urbanSTL

DeBaliviere wrote:Excellent response, Inno.

Ken, may I ask where you live? Would you mind if your yard and the park your child plays in was consistently desecrated? Do you even have a child?

This really got me thinking. My house backs up to a playground. If a single homeless or non-homeless person showed up and shouted obscenities, urinated, etc. the whole neighborhood would go APE SH__. Just because this park is downtown, doesn't mean this should be tolerated.

But..but..they were there first. You uppity doopity dop loft dwellers have no right to complain.



I'm only 38 but remember when I was a kid and someone found empty beer cans along with a broken bong at the playground by us. APE SH__ would be a very good term to describe the way that people acted.

St. Louis gets federal money to help the homeless

By Jake Wagman

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

08/08/2008



ST. LOUIS — The Bush administration's homelessness czar was at City Hall on Thursday announcing nearly $1.8 million in federal and state funds to help homeless veterans.



Philip F. Mangano, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, joined Mayor Francis Slay and U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., to describe the efforts that will benefit from the new money.



The funding comes as St. Louis and other cities are celebrating a decline in the number of people on the streets. In St. Louis, according to Slay, about 12 percent of the homeless are veterans.



Among the $1.78 million that has been made available locally, $300,000 will be used by the city's Human Services Department for a "reintegration" program that will assist more than 160 homeless veterans with obtaining employment.



The city's Housing Authority will also receive 35 Section 8 vouchers for homeless veterans in the city.



Another $900,000 will go toward housing 50 veterans with substance abuse problems, mental illness or both at a renovated apartment building downtown, the old Days Inn on Tucker Boulevard and Washington Avenue.



An additional $360,000 has been tagged to help veterans who are ex-convicts.



The federal Housing and Urban Development Department recently reported that, last year, there were nearly 32,000 fewer people living on the nation's streets and in shelters than in 2006, part of a reduction in "chronic homelessness" since 2005.



"These are the numbers we've been waiting for," Mangano said.



Mangano's appearance Thursday comes three years after he was here to support the launch of a 10-year plan by St. Louis city and St. Louis County to abolish chronic homelessness. At least 290 such plans are in place across the country



Mangano said the focus must continue to be on eliminating homelessness instead of simply managing it. For more than 20 years, the priority of treating instead of curing was in place, he said.



"Someday, your children will go to a museum, see the 10-year-plan laying there under glass with your names on it and see what homelessness once was," Mangano said in a meeting with homeless service providers. "Won't you be proud?"



Well I guess the loft district will always be home to our homeless shelters....

^ Would they really be homeless if they had a home?



I think this will be good.. that is less people going to Larry Rice's shelter.



I was wondering what they were going to do with that Day's Inn renovation. The required income level is so low, anyone making more than minimum wage cant live there.

It's 85 more folks who will have homes and be off the streets. Although I don't relish the thought of 50 individuals with substance abuse / mental illness problems living across the street from me, I believe it's a better outcome for all than them staying with Jerry Rice. They'll be enrolled in effective programs to help them get better and won't be forced by Rice to loiter anymore.



But if 85 more homeless are bussed in from the county, then we have a problem.

What the funk? Is this an indication of the strength of the downtown rental market - that the Days Inn owners have to resort to this?

No, it's apparently not. Zink said that artifical income caps were created so low that hardly anyone could be allowed to rent there. Whose smart idea was this?



They had better choices of apartments to pimp out that aren't in such prominent places. Like those new ones by the ballpark. They're already income-restricted. Or what about building such things north of Washington?

innov8ion wrote: I believe it's a better outcome for all than them staying with Jerry Rice. They'll be enrolled in effective programs to help them get better and won't be forced by Rice to loiter anymore.



But if 85 more homeless are bussed in from the county, then we have a problem.

What's wrong with staying at Jerry Rice's? There are a lot of former NFL players who would be worse influences

I don't read this forum enough to understand each poster's particular affectations, so I apologize if this already has been explained: What's with all the "Jerry" Rice?

^ I have little to no respect for divisive charlatans. The tide will soon turn against Larry Rice via a newly-begun PR campaign against him and in support of the homeless and respect for the entire community.



Codes enforcing safety for the homeless in Larry Rice's NLEC and respect for the community have been ignored for years. This injustice must stop. We can help the homeless and increase respect for the community by enforcing our laws. Since Larry Rice doesn't abide by them, he will have to leave. Both the community and the homeless demand a better partner in the homeless care continuum.



Please view more details and participate here: http://www.urbanstl.com/viewtopic.php?p=132708

Wow, if you want a laugh, you should really read some of the comments over at the RFT from the larry supporters.. My favorite was from the St Louis Anti-Gentrification Committee... hee hee whoever they are... of course it was posted at 03:16 am.... I know that some bars close at 3am which makes sense as to why it was so incoherent...

I signed it. Is there a certain amount of signatures needed?

Yes, we are very, very close to reaching the number of signed petitions for our goal. The signatures keep pouring in by the hour. At last count there were at least 150 online, not to mention the paper ones in my hand.



Literally hundreds of people have signed the petition thus far.



The more signatures the better. Once we get the required number we will need as many people as possible to show up at the hearing to voice their support.



We have only been at this a couple of weeks and the response has been overwhelming. Tell your friends, spread the word, sign the petition.



We will not be intimidated.

We will not stand for idle threats.

We are not afraid.

NLEC must go.

bump for the online petition link:

http://www.petitiononline.com/NLECDetr/petition.html

gopher wrote:Yes, we are very, very close to reaching the number of signed petitions for our goal. The signatures keep pouring in by the hour. At last count there were at least 150 online, not to mention the paper ones in my hand.



Literally hundreds of people have signed the petition thus far.



The more signatures the better. Once we get the required number we will need as many people as possible to show up at the hearing to voice their support.



We have only been at this a couple of weeks and the response has been overwhelming. Tell your friends, spread the word, sign the petition.



We will not be intimidated.

We will not stand for idle threats.

We are not afraid.

NLEC must go.

Have you truly contemplated the results of closing the NLEC? Closing the NLEC does not solve the condition of the homeless - they will still be downtown, but now without a place to go. Before you make such an effort to close this center I would think you would want replacement facility/program up and running to address this situation.

jambalaya wrote:
Have you truly contemplated the results of closing the NLEC? Closing the NLEC does not solve the condition of the homeless - they will still be downtown, but now without a place to go. Before you make such an effort to close this center I would think you would want replacement facility/program up and running to address this situation.

Please stand on Wash and 14th for 10 min and see if these homeless are getting a "service" out of NLEC, or being used for it's own end.

NLEC DOES provide bedding for some homeless, but the cost to them is far worse than you imagine. They are housed with the sole purpose of promoting the cause of NLEC(aka Rice), rather than providing them means to break out of their misery.

Closing down NLEC will take some bedding away from the homeless, but also provide means for them to seek shelter and counseling from agencies that actually care about the homeless and "their" casue, rather than promoting their own agenda. Please do not think for a moment that this petition is against the homeless. It is against Rice.

jambalaya wrote:Have you truly contemplated the results of closing the NLEC? Closing the NLEC does not solve the condition of the homeless - they will still be downtown, but now without a place to go. Before you make such an effort to close this center I would think you would want replacement facility/program up and running to address this situation.

It can be relocated so it is not next door to a public park with children nearby that are subject to drug deals, drinking 40's of beer, and public nudity, etc. The city code is very specific about this and Larry Rice clearly violates it. I know that Larry Rice has received offers to have a new shelter built that meets code in a nearby location. He flatly refused because he doesn't care about helping the homeless - he cares about increasing visibility so he can increase fundraising. That's the same reason why he's advocating setting up a 1 acre squatter camp w/ tents downtown.



Larry Rice is not the pauper he claims to be. He has $40-50 million in assets. So why does he ask supporters to bring sandwiches to Lucas Park? He can afford to feed people with his $3 million budget.



Why does he not work with the Mayor's 10 year plan to eradicate homelessness? As an individual claiming to be a man of god, why does he divide the community by wrongly suggesting that residents don't care about the plight of the homeless. We do care -- we just detest Larry Rice's methods of exploitation. Why does he not care that all members of the community are respected?



Additionally, DHS is working to move toward the transitional housing paradigm. It is far more humane than shelters such as Larry Rice's. It would also be nice to see a separate organization provide a constructive shelter that will put Larry Rice out of business.



We need constructive partners in the homeless care continuum - not destructive, exploitative non-partners such as Larry Rice.



Since Larry Rice exploits the homeless, is uncooperative with the city, disrespectful to its residents, and blighted an area, it is past time this sinful, charlatan be forced to relocate.

I do not know how NLEC is run, and being a parent of 2 I would agree that the proximity to a park and the behavior you mention is not acceptable - period. The point I was trying to make was before you shut this facility down I would recommend a replacement facility/program be up and running so the homeless have a place to go.

^ That is very reasonable, of course.

There will be a news article concerning the petition tomorrow morning (8/14/2008) on KMOX, not sure about the exact time...

innov8ion wrote:



Larry Rice is not the pauper he claims to be. He has $40-50 million in assets. So why does he ask supporters to bring sandwiches to Lucas Park? He can afford to feed people with his $3 million budget.

Does Larry Rice have 40-50 million in assets, or is that the NLEC? How do you feel the $3M was spent unwisely? As was hinted previous post, do you believe it goes to fund an extravagant lifestyle for Rice -- expensive cars, mansions, etc.? If so I think the public would be outraged as soon as proof was provided.

Let's clarify by reading the court document that NLEC submitted.

http://www.martello.org/NLEC/Case_104-c ... 092004.pdf



Section 6:

"The approximate value of New Life's real estate assets and media holdings is $40 to $50 million dollars".



Section 29:

"... unrestricted assets of over $5,000,000 and citing its detailed fund raising plans, the current amount of cash on hand and its loan commitment of up to $3,000,000 from Cass Bank in St. Louis"



I'm not going to jump to conclusions, I am just stating facts. I'll leave it up to others to form their own opinion in the light of Rev. Rice's activities.



Oh and please don't "spit on a jack*ss yuppie."

As that could be a violation of Chapter 15 of the St. Louis City revised code *grin*

(it actually is...)

http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/cco/code/data/t1538.htm

I find the Jessica's law provision very interesting. Isn't NLEC within 500 yards of at least one school? I know at least for a while the Lyle Academy was housed in the International Shoe building.

Yes, it's within 500' of an elementary school. The Lyle Academy is a K-5

at 1509 Washington Ave Ste 800...



Oh and here's "seein' the peein'"