violation? Oh  my goodness, I do believe everyone wins. (For other Stepping Stone examples, check out the Dignity Village in Portland…)

Second thing that happened? We met a family that was homeless and who now has a home! Last year, HUD gave funds towards a project called Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, or HPRP as we call it around town. Its for people who are recently homeless and have an income, whether its working a job or receiving disability or general assistance funds. You apply for HPRP, find a place to live on your own, and then HPRP pays for it!

This family had lost their son on December 1, he had died. They lost their home a few days after. The husband can’t work because of a back injury and the wife works around the clock at two jobs. They also have an 8 year old daughter. Needless to say, they couldn’t keep up with rent and living costs, and so they lost their home. They were devastated, until they found out they could apply for HPRP. In less than 20 days….they had a new home. In less than 20 DAYS. Doesn’t that just warm your heart and soul? Without HPRP, this family would have been in and out of shelters, or even living down by the river or in a tent city. With an 8 year old…

They spoke to us of hope and dreams and never giving up. They were just SO HAPPY. I mean, really, just the happiest two people I’ve ever seen.

Its proof that some of these initiatives are working. Its also proof that homelessness is a problem we can solve.

I really wish you could have been there to see it…I’ve never seen smiles so big.