HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #14 Resolution of Support for House the Homeless, Inc. in its "Preventing Homelessness at Its Core" CampaignOCOPP
Florida
AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET
Meeting Date: February 18, 2014
Item # 11-1
Contact Name: Mayor Vander rift
Contact Number:
Reviewed Ely:
Department Director
City Manager:
Subject: Resolution of Support for House the Homeless, Inc. in its "Preventing Homelessness
at Its Core" camDaian.
Background Summary:
The attached letter and booklet were sent to the Mayor requesting the City of Ocoee's support for House the
Homeless, Inc. in its "Prevent Homelessness at its Core" campaign. Staff has revised the resolution into the City
of Ocoee's standard format, should the commission choose to adopt the resolution of support.
Issue:
Should the Mayor and City Commission support the resolution as requested by House the Homeless, Inc. and
direct the City Clerk to send a copy of the adopted resolution to the US Conference of Mayors?
Recommendations
Staff respectfully recommends that the Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners consider the resolution as
presented.
Attachments:
Resolution template from House the Homeless, Inc.
City of Ocoee Resolution
Letter from Richard Troxell, President, House the Homeless, Inc.
Booklet; Prevent Homelessness... at Its Core.
Financial Impact:
None
Type of Item: (please mark with an 'V)
Public Hearing
Ordinance First Reading
Ordinance Second Reading
Resolution
Commission Approval
Discussion & Direction
Original Document/Contract Attached for Execution by City Clerk
Original Document/Contract Held by Department for Execution
Reviewed by City Attorney
Reviewed by Finance Dept.
Reviewed by ()
For Clerk's Dept Use:
Consent Agenda
Public Hearing
Regular Agenda
N/A
N/A
N/A
RESOLUTION
WHERE AS, our nation's Municipalities are facing untold millions of dollars of tax payer costs to address and respond to
homelessness that include constructing emergency shelters, day drop in facilities, transitional housing units, single room
occupancy units, case management at various levels, the use of hospital emergency rooms as if they were health clinics,
creation and maintenance of parallel homeless court systems and police involvement to deal with "Quality of Life"
ordinances e.g. No Sit, No Lie, no panhandling, no feeding, no loitering, no camping etc. ordinances including the
creation and enforcement of drug courts, detoxification, treatment facilities, excess reliance on food stamps, excess
reliance on general assistance, on Temporarily Aid to Needy Families, TANF, Earned Income Tax Credits, EITC, and
WHERE AS, our parks and wooded areas have become occupied with people experiencing homelessness thus changing
and affecting their intended use for general recreational purposes and
WHERE AS, multiple studies have shown that while 90% of people experiencing homelessness are desirous of work but
half of all of these persons are so disabled that they cannot work or even access housing with the federal government
stipend (Supplemental Security Income, SSI, presently set nationwide at $710.00 per month or about $4.22 per hour and
WHERE AS, multiple studies have shown that the other half of all people experiencing homelessness who are capable
of work, are unable to obtain and retain base housing even by working 40 hours a week at the current Federal Minimum
Wage presently set nationwide at $7.25 per hour and
WHERE AS, several U.S. Conference of Mayors reports have indicated that a full 40 hour a week minimum wage
worker cannot get into and keep basic rental housing and
WHERE AS, both the Federal Minimum Wage and the Supplemental Security Income, SSI stipend, are set by a
governmental standards outside of the jurisdiction of the nation's Municipalities, and yet the outcome of these standards
create the financial conditions and burden as described above, and
WHERE AS, the antithesis of housing is homelessness and the antithesis of homelessness is housing.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the US Conference of Mayors is urged to bring this matter to the attention of
United States US House of Representatives and the United States Senate and call upon them to address the Federal
Minimum Wage and SSI Standards and that enactment of the change occur over a ten (10) year period that indexes both
the FMW and the SSI to the local cost of housing using the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD
Section 8 Fair Market Rents thus ensuring that a 40 hour a week minimum wage worker is able to afford basic food,
clothing, shelter (including utilities), and transportation wherever that work is done throughout the US and that any
person found to be disabled by the Federal Social Administration receive a stipend that ensures that they are able to afford
basic food, clothing, shelter (utilities included) and transportation. http:/ /bit.ly/UniversaiLivingWage2Ol
And
All US institutions such as the US military, or where our Youth are aging out of Foster Care, or people are leaving our
jails or prisons, hospitals, mental health institutions etc., should access discharge needs and immediately design plans for
the eventual discharge of any user into a safe housing environment rather than discharging them into homelessness.
Note. The Resolution reflects the document: Preventing Homelessness at it's Core with Preface is by Edgar S. Cahn.
Mayor
for the City of in the great state of
RESOLUTION NO. 2014-002
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA,
ENDORSING AND MAKING KNOWN ITS SUPPORT FOR
"PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS AT ITS CORE ";
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, our nation's municipalities are facing untold millions of dollars of tax payer
costs to address and respond to homelessness that include constructing emergency shelters, day
drop in facilities, transitional housing units, single room occupancy units, case management at
various levels, the use of hospital emergency rooms as if they were health clinics, creation and
maintenance of parallel homeless court systems and police involvement to deal with "Quality of
Life" ordinances e.g. No Sit, No Lie, no panhandling, no feeding, no loitering, no camping etc.
ordinances including the creation and enforcement of drug courts, detoxification, treatment
facilities, excess reliance on food stamps, excess reliance on general assistance, on Temporary Aid
to Needy Families (TANF), Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC); and
WHEREAS, our parks and wooded areas have become occupied with people experiencing
homelessness thus changing and affecting their intended use for general recreational purposes; and
WHEREAS, multiple studies have shown that while 90% of people experiencing
homelessness are desirous of work but half of all of these persons are so disabled that they cannot
work or even access housing with the federal government stipend (Supplemental Security Income
(SSI), presently set nationwide at $710.00 per month, or about $4.22 per hour); and
WHEREAS, multiple studies have shown that the other half of all people experiencing
homelessness who are capable of work, are unable to obtain and retain base housing even by
working 40 hours a week at the current Federal Minimum Wage presently set nationwide at $7.25
per hour; and
WHEREAS, several U.S. Conference of Mayors reports have indicated that a full 40 hour a
week minimum wage worker cannot get into and keep basic rental housing; and
WHEREAS, both the Federal Minimum Wage and the Supplemental Security Income
stipend are set by a governmental standards outside of the jurisdiction of the nation's
municipalities, and yet the outcome of these standards create the financial conditions and burden as
described above; and
WHEREAS, the antithesis of housing is homelessness and the antithesis of homelessness is
housing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The U.S. Conference of Mayors is urged to bring this matter to the attention
of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate and call upon them to
address the Federal Minimum Wage and SSI Standards and that enactment of the change occur
over a ten (10) year period that indexes both the FMW and the SSI to the local cost of housing
using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD Section 8 Fair Market Rents
thus ensuring that a 40 hour per week minimum wage worker is able to afford basic food, clothing,
shelter (including utilities), and transportation wherever that work is done throughout the U.S. and
that any person found to be disabled by the Federal Social Administration receive a stipend that
ensures that they are able to afford basic food, clothing, shelter (utilities included) and
transportation.
SECTION 2. All U.S. institutions such as the U.S. military, or where our youth are aging out of
Foster Care, or people are leaving our jails or prisons, hospitals, mental health institutions etc.,
should access discharge needs and immediately design plans for the eventual discharge of any user
into a safe housing environment rather than discharging them into homelessness.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of February 2014.
APPROVED:
ATTEST:
Beth Eikenberry, City Clerk
(SEAL)
FOR USE AND RELIANCE ONLY BY
THE CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
this day of , 2014.
SHUFFIELD, LOWMAN & WILSON, P.A.
CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor
DATE:
APPROVED BY THE OCOEE CITY
COMMISSION AT A MEETING HELD
ON , 2014
UNDER AGENDA ITEM NO.
BY:
Scott A. Cookson, City Attorney
In\ House the Homeless, Inc.
P.O. Box 2312 Austin, TX 78768 -2312
(512) 796 -4366 www HouseTheHomeless.org
www UniversalLivingWage.org
January 2014
Dear Mayor wn
-) Thank you for your leadership. We understand that municipalities and taxpayers across America are
presently sharing the difficult challenges of responding to Homelessness on both a human and financial basis.
Nationwide, our municipal budgets have exploded to include the creation of emergency shelters,
expanded police and court systems, over burdened our emergency health systems, etc. We are witnessing an
increased reliance on public benefits: food stamps, SNAP and Temporary Aid to Needy Families, TANF,
General Assistance, and we see a human presence in our parks, woods, and people living on our streets.
Our response has been reactive. It is now time to be preventative. Two Federal Standards are feeding the
creation of Homelessness: the Federal Minimum Wage relating to those who can work, and the Supplemental
Security Income, SSI, stipend for those who cannot work. As you know, the US Conference of Mayor reports a
40 hour, minimum wage worker is unable to afford basic housing. At the same time, the SSI stipend ($710.00)
is about half the Federal Minimum Wage or $4.22 per hour. As a result, we have full time minimum wage
workers & SSI recipients on our streets with checks in hand and yet unable to get into and keep basic housing!
To fix this, we are asking the Federal Gov. to index the Federal Minimum Wage to the local cost of
housing across America. This will restore opportunity and by using existing government guidelines, it will
ensure that a person working 40 units of work in a week, will be able to afford basic food, clothing, shelter
(utilities included) wherever that work is done throughout the United States. This will end homelessness for
over 1,000,000 minimum wage workers and prevent economic homelessness for all 20 million minimum wage
workers. We can also apply this to the SSI disability benefits with similar results. This will stimulate economies
as studies show that even nominal increases in these areas are spent right back into the local economy.
Enclosed please find our White Paper, Ten Year Plan, Endorsers, and Resolution that explore this
concept in depth and exposes the tremendous cost savings to municipalities and taxpayers as a result of
implementation.
We ask that you copy the enclosed document, Preventing Homelessness at its Core and distribute it to
your Council members. Please sign the Resolution and send it to the US Conference of Mayors with a copy to
us. Note- The White Paper has been sent to all members of Congress, all governors, cabinet members, and the
President. A copy of the White Paper is now being mailed to 1,424 mayors across the United States.
Thank you for your interest and support by asking the Congress to begin to address this crisis that they
have control over but that inundates your Municipality, which has no fiscal or political cost or downside.
Richard R. Troxell- President /CEO
Board Member- National Coalition for the Homeless
Author: Looking Up at the Bottom Line (The Struggle for the Living Woge)
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i v i ' Wa e
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Itor.drarnatic business savings)
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Discharge 'N'o One Into Homelessness Livable Incomes
Richard R. Troxell
2014 — House the Homeless, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Index 2
2. Preface /Forward — Professor Edward S. Cahn 5
3. The Condition of Homelessness — An Overview — Sue Watlov- Phillips 7
4. Executive Summary 14
5. Homelessness Prevention: A National Economic Stimulus 16
Prevention of Economic Homelessness
16
• Livable Incomes — The Universal Living Wage Formula — Solution 1
• Livable Incomes — National Approach — Solution 2 - Fixing the Federal
Supplemental Social Security Income, SSI Program
• Livable Incomes — . State Approach — Solution 3 — Fixing the SSI Stipend
• Discharge No One into Homelessness — Solution 4
A Brief Look at Current Practices to Combat Homelessness
The San Antonio Story
19
Combating Homelessness is Not Preventing Homelessness
21
The Yardstick
21
The Federal Poverty Guideline
22
The Federal Minimum Wage
23
Housing
23
6. A. Livable Incomes — Universal Living Wage
25
U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938
26
Others Affected by the ULW
27
Job Loss
27
Outsourcing
28
Inflation
28
Let the "Free Economy" be Free
29
2
Effect of the ULW on Housing 30
Homeless Prevention:
31
Livable Incomes and Discharge No One into Homelessness
6. B. Livable Incomes — The Universal Living Wage Formula — Solution 1
Work a 40 -Hour Week
31
Spend No More Than 30% of One's Income on Housing
31
Index the Minimum Wage to the Local Cost of Housing
31
FMR Standard
32
ULW Formula in Words
32
One Size Does Not Fit All
33
Established Practice
33
Local Wage versus State Wage
34
National Formula versus Local Initiatives
34
ULW Effect on Business and Tax Payers
35
Living Wages are Good for Business
36
Support Trades
36
High Turnover and Retraining Cost Savings
37
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
38
Stability Leads to Better Financing for Business and Families
39
Comparing Three Living Wage Standards
42
Standard 1: National Priorities Project
42
Standard 2: Economic Policy Institute
42
Standard 3: House the Homeless (Universal Living Wage Standard)
42
3
Conclusion of Delaware Housing Coalition's Search into the
Best Formula for Determining a Living Wage
What the Studies Show
Ten Year Plan to Enact the Universal Living Wage
6. C. Livable Incomes — National Approach — Solution 2 —
Fixing the Federal Supplemental Security Income, SSI Program
6. D. Livable Incomes — State Approach — Solution 3 —
Fixing the SSI Stipend
6. E. Federal and State Governments Sharing Fiscal Responsibility
6. F. Discharge No One into Homelessness — Solution 4
Hospitals
6. Discharge No One Into Homelessness
Prisons
7. Summary
8. Conclusion
Apendix A: Businesses, Unions, Non - Profit and Faith Based
Organizations that have endorsed the Universal
Living Wage formula and concept.
Iyj
43
44
46
48
48
49
50
50
58
59
61
M
PREFACE
HOMELESS PREVENTION is really two pieces. First, it is an analysis of how inadequate and
flawed our present efforts are — and second, it provides a set of carefully reasoned, well -
buttressed proposals that could make a real dent in both reducing and preventing homelessness.
The recommendations focus on outdated poverty standards, a minimum wage far below a living
wage, and the extent to which payments to those unable to work due to age or disability are
grossly inadequate. For Troxell, preventing homelessness begins by enabling people who work
to earn enough to have a roof over their heads. He reminds us that that's how Henry Ford created
the consumer market for his product. If everyone earns more, every one spends more. Higher
take -home pay lifts all boats. For those who can't work, Troxell would guarantee a sufficient
income to enable them to pay the rent.
If we suspend skepticism for a moment and pretend that rationality will prevail, the paper
provides an analysis of many of the counterarguments one can anticipate. Would cost of living
go up? Which jobs are being lost to lower -paid labor forces and which jobs will necessarily be
done locally? Would unemployment increase?
Troxell is not naive about the odds. Given his decades in the trenches on behalf of the homeless,
he documents how we have criminalized homelessness, tried to banish the homeless from sight
and conscience and then fallen back on blaming the victim. He knows that market theology
pervades much of our political discourse. Accordingly, HOMELESS PREVENTION tries to appeal
to rational self - interest. If a compelling cost - benefit analysis was all that mattered, Troxell has
provided the data and the argument.
When Troxell called me asking if I would contribute a preface, I told him that I am no economist
and that at best, all I could offer was the reaction of an interested lay reader. For me, what is
really at stake is not about economics as traditionally conceived. What is at stake is who we are
as a nation and how our monetary system itself devalues the most fundamental values upon
which this nation was founded. We have forgotten what it meant to say that the Creator endowed
us with certain inalienable rights — that amongst those are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness.
Troxell divides the world into two categories: those who can work and those who can't. I
warned him that from my perspective I questioned that divide. I believe that everyone has the
capacity to contribute to our well- being, that we all need each other. A monetary definition of
economics tends to omit or devalue what it takes to raise children, care for the elderly, make
democracy work, hold officials accountable, advance social justice or keep the planet
sustainable. I regard such contributions as work... even if the market does not value vast
amounts of essential contribution. I created TimeBanking because I felt we were imprisoned by
our fiscal monoculture where the sole medium of exchange, money, devalues those things we
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know are beyond market price. Price is based on scarcity — so money necessarily devalues what
is abundant: those universal capacities that define us as human beings.
HOMELESS PREVENTION focuses on what should be done within the monetary system. I have
' stepped outside that monetary framework by a complementary currency. So let me say where we
converge.
Both of us agree that the present distributive system does not enable all who work to earn a
sustainable livelihood. We both agree that people who work, who contribute, who produce value
should be able to enjoy a decent standard of living and a roof over their heads. We both call for
change. If all we have is the present monetary system, there are few options. We can rely on
charity, transfer payments, entitlements -- or we can move toward some version of Troxell's
recommendations regarding minimum wage, cost of living and social security. But I think once
we begin to think of the homeless and other groups — children, teenagers, the elderly, the
disabled, veterans — as a vast underutilized asset — other possibilities emerge.
Some of those alternatives are in use and some have been used in the past. The Earned Income
Tax Credit supplementing the wages of those employed takes us part way there. There are
substantial numbers of homeless veterans who have been unable to access the very rights
conferred them by a nation that owes them so much. But new efforts are underway to remedy
that. There are ways in which student debt can now be forgiven in return for extended public
service. In the past, teachers and doctors serving critically underserved communities have
received loan forgiveness.
TimeBanking -- a complementary currency earned by helping others and by addressing critical
needs -- radically expands the options available. One hour spent helping another earns onetime
credit, regardless of the market value of the work being done. All hours are equal in value. In
effect, this turns a community or a membership group into a vast extended family through an
exchange system that is not commercial, that advances charitable objectives and that the IRS has
ruled is different from barter. We are trapped right now by our definition of value as that which
is measured by money and must be compensated with money.
This White Paper is more than a set of recommendations. It is an indictment of a system that
relegates millions to needless suffering, deprivation and demoralization — and that defines the
homeless as a burden rather than as an invaluable asset.
. This piece makes clear the distance we must travel to realign our wage and benefit systems to
our core values. The gravity, the scale and the seeming intransigence of the problem should
inspire us to reach across present divides and to find additional ways to enlist all to address
intolerable disparities. It is time we undertook community by community to honor all
contribution made day in and day out by the homeless, by those working at unlivable wages, by
those who have returned from national service, by those unable to find employment but still
committed to helping each other. Even now, there are ways to reward ongoing contribution that
1
could reclaim habitat for all our brothers and sisters. My hope is that this paper will increase our
readiness to map alternative paths and our willingness to declare "No More Throw Away
People." We can do it. Thank you, Richard R. Troxell.
Edgar S. Cahn
Distinguished Professor of Law
University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law
Ashoka Fellow
Founder, TimeBanks USA
VA
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The Condition of Homelessness — An Overview by Sue Watlov- Phillips
Discharged to Homelessness became a phrase utilized to describe people being discharged from
various mainstream programs including but not limited to hospitals, MI/MD /CD treatment
settings, and prisons /jails with no place to go called home. This phrase became popular in the
late 1990s and early 2000s as we completed the second decade and entered the third decade of
this episode of homelessness in our country.
Unfortunately, the responses to homelessness have continued to be cobbled together often times
motivated by special interest groups to promote specific data collection that blamed
homelessness on individual problems, creating short sighted plans to address ongoing societal
structural issues through the homeless system, and creating a very expensive limited segregated
housing system called permanent supportive housing that maintained many people, now in
housing, labeled as homeless with some an additional diagnosis and classified them as
"chronic ", a medical term , which has inappropriately been used for over 13 years.
These inappropriate responses have helped to maintain the stereotypes of the media's image that
homelessness is the individual's problem. It has drained valuable resources and has significantly
impacted the availability of resources to prevent homelessness and rapidly exit people out of
homelessness into appropriate housing. It created a new form of segregated housing. This
inappropriate and inadequate response has allowed our society to ignore its responsibility to
address the structural changes required to ensure each person in our country has a home.
To Bring America Home, we need to create and maintain these structural changes:
1. create, maintain, and rehab safe, decent affordable and accessible housing for all,
2. create livable income employment and livable incomes for those unemployed and /or
unable to work,
3. create a single payer universal health care for all,
4. create access to education and job training for all, and
5. to honor and protect the civil rights of everyone.
As long as we continue to blame people experiencing homelessness on their individual
problems and on mainstream systems that are doing their jobs- providing treatment, rehab
services and then discharging them; it allows us as a society to not address fundamental
structural issues in our society that is creating and maintaining homelessness for millions of
our people in this country and allows the general society to identify people experiencing
'" homelessness as "those people" instead of our people.
Societal Changes:
The major societal changes which have occurred over the last 4 decades in our country include
access to housing, livable incomes, health care, education, and civil rights. These changes have
been instrumental in causing the growth of and maintenance of homelessness as we are now in
our fourth decade of growing homelessness, a phenomenon that while historical in the world, has
never occurred in our country's short history.
Major Structural Issues:
Housing: Until the early 1970s a person could rent an apartment just about anywhere in
the country working a part time or full time job. Housing availability and access were impacted
by:
a. the demolition of housing without one to one replacement, of housing,
b. the changes in the tax codes in 1986 that made it difficult for Ma and Pa landlords
to stay in business,
c. the white flight to the suburbs and new lot sizes, zoning codes which increased
housing costs and the push by the real estate industry to build larger and larger
homes and expansion of gated communities to keep certain types of people out,
d. increased costs of all building products,
e. the implementation of electronic criminal and credit checks to keep people with
more difficult histories from accessing housing and
f. the growth of urban areas as rural areas lost jobs.
Income: Changes affecting income over the past several decades have taken many forms:
a. the rapid increase in pace of moving from an agrarian society to an urban society,
b. think tank plans that have destroyed the family farm and created corporate farms,
c. 1970s- 1980s, the loss /reduction of mining, timber, fishing industries,
d. the decision to sign international trade agreements without US worker protections
such as tariffs- thus significant number of manufacturing jobs were outsourced to
third world countries which resulted in reduction of good union paying jobs,
e. the Real Estate and Banking deregulations that led to one of the largest scams and
stripping of homeowner equity in the mid 2000s to present date, have resulted in
millions of people losing their homes to the risk or actual foreclosure. This
deregulation continues to still threaten millions more as the credit requirements
6
have tightened. As a result, many people owe more on the house than it is
currently worth. This has driven millions of previous homeowners into the rental
market; thus creating greater demand than supply of affordable units in most
communities,
f, the expansion of out - sourcing jobs to temporary services within the country has
decreased the employer /employee loyalty relationship, and
g. wages and assistance to those unemployed or unable to work because of a
disability or being elderly did not maintain pace with the cost of housing, utilities,
food, health care and transportation.
Health Care: In the 1980s we changed from having the family hometown doctor to a
system called Managed Care. It was promoted in the 1980s to be the new idea to make
health available to all at an affordable price by setting up a major nonprofit health care
system. In reality it drove out of business the family doctors and community mental
health providers and replaced it with a system that did what its name said- Managed Care.
In other words, the individual had limited choices of which they could see and for how
long, the system was based on averages vs. individual needs. Thus many people didn't or
couldn't access services because they were inaccessible, not culturally appropriate or just
denied care because they didn't meet HMO standards. We made many CEO millionaires
at the cost of many people not receiving appropriate medical care - physical, mental and
physical health. There is a high correlation with those experiencing homelessness due to
inability to address their health care needs and /or because they couldn't pay the medical
bills their HMO wouldn't pay or were unable to get into an HMO plan due to pre- existing
conditions.
Treatment of the Mentally III: In the 1980s people in the United States began to realize
that people with mental health disabilities were being "warehoused" in mental health
institutions. Often, caretakers with no schooling and no formal training were acting as
' surrogate parents 24 hours a day for people with serious mental illness. The conditions of
overcrowding, abuse, and neglect were rampant. Civil liberty groups filed a number of
� lawsuits that led to a civil rights' movement for people with disabilities. The Civil Rights
of Institutional Persons Act empowered the United States Justice Department to file civil
suits on behalf of residents of institutions whose rights had been violated.
The advent of psychotropic drugs such as Thorazine and Haldol caused mental
health service providers to believe that they could successfully treat people on an
• outpatient basis. However, people's internal systems would make chemical adjustments
over time, and the invisible cords of connection would sever. As a result, and in
combination, many institutions having lost their clientele (their economic base of
10
support), they were closed down and tens of thousands of mentally ill persons became
homeless.
Today, as many as 40% of the people experiencing homelessness have serious
mental health concerns. Even if they are lucky enough to receive a stipend
(Supplemental Security Income, SSI) for their disability, the amount is merely $710.00
per month across the nation. This equates to $4.22 per hour. This is about half of the
Federal Minimum Wage ($7.25) which is wholly insufficient for a person to get into, and
keep, basic rental housing.
Almost as a natural progression, our nation's prisons have become the de facto
housing facilities for many of our nation's mentally ill. With limited inpatient beds
comes difficult access to long -term care. Many individuals have had to wait for months
for an inpatient bed to become available.
Education/ job Training. Until the end of the 1970s State Universities were typically
affordable for many in our society. Those unable to pay were often able to access student
loans or grants. Over the last 4 decades the cost of education has increased by over IOX
while income and loans /grants have not kept pace. The value placed on sports in our
college systems often over shadows the need for strengthening resources for training for
our medical, scientific, research, educational and humanitarian professions. Access to
affordable housing by students also impacts their ability to obtain a good education
because of the lack of their own personal stability. Subsidized Job Training for
unemployed and/or people with disabilities and livable jobs have often been replaced
with Job Search.
Civil Rights: While our Society made great gains in protecting and honoring Civil Rights
in the 1960s and 1970s we have been on a steady decline through a variety of tactics in
our society since then.
a. Voting- needing id or an address to vote - limits people with limited income or who
have moved or who have no home to exercise this fundamental right.
b. Criminal and Credit checks are used as discriminatory tools to limit people's
access to housing both rental and homeownership and jobs, including jobs that
required being licensed ( Doctors, Social Workers, Psychologists, therapists, etc).
c. Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), now required by the
Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, has created barriers for
people choosing to use the homeless systems.
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Prison Reform:
a. Shift in governmentally owned and operated prison institutions to privatization
and to a for - profit setting. This has led to an explosion of the creation of new
prison facilities throughout the nation. Additionally, this transfer led to further
cost saving measures including the reduction in prison health care, and the
reduction and elimination of educational opportunities for reforming inmates.
b. Change in laws that included enhanced penalties for Cocaine derivative use
(Crack) affecting black and poverty encased communities. Note, parolees not
eligible for federal housing, food stamps, TANIF, etc., further exacerbates the
challenge of escaping poverty.
c. Failure to address causes of recidivism.
Moral Out -Cry
Walt Leginski, (Retired HHS) in his writing a historical perspective of the episodes of
homelessness points out two key differences in our response to this episode of homelessness in
y
our country:
1. the lack of moral outcry to address this ongoing issue in our society, and
2. this is the first time we have talked about ending homelessness.
While many faith communities were actively involved in a movement in the late 1970s and
early 1980s, as the growth of this new episode of homelessness dramatically increased,
advocating for a society to address the structural issues while providing some direct services
to people at risk or experiencing homelessness.
Over the last 3 decades, this movement has been became a major industry of providers often
times more focused on increasing homeless resources through the McKinney Vento Act
(federal legislation) "researching people experiencing homelessness and their personal
issues" versus addressing the structural issues causing and allowing people to become
homeless. (See GAO 2010 Report). The Homeless Industry is now in my opinion the second
greatest obstacle to our goal to end homelessness.
The primary obstacle to ending homelessness is you and me. To a degree, we have failed
those in our community that lack the resources to access housing, health care, livable
incomes, education and job training, and we continue to discriminate and scapegoat them as
being different from "us ".
We, the privileged masses, that have enough resource- legally and illegally to get into
housing and purchase the services we need. We have little regard for those who can't and
blame them for not being like "us ".
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As a country that pledges each day to be: One nation under God, indivisible with Liberty and
justice for all, we are now a nation of haves and have nots. If you "have" you are good. If
you "have not," you are to blame for being in that situation.
As long as our response to people at risk or experiencing homelessness is based on that
philosophy, we may be doomed to a continued growth in homelessness.
If we dare to stand up again and be the nation that our Pledge of Allegiance says we are; we
will be able to look at our faiths' moral principles as a guide: to love and treat others the way
we want to be treated.
The reader is encouraged to try to apply for public benefits or get into the homeless system,
and live in a shelter or outside in your community for one week. Then ask yourself: Is that
how I would want to be treated if I lost my financial, family and health resources?
If the answer is NO; then join us in a national outcry/demand to use our tax resources both
tax expenditures /appropriations and provide the salaries needed to make the structural
changes to rp event and end homelessness in our country while providing a loving and caring
response (the way we would want to be treated) to meet the immediate needs of people at
risk or experiencing homelessness, and Bring America Home!
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Executive Summary
This paper outlines basic, pragmatic steps for preventing homelessness in the nation. The
paper examines homelessness in terms of poverty. We establish a pathway to prevent
y homelessness by creating Livable Incomes for those who can work (Universal Living Wage) and
for those who cannot work (fixing the National Supplemental Security Income, SSI system). We
have tried to stress the value of all people and all work. We cannot emphasize enough the
economic benefits to business and taxpayers alike with this approach.
The Paper also looks at the concept/tenet: Discharge No One into Homelessness. This is
the idea that at no time do we know as much about an individual as when they enter one of our
Institutions (e.g. Hospital, Prison, Military, Mental Health Facility, Youth Aging Out of Foster
Care, etc.) Therefore, we should begin to prepare for their eventual discharge into a safe housing
environment, immediately. This will also prevent their homelessness. The paper shakes out this
concept by looking at a pragmatic example... the Prison Institution (from two perspectives).
The paper opens with a framing preface from the brilliant Professor Edgar Cahn who
among many other remarkable accomplishments is credited with the creation of civil legal
services for poor people in America. Dr. Cahn opens his remarks with his vision to value all
human contributions and the need to identify them as a form of work.
This refreshing perspective is coupled with an insightful overview of the most recent
origin of homelessness in American by the indefatigable Sue Watlov- Phillips, practicing
psychologist, political activist and Board Member Emeritus of the National Coalition for the
Homeless. The paper then explores clear cut approaches to prevent homelessness in our nation.
W
1.
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The paper opens with a brief view of current approaches used to combat homelessness.
However, combating homelessness is not preventing homelessness, and the paper delves into the
four approaches to prevent homelessness:
1. Fixing the Federal Minimum Wage with a formula that ensures that if a person
works 40 hours in a week, they will be able to afford basic food, clothing, shelter
(including utilities), public transportation and access to emergency health care,
wherever that work is done throughout the nation. This will end homelessness for
1 million people, and prevent economic homelessness for all 20 million minimum
wage workers.
2.3. For those who cannot work, we suggest another approach — fixing the
Sunnlemental Social Security Income, SSI program form either a_ state or
national perspective. This will stop the current practice of placing a non-
sustaining disability check into the hands of our nation's disabled citizens who
due to these limited economic funds eventually find themselves living on the
streets of America with a check in their pockets.
4. Realizing that at no time do we know as much about an individual's needs as
when they have entered one of our major institutions, the paper proposes an
ethical standard and methodology for these institutions to devise their own
blueprint to "Discharge No One into Homelessness."
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Homelessness Prevention A National Economic Stimulus
-good for business
-good for the tax payer
-good for the American worker and the answer to several hard core American problems
Prevention of Economic Homelessness
This paper will discuss four primary methods of preventing homelessness and other less
impactful methods of preventing homelessness. The four principal methods of ending
homelessness include:
■ Livable Incomes — The Universal Living Wage Formula — Solution 1
■ Livable Incomes — National Approach — Solution 2 - Fixing the Federal
Supplemental Social Security Income
■ Livable Incomes — State Approach — Solution 3 — Fixing the SSI Stipend
■ Discharge No One into Homelessness — Solution 4
A Brief Look at Current Practices to Combat Homelessness
Let's be clear right from the beginning that if you come to this paper with any
preconceptions and prejudices about people experiencing homelessness and their worthiness, you
will need to realize that while there are no doubt those who suffer drug and alcohol addiction, or
a mental health or developmental disorder, by far, the vast majority of the conditions referred in
this paper are the direct result of a flaw in the American Dream thus moving it beyond the reach
of millions of desirous individuals.
Since our beginnings as a nation, we have referred to America as the "land of
opportunity," but for so many, it is now the lack of economic opportunity that has rendered them
homeless.
An often used method of assisting someone who has run into financial trouble is to
provide the individual with a grant to help that person bridge the economic gap in rental or
mortgage arrears. These are usually one -time assistance supports that will temporarily hold off
an eviction or a mortgage foreclosure with assistance. This support usually ranges from $25.00
to $200.00. Programs providing these funds such as churches, governmental entities, rarely ever
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follow up on the long -term success of their investment because dollars are scarce to begin with
and monitoring is costly. While possibly helpful at the moment of issuance, this is a superficial
response to arrearage, and it addresses no core issues such as unbalanced budgets where the
income is exceeded by monthly expenditures.
Another fairly popular prevention program is known as the Federal Housing and Urban
Development, HUD, Section 8 Program. This is a simple yet sophisticated preventative
program. It enables renters to rent housing that their budgets would otherwise not afford them.
Simplified, it works like this, for example, the landlord owns several properties in an area but the
populace in that area is unable to afford the $1,200 a month rent that the landlord wants to charge
for each of his properties. There are two needs to be met here. The landlord needs his asking
rental price to continue to operate his/her properties and the tenant needs to find affordable
housing. So in an effort to achieve both desires, the Federal Government steps in and writes a
check for say $200. This brings down the rent to an affordable level, $1,000) for the tenant and
the landlord gets his/her asking rental amount of $1,200.
This symbiotic relationship works well on a limited basis. Its success is limited however
to the amount of existing housing stock and by the limited number of landlords that are willing to
involve themselves with government programs that require additional paperwork and with
tenants who are inherently economically unstable. However, the program affords a limited
number of tenants access to housing in a neighborhood that they could not otherwise afford.
Also, the continued support of this program enables this household to maintain their housing and
prevent what might otherwise deteriorate into a homeless situation. This is basically a subsidy
program for landlords that simultaneously benefit the would -be renter.
Another tax supported homelessness program is known as "Permanent Supportive
Housing." This is also a federally funded housing program. It is designed to respond to the
condition of homelessness for people lacking housing who have persistent problems that include
at least one of the following: substance abuse /addiction or alcoholism or have a diagnosis of
mental illness or developmental disorder. This program is no doubt expensive and clearly a
responsive, after - the -fact program to people experiencing homelessness, but it does act to end the
condition of homelessness. This program however does not prevent the condition of
homelessness.
Similar to the Permanent Supportive Housing Program is the HUD Veterans Supportive
Housing Program, HUD -VASH that basically provides the same kind of rental assistance for
homeless veterans coupled with case management and clinical services provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
While this has been the tip of the spear for Veterans and homelessness it is again a
reactive, not proactive response. It is not a preventative program.
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U
Still another very successful homelessness tax payer based prevention program is known
as the HUD Assignment Program of the 1980s. When the home owner of a federally backed
mortgage issued by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae fell behind in their mortgage for "circumstances
beyond their control," the federal government would step in and temporarily or permanently take
"assignment" of the note from the original note holder. Circumstances beyond one's control
might include; long term illness, serious injury, loss of income (e.g. job loss or lay -off), etc. At
this point the nature of the "assignment" could take on many forms. If the mortgagor, now
facing mortgage foreclosure, had already recovered from the financially disruptive "event" and
was now able to continue with regular monthly payments, HUD might amortize the arrearage,
spreading it out over an 18 month or 2 year period, thus increasing the monthly mortgage
payment by a reasonable amount until the arrearage is paid off and brought back to the original
�. monthly payment level.
Sometimes the arrearage was so large that it was to be placed on the other end of the
original mortgage and the life of the note and payment period simply extended until the arrearage
�. was absorbed. Sometimes the entire mortgage was "recast" where the original interest rate and
monthly payments are lowered. This was rarer but might be most applicable in today's mortgage
, crisis where inexcusably high interest rates were originally applied or where home buyers were
encouraged to "buy more home" than they could afford.
This program was wildly popular with advocates and worked so well that we as
advocates created a similar mortgage prevention program in Pennsylvania to deal with the 1980s
recession. This came at a time when "more foreclosures occurred than during the Great
Depression," as characterized by the Sheriff of Philadelphia County. Coincidentally, the onset of
homelessness in this country in the 20` century was reflected in the creation of these two
programs. They all came as a result of the end of the Viet Nam War with tens of thousands of
returning veterans, double digit inflation, and inflated gas prices (creation of OPEC) with gas
lines stretching for blocks. These, coupled with the Federal Government's decision to no longer
warehouse its poor citizens in high -rise apartments and reducing its funding and role by 75% in
this area, resulted in the abdication of poverty responsibilities to our nation's municipalities and
the genesis of homelessness at this period of time. Note, also leading to homelessness in this
country but not relating to these programs was the deinstitutionalization of our nation's mental
health facilities and our failure to successfully treat individuals on an out - patient basis with the
use of psychotropic drugs.
Today, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 3.5 million people will
experience homelessness during this year. The people who will become homeless include single
men, single women, including unemployed college graduates who can't find work, single women
with children, whole families, veterans, 28 -33% of our people experiencing homelessness are
veterans, youth aging out of foster care, people with mental health problems, with the closing of
our mental health institutions beginning in the 1980s, 40% of people experiencing homelessness
suffer from severe mental health problems, people with drug or alcohol problems, women from
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failed marriages, people leaving our correctional facilities, and senior citizens. The list is long
and more groups are constantly being added.
Historically, our nation's limited response has been to address homelessness by
categories (e.g. President Obama's initiative to end homelessness for veterans). Battered
women's shelters have garnered a significant share of "homeless" dollars. Heretofore, our nation
has simply responded to homelessness; however, in viewing the experience of homelessness as
an issue of poverty, we should now stand back and re -think our nation's entire approach to this
phenomenon. This paper will embrace a new world view of homelessness in terms of poverty
and prevention. We can truncate this to Poverty Prevention. We will examine poverty
prevention and its positive effects on business, economic growth, and the people suffering
homelessness.
Presently, the American tax payer has borne the brunt of our response to this
phenomenon of homelessness. As homelessness has found its way into our cities, churches
serving sandwiches soon found themselves struggling to help the burgeoning problem. Well
intended but ill- equipped to deal with the width and depth of the problem, they none - the -less
stretched their limits to provide a response. Some set up family rotation programs where
beleaguered "homeless" families or women with children would be passed every two weeks
from one church family to the next, exhausting everyone.
Municipal Ten Year Plans promoted by the George W. Bush White House and designed
to create responses to homelessness failed to have anything other than a superficial effect on
addressing the symptoms of homelessness. In part, this was true because none of the Ten Year
Plans had an economic component, addressing the root causes of homelessness let alone
establishing prevention methodologies.
The San Antonio Story
In 2012 representatives from San Antonio, Texas, came to Austin, Texas, to tout their
success in dealing with homelessness. Thanks to a benefactor, they refurbished 18 buildings and
built four others to create a Single Point of Entry, SPOE, and numerous programs. At the
presentation, we learned that their annual operating budget was 47 million dollars! Shocking.
We were further shocked to learn that this budget did not include any transitional housing or
supportive housing programs. The room which was full of dignitaries including numerous city
council members and homeless advocates were stunned. Having unearthed this from the
audience microphone, the lead presenter was asked to share with the room what must now be
their single greatest focus- prevention, what steps they were taking to end homelessness through
prevention. At first he looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Then he shared a story of
repeated recidivism by a man suffering from alcoholism. He finished by saying that people just
needed to commit to ending their own homelessness. The room became stone silent. The
questioner simply backed away from the microphone. Mr. Chapman, the benefactor of the
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Chapman Project had died and left an endowment that sustains the San Antonio, Haven for Hope
program. Basically, it was being funded by other people's money and that was good enough for
the operators... no further thought was necessary.
What we need to look at is what would cause an individual to go through the excruciating
pain and humiliation of withdrawal only to repeat the act over and over again over a 20 year
period of addiction coupled with lack of economic opportunity, and conditions that lead to
despair for which alcohol or drug abuse provides only temporary solace.
As our nation transformed itself from an agrarian society to an industrial and now
technological one, our work force has migrated from rural America to Urban America seeking
jobs. Similarly, jobless workers have come to congregate in our cities, then fairly to secure
employment or employment that would afford them housing, they have become homeless and
remained in our urban centers seeking limited resources in terms of charity or throw away items,
or seeking people who they can solicit directly to /for help, referred to by some as pan - handling.
Downtown businesses all across American besieged by this ever growing, ever more
desperate population of needy individuals has turned to creating laws to "criminalize the
behavior" of people experiencing homelessness. While they post signs, "restrooms for patrons
only," laws were created for urinating in public and as a result, people are often arrested for
exposing themselves which comes with a lifetime of reporting as a "sex offender." Other laws
include, no camping, no pan - handling, no aggressive solicitation, no loitering, no sitting, no
lying down, have been passed all across the nation and enforced by "Joe the Cop" who is caught
in the middle when he is directed by "Bob the business owner" to "send this guy home because
he's affecting my bottom line."
Reluctantly, America's urban business has been swept up in the dynamic of
homelessness. These business people are simply trying to live the American dream of raising a
family, attaining home ownership, and sending their kids to college. With people experiencing
homelessness literally coming up to their patrons on a Saturday night, confronting them and
asking for help, businesses feel over - whelmed and have gotten laws passed that they call
"Quality of Life" ordinances as just mentioned.
The cost of homelessness to American businesses, our institutions, and the tax payers is
astronomical. Costs include-
1. Constructing and maintaining emergency homeless shelters all across the
nation,
2. The use of our emergency rooms in our hospitals as if they were health
clinics,
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3. Misdirected use of police officers nationwide to enforce the "Quality of Life"
ordinances,
4. Specialized court systems designed to deal with "Quality of Life" offenses,
5. Transitional housing facilities to temporarily house people experiencing
homelessness,
6. Permanent supportive housing units,
7. Federally Qualified Health Centers, FQHCs, in our emergency homeless
shelters,
8. Homeless Management Information Services, HMIS, used to identify and
track people experiencing homelessness, and
9. Permanent Supportive Housing- Providing housing permanently coupled with
continuous mental health care.
Combating Homelessness is Not Preventing Homelessness
While inundated businesses scream for help and pass laws for relief, they fail to realize
and/or acknowledge that they are a huge part of the problem. The federal government has set a
wage standard, the Federal Minimum Wage, FMW, that is so low that according to the last
several U.S. Conference of Mayors reports, a full time, 40 hour a week worker, cannot get into
and keep basic rental housing. The amazing thing about that statistic is that everyone knows that
the most expensive item in every individuals budget, be it home - ownership or rental is their
housing costs. At the same time, the FMW relates to nothing and as stated, is repeatedly
plucked out of the air by members of Congress.
We have briefly looked at the framing of homelessness and the different human factions
making up the population of "homelessness." Our suggestion is that we now rethink
`homelessness" in terms ofpoverty economics as fitting into two major categories: Those who
can work and those who cannot work. A measure of our socio- economic make up:
The Yardstick
Imagine if you will, our society as a horizontal yardstick divided into three one -foot
lengths. The yardstick represents our socio- economic structure. It is comprised of three, one -
foot sections. The foot on the right is comprised of students. They are not expected to make any
financial contributions to society at this stage of their lives. In fact, from the day they entered
kindergarten until they are 18, they cost us as taxpayers a considerable amount of money as we
construct and maintain learning institutions so that they and the multitude of students behind
them will be equipped to complete their task of being good students and ultimately good
productive workers.
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G
On the left side of the yardstick is another one -foot section. In this section we have the
nation senior citizens and retirees. They are in their sixties and seventies and entitled to retire.
They have worked hard all of their lives and for their remaining years will reap the fruits of their
labors. They will soon cease working and instead rely on their savings and Social Security for
the rest of their lives. People in this foot are no longer expected to make substantial financial
contributions into the system. That too is OK.
But this just leaves the middle foot- the "worker foot" to not only sustains itself, but also
the other two sections. That is a tremendous financial responsibility. Starting now and
continuing for the next thirty years, a dramatic shift will occur and an exceptional number of
people will leave the "worker foot" as "baby boomers" and move toward retirement. Regardless,
the "worker foot" will still continue to be expected to sustain both the "student foot" and the
"retirement foot." Within the worker foot are 10.1 million minimum wage workers.'
Additionally, it is estimated that there are another 10 million undocumented workers in this foot.
These 20 million people are working from $2.13 per hour or slightly above an hourly
wage of $7.25 per hour. These wages are insufficient for them to get into and keep basic rental
housing as individuals. The National Coalition for the Homeless points to this and states that 3.5
million people are expected to experience homelessness again in 2013." Folks are working, but
their wage is not enough to sustain them in housing. Therefore, hard working minimum wage
earners are falling out of the "worker foot" and experiencing homelessness. This does not bode
well for our society as a whole. Between the aging workers shifting to the "retirement foot" and
good working people falling out of the "worker foot," there is a tremendous strain on each end of
our yardstick. Some say the stick could break. Others say that it has already snapped and the
evidence is the unbridled immigration that has occurred in this country in recent years.
The Federal Poverty Guideline
When examining the issue of homelessness as a product of poverty, one can look to the
U.S. Government for perspective. In 1963, the U.S. Government established the Federal Poverty
Guideline."' President Johnson was in office. He was from the South. He had seen poverty, so
he knew the face of it when social engineers spoke out about hunger in Appalachia. This is the
impoverished region within the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pictures of starving children were shown
on our airwaves and the "War on Poverty" was commenced. As the "bread basket of the world,"
we declared that it was unacceptable that anyone go to bed hungry in America. "
Of course, it was important to know how poor you had to be in order to be considered
impoverished. So, a standard was created. A woman at the Social Security Administration, Mrs.
Mollie Orshanski, a family economist, took a small basket and filled it with the "staples of life."
She first placed meat, then bread, then potatoes into the basket. She then placed the food in the
basket, used a multiplier of three, and then multiplied this by the number of people in the
household. Voila! They had created the Federal Poverty Guideline.`' This same standard is still
22
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in use today. The question arises how relevant the standard was /is in reality. In 1963, food
made up 23% of the monthly family budget. Housing at that time made up 29% of the monthly
family budget. Today, food makes up only 16% of the monthly family budget whereas housing
makes up 37% to 50% or more. Obviously, the most costly item that we all share is housing,
not food. Logic dictates that if, in our society our lives are centered on housing, and if the
majority of our living expenses are for housing, and if the lack of housing results in
homelessness, then the goal should be to make basic wages relate to our ability to afford basic
rental housing.
The Federal Minimum Wage
This brings us to the Federal Minimum Wage (FMW). In 1938 both halves of Congress
established the Federal Minimum Wage, FMW. The FMW was created in response to the
millions of men who wandered our country during The Depression looking for jobs at a wage
that would sustain them. There were over 14 million people unemployed. The government
determined that the minimum wage needed to be set at about fifty cents. So, of course, it was set
at twenty -five cents. "' In spite of starting a little light in the pocketbook, the minimum wage
served this country fairly well until 1973 when double digit inflation struck with the "energy
crisis." In the 1970s, a young man willing to walk onto a construction site could embellish their
capabilities, get hired, strap on a hammer, work a full, hard day and walk away with enough
money at $1.75 per hour to rent a room, stash their stuff, get clean, rested and return to do it all
over again the next day. However, by the 1990s the high tech boom hit America head on. The
cost of everything inflated again. When the dust finally settled, the cost of just about everything
settled back close to its original cost except housing. Commercial realtors let properties sit
fallow for years rather than reduce the rental price. Likewise, landlords offer $1.00 move -in-
specials, dispense with security deposits, give free microwaves, etc. They offer anything to get
you in, but the rents do not go down. As a result, the cost of rental housing in urban areas has
soared well out of reach of minimum wage workers. When Congress "debates" an increase in the
FMW, which they usually do so every four or five years, they start by plucking a number out of
the air. They usually start at a dollar or a dollar and a half over several years. They wrangle
over this for a year and in the end settle on something that is less than a dollar or something less
than a living wage. This amount relates to nothing. It is not based on need or affordability. It is
simply plucked out of the air.
Housing
Housing is what we need in order not to be homeless. Clearly, housing is the antitheses
of homelessness and visa versa. We as a capitalistic society have also said that we do not relish a
society where the taxpayer is shouldering the bill for housing our nation's working poor.
Because both halves of Congress have already determined that a FMW is the law of the land,
23
legislators say why not just simply adjust the base amount slightly. What needs to occur,
however, is to make the FMW relate to the local cost of housing throughout the United States.
This provides an incentive to work. Americans would seek those jobs that don't currently pay a
living wage. Workers could be assured of housing affordability, and the economy would be
stimulated by filling the housing needs (construction thereof) that minimum wage working
people could then afford.
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6. a. Livable Incomes - The Universal Living Wage
In 1997, Richard R. Troxell, the principle author of this document, as president of House
the Homeless, devised a single national formula, using existing government guidelines, that
ensures that, if a person works a forty -hour week, then the wage they earn would enable them to
afford basic rental housing, food, clothing, transportation, and access to emergency medical care,
wherever that work is done throughout the United States.
We conservatively estimate that upon enactment, this will end homelessness for over
1,000,000 people and prevent economic homelessness for all 20 million minimum wage
workers.
Who can disagree with this approach?
Besides, what is the alternative?
People are going to survive, and they will do it any way they can. In this society, money
dictates everything. People will sell whatever they can to get by. Of course, at the lowest
economic level, with minimally adequate wages not in the picture, there are only two things
readily available to sell: drugs and other people. This is not my vision for America, but it seems
to be our reality. This does not bode well for us. We need to choose the viable work alternative
instead.
America is the greatest nation on earth. It is the land of milk, and honey. It is the land of
opportunity but not for all people working and living within the system. The system is failing
them and squeezing them out. It is forcing people to make bad ethical decisions just to survive.
The system is robbing them of their dignity and of their self - respect. It is driving them off the
tax rolls and onto the tax dole ... or worse. Why would anyone work at a minimum wage job 40
hours a week when it will not even get him or her into housing? With the "worker foot"
shrinking, does it make any sense that we allow 3.5 million people to fall into homelessness in
our country? Remember, the federal government says that 42% of the homeless are working at
some point during the week. The work ethic is there; however, the wage is not.
When the ULW is passed, there will be a huge stream of income available for housing.
Once the ULW goes into effect, we will put the difference between the FMW ($7.25 per hour)
and its new level in any Fair Market Rent region throughout the United States into the pockets of
millions of minimum wage workers, all of whom need the same thing... housing. For the first
time, there will be millions of people with the financial ability to afford basic rental housing.
Today, in 2013, that housing stock does not exist. There has been no financial incentive to build
it. There will be plenty of financial incentives when the ULW is passed. The soundness of our
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logic is reflected in the endorsement of the ULW by the national construction company, HSR
Construction, which resulted from a series of deliberate, formal discussions.
Some people have suggested that, upon the passage of the ULW, housing costs will soar,
raising housing costs beyond the reach of renters, and cause unbridled inflation. This is
problematic but not exactly accurate. First, the cost of everything else has already inflated. The
FMW has not kept up. Because the ULW is indexed to the local cost of housing, if anyone is
willing /able to work 40 hours then he /she will be able to afford basic rental housing regardless of
how expensive basic rents become. Second, we believe that, once established, the free market
would continue to respond to this enormous pool of funds by building local housing. For the
first time, there will be incentive in the market for corporate interests to apply pressure on the
rental industry to keep rental prices in check. Failing that, because the federal government is
already monitoring and establishing Fair Market Rents, and the FMW, it will be in position to
respond to any unscrupulous market gougers in an appropriate fashion.
U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, 1938
According to statistical surveys, minimum wage workers have spent almost 100% of past
wage increases right back into the economy thus creating quick economic growth and job
creations. As seen with the passage of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938 in response
to The Great Depression, establishing a living wage similarly stimulates the overall demand for
goods and services in the economy. Families become dramatically more credit worthy and can
avail themselves of more goods and more services. " The overall demand for goods and services
will increase demand for low wage workers as industry responds to this demand and
stimulation." Paying a living wage will create new business as new revenue promotes
commerce. Many economists argue that higher pay results in increased productivity by making
jobs more desirable to both get and keep, thereby reducing recruitment, training, and supervisory
costs associated with high rates of turnover. Paying a living wage is good for the local economy
because small local businesses rely on local dollars. Obviously, more money for city dwellers
will mean more customers for municipal businesses.
To a lesser extent, the same is true in rural America. It has been suggested that paying
living wages would prevent business from locating to one or another specific municipal district.
. However, because the ULW is uniform across the board nationwide and will affect people
equally on a relative basis, that won't occur. It creates a level playing field. Additionally,
businesses choose cities in large part because of quality of life issues and governmental
considerations. A 1998 study issued by ICF Kaiser Economic Strategy Group, of San Rafael
California, produced for the Greater Austin, Texas Chamber of Commerce entitled, Next
Century Economy, states: "in order to maintain Austin's economic success and high standard of
livability, the region should focus on the business already here as opposed to attracting new
business." The report cited three elements of a "Sustainable Advantage Economy," including the
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need for, "a long term commitment to improve quality of life and to address social disparity
issues as the economy develops. "'
Others Affected by the ULW
According to the report, "The Sky Hasn't Fallen," the last minimum wage raise did
increase earnings of low -wage workers, and this increase "primarily benefited low- income
families." Additionally, according to the report, "America's Well Targeted Raise," also released
by the Economic Policy Institute, 57% of the gains from the increase went to working families in
the bottom 40% of the income scale.'
Job Loss
Some argue that the wage increase will lead to job loss. Once again, the increase in 1997
did not lead to job loss. In fact, the conclusion of `The Sky Hasn't Fallen" report ends with this -
"given the statistically and economically insignificant (and mostly positive) employment effects
of the change, it might be more useful if the next debate spends less time focusing on the cost of
the increase and more on the benefits to low - income families." The report was supported by
grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Charles Steward Mott Foundation, and the U.S.
Department of Labor.""' Ben Bernanke, in his first month of serving as the newly appointed
Federal Reserve Chairman, testified before the House Financial Services Committee.
Congressman Bernie Sanders asked Mr. Bernanke if Congress should raise the federal minimum
wage... "So that every worker in America who works 40 hours in a week escapes poverty ?" Mr.
Bernanke responded, "I'm going to be an economist and give you the one hand, the other hand.
On the minimum wage, it is actually a very controversial issue among economists. Clearly if
you raise the minimum wage then those workers who retain their jobs will get higher income,
and therefore it helps them. The concerns that some economists have raised about the minimum
wage are first, is it as well targeted as it should be? This is how much of the increase is going to
teenage children of suburban families, for example? And secondly does it have any employment
effects? That is, do higher wages lower employment of low -wage workers ?" Mr. Bernanke then
definitively declared, "My response is that I think it doesn't lower employment. ""'"
According to authors Robert Pollin and Stephanie Luce, following a minimum wage
increase, we may see unemployment numbers rise. However, they focus our attention on the fact
that, many low- income people that are out of the labor market and who have stopped looking for
work, tend to re -enter the job search market following a minimum wage increase. In so doing,
the unemployment numbers seem to swell, giving the impression that there is an increase in the
number of unemployed when in reality, they are just returning to the "official" ranks of the
unemployed job seekers where their numbers are again counted.""
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W
Outsourcing
If we raise wages, will the low wage jobs become more vulnerable to being outsourced to
countries where the labor is cheaper? In reality, service jobs cannot be outsourced. Minimum
wage jobs are service jobs required to support the local community. While so many other blue
and white - collar jobs can and are vulnerable to outsourcing, low wage jobs will remain in this
country. Someone must stand in that cafeteria line and prepare and serve the food. Someone has
to be present to wash the windows. Someone has to be here to pick up the toilet brush to clean
the urinals. Ditch digging is local. Laying rebar on a construction site is local. Selling retail and
flipping burgers are all local. These jobs cannot be outsourced to India or China. Remember
that, unlike in the past, when minimum wage jobs were stepping- stones to the next better paying
jobs, people now are remaining in these low wage jobs for ten years and longer.` As Professor
Pollin and Dr. Luce pointed out, we have a "minimum wage family" in this country. If people
are going to remain in these minimum wage jobs for an extended period of time, and these jobs
cannot be outsourced, then indeed we must ensure that every eligible minimum wage worker is
being paid a Universal Living Wage.
Inflation
One of the great fears about increasing the federal minimum wage is that it will cause the
price of everything to go up. The reality of it is that wages are just one of many economic
factors that make up the cost of an item. Manufacturing, transportation, equipment, rent,
warehousing, advertising, business location, income demographics of the community, employee
recruitment, training expenses, and wages all add together to create the cost of an item. Clearly,
the cost of goods does not automatically have to rise just because one small portion of their
make -up increases. An example of the non - inflationary relationship between wages and the cost
of goods can be found in the 1996 survey report entitled, "Think Again: A Wage and Price
Survey of Denver Area Fast Food Restaurants." This survey focused on four national fast food
chains: Arby's, Burger King, McDonald's and Taco Bell. All are major employers of entry
level, low -wage workers. It was concluded that higher prices did not necessarily accompany
higher wages. In fact, "survey results indicated that higher starting salaries are coupled
with only slightly higher, identical, and in many cases lower prices than those in stores that
paid a lower starting wage." For example, the lowest paid Arby's employees were found at a
franchise charging the second highest price for a meal. Conversely, a Taco Bell store paying
$1.50 per hour above other restaurants for starting wages simultaneously had the lowest food
prices among the twelve other Taco Bell restaurants surveyed.
In 1999, the Austin Living Wage Coalition conducted a similar study, "A Wage and Price
Survey of Austin, (Texas) Area Fast Food Restaurants," that also evidenced that wages and
prices levels do not rise together. According to the report's author, Mara Coleman, "Despite
claims that higher wages will drive businesses out of the city, the survey suggests that many
businesses are already paying higher wages outside of Austin, and are doing so while charging
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5
lower prices ". The four national fast food chains examined included McDonalds, Wendy's,
Church's Chicken and Taco Bell that operated franchises both in Austin and in the surrounding
communities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Bastrop."""
Overall, the studies clearly show that just because wages rise, there is not and does
not have to be a corresponding increase in prices. It would appear that the rise in pricing
is more a question of what the market will bear, or of what the consumer will tolerate. This
is not to say that there will not be economic pressures of an inflationary nature. We are talking
about, in some cases, substantial increases to the current minimum wage to meet the bare
minimum amount necessary to afford basic food, clothing, and shelter. Large employers of
minimum wage workers may need to realize a little less profit. Similarly, small employers will
need to learn to grow at a much more reasonable rate. While, at the same time, increased
demand for goods will protect business's bottom line from being negatively affected by wage
increases.
Let the "Free Economy" be Free
Over and over again, a select few businesses repeat that, there "should be a free
economy ... let the free economy decide the wage rate."
We should be a little more than a little bit concerned about a "free economy" that, for the
most part, is based on the taxpayer subsidizing business with five subsidies: Food Stamps,
TANF (Temporary Aid to Needy Families), the HUD Section 8 housing subsidy, the Earned
Income Tax Credit, and General Assistance and tips. As stated, patrons of many businesses are
expected to bring the minimum wage of $2.13 per hour up to $7.25 per hour by paying tips in the
Restaurant Industry. Count them... six subsidies. These are all subsidies that the taxpayer and
patrons are expected to pay because business has not been asked to value its workers on the same
level as it values the other components of doing business. Why don't we respect work value?
Today, business watches from the sidelines or lobbies the Federal Government to set a FMW
below that minimum amount necessary to afford the most basic level of housing. Until 2009,
Congress had not raised the minimum wage since 1997, and business continues to hide behind
Congress and state that $7.25 per hour is all they are required to pay. " "'
Between 1997, and the ten years that followed without a minimum wage increase, there
were dramatic changes in the market place. There had been both the high tech boom ... and the
bust. Housing costs skyrocketed in our urban centers and continued to climb. Congress had
abandoned the business community and low wage workers by not making an adjustment until
2009. The earning power of the minimum wage worker had dropped to its lowest level since
1962. Without Congressional guidance on the FMW, the market had been very "free." Free
falling that is. Many employers having felt the pressures of market forces responded by paying
$8.00 or even $9.00 an hour to minimum wage workers. However, this has occurred in cities
where minimum life sustaining costs were double that which has been established by our own
29
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government standards."' Nevertheless, employers did not respond appropriately. They did not
say to their employee, "Gee, Sally, are you able to pay all of your bills? Are you stealing to get
by, Sam? Are you doubled up with strangers, Margaret? Are you selling drugs to make ends
meet ?" No, that did not occur. For the most part, without the appropriate guidance from
Congress, business failed its employees and, as a result, left itself in a destabilized condition.
As a result, business continues to face exorbitant retraining costs and a failure rate at
unacceptable levels. We live in a consumer driven society. Everyone is exposed to the
televised version of the number of cars, resort homes, and sail boats that the successful are
expected to own. We have come to believe that if we open a business and employ people, all of
the successful trappings of business should instantly be ours. Perhaps, we will have to learn that
it is not all instant success. Operating a small business or a non - profit business is hard work.
We are suggesting that the 64% failure rate of all small businesses after only 4 years or a 90%
failure rate after 5 years may often be related to the fact that we continue to create destabilized
work forces by paying our workers less than the minimum amount needed to afford the
necessities of life. If we are to have a more stable business community, if more businesses are to
succeed, if our full time minimum wage workers are to sustain themselves and stay off the dole,
then we as a society will need to roll our sleeves up just a little higher, businesses will need to
become fully engaged community partners, and we, as consumers, will need to pay a little fairer
share.
Effect of the ULW on Housing
.. The ULW Ten Year Plan supports the Bringing America Home Act, an umbrella bill that
calls for National Health Care, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Livable
Incomes, which includes the ULW for people who are able to work. We also call for fixing the
Supplemental Security Income program and other supports for people who are unable to work.
We recognize that the federal government is not likely to provide a Livable Income standard for
people who are not working before it creates a Living Wage standard for people who are
working. The soundness of our logic seems to be reflected in the national endorsement by the
Spina Bifida Association of America. From our perspective, the FMW is their glass ceiling. As
a society, we must raise the economic floor of the minimum wage workers to a level that allows
them to afford basic rental housing, and then we can argue from a moral perspective that those
persons on fixed incomes should also be supported with income that allows them to afford and
maintain housing without risk of becoming homeless. Why the distinction? Passage of the
Universal Living Wage, returns to the employer full responsibility for paying workers a fair
wage for a fair day's work. On the other hand, stipends and supports placed the responsibility,
both moral and economic, for the disabled among us, fully on the shoulders of the American tax
payer (as it should). We may have to lead and show the way before we as a society fulfill our
obligations to our fellow human beings.
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First, we are talking about wages and the standard government work week (40 hours).
While we speak in terms of being able to afford housing on a monthly basis, it is important to
understand that just as the FMW is an hourly wage, the ULW would also be an hourly wage.
What we are saying is that if one puts 40 units of work wage together, that wage would be
sufficient for a person to afford basic rental housing no matter where that person works
throughout the United States. This may require that a part time worker of 20 hours per week
secure a second part time job of an additional 20 hours to accumulate 40 units of work. Clearly,
this is not ideal. However, as long as employers continue to offer less than full time work in
order to avoid paying employee benefits, we still provide an opportunity for an aggressive
worker to join the struggle for housing.
Spend No More Than 30% of One's Income on Housing
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, is the
Department of the U.S. Government that deals with housing issues. It was established in the
1970s. It uses this 30% standard as a guideline in creating its Section 8 Housing Voucher
Program.' Additionally, America's banking institutions use the same guideline. If you were to
apply to purchase a home, and the bank determined that in so doing you would be spending more
than 30% of your monthly household budget on your mortgage payments, they would not assign
you a note and give you a mortgage. They have similarly determined that the 30% standard is
most appropriate for determining a reasonable margin of financial safety.
Index the Minimum Wage to the Local Cost of Housing
The U.S. Federal Government established the Federal Poverty Guideline as a poverty
standard and currently uses food costs as the basis for it. Food, however, is a flexible
commodity. Housing is not, making housing or the lack of it, the true target/need required to
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6. b. Livable Incomes — The Universal Living Wage Formula
— Solution 1
The Universal Living Wage Formula is a simple, three- pronged formula.
✓ Work a 40 hour week (40 Units of work)
✓ Spend no more than 30% of one's income on housing
✓ Index the minimum wage to the local cost of housing.
'
Let us take a brief look at each of these prongs that make up the concepts behind the
mathematical formula.
Work a 40 Hour Week
First, we are talking about wages and the standard government work week (40 hours).
While we speak in terms of being able to afford housing on a monthly basis, it is important to
understand that just as the FMW is an hourly wage, the ULW would also be an hourly wage.
What we are saying is that if one puts 40 units of work wage together, that wage would be
sufficient for a person to afford basic rental housing no matter where that person works
throughout the United States. This may require that a part time worker of 20 hours per week
secure a second part time job of an additional 20 hours to accumulate 40 units of work. Clearly,
this is not ideal. However, as long as employers continue to offer less than full time work in
order to avoid paying employee benefits, we still provide an opportunity for an aggressive
worker to join the struggle for housing.
Spend No More Than 30% of One's Income on Housing
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, is the
Department of the U.S. Government that deals with housing issues. It was established in the
1970s. It uses this 30% standard as a guideline in creating its Section 8 Housing Voucher
Program.' Additionally, America's banking institutions use the same guideline. If you were to
apply to purchase a home, and the bank determined that in so doing you would be spending more
than 30% of your monthly household budget on your mortgage payments, they would not assign
you a note and give you a mortgage. They have similarly determined that the 30% standard is
most appropriate for determining a reasonable margin of financial safety.
Index the Minimum Wage to the Local Cost of Housing
The U.S. Federal Government established the Federal Poverty Guideline as a poverty
standard and currently uses food costs as the basis for it. Food, however, is a flexible
commodity. Housing is not, making housing or the lack of it, the true target/need required to
31
Ela
attack poverty. The housing that we are referring to is the most basic rental housing available.
Again, we are suggesting a minimum wage that would enable an individual to rent an efficiency
apartment. An efficiency apartment is one step below a one - bedroom apartment. In an
efficiency apartment, you would find a single room that might allow for a "Murphy" foldout bed
or a couch and serve as the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. You might find space for a hot
plate, and you might share a bathroom down the hall. This is the sparsest of conditions.
HUD has a voucher rental program where it subsidizes landlords. This is called the HUD
Section 8 Voucher Rental Program."' Allow me to further explain the program. Suppose a
one- bedroom apartment rents for $600.00 in your area. However, suppose people in your area
needing a one - bedroom apartment cannot afford to pay more than $400.00. The federal
government steps in and provides a $200.00 housing voucher that the tenant passes along to the
landlord. This is a win -win situation for both the landlord and the tenant. The landlord gets his
asking rental price and the tenant gets her housing. However, the taxpayer is required to pick up
the tab. In order for the federal government to determine what value to attach to the voucher, it
has designed a program called the HUD Fair Market Rents, FMRs, where it goes around the
country and determines what one would need to pay to rent an efficiency, one bedroom, two
bedroom, three bedroom, and four bedroom apartments in any particular area. "" HUD does this
by using a sophisticated formula which helps them review these amounts yearly although it does
not necessarily make annual adjustments. There is also a two -year time delay before factoring in
new housing starts in the equation. HUD Fair Market Rent Areas are approximately the size of
counties and are often exactly that, counties. It also uses "metropolitan statistical" areas or large
clusters of people.
FMR Standard
FMRs are gross rent estimates; they include shelter rent and the cost of utilities, except
telephone. HUD sets FMRs to assure that sufficient supply rental housing is available to
program participants. To accomplish this objective, FMRs must be both high enough to permit a
selection of units and neighborhoods and low enough to serve as many families as possible. The
level at which FMRs are set is expressed as a percentile point within the rent distribution of
standard quality rental housing units. As of April 2010, the current definition used is the 40 or
50 percent of standard quality rental housing units rent. These percentiles are drawn from the
distribution of rents of units which are occupied by recent movers (renter households who moved
" into their unit within the past 15 months). Newly built units less than two - years -old are
excluded, and adjustments have been made to correct for the below market rents of public
. housing units included in the data base.
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ULW Formula in Words
By combining these three existing government guidelines:
1. Work 40 hours in a week;
2. Spend no more than 30% of one's income on housing;
3. Index the minimum wage to the local cost of housing;
We created a mathematical formula, which ensures that if a person works a 40 -hour week,
their earnings would be enough for them to afford basic rental housing wherever that work
is done throughout the United States. We have stated that we want a fulltime worker to be
able to afford basic rental housing. This will stabilize him/her so that they are positioned to
escape poverty and pursue the American Dream.
One Size Does Not Fit All
In advocating for fixing the Federal Minimum Wage, there are those that would use the
existing methodology of selecting a single wage amount for the entire country. For example,
some have suggested a $9.00 or $10.00 per hour wage for the entire country. To select such a
wage would be inappropriately excessive and, therefore, damaging to business in rural America
and yet insufficient to deal with the problem at the same time in many urban areas. When
looking at the HUD Section 8 figures, we see that efficiency apartments in New York City costs
approximately $846.00 per month. Under the ULW formula, we can see that one would need to
earn a wage of $16.27 to rent this efficiency apartment. At the same time, using the same HUD
formula and calculations, we see that in Mansfield, Ohio, efficiency apartments rent for $395.00
per month and would require a wage of only $7.60 per hour.
So, if we had selected the single national wage amount of $9.00 or $10.00 per hour, we
would not have gotten one minimum wage worker off the streets of New York City. At the same
time, we would have destroyed small businesses in Mansfield, Ohio, when an individual there
only needs $7.60 per hour to be housed, fed, and clothed. One size does not fit all. This formula
ensures that wages relate to the need to afford basic rental housing where that work is done ... no
more ... no less. In part, it may have been the cost of this housing differential that added to
Congress's inability to increase the FMW between 1997 and 2007. Even a modest increase
would be inappropriately high in rural America which comprises most of America.
Established Practice
The U.S. Military takes local housing costs into account when establishing pay rates.
The U.S. government uses what it calls the Base Allowance for Housing, BAH, to provide
uniformed service members accurate and equitable housing compensation based on housing
costs in local civilian housing markets when government quarters are not provided. The total
BAH is based on geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status.
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On January 1, 1998, the Defense Finance and accounting System introduced BAH to
replace Variable Housing Allowance, VHA, and Basic Allowance for Quarters, BAQ,
programs because "the old VHA /BAQ housing allowance system was unable to keep up with
rising housing costs," and members were being forced to pay higher out -of pocket costs than
originally intended. With BAH, pay increases are indexed to housing cost growth instead of pay
raises generally, thus protecting members from any further erosion of housing cost growth
instead of pay raises generally, thus protecting members from any further erosion of housing
benefits over time. The BAH is calculated by "computing ... local price data of rentals, average
utilities and insurance. "xii i
Local Wage versus State Wage, FMRs
Similarly, we suggest that it is appropriate to use rental calculations relative to local
housing costs in areas about the size of counties. As stated, the federal government refers to
these as HUD Fair Market Rent areas. In the 1990s when we entered the high tech boom, the
entire country did not benefit from the success. However, many urban areas did. Financial
w.
success graced many of our urban centers, but housing costs soared. In the urban centers like
Austin, Texas, an efficiency apartment rents for $694.00 according to HUD. This requires a
living wage of $13.35. At the same time, in cities unaffected by high -tech growth such as
Abilene, Texas, it would cost only $490.00 per month to rent the same apartment requiring a
wage of only $9.42. Therefore, it can readily be seen that even within one state there is a
dramatic difference in rental costs, resulting in the need for greatly varied and customized
wages. In this fashion, we have gotten the worker the very base amount necessary to survive
without unduly or unfairly impacting business. Not damaging business interests is critical to the
success of economic adjustment.
National Formula versus Local Initiatives
There are well over 100 local living wage campaigns at this point. Several have been
successful at increasing the minimum wage (130 ordinances passed as of 2007, according to the
Brennan Center for Justice). In 2013, ten cities raised their minimum wage rates but once again
" they fell well short of providing living wages. But what about the scores of communities that
cannot spearhead campaigns to fight economic forces that stand in opposition? What about
America's rural communities? Do these workers not also deserve a roof over their heads? Most
local living wage campaigns target and positively affect city workers, county workers and
sometimes those that contract with them. However, if we doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled,
all of the workers affected under these campaigns, we would not see income equity reached in
2000 years. Even in Louisiana and Texas where several thousand workers may be affected, the
numbers pale in comparison to the need. In fact, there are 10.1 million minimum wage workers
nationwide. When you factor in that according to the National Coalition for the Homeless there
are 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness, we conservatively estimate there to be over 10
million minimum wage workers. This is consistent with the 2000 Census. By employing the
wil
Universal Living Wage formula, we can begin to move all of these workers along a wage
continuum that approaches self - reliance.
Additionally, we see local initiatives as being vulnerable to attacks and repeal. For
example, in 1996, the Houston, Texas, Living Wage effort to raise the minimum wage to $6.50
per hour was stopped cold in the last week of the campaign. Moneyed interests poured over 1
million dollars into creating misinformation and then handily defeated the initiative. With that
said, there are serious concerns in the business community about local living wage campaigns. It
has been suggested that local campaigns that draw circles around geographic areas are
potentially damaging to small businesses. In fact, this was the basis of resistance to a living
wage initiative in San Antonio, Texas, where it was feared that large business could and would
pull up stakes and relocate just outside of the newly proposed wage boundary or that businesses
would be drawn away from the region. The President of the San Antonio Restaurant Association
was quoted as saying, "We need to work with businesses to get businesses in San Antonio. Let
us say for instance that Houston does not have a living wage and San Antonio does, and the PGA
(Professional Golf Association) says, `I can go to Houston and get these incentives to come, and
I'm not forced to pay this living wage.' So what is going to happen? Where are they going to
go? They are going to go to Houston. On the other hand, the Federal Minimum Wage
establishes a balance. It is all industries. It is nationwide. So there's a balance... " "'" What this
business leader is trying to say is that he can deal with a level playing field where all wages are
raised relative to their local economies. What he sees as untenable is a situation where a
local/isolated wage increase allows a business to simply cross a boundary line and operate at an
unfair advantage.
There have been successful efforts to create state laws that "prevent exceeding the federal
minimum wage in private and/or public contracts." Thus far, at least ten states have enacted
preemption statues in recent years to ban local minimum wage laws including: Louisiana,
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Texas.
Oregon and Florida have passed legislation to increase their minimum wage while both still have
laws that prohibit "political subdivisions" from passing wage related laws. Therefore, if for no
other reasons than fairness, equity and creating a level playing field for businesses, we must fix
the minimum wage at the Federal Level. We must remember that the federal minimum wage
was created through the Fair Labor Standards act, and enacted by both halves of Congress in
1938.' We must now make sure that it continues to reflect a uniform national standard.
ULW Effect on Business and Tax Payers
Wherever there are workers and employers, there exists a symbiotic relationship which is
bordered by a delicate framework. The employer needs the employee for their labor and the
employee needs to make at least a minimal living through the employment. While the need is
mutual, the power balance is not, and therefore, workers must hope that the employer will
embrace the principals of the Universal Living Wage formula. This formula ensures that if an
35
employee works a standard number of hours, that employee should, because of the work, be able
to afford the basic life sustaining necessities (food, clothing, shelter, public transportation and
access to health care). This is consistent with the United Nation's document, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which identifies these life- sustaining necessities as "definitive
components of the right to a minimum standard of living and dignity for every (nation) state."
Living Wages are Good for Business
When workers make more money, they also have more money to spend. In fact,
minimum wage workers have spent almost 100% of past wage increases right back into the
economy. Increased personal income inevitably promotes commerce and stimulates local and
nationwide economies. By protecting and stabilizing the very foundation of enterprises, the
employees themselves, we can equally protect and stabilize businesses everywhere.
Support Trades
As stated previously, there are presently 10.1 million minimum wage workers in the
United States. " These employees comprise our nation's pool of workers, which, for the most
part, provide support for our principal businesses.
Minimum wage jobs are basically support jobs. These low paying jobs are found in
businesses such as the restaurant industry, janitorial, construction labor, landscaping, laundry,
etc. They support principal businesses that pay well above the minimum wage. Minimum wage
businesses hire people based on the need to meet the support/service requirement of principal
businesses. If Intel moves to town, it does not make the decision to do so based on minimum
wage salary scales because it does not generally employ workers at that low wage level. On the
other hand, when Intel builds its offices, it may contract employees such as construction laborers
and landscapers who are minimum wage "support" workers. Once the facility is built, the core
business will also need laundry services, restaurants, janitors, receptionists, etc.
The pool of minimum wage workers includes:
Restaurant Workers Nurses Aides
Theater Attendants
Construction Laborers
Farm Workers
Dry Cleaner Operators
Receptionists
Janitors
Day Care Aides
Maids
Store Clerks
Poultry Processors
Hotel Workers
Bank Tellers
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Home Care Aides
Garage Attendants
Landscape Workers
Data Processors
Car Washers
Elder Care Aides
Manicurists
Security Guard
The original minimum wage idea came in response to the legions of unemployed,
underemployed, and low -wage workers roaming the country following the 1930s Great
Depression just as they are today. It was decided that, in order to stimulate businesses and the
economy, these workers needed to be economically stabilized. In exchange for a full day's
work, a man needed to be guaranteed a wage sufficient to secure basic food, clothing, and
shelter. The absence of an adequate wage resulted in high employee turnover, increased
absenteeism, and an increase in internal employee theft.
High Turnover and Retraining Cost Savings
Henry Ford, the father of the American automobile, was facing exorbitant retraining costs
due to high employee turnover. He was being forced to replace every employee four times per
year. He found that absenteeism was at an equally unacceptable level. To address this concern,
he almost doubled the daily wage of his workers to $5.00 /day.
The immediate result was:
1) Significant reduction in employee turnover
2) Significant reduction in retraining costs
3) Significant reduction in unscheduled absenteeism and
4) Almost complete stopp of internal theft (roughly 50% of the theft in today's retail
world is committed by a business' own employees).""
Furthermore,
5) Ford created a true economic stimulus because his workers put discretionary funds
right back into his company as purchasing consumers.""' In other words, they
bou ,-ht the very cars they were makinz by using their new found wages.
All of these results are possible today with the adoption of the Universal Living Wage.
The ULW will dramatically reduce employee turnover. Such reduction of turnover means a
significant reduction in retaining costs. This results in huge business savings.
The ULW will significantly decrease unscheduled absenteeism. Again, this will result in
financial savings. This will help businesses avoid having higher salaried employees, or even the
small business employers /owners avoid having to temporarily step into these low wage positions
37
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Business can thereby stop wasting money to pay substitutes at a much higher dollar amount
while they perform someone else's lower paying job, leaving their own work undone.
To illustrate these effects, examine the findings of Michael Reich of the University of
California. He reviewed a quality standards program initiated in April 2000 in the San Francisco
International Airport. The $5.25 starting wage had been increased to $10.00 per hour plus health
benefits, or to $11.25 per hour without health benefits. (The industry wage average had been
$6.00 per hour at the time.) Turnover dropped from 110% to 25 %! Additionally, employers
reported that skills, morale, and performance improved while absenteeism and grievances
dropped. The reduction of employee turnover by paying higher wages has been further
demonstrated by the practices of the New York worker -owned home healthcare facility, the
Cooperative Home Care Associates. They employed 450 employees and were paying
$7.65 /hour, which was 20% above the area average at the time. They also provided health
benefits, training, and compensation for travel time for employees to see clients. As a result,
they experienced a job turnover rate of less than 20% as opposed to the industry level of 60 %.""
Further illustrating the point, Vice President Artie Nation, speaking for Mirage Hotels,
credits the low turnover in his casino hotels of only 70% (as opposed to an industry high of
300 %) as being the results of better wages and training.'" Enactment of the ULW means
stabilized, loyal employees who feel respected for their work contribution. This results in
substantial reduction in the number one dollar drain in the retail industry, internal employee
theft. The two largest retail employers in the world, McDonalds and Wal -Mart, would greatly
benefit from this dynamic. Employees tend not to steal from a place of employment that shows
them respect and supports their economic needs by paying them living wages.
It is also important to note that, when employers are forced to hire emergency temporary
workers, they must pay for the service. Moreover, as stated, any new employee means more
down time in training that new individual. The savings here are notable.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
In an effort to help business replace employees who have left their employ and help train
new replacement employees in the food industry, Congress passed legislation that provides
$2,400 under a law called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Every time an employee leaves a
business, that business can claim a retaining stipend, and this can be repeated as often as every
400 hours per replaced employee. ` Why would any business want to do such a thing as often
as every 400 hours? Well, imagine this: if an employee were to leave, the business can then go
out and hire a replacement worker. Along with the new employee, the business receives a
$2,400 retraining stipend to teach the new employee to operate the cash register, etc. Good deal
for everyone, right? But what if the employer has transformed the cash register from a numbered
0
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instrument to a pictured instrument so that rather than having to key in data, the new employee
can just push a picture of a hamburger or a picture of French fries? The employer then keeps the
balance of the retaining stipend. (Sound familiar ?)
In 1997, the subsidy under this program was $385 million. Potential savings are
significant: If you take 2,080 hours (number of hours worked in a year by an employee working
40 hours per week) and divide that by 400 hours (the minimum work hours for a single employee
necessary for the business to be eligible for the subsidy) this will equal a 5.2 potential turnover
rate (Henry Ford was facing a turnover rate of only 4.0). In modern times, this is the same
turnover rate experienced at the Greeley Beef Slaughter House supplying ConAgra.'
Potential benefit to businesses 5.2 x $2,400 retraining subsidy = $12,480 per employee slot per
year. $12,480 x 4.5 million minimum wage workers in the fast food industry"" equal a
potential savings of $56,160,000,000. Hopefully, this is an exaggerated projection, but the point
is that if treating employees well and paying living wages reduces the turn -over rate, then there is
significant potential savings to the American tax payer.
On the other hand, as stated, at least one major employer, McDonald's, uses a picture
register approach and seems to make working there harder and harder as their employees close in
on the 400 hour mark.
Stability Leads to Better Financing for Business and Families
New small businesses are more likely to receive bank loans and support from the Small
Business Association (SBA) by being able to produce solid business plans ... plans that show that
they are providing adequate budgeting to support all aspects of their business in a sustainable
fashion. This includes manufacturing, advertisement, geographic considerations, warehousing,
transportation, employee training, and wages.
According to Professor Robert Pollin and Dr. Stephanie Luce in the analytical book, The
Living Wage- Building a Fair Economy, "Family reliance on non - health related subsidies will
fall by 16.1 %, and the family will become dramatically more credit worthy ... thus being able to
avail themselves of more goods and services, which in turn will serve to stimulate the local
economy when earning a living wage. " Furthermore, according to Beth Schulman, author of
The Betrayal of Work. How Low -Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans and Their Families,
these minimum wage jobs are no longer the employment/economic stepping stones of the past,
but rather the economic job plateaus at which people /families are stagnating for as many as ten
years.
xxX
According to the report, "The Sky Hasn't Fallen, "` the 1997 minimum wage raise did
increase earnings of low -wage workers, and this increase primarily benefited low - income
ei
K3
families. Additionally, according to the report, America's Well Targeted Raise, also released by
the Economic Policy Institute, 57% of the gains from the increase went to working families in
the bottom 40% of the income scale.
Tax Savings
It is our belief that if businesses paid fair, living wages the tax burden, otherwise
shouldered by tax payers, would be dramatically reduced. In other words, where businesses have
fallen short in paying a wage sufficient to cover the costs of life's basic necessities, individuals
are being forced to fortify their income with subsidies such as food stamps, TANF, EITC and
general assistance, etc.
While we tend to think of minimum wage workers as individuals, we find that they are
often attempting to sustain more than just themselves on the minimum wage. Economics
Professor Robert Pollin, in his book, The Living Wage / Building a Fair Economy, suggests that
there exists a prototypical U.S. minimum wage family. This family comprises four people: two
children, and two adults, one of whom is working at the minimum wage.""" "' Because the
minimum wage falls short of economic sustainability, a significant amount of government
subsidies are required to support this family. With the enactment of the ULW, it is
conservatively estimated that a potential tax savings of $10.7 billion per year can be realized. A
savings of 10.7 billion dollars per year in food stamps and welfare savings could be realized
based on: a four - person family consisting of one minimum wage worker, one spouse, and two
children. According to the 2000 census there are 10.1 million minimum wage workers. ' 65%
of these include one or more members of a household who work and yet must be subsidized with
$1,627 per family through food stamps, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and MediCal.10.1 x
` .65 = 6.565 mil $1,627 (savings per family) x 6.565 mil = $10,681,255,000 potential tax
savings with the passage of the ULW. This shows that if our nation were to subsidize all four
r person minimum wage families where we support a full time worker as is done in California, the
cost to tax payers would be $10,681,255,000. Why should we as tax payers pay this subsidy if
business is the one benefitting from the employees' labor?
Self- Sufficiency Models and the Dynamic Nature of the ULW
There is an approach to economic family stability that costs out exactly how much it
0 takes to afford basic living by calculating one light bulb and one roll of toilet paper at a time.
0 Using this data proponents calculate how much a worker must earn per hour in order to afford
W their household items and expenses. This is the Self - Sufficiency Standard. Wider Opportunities
r for Women, WOW, devised the Self- Sufficiency Standard. The Standard sets out precisely how
much money working adults require to meet all basic needs without governmental subsidies. The
Self- Sufficiency Standard assumes that all adults in the household are working and includes the
a.
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costs associated with working full time. Thirty -seven states have completed calculations
including Texas which was the last one tabulated in 1997.
The Universal Living Wage can be seen as an economic mechanism for achieving this
Self- Sufficiency Standard. However, not only does the ULW establish a pathway to achieve the
Standard, it does so through incremental steps using existing governmental guidelines. Similar to
this Standard, the ULW assumes full time workers in the calculation. Also similar to the
Standard, the ULW considers local housing costs. The Standard then painstakingly looks at a
plethora of other ancillary costs and takes into account that their costs inflate at various rates.
The ULW also takes into account these other costs. Two - thirds of the total wage is available to
meet monthly budgets beyond housing costs.
The ULW formula sets the FMW level so that individual workers will be able to afford
an efficiency apartment. This will prevent economic -based homelessness for all of our nation's
10.1 million minimum wage workers. Then, because the formula is "dynamic," members within
each Fair Market Rent region can (at prescribed times) vote to move the community along the
formula continuum. In other words, every full time worker is initially assured of reaching
economic viability at an efficiency apartment level. Subsequently, with the ULW formula, each
community (through local elections) will have the ability to extend that economic viability to the
next housing level. For example, by using the same ULW formula, and then by merely
substituting the HUD Fair Market Rent amount for a one - bedroom apartment instead of the
efficiency apartment, we then produce a wage that provides economic viability for all workers
who need a one - bedroom apartment. This would be appropriate where a community has
determined that a single working mother with a child should not be allowed to remain homeless
due to inadequate wages. There are federal restrictions for certain financial support programs that
prevent a person with a child from living in an efficiency apartment, and for good reason.
As a practical matter, it is not recommended that the FMW exceed the amount needed to
afford one person an efficiency apartment except in those cases where 51 % of the registered
voters in a FMR area (usually county size in nature) vote to raise the scale so that, for example, a
single woman with child, working full time, is not left homeless.
The ULW formula produces similar economic levels to those of the Self- Sufficiency
Standard. However, the ULW identifies the vehicle (the Federal Minimum Wage) and lays out
the staged pathway (over ten years) and the methodology for actually reaching the economic
viability.
Additionally, the ULW is based on a unit of work same as the FMW. The self -
sufficiency standard is based on need relative to family size. This is an unregulated factor
(except perhaps in Communist China). The American people, on the other hand, are unlikely to
place a forced cap on the number of people permitted per family.
41
Comparing Three Living Wage Standards
The Living Wage standards presented here come from three different groups among
many. They attempt to arrive at a better method of measuring the basic needs of families and
individuals. The comparisons were created by the Delaware Housing Coalition, DHC, 2001 -
2002. DHC is a stellar statewide organization researching and fighting for safe, decent,
affordable housing for all people in the state of Delaware. The three standards compared include
one promoted by the National Priorities Project, the Economic Policy Institute and the Universal
Living Wage.
Standard 1: National Priorities Project
The National Priorities Project (NPP) developed a conservative family budget from a
detailed methodology that can be obtained from NPP. The NPP Living Wage for a family of
three in Delaware is $14.38 and $15.88 for a family of four.
Standard 2: Economic Policy Institute
The EPI Living Wage for Delaware is even more detailed and painstaking, with account
made for variations in cost by county, as well as the age and sex of family members. The
methodology was developed and applied in the publications How Much is Enough? and
Hardships in America Economic Policy Institute. The EPI Living Wage Standard for Delaware
is the highest of the three, with a Living Wage for a family of three ranging from $15.23 to
$15.92. The range for a family of four goes from $17.56 to $20.74.
Standard 3: House the Homeless (Universal Living Wage Standard)
The Final Living Wage standard is based on the Fair Market Rent (FMR). It comes up
with a range from $11.71 to $13.98 in Delaware, assuming the family of four would be able to
live in a two - bedroom unit. (Including the very real possibility of needing a three - bedroom unit
" for the family of four increased the upper range of the Living Wage to $18.96).
Conclusion of Delaware Housing Coalition's Search into the Best
Formula for Determining a Living Wage"
"The Universal Living Wage makes a simple and powerful argument. Housing is the
heaviest household burden, and the poorest people in a community should be able to make
enough working full -time to afford the very cheapest housing. The advocates of a Universal
Living Wage promote the passage of new federal minimum wage based on, at the very least,
the efficiency apartment FMR. This argument has the appeal of being a wage that is not tied
to any particular sector of the labor force (e.g. public employees) and it takes as its primary
consideration: the homeless of our community. " Ken Smith, DHC, Executive Director.
42
What the Studies Show
Stephanie Luce, Associate Profession, CUNY, and published author, in her Cry Wolf y
Project, examines the effects of our nation's 150 general living wage ordinances that date back to
2007 in America's large, small urban and rural cities and counties." 1 ' Ms. Luce identifies about
one dozen studies that collectively find little job loss or harm to the local economy."" She states
that studies by Neidt et. Al. (1999), Brenner (2005), and Howes (2002) all find no evidence of
employment loss due to living wage ordinances.
The ordinances in Los Angeles show that 58% of workers were 35 years or older, only
4% were under age 20. Additionally, 36% of the workers were full -time employees and the
average worker had been in the work force for 20 years.
Also, Ms Luce points out that the effect on city budgets is negligible with city costs at less
than one tenth of one percent of their budgets. This is according to a study by Andrew Elmore
(2003). Professor Luce reports that David Neumark when examining the Current Population
Survey, CPS, a government publication, showed that living wage ordinances had a positive
impact on poverty rates, but also resulted in modest job loss. "' However, several analysts feel
the assessment is flawed as Neumark truncated his data when he included only low wage
workers and that in fact the study did not prove job loss. According to Luce, numerous studies
show that after living wage ordinances are in force, absenteeism and employee turnover drop as
predicted earlier in this paper.
Professor Luce points to Reich, Hall and Jacobs 2005 report that airport screener turnover at the
San Francisco Airport, following living wage ordinance enactment, went from 95% a year to 19
percent. They also found that employment increased.
Finally, Ms. Luce reported that the City of San Diego announced a 46% decrease in absenteeism
or turnover with a 47% increase in "their firm's quality of service."
43
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10 Year Plan to Enact the Universal Living Wage
The human, political and economic fallout of the Federal Minimum Wage under the
' duress of time has exposed its fallibility and Congressional shortsightedness for failure
to have indexed the Federal Minimum Wage to any cost of living measure. We have
now shown that housing is the single most expensive item in the household of any
American be they single, have a spouse or a partner.
When Congress debates an increase in the Federal Minimum Wage, the process starts
with Congress simply picking a number out of the air. A member of the House of
representatives may suggest an increase of a dollar or a dollar and a half or a few
dollars over several year increments. For a year or so, there is a public display of
discussion and various arguments are presented on both sides of the debate. Ultimately,
a nominal amount is usually agreed upon. However, it is never enough for a 40 hour a
week worker to actually attain enough to secure housing and the other basics of life:
food, clothing, transportation and shelter that also includes utilities. Presently,
Congress simply chooses a one size fits all amount for the entire nation when in reality,
we are a nation of a 1,000 plus different economies. That means in Urban areas, the
wage won't get fulltime minimum wage workers of our streets, off the dole and back
into the job force and again make them part of our tax base. In Rural areas, that
number plucked out of the air by Congress still relates to nothing and in most cases is
an unfair burden on our Rural Businesses. This failed approach will continue to
needlessly cause scores of rural businesses to fail as a result.
The Federal government must fix the Federal Minimum Wage and establish a
Universal Living Wage by ensuring that anyone working a 40 -hour week will be able
to at least afford basic rental housing (efficiency apartment including utilities),clothing,
transportation and food, wherever that work is done throughout the United States.
ULW Ten Year Ease -In Plan:
Upon enactment, over the next ten years, the Federal Minimum Wage will
be increased in established HUD Fair Market Rent areas, FMR areas, first by
one tenth of the then remaining amount needed to afford basic rental housing
in accordance with the ULW standard found at
www.UniversalLivingWage.org. (State /City button) This will be repeated
during each remaining year based on the number of years remaining, until
the wage reaches the Universal Living Wage goal in each geographic area as
set forth by using the HUD Fair Market Rents. If at any point, the remainder
to be increased over the ten year intervals reduces to $.50 /hour, the wage
will be increased by that remaining amount in the following year. From then
on, the wage will index to the local cost of housing using the ULW Formula
- using established Federal Government guidelines (HUD Section 8 FMRs).
44
Note. The failure of the Federal Minimum Wage to provide a sufficient
wage did not occur over night. Business must be afforded the opportunity to
progressively and intelligently address the problem over the proposed ten
year period. This approach helps them know exactly how to budget for the
upcoming changes and to adapt and hire accordingly.
45
6. c. Livable Incomes — National Approach — Solution 2 —
Fixing the Federal Supplemental Security Income, SSI
Program
Since the early 1980s, Richard R. Troxell has worked for The Legal Services
Corporation. He has been a mortgage foreclosure preventionist and now serves as Director of
Legal Aid for the Homeless. He helps the disabled homeless apply for and secure disability
benefits. The process can take up to eighteen months. Once someone is determined to be 100%
disabled and unable to perform substantial gainful activity, SGA, for a period of time expected to
last at least one year, the government then must determine the level of stipend one will be
provided. For housewives and anyone else who cannot produce a work history, the federal
government will, upon finding them disabled, provide a monthly support check. Presently, the
amount is $710.00 per month for any individual anywhere in the United States. This is about
half of the current Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25 per hour. You may remember that the
Federal Minimum Wage has been found to be wholly inadequate in the last several U.S.
Conference of Mayors Reports. It is an amount so insignificant that anyone working a full time,
40 hour a week job will be incapable of getting and maintaining a one bedroom rental housing
unit anywhere in this country. In fact, we contend that failed government standards SSI and
FMW, are the greatest two reasons reason for the perpetuation of economic homelessness in this
nation. So it is not surprising that people have secured a disability check of half that amount,
$710.00, or approximately $4.22 per hour, are often living on the streets of America.
The intention of Congress with the enactment of the Supplemental Security Income may
or may not have been to house our nation's disabled citizens but surely this should be the moral
standard for our nation. As taxpayers, we seem willing to help these disabled workers, but
business must also participate fairly. In as much as business benefits from the labor of our
nation's workers, as good community partners, they should pay living wages to prevent the
workers from becoming homeless. If they are willing to embrace the correct moral and ethical
posture and take responsibility to pay fair living wages that will also act to stabilize their
businesses and reduce retraining costs, then as a tax payers, we may be willing to pay a stipend
that will similarly prevent the homelessness of people with disabilities.
A recent House the Homeless health survey showed that 48% of the people experiencing
homelessness were so disabled that they could not work. "'v Understandably, while 90% of all
surveyed expressing a desire to work, only 52% expressed having the ability to work. " Let's
assume that business agrees to pay living wages to its minimum wage employees that are
indexed to the local cost of housing throughout the United States. It would seem only
appropriate to similarly prevent homelessness by indexing the SSI stipend to the same HUD, Fair
Market Rent standards that benefits landlords in the Federal Section 8 Landlord /Tenant subsidy
program that is used to make up the ULW formula.
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This approach would end and rp event economic homelessness for all minimum wage
workers and for all disabled SSI recipients throughout the United States.'
47
6.d. Livable Incomes — State Approach — Solution 3 — Fixing
the SSI Stipend
Another approach to the same problem could be addressed at a state level. Presently,
California, for example, fully recognizes, as to several other states: NY, MI, DE, ME, MA, PA,
Rl, VT, NJ, and WA, the problem that the cost of living and the federal SSI program are not
aligned. As a result, these states provide an additional stipend to close the economic gap
between the general cost of living and the SSI stipend.
We are proposing that these and other states be encouraged to raise their subsidy amount
to a level that would enable these benefit recipients to engage competitively in the general
housing rental market. This would result in: 1) the housing of disabled people, and 2)
stimulation of the local construction industry. Concerned that these additional funds might be
offsetting and cause the SSI amount to be reduced to the individual; we've learned that in
accordance with Social Security regulations, as long as the money comes through a "voucher"
program and is "based on need," the goal can be accomplished without financial benefit
reduction. The aforementioned twelve states presently operate partial subsidy programs in this
fashion.
6.e. Federal and State Governments Sharing Fiscal
Responsibility
Alternatively, the Federal government and State government could equally share
this fiscal responsibility just as the Federal Medicaid program is a cost - shared
arrangement between the Federal government and the states.
.•
61 Discharge No One into Homelessness — Solution 4
The Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, of 1990, states that no one who qualifies
with a disability shall, "by reason of such disability, be denied from participating in a public
entity's services, program, or activities. The U. S. Congress has instructed the Attorney General
to issue regulations promoting the Act. One of the regulations, now referred to as the
"integration regulation" requires that people with disabilities be released into the most
appropriate (least restrictive) setting that suits their needs. The decision was based on two
women suffering from schizophrenia. It was determined that they would be best served in a
community based treatment program. This was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in an
Olmstead vs. L.C. 1999. This refers to Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson. The Court ruled that
undue institutionalization is discriminatory in nature.
In 2009, President Obama initiated the "Year of Community Living" in an effort to
enforce the Olmstead decision and work to ensure that people with disabilities are receiving
services in the most integrated setting possible. As the concept of appropriate care and
community integration comes into question, our organization, House the Homeless, Inc., has
begun to focus on reintegration as it relates to homelessness prevention. What if we focused on
the people leaving our institutions! What if we embraced the concept to: Discharge No One into
Homelessness?
At no time do we know as much about an individual as we do once they have entered one
of our institutions. This is true whether they are our youth aging out of foster care, or individuals
leaving our jails or prisons or leaving our hospitals, our mental health facilities or leaving our
homeless shelters or when the men and women exit military service (nearly a third of our
nation's homeless population is believed to be veterans.) We believe that as a society we are
perfectly positioned to accomplish this because we have social workers at every point just
mentioned. By garnering these resources and focusing our energies around this concept we can
have a tremendous impact on preventing homelessness. Our simple tenet is to discharge no one
into homeless but rather discharge them into a safe housing environment on their original out
date Just as we learn of a person's insurance status as they enter a hospital, if we then
immediately begin to plan for their discharge at the time of entry, we can accomplish this task of
appropriate housing procurement and stabilized living. While the tenet to discharge no one into
homelessness is simple, the task is not. And it will require more resources than presently exist.
However, if we immediately embrace this concept, we can assess our service needs and costs and
begin to shape plans for the future. Realizing that all of these institutions operate quite
differently and not wanting to micro - manage any of these facilities or these responders; we
simply urge them to begin this prevention process by pledging to "Discharge No One into
Homelessness. Rather, we need to discharge them only into a safe housing environment... on
their original out date.
..
` Hospitals
In August 2013, it was reported by Kaiser Health News that as of October 2013, two
thousand hospitals under the 2010 health care law are to be fined because 2 million Medicare
patients had been readmitted for their original medical concerns (e.g. heart attack, heart failure,
and pneumonia) within 30 days of discharge. This amounts to 71% of the hospitals that were
evaluated for their return numbers. Not surprisingly, African Americans and people
experiencing poverty are most likely to be re- admitted. In fact, according to the KHN report,
67% of hospitals treating poor patients are being fined.
' Half the people failed to show up for their follow -up appointments. The cost of re-
admission for these very serious ailments is enormous. But the intervention of a well placed
social worker who recognizes that the individual didn't get to their appointment due to a lack of
bus fare or did not get a prescription filled as a result of not having the co -pay or did not report to
a primary care doctor because he /she simply doesn't have one or is not sure which doctor that is,
would be of greater service and more cost effective to both the individual and the hospital if they
provided the few dollars needed or guided this consumer a little better.
Sally Boemer, senior vice president of finance at Mass General Hospital said, "[she]
expected readmissions will drop as the hospital develops new methods of arranging and paying
for care that emphasize prevention.
This is the briefest overview and discussion of the hospital institution. The purpose here
41 is to give the reader a sense of the types of things we are looking to outline for each institution
.. that will ultimately help prevent homelessness.
Discharge No One Into Homelessness:
Examining Prisons as an Institutional Example
0 This is a brief examination of the Prison Institution in Texas regarding health care
1W relating to financial and human costs. The expected cost of a prison bed in this nation is $20,000
per year. According to a recent University of Texas two year study /survey, the annual cost per
person, for even overnight jail stay is $14,480."'`''
1W
Again, at no time do we know as much about an individual as we do once they have
y entered one of our institutions.
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0
We can clearly see an example of how small planned changes can have a significant
positive impact on current outcomes that are financial in nature and contribute to the benefit of
the prisoners and the community as a whole. Collectively, these changes can help to prevent
homelessness as people transition out of prison settings.
As we prepare to examine discharge approaches, it is imperative that we first come to
understand the prison health care system just prior to discharge.
Looking at California, we know that failure to address health care issues has resulted in
the ordered releases of 40,000 prisoners in 2010. The excess cost to Californians has already
been in the millions of dollars as a result of inadequate /poor health care planning. The same
scenario may soon play out in Texas.
An Austin American Statesman news article dated Saturday, August 17, 2013 reported
prison conditions well below that of barnyard animals. According to the article, Texas prepares
to spend $750,000 to air cool and mist pigs in climate controlled buildings. While there is no
constitutional right for prisoner access to air conditioning, their air temperature routinely reaches
130 degrees according to Scott Medlock. Mr. Medlock is an Austin, Texas civil rights attorney
who is blaming 14 heat related deaths on the conditions over the past six years. Clearly, people
with medical conditions and those on psychotropic drugs are more sensitive to exposure to heat
conditions. Regardless, prison officials are not backing off their plans or the inference that these
people are of less value than swine. " 1v1
When examining institutional reform especially, prison reform, is critical for the
prevention of homelessness. As shown, the conditions while in an institution frame the pathway
for "homecomers" release and their societal re- integration beginning with how their own self
respect is crafted.
What is also clear is that by examining the prison population and culling its numbers by
paroling the elderly and infirmed who fall into the non - violent category, we can create dramatic
savings to this institution while adding human value to the lives of all affected. In fact, we can
shift the cost of health care from state general revenue to Medicaid and Medicare.
For background, this section relies on the research of the Texas Civil Rights Project
Prisoners Rights Program as found in its 2011 report "A Thin Line- The Texas Prison Health
Care Crisis. " They based their findings on prisoner complaints, evaluations of prison operations
produced by the Texas Legislature Sunset Advisory Commission, major newspapers, and
criminal justice experts.
In Estelle v. Gamble, the U.S. Supreme Court prohibits the "unnecessary and wanton
infliction of pain," proscribed by the Eighth Amendment. Basically anyone denying or
delaying medical treatment has interfered with a prisoner's constitutional rights.
51
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Following a barrage of prisoner complaints, the U.S. Fifth Circuit ruled in Ruiz vs.
Estelle. Judge Justice, sitting on that court, ordered the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to
"prepare and file with the [c]ourt a plan which will assure that prisoners receive necessary
medical, dental and psychiatric care from the moment of their arrival in the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice." " The court then set out a litany of requirements to protect their constitutional
rights. In response, the Texas prison system devised a Managed Health Care program in its
prison system. It is well understood that a managed health care system, often subservient to cost
savings measures, can lead to truncated services as opposed to a traditional fee - for - service
system. To place financial concerns above the prisoner medical needs could be in violation of
the Eighth Amendment.
Recommendations
The report "A Thin Line" makes numerous recommendations. Among them are:
➢ A call for "amendments to the Public Information Act to make information about prison
conditions public.
➢ The use of "best practices" to "foster more humane attitude toward prisoners."
➢ Expand the use of telemedicine that allows doctors to hear about and address the
medical needs of more prisoners.
➢ Reform medication distribution system allowing for more keep on person medication to
help avoid (among others) drug resistance or potential public health dangers."
➢ Establish a universally available records system to enhance communication among
medical providers.
0 ➢ Create quick response to medical needs to keep costs down, health up.
Overcrowding
Texas prisons are overcrowded. As a result, Texas does not have the facilities or the resources to
care properly or constitutionally for its growing and aging prison population. At the same time,
in 2012, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is preparing to lay off 3,052 employees. A
lower guard to inmate ratio will only further compound security and health care problems.
Historical low salary rates only add to poor quality employee hiring. Iii
. Overcrowding, among several other factors, is the result of aging prison population not
the result of high crime rates. In fact, crime rates per capita dropped 9% from 1998 - 2007. '
ID
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Short - Comings of Board of Pardons and Parole
Overcrowding can also be directly attributed to the failure of the Board of Pardons and
Parole. In 2008, 65% of the 139,134 TDCJ inmates were eligible for parole. However, only
36% of eligible inmates received parole." Why? According to the report, "The Thin Line," as
of 2007, 17 of the 19 voting members of the board had professional backgrounds in law
enforcement or criminal justice, I" with no defense -side or social work backgrounds to provide
another view Additionally, the Board is not required to explain why the inmate was refused
parole thus denying them an opportunity to alter their behavior or address undisclosed errors in
inmate records.
By simply releasing inmates over the age of 55 that are receiving prison medical care,
who had not committed a "3G" offense (violent crime) the result would be a cost savings of
$20.2 million in medical costs alone on an annual basis.
In 2005, the Texas prison system was saddled with low -risk prisoners that made up only
5.4% of the prison population. Yet, at the same time, they made up 25% of the hospital costs.
Furthermore, a person with end stage cancer or the like might find themselves eligible for
Medically Recommended Intensive Supervision or MRIS with a medical recommendation from
the appropriate authority. But, without proper advocacy, only about 7 of the 70+ inmates
afflicted are released.
Recommendations
The Thin Line recommendations, among many others:
➢ Hire and retain qualified security and medical staff
➢ Examine the true cost of adding or reducing prison beds
➢ Expand and hold the Board of Pardons & Review Board accountable
➢ Allow prisoners access to their records and Parole Board decisions
➢ Increase MRIS approval rates
Prisoners Suffering Mental Illness
27.25% of Texas prisoners (42,556) are or have been diagnosed with mental illness.""'
The cost to Texas taxpayers of repeat, mentally ill patients is $682 million per years."` On the
other hand, it is reported in "The Thin Line" that treatment in a community based facility would
cost only $92 million per annum.'"
When we speak of mental illness diagnosis, we also refer to11,388 individuals that have
been diagnosed with major depression, bi -polar disorder, and schizophrenia."' But other inmates
53
V
K3
not falling under a mental health category include violent crime perpetrators, chronic drug users
r and sex offenders. No doubt this portion of the prison population who will one day be released
back into the civilian population would best be served if they too received mental health
counseling.
Recommendations from "A Thin Line"
➢ Create a state -wide plan for prison diversion for persons with mental health conditions
that include: prevention, diversion, and discharge elements for community placement
➢ Expand the use of telepsychiatry
➢ Decrease the use of solitary confinement and increase the use of alternative deterrents
such as the reduction of privileges
➢ Regularly assess the general prison population for mental health concerns
➢ Increase the number of mental health workers and social workers.
Infectious Diseases
Due to close quarters, response time, unsanitary conditions, and the reluctance on the part
of the community to see prisoners receive what they often perceive to be preferential treatment,
prisons are incubators for infectious diseases. Often this results in drug resistant diseases that get
carried into the general civilian population upon release
Hepatitis C virus among these infectious diseases while only 1.8% of the general
population, it is over - represented in our prisons nation -wide at 40 %. Left untreated or
improperly treated, it can result in the need for a $400,000 liver transplant.
Similarly, tuberculosis, another infectious and contagious disease makes it clear that
failure to properly and thoroughly treat TB puts both the prisoner and the community at -large in
very real medical danger.
Texas prisoners are infected with HIV /AIDS at 5 times the rate of the general populous.
The medical treatment costs over a lifetime are currently estimated to be approximately $300,000
per individual. According to, "The Thin Line," post- prison HIV care is one that Texas must
place at the ton of its critical care lists
MRSA, a staph infection, is another drug resistant, infectious disease. The prison
environment is the perfect breeding ground for staph infection. Obvious signs of infection can
be diagnosed for as little as $28.00 as opposed to being treated for up to $40,000 each.
Note - 95% of prisoners return to their communities
54
W
➢ We must improve sanitary conditions
➢ Provide education, condoms, and clean needles
➢ Assess clients for diseases upon entry and exit
➢ Ensure complete treatment of Tuberculosis
➢ Determine new ways that post- release treatment occurs and that pre- release
education and economic resources are identified and made available.
It is critical to understand that medical care costs both within and outside of prison
are critical to avoid homelessness. Medical practices and prisoner practices establish the
paths toward and/or away from homelessness. The economics of health care can quickly
and permanently lead to a condition of homelessness.
As advocates for a better world, we must focus on areas where our nation's
population is the most heavily concentrated ... our prisons. We must advocate to change
the conditions of this institution. We must then recognize that there is a great fluidity
with people entering, leaving, and re- entering this institution. With this fluidity there is
disease and potential epidemic transference at its highest level. Limited income or the
lack of sufficient, sustaining income will lead to further exacerbation of the problem of
homelessness. Economic stability can lead to better health responses that in and of
themselves lead to the prevention of homelessness. Next, we will look at who is best
quipped to identify and initiate the changes necessary to mitigate and prevent people
leaving this institution.
Prison Re -Entry Involving Co- Production
As we ask institutions to explore innovative approaches to Discharging No One into
Homelessness, we must be expansive in our thinking. We must truly think "outside of the box,"
and we must find ways to involve those most immediately affected by these changes.
In the report Coming Home, we find such an approach. It self - reports to be an "Asset
Based Approach to Transforming Self and Community ... a report on societal Re -Entry (post
prison). "" "In 2006, more than 7.2 million people were on probation, in jail, in prison, or on
parole. "' "' Within two years, over 70 percent of people being released from prison will be
returned to prison. This is shocking in terms of the cost and waste in human potential. This
paints a harrowing picture of failure to achieve good "quality of life" outcomes for over 650,000
exiting prisoners in America every year.
As a nation we spend $60 billion on prisons and corrections every year."" From the very
beginning of the report, the clarion call is for involvement of affected members to be partners
55
and promote the concept proffered by Dr. Edgar Cahn called Co- Production. Simply, co-
production means involving the individuals who are most directly affected with
professionals /experts in the field in an effort to create cohesive and integrated solutions for re-
entry success. As A Thin Line report suggests, this must begin while still in prison by allowing
inmates access to the information that is considered by the Hearings and Parole Boards. This can
only enable self - motivated behavior modification. i
They feel that they must also shed the stigma of demeaning terms such as con, x -con,
lifer, etc. The term "homecomers" was chosen by such a grouping to bring civility to their status
while crystallizing an image of what they are undergoing: societal re- entry. Critical to their
success, "homecomers" have now rightfully been identified as a major untapped resource in the
"re- entry" process. Finally, the "homecomers" are to be considered part of a cohesive,
interactive national team and part of a local community effort to restore family, hope,
functionality, and personal -will to succeed on the part of all re -entry "homecomers.' To that end,
a team of interested professional experts and "homecomers" joined forces to identify six priority
areas of focus, "Economic security for "homecomers;" 2) change in the language and image to
overcome stigmatization; 3) mental health; 4) supportive and supported community; 5) new roles
with children and families; 6) systems change in the criminal justice system."
' They determined that their activity /advocacy must occur simultaneously on two fronts; at
the grassroots/ community level and at the "policy and systems level."
The result of the ad hoc brainstorming on the part of the team gave rise to the concept
that a National Homecomers Academy would be necessary to successfully affect the kind of
broad -based systemic system changes that they seek. The committee decided that there will need
to be 1) "a network of projects" promoting the principal of co- production; 2) a process for
nominating and funding individuals and 3) a Board of Regents to act as the voice for the entire
process. The Board of Regents' charge will also include the introduction of new approaches to
re -entry and keeping the vision of the program strong both locally and nationally. The vision
embraces the idea that given the opportunity to succeed and actually succeeding promotes the
feeling within those "homecomers" of wanting others to succeed.
A
The ad hoc committee then bulleted specific goals to carry out the vision-
0 Creation of micro - enterprises that pay (living) wages
• Access to suitable accredited education
• Financial assistance for individuals committed to advancing themselves
• Targeted work designed for re -entry that funding sources will support because
they result in sustainable jobs that pay (living) wages.
56
• Design and document replicable strategies that will encourage others to follow
these successful practices.
• Create a palpable mental image of the re -entry model and actions that are so
powerful that barriers to re -entry are attacked everywhere.
• Create a voice of positive interaction that through education, favorably impacts
families and communities to build economically viable and vibrant neighborhoods
with the return of "homecomers. "
This skeleton framework outlines just one approach for Discharging No One into
Homelessness. I focused on the prison system and proposed just one possibility of how it
might be achieved. It would seem to be a viable option. It is an approach that includes
what the author of this paper believes is an essential element in formulating any plan to
prevent homelessness. It warrants that we always involve the individual who is at risk of
becoming homeless prior to and upon discharge. In this instance that individual has
received the new name of "homecomer" buy actualizing the concept of co- production, or
involvement by the affected individual.
57
Summary
In Summary we see that our nation's homeless programs merely respond to the
condition of homelessness. They are simply reactive in nature.
With an eye toward prevention of homelessness, we embrace a new perspective. In a
new light, we clearly see people experiencing homelessness through an economic lens. We see
these people as fitting into two camps: those who can work and those who cannot work. This
paper has identified 4 Preventative Solutions on two areas of concern: Livable Incomes and
Discharge No One into Homelessness. For those who can work, we look toward-
Solution 1 and we know that we need to respond with the Universal Living Wage To
that end, we have fixed the Federal Minimum Wage by creating a single national formula
based on existing government guidelines that ensure that if a person works 40 hours in a
week, (be it from one job or more) they will be able to afford the basics of life: food,
clothing, shelter (including utilities) and transportation, no matter wherever that work
is done throughout the entire United States. Conservatively, this will end economic
homelessness for over 1 million minimum wage workers and prevent economic
homelessness for all minimum wage workers no matter whether you place the count at 10
million or 20 million. Furthermore, this approach will have a significant positive impact
on the nation's business economy and save additional billions of dollars for taxpayers all
across America.
Livable Incomes Continued For those who cannot work, we cast our gaze upon the
Supplemental Security Income for Solutions 2 and 3.
✓ Solution 2 involves fixing the Supplemental Security Income stipend on a national basis
so that it is increased geographically as per HUD Fair Market Rent demarcation. It then
mirrors the amount necessary to afford the basic standards of life established for the
Universal Living wage: the ability to afford basic food, clothing, shelter (including
utilities), transportation with enough funds to access a hospital emergency room and be
able to do this wherever a person lives throughout the entire United States
"� ✓ Solution 3 also involves fixing the Supplemental Security Income stipend so that it is
increased geographically using the HUD Fair Market Rents thus affording stipend
recipients the ability to afford the basics of life in their area. We have identified twelve
a (12) states that currently provide a limited stipend that we would have all 50 states
replicate but in an amount necessary to provide what we have identified as living wages.
At the same time, Solutions 1, 2, and 3 will all stimulate the local and national
economies. The nation's construction industry will be able to respond to the increased
I
housing needs for millions of disabled individuals when financial resources finally
become available.
✓ Solution 4 affects all persons who enter any of our institutions be it a hospital, the
military, a nursing home, a mental health facility, someone leaving a homeless facility or
are a young person aging out of foster care, etc. We believe that we can drastically reduce
their rate of recidivism and the enormous associated costs of becoming homeless if they
are onl y discharged into a safe housing environment.
These responses are bold, pragmatic, pro- active action -steps designed to prevent
homelessness. In the long run, all will yield billions of dollars in savings to taxpayers and
increased revenue for business. Finally, they will help us change the face of poverty,
homelessness and health care in America.
M ,
Conclusion
Homelessness in this nation is a new, relatively recent phenomenon first finding its roots
with soldiers returning from the Viet Nam War. It has been brought about by numerous social
changes, insufficient wages, and ineffective responses toward the growing problem in general. It
can be clearly stated that these responses have been reactive not proactive or preventative.
Homelessness has touched the lives of minimum wage workers, people suffering mental
and physical disabilities, whole families, reintegrating x- offenders (Homecomers), people exiting
our hospitals, youth aging out of foster care, with and a third of all homeless numbers comprised
of men and women who have valiantly served our nation as veterans.
By fixing our Federal Minimum Wage and indexing it to be the local cost of housing, we
can prevent economic homelessness for 20 million minimum wage workers. We can
simultaneously stabilize small businesses coupled with millions of dollars saved in retraining
costs alone. We can avoid spending millions of other dollars of taxpayer money on supports such
` as food stamps, general assistance and Earned Income Tax Credit, etc.
By fixing the Supplemental Social Security Income stipend, and similarly, indexing it to
the local cost of housing and sharing the financial responsibility from a state or national or
combined perspective, we can ensure that the elderly, and mentally and physically disabled
citizens do not end up in dire economic straights and homeless on our streets with an insufficient
government check in their pockets.
We can, and we must, "Discharge No One into Homelessness." By asking each of our
institutions to begin pragmatic, comprehensive and expansive planning for the discharge of their
consumers on the very day that they enter the facility, we can prevent their recidivism, billions of
dollars in savings, and avoid incalculable human suffering.
As Dr. Cahn suggests, we must find a way to value the contributions of every human
being whether they are employed in traditional work, or simply engaged in human interaction.
No one deserves to be homeless. It is preventable.
•1
Endorsers of the Universal Living Wage Campaign
International National Community Reinvestment
Communications Workers of America, Coalition
International National Council for Urban Peace and
Nonviolence International
Centre for Social Justice- Ontario, Canada
The Big Issue in Scotland- United Kingdom
National
American Federation of Teachers AFT
CCW /AFTEF Center for the Child care
Workforce/ The AFTE Foundation
Center for Community Change
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Church Women United
Citizens Policies Institute
Citizens Policy Institute
Coalition on Human Needs
Communication Workers of America,
National
Community Family Life Services, Inc.
Community for Creative Non - Violence
(CCNV)
Community IT Innovators, Inc.
Co -op America
Friends of the Earth
Gray Panthers
Green Party of the United States
Homeless Children's Playtime Project
Housing Assistance Council
Jobs with Justice
Labor Council for Latin America
NAACP
National Alliance of HUD Tenants
National Association of Social Workers
National Coalition for Asian Pacific
American Community Development
National Coalition for the Homeless
61
Justice
National Council of Churches/
Economic /Social/Justice Program
National Health Care
National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network for Children
National Network for Youth
National Organization for Women (NOW)
National Priorities Project
National Rural Housing Coalition
Network: A National Catholic Social
Justice Lobby
North American Street Newspaper
Association
Pax Christi
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Religious /Labor Coalition
SEIU
Spina Bifida Assoc. of America
The Coalition on Human Needs
The Salvation Army -WDC
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
United Methodist Church Board of Church
and Society
Universalist Service Committee
Washington DC Bureau of the
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Women of Reform Judaism
Alaska
Alaska Mental Health Consumer Web Inc.
6
American Friends Service Committee
Anchorage Council of Building &
Construction Trades
Beans Cafe Jim Crocket
Catholic Social Services
IUOE Local 302
JSweb Technology
Laborers International Union of North
American Local #942
Sheet Metal Workers Union Local #23
The Alaska State Coalition on Housing and
Homelessness
The Brother Francis Shelter
w YWMCA of Anchorage
Msmian & Sons
Alabama
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law &
Justice Inc.
Alabama Arise
Alabama Coalition Against Hunger
Birmingham Health Care
Christian Service Mission
CWA Local 3902
Donna Cooper, RSM
Franklin Primary Health Center, Inc.
" Greater Birmingham Ministries
Habitat for Humanity Baldwin
Housing First
Metropolitan Birmingham Services for the
Homeless
Montgomery Community Action, Inc.
New Futures
Safeplace, Inc.
UAW Local 1155- Birmingham
UAW Local 1413
UBCJA /SCIW #2401
Arkansas
Arkansas Foodbank Network
Central Arkansas Building & Construction
Trades
Central Arkansas Labor Council
Central Arkansas Library System
City Life News & Publishing Co.
College Station CDC
I.B.E.W. Local Union 295
IBEW Local Union 700
Moody Chapel -
African/Methodist/Episcopal Church
Painters Local Union #424
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 155
The Arkansas Hunger Coalition
The Kings Outreach
Watershed Human Development Ctr.
Arizona
AFSC Arizona Area Program
Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness
Arizona Homeless Center
Border Links
City Life News and Publishing Company
Communication Workers & American Local
7050
Community Housing Partnership
Community Information and Referral
CWA AFL -CIO Arizona State Council
Ronda Graff
Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun
IATSE Local 875
IBEW Local Union 518
Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.
Ken Cole Sustainable Living Center
Northern Arizona Veterans for Peace 'Bud
Day" Chapter 108
People Experiencing Homelessness
Phoenix Consortium for the Homeless
PPEP Microbusiness & Housing Dev. Corp.
Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity
Primavera Foundation
62
Professional Musicians of Arizona, AFM
#586
Project Aware Men's Shelter
Save the Family Foundation of AZ
Southwest Center for Economic Integrity
Spirit of Service, Inc.
The Brewster Center Domestic Violence
Services, Inc.
Unite Here 631
WHEAT
California
AFSC Farm Labor/Project Cam Pesino
AFSC Pann Valley Institute
AFSC San Diego
AFSC Stockton, CA
Amalgamated Transit Union 1225
American Apparel
BeeBright
Beyond Shelter
Building & Construction Trades Council,
San Mateo County
Building Opportunities for Self - Sufficiency
C.E.O. Women
California Affordable Housing Law Project
CareLink- CMC(HCH)
Carpenters Local 1789
Church of Theater Arts
Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of
L.A.
Coalition of California Welfare Rights
Organizations, Inc.
Committee for a Living Wage
Community Homeless Alliance Ministry
Community Technology Alliance
Contra Costa Homeless Ombudsperson
CorpWatch
CWA 9510
CWA Local 9503
Drawbridge
Drywall- Lathers Local 9083
Ecumenical Ministry in the Haight Ashbury
Fair Housing Council of San Diego
Global Exchange
Green Building Pages
Greg Braendel at Career Dreams Inc.
Gubb & Barshay LLP
Haight Ashbury Clinic
Half Moon Bay Mutual Benefit Center
Health Care for the Homeless
Home and Community, Inc.
Homeless Health Care Los Angeles
Housing America
Housing California
Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco
IAM Local 1173 Pres Steve Older
IATSE #122
IATSE Local B -192
IBEW Local Union 11
IBEW 551
IBEW Local 100
IBEW Local 18
IBEW Local 234
IBEW Local 595
IBEW, Local 428
Imperial County Building Trades Council
International Alliance of Stage Employees
( IATSE) Local 905
Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice
International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers 617
Kasper Organics
Kate's Caring Gifts
Kern Inyo & Mono Building Trades
Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates
Southern CA
L.U.L.A.C.147
Laborers Local Union 886
Lamp Community
Lighthouse Church- Fort Bragg
63
EJ
Living Wage Coalition of Sonoma County
Los Amigos of Orange Co.
Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger &
Homelessness
Los Angeles Youth Network
Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, AFL-
CIO
Moonridge Realty
Motion Picture Machine Operators, IATSE
Local 169
Ms. Lefkowitz's Jewish Law II Class Period
B6
NABET -CWA Local 53 (59053)
New Native, Inc.
North Bay Labor Council, AFL -CIO
Northeast Valley Health Corp
OneDance: The People's Summit
OPEIU Local #3
Open Circle
Orange County Community Housing
Corporation
Orange County Interfaith Coalition for
Social Justice
Organic Attire
Partners in Urban Transformation
Paul Flanagan, MD
Peoples Self -Help Housing Corporation
Plumbers, Steamfitters & Refrigeration
Fitters UA Local Union 393
Project Censored
Religious Witness with Homeless People
Resources for Independent Living
Rock the Vote
Roofers and Waterproofers Local #95
Sacramento Homeless Organizing
Committee
Sacramento Housing Alliance
a,
Sacramento Mutual Housing Association
San Diego Coalition for Homeless
San Francisco Hillel
San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners
San Mateo County Central Labor Council
Santa Cruz County Coalition for a Living
Wage
Seavile Employees International Union
Local 434B
SEIU 434B
SEIU- Local 121 RN
SEIU Local 347
Service Center for Independent Living
Shelter for Homeless Women and Children
Shelter, Inc. of Contra Costa County
Sign Display Local #510 AFL -CIO
Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties
Building and Construction Trades Council
Teamsters Local 601
TEAMX, Inc. /SWEATX
Tenant Associations Coalition of San
Francisco
The Affordable Housing Network of Santa
Clara County, CA
The Civil Service Div. of CSEA Local 1000
SEIU AFL -CIO, CLC (California State
Employees Association
The Coalition on Homelessness, SF
The East Oakland CDC
The Higgins Foundation
The Housing Rights Committee of SF
The Southern California Association of
Non - Profit Housing
The Write Way
Tides Foundation
U.S. Mexico Border Program
UFCW Local 1167
UFCW Local 1428
UFCW Local 1442
UFCW Local 1442
UFCW Local 770
.,
Unite Here Local 11
United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local
#743
United Farm Workers
United Here! Local 681
United Taxicab Workers
Veterans For Peace Chapter 71, Sonoma
County
Veterans Speakers Alliance/VFP Chapter 69
Voice4Change
Western Regional Advocacy Project
(WRAP)
Women For Orange County
Women of Color Resource Center
www.GrassrootsHost.com
Catholic Charities of San Jose
New Society Publishers
Colorado
Access Housing
American Friends Service Committee -
Colorado
Authentic Alternatives, Inc.
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Colorado College Community Kitchen
Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
Colorado Jobs With Justice
Colorado Yurt Company
CWA District 7
CWA District 8
Denver Homeless Voice
Denver Urban Ministries
Earthlinks
Epilogue Book Company
Global Girlfriend
I.B.E.W. Local 68
IBEW 667
IBEW Local 969
Men's Health at Denver Health Medical
Mercy Housing, Inc
Samaritan House
Sheet Metal Workers I.A. Local #9
St. Francis Center
Stout Street Clinic
Suicide Risk Response Services, Prof. LLC
The Cofax Community Network
The Greeley Transitional House, Inc.
The Uptown Partnership, Inc.
The Women's Crisis Center/ Violence
Prevention Institute
Urban Peak
Warren Village
Wyncia Scrap Bags
Connecticut
AFSCME
AFT Local 1547
American Federation of Musicians Local
400
American Federation of Teachers Local
5049
Connecticut AFL -CIO
CSEA, SEIU Local 2001
CT Coalition to End Homelessness
CT Health Care Associates, NUHHCE,
AISME
Flavours of Life, Ltd.
Greater Hartford Labor Council
IATSE Local 74
IATSE Local 84 CB 3/21
Mutual Housing Assoc /S. Central
Roofers Local 9
District of Columbia
American Federation of Teachers AFT
Capital Area Food Bank
CCW /AFTEF Center for the Child care
Workforce/ The AFTE Foundation
Center for Community Change
Center for Economic and Policy Research
65
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Church Women United
Citizens Policies Institute
Citizens Policy Institute
Communication Workers of America,
National
Community Family Life Services
Community Family Life Services, Inc.
Community for Creative Non - Violence
(CCNV)
Community IT Innovators, Inc.
Co -op America
CWA Local 2336
First Trinity Lutheran Church
Friends of the Earth
Homeless Children's Playtime Project
Housing Assistance Council
Jobs with Justice
Labor Council for Latin America
y National Association of Social Workers
National Coalition for Asian Pacific
American Community Development
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Community Reinvestment
Coalition
National Council of Churches/
Economic /Social /Justice Program
National Law Center on Homelessness &
,. Poverty
National Network for Children
National Network for Youth
National Organization for Women (NOW)
National Rural Housing Coalition
Network: A National Catholic Social
Justice Lobby
Nonviolence International
Pax Christi
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Presbyterian Church (USA)
SEIU
Spina Bifida Assoc. of America
The Capital Area Foodbank
The Coalition on Human Needs
The Salvation Army -WDC
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
United Methodist Church Board of Church
and Society
Washington DC Bureau of the
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
NAACP
Delaware
Better Homes of Seaford, Inc.
Delaware Housing Coalition
Delaware Statewide Association of Tenants
Delaware Statewide Association of Tenants
Delaware State Homeless Coalition
Green Party of Delaware
IBEW Local 1238
Saint Paul Church
Florida
Alachva County Coalition for the Homeless
and Hungry, Inc.
All Faiths Food Bank
American Federation of Musicians Local
427 -721
American Veteran Newspaper, Inc.
Artisans' World Marketplace
Ascension Social Concerns
Benedict Haven
Better Way of Miami, Inc.
Brevard Federation of Teachers
Broward Coalition for the Homeless
Camillos Health Concern, Inc.
Central Florida Voters Congress
Charlotte County Homeless Coalition
Coalition for Family Safety
Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County
.•
Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless of
Brevard County
Coalition to End Homelessness
Community Coalition for a Living Wage
Community Coalition on Homelessness
Community Empowerment Services
Connections Job Development Corp
CWA Local 3120
David J. Murphy, RHCF, Inc.
David Lawrence Center
Democratic Club of Greater Fort Myers,
Florida
Diocese of Saint Augustine
Domestic Abuse Shelter Homes, Inc.
Florida Acorn
Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Florida Housing Coalition
Florida Impact
Florida Keys outreach Coalition for the
Homeless
Florida Keys Outreach Coalition Inc.
Florida State Lawn Care
Friends Meeting of Ocala (Quakers)
Goldenrule Housing & CDC, Inc.
Good Samaritan Health Centers, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity of Key West & Lower
Fl. Keys, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity of South Brevard
His Place Ministries
Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough Co.
Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County,
Inc.
Homeless News Wire
Homeless Voice/ Florida
Hunger and Homeless of Citrus County, Inc.
IATSE Local 631
IBEW 222
IBEW Local 728
International Association of Machinists &
Aerospace Workers, Local Lodge 2777
KissMyLayOf£com
Local 780, I.A.T.S.E.
Miami Coalition for the Homeless
Mid - Florida Homeless Coalition
Naranja Princeton CDC
North Broward Hospital District Health
Care for the Homeless
Office of Justice and Peace, Diocese of St.
Augustine
Pizzazz MEPG
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 592
Polk County Opportunity Council
Recovery of Choice
Safety Net Foundation, Inc.
South Florida Jobs with Justice
St. Joseph St. Vincent dePaul Society
St. Mathew House
St. Vincent De Paul
Street Smarts Coalition, Inc.
Suncoast Professional Firefighters &
Paramedics Local 2546
Terra Sancta Press, Inc.
The Human Services Coalition of Dade
County
The Salvation Army - Broward County
The Shelter
The South Florida Community Development
Coalition
The Southwest Florida Coalition for the
Homeless
The Tallahassee Coalition for the Homeless
The Tallahassee -Leon Shelter, Inc.
The Transition House, Inc.
United Community Dev. Inc.
United Community Development, Inc.
Urban University Seminary
Yettie's Outreach & Dev. Coop
67
Georgia
Agnus Scott College- Human Services
Committee
Atlanta Jobs with Justice
Atlanta Labor Council
Atlanta Union Mission
Atlanta Women's Foundation
Berry College Young Democrats
Children's Restoration Network
Columbus Housing Initiative
Covenant House
Empty the Shelter
Georgia Citizens Coalition on Hunger
Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness,
Inc.
Georgia Employee Federation
Georgia Human Rights Union
Georgia Law Center for the Homeless
Georgia Rural Urban Summit
Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth Co.
Heavenly Bound Homeless Coalition
IATSE Local 824
J.D. and Associates
Jerusalem House Inc.
Living Room
Macon Outreach at Mulberry
Mercy Housing South East
Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless
Metropolitan Columbus Task Force for the
Homeless
People, Inc.
Rachel's Daughters, Inc. of Georgia State
Univ.
Residential Connection, Inc.
Roofers Local 136
South Central Georgia Task Force for the
Homeless
The Redistribution Alternative
The Young Adult Guidance Center, Inc.
Tyler Place CDC of Atlanta
Valdosta Project Change
Women's Economic Development
Women's Policy Group
Hawaii
AFL -CIO
East Hawaii Coalition for the Homeless
Hawaii State AFL -CIO
Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic
Violence
Laborers Union, Local 368
Musicians' Association of Hawaii
Pacific Islanders United Methodist Church
Street Beat
Waikiki Health Center
Waimaha/ Sunflower Residents Association,
Inc.
Iowa
Affordable Housing and Homeless
Partnership of Polk County
Broadlawns Medical Center
Churches United Shelter
Community Action Agency of Siouxland
Ctrl Iowa Bldg & Const Trades Council
Local 33
CWA AFL -CIO Local 2093 1530 hrs
I.B.E.W. Local 1362
I.B.E.W. Local 1379
IAMAW Local 1728
Iowa City Federation of Labor
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Iowa Coalition for Housing and
Homelessness
Iowa Community Action Association Lana
Ross 9.
Justice Committee, Sisters of Mercy, Cedar
Rapids
Operating Engineer Local 234
Roofers Local no. 142
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Service Employees International Union local
199
YWCA of Fort Dodge
Idaho
Helping Hand, Inc.
ID Community Action Network
Idaho Women's Network
Saint Vincent DePaul
Silver Valley People's Action Coalition
The Idaho Food Bank
Woodworkers W364 IAMAW
Your Family, Friends, and Neighbors, Inc
Interfaith Alliance of Idaho
Illinois
Housing Action, IL
Automobile Mechanics Local 701
BCMW Community Services
Bethel New Life
Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Center for Women in Transition
Chiapas Media Project
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Chicago Health Outreach
Chicago Jobs With Justice
Chicago Uptown Ministry
Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness
Deborah's Place
DuPage County Green Party
Health Reach
Helping Hands of Springfield
Illinois Hunger Coalition
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Interfaith Housing Center
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
Kushtush Organic
La Casa Norte
Local Union 705
Metropolitan Housing Development
Corporation
National Student Campaign Against Hunger
& Homelessness
Nonviolent Choice Directory
Peoria Federation of Musicians, Local 26
Protestants for the Common Good
Roofers Local #32
Saint Vincent De Paul
San Jose Obrero Mission
SEW Local 668, PSS4
Sisters of Mercy, Chicago Regional
South Side Mission
St. James Church Email Bounced
SWAN, Inc.
The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness
The Pollution Solution
Tri- County Musician's Union Local 88
UAW Local 2488
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice
United Steelworkers of America 745
Will Feed Community Org.
Indiana
AFSCME Local 3733
Brothers' Keeper, Inc.
Central Indiana Jobs with Justice
Community Faith & Labor Coalition
CWA Local 4700
CWA Local 4900
Family and Children's Services, Inc
Haven House Services
Horizon House
I.B.E.W. Local 2249
IATSE #836
IBEW Local Union # 153
Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless
Issues
International Union of BAC Local 4 INKY
King Park Area Development Corp
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North Central Indiana AFL -CIO Central
m Labor Council
One Paycheck Away
Roofers Local no. 119
Saint Joseph Valley Project /Jobs with
Justice
Scott County Welfare to Work Task Force
Southern Indiana Housing Initiative
St. Joseph Valley Project- Jobs with Justice
Stepping Stones for Veterans, Inc.
UAW Local 685
Vincent House, Inc.
Wabash Valley Central Labor Council
YWCA of St. Joseph County
Kansas
Central & Western KS BCTC
Homestead Affordable Housing
IBEW Local 661
Inter -Faith Ministries Wichita
Kansas Action Network
Kansas AFL -CIO
Kansas Communication Workers of
America, CWA
Kansas National Organization for Women
Kansas NOW
Labor Federation
National Action Network KS Chapter
New Beginnings
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 441
SEIU Local 513
The Lawrence Coalition of Homeless
concerns
Tri- County Labor Council of Eastern
Kansas AFL -CIO
United Steelworkers Local 307
Kentucky
Ashland- Tomcats.com
Central Leadership Team of The Sisters of
Charity of Nazareth
Coalition for the Homeless
CWA Local 3310
Daniel Pitino Shelter
FAHE Inc.
Home Alternatives
Homeless and Housing Coalition of
Kentucky
Kentucky Communication Workers of
America
Kentucky Jobs with Justice
Laborers Local 576
Laborers Union 1392
Labors' Local 576
Lexington Living Wage Campaign
Louisville Professional Fire Fighters Local
345
Senator Ernesto Scorsone
The Northern Kentucky Housing and
Homeless Coalition
The Partnership Center, Ltd.
Utility Workers union of America, Local
600
St John Center for Homeless Men
Louisiana
A Different Approach Handicraft, Inc.
Common Ground/Relief
I CAN! America
I CAN! America, LLC
IATSE # 298
IBEW Local 861
IBEW Local Union 130
National Policy & Advisory Council on
Homelessness
Operation Enduring Independence
R Iron Workers Local 710
SMILE Community Action Agency
Smile Community Action Agency, Inc.
717
Unity for the Homeless
Massachusetts
Arise for Social Justice
Berkshire County Committee on
Homelessness
BHCHP Consumer Advisory Board
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center
Boston Health Care for the Homeless
Campaign on Contingent Work (CCW)
Carpenters Local Union 40
Center for Social Policy
Central Mass. Chapter of Physicians
Financial Responsibility
Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance
Citizens' Housing & Planning Association,
Inc. CHAPA
Community Action Committee Cape Cod
and Islands
Community Change, Inc.
Community Teamwork, Inc.
Cottonfield, LLC
Center for Social Policy /Give Us Your Poor
Cutting EJ
CWA Local 1365
Eastern Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
First Church Shelter
Greater Boston Food Bank, Inc.
Hispanic Community Church
Homeless Empowerment Project
Homes for Families
Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly
of Amherst
Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly,
Boston
Lower Cape Cod CDC
Lynn Housing Authority
MA Association of Human Rights Relations
Commission
MA Career Development Institute
MA Affordable Housing Alliance
MA Coalition for the Homeless
MA Alliance of HUD Tenants
Mia Pruett Gardening
NAFFE
National Consumer Advisory Board
National Alliance of HUD Tenants
North American Alliance for Fair
Employment
North Star Asset Management
Our Bodies Ourselves
Project Hope
R Solutions at Work
R Solutions at Work, Inc.
Samaritan Inn Shelter
Somerville Homeless Coalition, Inc
Suki, Inc.
Teamsters Local Union # 404
The Center for Popular Economics
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
The North American Alliance for Fair
Employment
The Unitarian Universalist Funding Program
The Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee
Tri City Housing Task force of Homeless
families
UFCW Local 1445
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
United for a Fair Economy
United for a Fair Economy
United for a Fair Economy and Responsible
Wealth
Urban Edge
Women of Means, Inc.
Maryland
AFT Maryland
Alliance Inc.
Andrene Spence Act Database
71
Aurora Energy, LLC
Baltimore County Coalition for the
Homeless
Baltimore City Health Care for the
Homeless
Calvert
CEASMC
Center for Poverty Solutions
Children's Health Outreach Project
Community Action
CWA Local 2105
District Council #51
Gimme Shelter Productions
Health Care for the Homeless
Homeless Persons Representation Project,
Inc.
Local Union 1501 IBEW, AFL -CIO, CFL
Mayan Hands
Patuxent Friends Meeting
Peace Action
Project PLASE, Inc.
Public Justice Center
SEIU District 1199E -DC
Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team
Sisters of Mercy, Baltimore
South Baltimore Homeless Shelter, Inc.
Sprinkler Fitters Local Union 669
The Art Therapy Studio
The Coalition for Homeless Children and
Families
The Development Training Institute
UBC Local 340
United Ministries, Inc.
UPAYM Crafts
Wild Boar Creek, LLC
Women's Housing Coalition
Maine
City of Portland Social Services
Hospitality House Inc.
IBEW Local 1768
Kids Can Make a Difference
OHI
Portland Organizing to Win Economic
Rights (POWER)
Radio Free Maine
Rumford Group Homes, Inc.
Teamsters Local 340
The Michalowski Group
The Preble Street Resource Center
Consumer Advocacy Project
United Association Local 716
York Cumberland Housing
Michigan
A.B. Heller, inc.
Affordable Living Services
All Saints Episcopal Church
Altrusa Teen SHARE
Battle Creek Homeless Council
Clothing Matters
Consumer Advocacy Project
Detroit Air Transport 141
Guild /Sugar Law Center
Homeless Action Network of Detroit
IBEW
IBEW Local 219
IBEW Local 252 DOES
IBEW Local 557
IBEW Local 665
IBEW Local 979
IBEW Local Union #131
International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, Local Union 498
Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
Our Brother's Keeper
People's Progressive Network of Washenaw
County
RESULTS Kalamazoo
Safe Horizons
72
Southeast Michigan Jobs with Justice
Southwestern Michigan CLC
The Homeless Action Network of Detroit
UAW Local 600
UAW Local 652
Underground Railroad
Universal Living Systems
Vista Center of Flint
Minnesota
Beth's Buttons for Social Change
BiCounty CAP, Inc.
Carpenters Local #851
Carver Committee for Emergency &
Transitional Housing
Central Lutheran Church
Central MN Housing Partnership
Churches United for the Homeless
Community Home Ownership, Inc.
Community Psychologists of Minnesota
Congregations Concerned for Child
Advocacy Network
Division of Indian Work
Duluth AFL -CIO Central Labor Body
Elim & Transitional Housing Inc.
ELLM
Fathers and Children Together
F -M Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, Inc.
Houston Co. Women's Resources
Humphrey Job Corp Center
I.A.T.S.E. Local 13 Minneapolis /St. Paul
I.B.E.W. Local Union 294
Integrated Community Solutions
Intercongregation Communities Assoc.
KOOTASCA Community Action
Lakes & Prairies Community Action
Partnership
Lutheran Social Services
Metropolitan Interfaith Council on
Affordable Housing
Millwright Local 548
Minneapolis Pipefitters Local 539
Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless
Minnesota Housing Partnership
Minnesota Librarians for Social
Responsibility
Mission Lodge
New Foundations, Inc.
New Pathways, Inc.
Northern Cradle (FKA April's Shelter)
Partners for Affordable Housing
People Escaping Poverty Project
People Serving People, Inc.
Perspectives, Inc.
Peta Wakan Tipi Fire Lodge
Prism - People responding in Social Ministry
Prodigal House
R S Eden
Ramsey Action Program Inc.
Range Transitional Housing, Inc.
Refugee Children, Inc.
Residents for Affordable Housing
RISE, Inc.
Saint Stephen's Human Services
Sheet Metal Workers #10, Duluth Superior
& Ivon Range area
Shelter House, Inc.
Simpson Housing Services
St. Anne's Place
St. Paul Area Council of Churches
St. Stephen's Housing
St. Stephen's Shelter
The Gail Eckhaff Transitional House
The Housing Coalition of St. Cloud Area
The Mid - Minnesota Women's Center
Theresa Living Center
Tri- County Action Program, Inc.
Tri- Valley Opportunities Council
Urban Coalition of Saint Paul
73
West Central MN Continuum of Care
Regional Task Force
Women of Nations
Women's Advocate's Inc.
Women's Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc.
Women's Shelter, Inc.
YMCA
Prism - People responding in Social Ministry
Residents for Affordable Housing
RS Eden
Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership
Missouri
Adequate Housing For Missourians
Arkansas Communication Workers of
America, CWA
Christian Times
Community Alternatives
Community Assistance Council
Fathers' Support Center, St. Louis
Feed My People, Inc.
Housing Comes First
IBEW Local 695
Jeanne Christensen, RSM
Missouri Association for Social Welfare
(MAS W)
Missouri Communication Workers of
America
National Association for Human Rights
Sanctuary In The Ordinary
Social Concerns Office- Diocese of Jefferson
City
St. Louis B & CTC
St. Louis Jobs with Justice
Susan Ray Consulting
The Missouri Coalition for the Homeless
Unitarian Universalist Social Action
Veterans for Peace, Inc. (National)
What's Up Magazine
Mississippi
ECDI Hope
IBEW Local 1028
Mississippi United Against Homelessness
MS Workers' Center for Human Rights
Multi- County Community Service
Quitman County Dev. Org. Inc.
Quitman Tri- County Federal Credit Union
Southeaster Development Opportunities
Yazoo County Fair /Civil League
Montana
AFM Local 498- Musicians of Western
Montana
American Friend Service Committee
Cooperative Health Center
Cooperative Health Center
Indian Peoples Action
Jeannette Raukin Peace Center
L.U. 768 IBEW Sec - Elaine pres. Steve
Haarstick
Montana Coalition Against Domestic and
Sexual Violence
Montana Community -Labor Alliance /Jobs
With Justice
Montana Human Rights Network
Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 459
Raise Montana
The Nurturing Center
The Samaritan House, Inc.
North Carolina
Alamanca County Inter. Agency Council of
Homeless Assistance
Ashville - Buncombe Homeless Coalition
Beloved Community Center
Bladen Brunswick Columbus CED
Catherine's House
Center for Participatory Change
74
Christian Social Ministries Commission
Epis. Diocese of NC
Community Care Dev. Corp.
Culture's Edge
CWA Local 3640
East Carolina Community Development Inc.
Faith Action International House
Forests of the World, LLC
Inter -Faith Council for Social Service
Inter -Faith Food Shelter
Nehemiah Community Development Corp.
of NC
New Directions for Downtown, Inc.
News ... from our Shoes
North Carolina Council of Churches
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Northwest Continuum of Care
River City Community Development
Corporation
Second Harvest Food Bank
Sociologists without Borders
St. Francis UMC
The Advocacy for the Poor, Inc.
The Change
The Homeless Coalition
Triangle Jobs with Justice
Urban Ministries of Wake County
Vance, Granville, Warrenton, Franklin
Continuum of Care
VOA - Willow Pond, Inc.
YWCA Central Carolinas
YWCA of Greensboro
North Dakota
Affordable Housing Development Inc.
Dakota Center for Independent Living
First Presbyterian Church, Grand Forks
Joannis HCH Clinic
Lakes & Prairies Community Action
Partnership
75
Lutheran Social Services of ND
Self - Sufficiency Program
YWCA Clay County Transitional Housing
YWCA Shelter (Unique Boutique)
Nebraska
Community Humanitarian Resource Center
High Plains CDC
Holy Name Housing Corp
IBEW 1597
Nebraska Housing Developers Association
S E NE Coalition for the Homeless-
Catholic Services
New Hampshire
AFSC -NH
AHEAD, Inc.
Christopher P. Williams Architects
Concord Firefighters IAFF Local 1045
IATSE Local #195 NH/Lowell MA
Monadnook Area Trans Shelter
Monadrock Area Housing Coalition, SW
Community Services
Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter, Inc.
New Hampshire Catholic Charities
New Hampshire Homeless
Seacoast Living Wage Campaign
The New Hampshire Coalition to End
Homelessness
WREN
New Jersey
Alliance Against Homelessness of Bergen
County, Inc.
Apostles' House
Brunswick and Raritan Housing Corporation
Camden County Council on Economic
Opportunity, Inc.
Carpenters Local Union 1305
Civic League of Greater New Brunswick
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CWA Local 1022
CWA Local 1023
Department of Health and Human Services
of the City of Trenton, NJ
East Brunswick Community Housing Corp.
East Trenton Initiative
Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless
Eva's Kitchen & Sheltering Program, Inc.
Fair Housing Council of Northern New
Jersey
Faith, Bricks & Mortar, Inc.
Family Promise
FISH Hospitality Program, Inc.
Home Front
Housing + Community Dev Network of
New Jersey
Interfaith Council
Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless
Mi Casa
Middlesex County Comprehensive
Emergency Assistance System Committee
Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the
Homeless
Monmouth County Coalition for the
Homeless
New Jersey Association on Correction
NJ Inst. For Social Justice
North Camden Land Trust
North Hudson Community Action Corp.
Princeton Community Housing
Project Live, Inc.
The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and
Trenton
The York Street Project
Triple C. Housing, Inc.
Volunteers of America Delaware Valley
Women Rising, Inc.
New Mexico
American Friends Service Committee
AFCA
Clothes Helping Kids Inc.
Community Against Violence, Inc.
Health Care for the Homeless
Helping Hands Inc.
IAMAW LL 1635
IATSE Local 423
MacNab Design
McKinley County Federation of United
School Employees (MCFUSE) AFT Local
#3313
New Mexico Voices for Children
NM Coalition to End Homelessness
South West New Mexico CLC
Taos County Economic Development Corp.
The Albuquerque Center for Peace and
Justice
Navada
American Children's Charities, Inc.
Global Property Management Group Inc
IATSE, Local 720
IBEW Local 357
Laborers Local #872
Las Vegas Catholic Worker
Nevada Hispanic Services, Inc.
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
Pulidor Foundation
Restart Incorporated
New York
Adirondack Vets House, Inc.
Agenda For Children Tomorrow
Albany Jobs with Justice
American Federation of Gov. Employees,
Local 1151
76
ATPAM- Association of Theatrical Press
Agents & Managers
Black Veterans for Social Justice, Inc.
Bridge Center of Schenectady, Inc.
Brooklyn Carpenters 926
Buffalo AFL -CIO Community Service
Buffalo Musicians Union Local # 90
Carpenters Local 608
Cattaraugus Alleghany Central Labor
Council
Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency,
Inc.
Center for Economic and Social Rights
Center for Urban Community Services
Charas/ El Bohio Culturel and Community
Center NY
Citizen Soldier
Coalition for Economic Justice/ Buffalo
Jobs with Justice
Coalition of North East. Assoc. Inc.
Columbia County Habitat for Humanity
Concern for Independent Living
Cornell Coalition for the Homeless
CSEA Labor Local 670
CWA Local 1104
CWA Local 1105
CWA Local 1109
CWA Local 1168
Disabled in Action Metro
Dr. Usdi
Economic Security Campaign
Erasmus Neighborhood Federation
Eviction Intervention Services
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fox House
Garden City Teachers Association
Greater NY Labor Religion Coalition
Hand Crafting Justice
Handcrafting Justice
Harlem Independent Living Center
Help USA, Bronx/Northern Manhattan
Homeless Alliance of Western New York
Human Development Services of West
Chester
Hunger Action Network
Hunger Action Network of NYS
IBEW, Local 1381
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, Inc.
Living Wage Warriors of Long Island
Local 1170 Communications Workers of
America AFL -CIO
Long Island Center for Independent Living,
Inc.
Long Island Housing Services, Inc.
Long Island Labor/ Religious Coalition
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Mercy United CWA 1133
Met Council on Jewish Poverty
Metropolitan Community United Methodist
Church
MidHudson Labor - Religion/ Jobs with
Justice
Multi - Talents, Inc
NABET -CWA Local 11
Nassau/Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless
Neighborhood Preservation Coalition of
NYS, Inc.
New York Children's Health Project
New York Urban League
Opportunities for Chenango, Inc.
Orange County Housing Consortium
Parent Watch, Inc.
Patchogue- Medford Youth and Community
Services
Physicians for Social Responsibility/New
York City
Picture the Homeless
Poor Homeless Farmers
Providence House Inc.
Readio.com
77
Religious /labor Coalition
Roofers Local #195
Salem African Methodist Episcopal Church
Sanitation Officers Association
Saratoga Hybrid Cab
Schenectady Community Action Program,
Inc.
School of Social Welfare
Senses
Sharp Committee, Inc.
SICM Food Program
Southern Western Independent Living
Center
Southside Community Mission
Southtowns Rural Preservation Co., Inc.
Southwestern Independent Living Center
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
Starline Baker
Statewide Emergency Network for Social
and Economic Security
Street News
Suffolk Welfare Warriors
The Council of Churches of the City of New
York
The Hudson/Catskill Central Labor Council
(AFL -CIO)
The Interfaith Alliance of NYC, Inc.
The Oswego County Labor Council AFL -
CIO
The United Evangelical Council of Christian
Churches, Inc.
The Vestry of St. Augustine's Episcopal
Church
Thorpe Family Residence, Inc.
Town of Greenburgh
True Vine Tabernacle of God, Inc.
United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local
Union 20
United Tenants of Albany
United Veterans Beacon House
Unity House of Troy, Inc.
USW Local 4 -00054
Utica Citizens in Action
Western area Labor Federation AFL -CIO
Women of Reform Judaism
World Hunger Year
Wyandanch Homes and Property
Development Corp.
YWCA of Jamestown
Ohio
ABCD, Inc.
ACCESS, Inc.
AFL -CIO
American Fed of Musicians Local 101 -473
Amethyst, Inc.
Asbestos Workers Local #84
Atlo Beacon Education Association
Bethany House Services
Care Alliance
Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in
Ohio
Columbiana County AFL -CIO Labor
Council
Columbus Coalition of the Homeless
Columbus Health Care for the Homeless
Columbus NOW
Columbus, Ohio CBTU Chapter
Community Shelter Board
Corporation for Ohio Appalachian
Development
CWA Local 4320
CWA Local 4501
D.A. W.G.
Day Laborer's Organizing Committee
Dayton Building & Construction Trades
Council
Dayton Building 7 Construction Trades
Council
Defiance County Residential Housing, Inc.
Dennis Kucinich for President Campaign
Division 4, Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers and Trainmen
East Side Catholic Center and Shelter
Family Crisis Network
First Friends Church
Focus Homeless Services
Founders Path
Friends of the Homeless, Inc.
GCC IBT of District Council 3
George Randt MD
Glaziers Local Union 847
Grace Place Catholic Workers
Greater Akron Committee for Better
Housing
Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the
Homeless
H.M. Life Opportunity Services
Habitat for Humanity Defiance Co.
Housing Network, Inc.
Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center
International Association of Machinist -
Aerospace Workers Local #2535
International Association of Machinist-
Aerospace Workers Local #2794
International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers #573
Ironworkers Local 172
Kinetic Independent Newspaper
Laborers International Local 1015
Laborers' Intern Union of N America
Laborers' International Laborers' Local 1015
Legacy III
Lifeline for the Empowerment &
Development of Consumers, Inc.
Lima/Allen Council on Community Affairs
Lima's Samaritan House
Local 101 -473 American Federation of
Musicians
79
Mid -Ohio AFLCIO
NAMI- 4 County
New Home Development
North River Development Corporation
Northeast Ohio Coalition for Homelessness
Northwest Ohio Affordable Housing
Northwest Ohio Housing Coalition
Northwest Ohio Housing Coalition
Northwestern Ohio Building and
Construction Trades Council
Ohio Now
Power Inspires Progress
QDROS.com
Regional Council AFL -CIO (Allentown)
Roofers & Waterproofers Local #44
Roofers Local 75 Dayton, OH
Roofers Local Union #42
Shared Harvest Foodbank
Sources Community Network Services
The House of Refuge Missions, Inc.
The Other Place
The Women's Connection in Cincinnati
Tri- County Independent Living Center, Inc.
Unite HERE
United Here Local 10
United Steelworkers of America Local #979
USW 1042 L
USWA Local 2173
West Ohio Food Bank
Western Reserve Building and Construction
Trades Council
Women for Racial and Economic Equality
Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice
Universal Health Care Action Network
Oklahoma
AFGE Local 916
Deep Fork Community Action
International Union of Painters and Allied
Trades #807
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My Sister's Keeper
Ok City Federation of Teachers, Local 2309,
AFT
Oklahoma Communications Workers of
America
Oregon
Alima Cosmetic, Inc.
Bend Area Habitat for Humanity
Central Oregon Jobs with Justice
Environmental Justice Action Group
Eugene - Springfield Solidarity Network/Jobs
with Justice
Glad Rags
Hawthorne Auto Clinic, Inc.
IATSE Local28
IBEW Local Union 48
Keepers! Inc.
Laborers Local 121
Machinists Union Local 63
Mid - Willamette Valley Jobs with Justice
Musicians Union, Local 99 (AFM)
Neighborhood Pride Team of Portland
Oregon Coalition on Housing and
Homelessness
Oregon Food Bank
Oregonians for a Living Wage
Portland Jobs with Justice
Progressive Investment Management
Rogue Valley Community Dev. Corp.
SW Oregon Community Action
The Community Development Network
White Bird Clinic
Pennsylvania
1260 Housing Development Corporation
A Second Chance, Inc.
Adams Co Interfaith Housing Corp.
AFGE Local 644
AFM Local 82 -545
-IR
American Friends Service Committee
Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha, Inc.
Beaver Co. Building and Construction
Trades
Bethesda Project
Blueprint to End Homelessness
Bucks County Housing Group
Carbondale Local 130 Musician Protective
Association
Catherine McAuley Center
Citizens Budget Campaign of Western
COLT Coalition CDC
Community Action Commission
Community Action Committee of the
Lehigh Valley
Community Human Services Corp.
Community Mosque, Inc.
Community Shelter Services, Inc.
Cooperative Parenting for Divided Families
Down to Earth
Fresh Start Community Development
Corporation
Glenwood Community Dev. Corporation
Homeless Advocacy Project
Hunting Park Community Dev. Corporation
IBEW Local 1957
IBEW Local Union #56
Just Harvest
Labor Religion Coalition of PA
Liberty Street Caf6
Little Britain Monthly Meeting of Friends
Mental Health Association of SEPA
Milagro House
National Council for Urban Peace and
Justice
NUHHCE District I I 99
Pennsylvania Low Income Housing
Coalition
People's Emergency Center
Philadelphia Committee to End
Homelessness
Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice
Pocono Healthy Communities Alliance
Program for Health Care to Underserved
Populations
Project HOME
SEIU Local 668, PSS4
SEIU -F &O Local 22
The National Council for Urban Peace &
Justice
The New Men Association
The Philadelphia Veterans Multi- Service &
Education Center
The Sisters of St. Joseph NW PA
The Thomas Merton Center
Unitarian Universal Lists United for Faith in
Action
VISION, Inc.
Welfare Rights- Housing
Western Pennsylvania Living Wage
Coalition
Westmoreland Human Opportunities, Inc.
Wood Street Common
YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County
YWCA of Williamsport, PA
United Electrical, Radio and Machine
Workers of America, District Council 6
United Labor Council of Reading & Berks
Co.
YMCA of McKeesport
YWCA of Greater Harrisburg
Puerto Rico
Hogar Padre Venard, Inc.
Hogarde Ayuda Refugio, Inc.
La Fondita de Jesus
Manos Al Servicio de la Comunidad, Inc.
Municipality O -P Mayaguez
San Juan Continuum of Care Coalition
Sheet Metal Workers Local 41
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless
Brown Hillel Foundation
Childhood Lead Action Project
Green Party of Rhode Island
Hunger Center
Mirror Image
New Hope Emergency Shelter
Ocean State Action
Opportunities Unlimited, Inc.
Rhode Island Jobs with Justice
RI Carpenters Local Union 94
The Genesis Center
Travelers Aid
South Carolina
Sistercare, Inc.
Allen Temple Community Development
Center
Anderson Sunshine House
Coastal Carolina Association of Professional
Musicians, AFM 502
Concerned Citizens Assoc. of Saluda SC
Crisis Ministries
Elm Place Wedding Chapel
Family Shelter
Games Coalition for the Homeless
Little River Medical Center
Meg's House
Moresun Custom Woodworking, Inc.
Pee Dee Community Action Agency
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
The SC Institute on Poverty and Deprivation
Trinity Housing Corporation
Upstate Homeless Coalition of South
Carolina
Upstate Homeless Coalition
FM
South Dakota
American Friends Service Committee (TX,
AFSC -South Dakota
AK, OK area office)
American Indian Services
American Video Tape Service Center
Mid - America Advocates for the Homeless
Anderson Co. Area CLF, AFL -CIO
Road Home Inc.
Antur LLC, dba Cartridge World Setex
Souix Empire Homeless Coalition
Art From the Streets
Tulare United Church
Austin American Civil Liberties Union
Austin Area Homeless Task Force
Tennessee
Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
Bethlehem -Wiley Church
Austin Assoc of Profess Fire Fighters #
Blount County Habitat for Humanity
AFL -CIO 975
Bradley - Cleveland Community Services
Austin Center for Peace & Justice
Bread Not Bombs
Austin Federation of Musicians
Cleveland Emergency Shelter
Austin Labor Council of the AFL -CIO
Greater Memphis Coalition for the
Austin Latina /Latino Lesbian, Gay,
Homeless
bisexual, & Transgender Organization
Knoxville Building and Construction Trades
ALLGO
Council
Austin Living Wage Coalition
Knoxville Jobs with Justice
Austin Musicians
Nashville Homeless Power Project
Austin Peace and Justice Coalition
National Health Care for the Homeless
Austin Recovery
Council
Austin Tenants Council
Progressive Student Alliance
Austin Travis County MHMR
Second Harvest Food Bank
Austin, Texas NAACP
Tennessee Network for Community
AustinFamilies/ Austin Area Employers
Economic Development
Collaborative
Banner Sign and Graphics
Texas
Bark for Peace!, LLC
Abiding Missionary Baptist Church
Bay Area Homeless Services
Abilene Big Country Central Labor Council
Bicycle Sport Shop
ACC American Federation of Teachers
Bikes Not Bombs
Local 6249
Brazos Valley Central Labor Council
Advocacy Outreach
Brazos Valley Workforce Centers
Agape Outreach Ministries Inc.
Brick Oven Restaurant
Alliance for a Feminist Option
Brownsville Housing Authority
Alliance for Multicultural Community
C Van R Automotive
Service
Capital Area Homeless Alliance
Amalgamated Transit Union #1091
Cardiovascular On -Call Specialists, Inc.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1549
Casa Marianella
Cecilia Wood Law Practice
FM
I-
Cen -Tex Silicone Implant Support, Inc.
CEO
Citizens for Social Democracy
City of Austin
City of Rollingwood - Texas
Clayworks Studio /Gallery
Clip Joint Natural Hair Salon and Spa
Cohen and Associate
Colonias Unidas
Colores del Pueblo
Communities In Schools- Central Texas
Corpus Christi American Federation of
Teachers
Corpus Christi Universal Living Wage
Warriors
Crime Prevention Institute
CWA Local 6132
Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association
DC Mitchell Construction
Democratic Party of Collin County, Texas
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker of Corpus
Christi
Dr. Namkee Choi's Social Policy Analysis
Class- UT Austin
Dr. Singha's Natural Therapeutics, Inc.
Dynamics of Organization & Community
Class UT, School of Social Work
Eco -Wise
Education Austin
El Franco Lee - County Commissioner -
Harris County
El Paso Center on family Violence
Environmental Science & Policy St.
Edward's University
Family Connections
Family Forward
Flick Report
Forbidden Fruit
Fort Worth Bldg. & Const. Trades Council
GCIU Local 428M
Gray Panthers of Austin
Gray Panthers of Houston
Green Party of Brevard, TX
Guadalupe Economics
Harris County Green Party
Hatch Partnership Architect
Hays County Green Party
Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston
Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Homeless Task Force - Austin
House the Homeless, Inc.
Houston Area Women's Center
Houston Gulf Coast Building &
Construction Trades Council
HSR Construction, Inc.
IBEW Local 301
IBEW Local 716
INNU SALON
Interfaith Hospitality Network, Humble
Area
International Union of Operating Engineers
Local 178
International Union of Operating Engineers
Loca1450
Jacinto City United Methodist Church
Jobs with Justice- Austin
Keep the Land
KOOP 91.7 FM Community Radio
Life Works
LULAC
Magnificent Houses, Inc.
Manos de Cristo
Mentoring for Homeless Self- Sufficiency/
AmeriCorps Project
Mind Science Foundation
Mission San Francisco De La Espada
Mission Waco
Motor Blade Postering
National Consumer Advisory Board
National Organization for Human Services
Native American Center of Texas, Inc.
North Texas Jobs with Justice
Nueces County Department of Human
Services
Pax Christi, Austin
People Organized in Defense of the Earth's
Resources PODER
PHOGG Phoundation / Planet K
Pickett Fence Learning - CTE
Plenty Austin
PODER People Organized in Defense of the
Earth's Resources
Poetic Healings Productions
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Proyecto Azteca
Public Citizen (Texas Office)
Push Up Foundation
Rollingwood City Council
San Fernando Cathedral
SEED Coalition
Services for the Elderly, Inc
Serving San Antonio
Sisters & Brothers, Inc.
Southeast Texas Community Development
Corp., Inc.
ST Edward's Universal Living Wage
Warriors Susan
St. Alphonsus Church
St. Martin De Porres Church
Steelbeam
Stew Pot
Students Toward A New Democracy
Sweet Home for the Homeless
Tank Town LLC
Teamsters Local Union #657
Texans Standing Tall
Texas ACLU
Texas AFL -CIO
Texas Association of CDCs
Texas Civil Rights Project
Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death
Penalty
Rev. Dr. Glenn Masters, III
Texas Conference of Churches
Texas Council on Family Violence
Texas Development Institute
Texas Fair Trade Coalition
Texas Federation of Teachers TFT
Texas Gray Panthers
Texas Homeless Network
Texas Legal Services Center
Texas Low Income Housing
Texas Moratorium Network
Texas NOW
Texas State Democratic Executive
Committee
Texas State Employees Union/CWA Local
6168
Texas Tenants' Union
The Good Life
The Green Party of Texas
The Green Party USA
The Learning Center at Westlake High
School
The Natural Gardener
The Rose Garden
The Social Welfare Action Alliance
The Stew Pot
Timon's Ministries
Transformations Remodeling
Transport Workers Union Local 555
Travis County
Travis County Democratic Party
Travis County Green Party
Travis County Veterans Service Office
Triangle Neighborhood Association
United East Austin Coalition
United Farm Workers of Texas
University of TX at Austin School of Social
Work
UT School of Social Work
UT Students for a Universal Living Wage
Venus Rouhani DDS PC Dental Practice
Veterans for Peace, Austin Chapter 66
Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
Western Regional Organization for Human
Services Professionals
Wheatsville Co -Op
White Mountain Foods.com
Whole Earth Body Works
Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom
Workers Assistance Programs, Inc.
Workers Defense Project/Proyecto Defensa
Laboral
YES Inc.
YWCA of Greater Austin
Push Up Foundation
Texas Homeless Network
United Food & Commercial Workers Local
540
Utah
Bricklayers Tile Setters + Allied Crafts
Local# 1
Coalition of Religious Communities
Crossroads Urban Center
IBEW Local 354
IBEW Local 354
Jedi Women
Jobs with Justice- Utah
Mormons for Equality & Social Justice
MESJ
UMWA Local 8622
Union of Roofers Local 91
Virginia
American Medical Student Association
Arlington Street Peoples Assistance
Network
Body Harmony
CARES, Inc.
Carpenter's Shelter
Community Lodgings
CWA Local 2201
CWA Local 2204
Disables Action Committee (DAC)
Giles Co. Housing & Dev. Corp.
Giovanni Leather Works
GLU -CWA
Hampton Roads Building & Construction
Trades Council
Homestretch, Inc.
Miriam's House, Inc.
Moonrise Jewelry, Inc.
Mountain Mystic Trading Co.
Norfolk Homeless Consortium
Northern Virginia Interfaith coalition for
Justice
Our Lady Queen of Peace RC Church
Project Community, Inc.
RPJ Housing Development CORP
Salvation Army
Social Action Linking Together (SALT)
Social Justice and Outreach Minister
Staff Union of University of Virginia
(SUUVA) /CWA
Tenants and Workers Committee
Tomorrow's World
VA AFL -CIO
Virginia Coalition for the Homeless
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Virginia Organizing Project
YWCA of Roanoke Valley
Vermont
Ben & Jerry's Foundation
Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust
Brattleboro Housing and Human Resources
Council
Central Vermont Community Action
Council
COTS
Good Samaritan Haven
LineSync Architecture
Page Designs, Inc.
Randolph Area Community Development
Corporation
Roofers Local 9
Rutland County Community Land Trust
Seventh Generation
Sisters of Mercy, Vermont Leadership Team
w
The Old Spokes Home
The Vermont Center for Independent Living
Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition
Vermont Coalition for the Homeless
Vermont Livable Wage Campaign Donney
Osmand ED
Vermont Workers' Center/ Jobs with Justice
Washington
Aloha Inn
American Friends Service Committee
Pacific Northwest Regional Office
Catherine Booth House
Families in Shelters
First Place School
Helping Hand House
International District Housing Alliance
Jubilee Women's Center
Katherine Booth House
:. Metropolitan Development Council
Musicians' Association of Seattle
Northern Olympia Veterans for Peace
�- One Childhood
Our Brothers Keeper
Peace & Justice Action League /Spokane
Peace and Justice Action League
Progressive Kid
Resident Peaceniks
SAMCO
St. Martin De Porres
Street News Service
Tacoma /Pierce County Coalition for
Homeless
Unite Here Local #791
Washington Association of Churches
Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
Washington State Coalition for the
Homeless
Yakima County Coalition for the Homeless
Seattle Musicians Assoc. AMF Local 76-
493
Wisconsin
Brown County Coalition for the Homeless
Dane County Homeless Coalition
Hunger Task Force
Mfd. Home Owners Association, Inc.
Sheet Metal Workers' Local # 18
Shelter of the Fox Valley
Southeastern Wisconsin Housing Corp
St. Benedict Community Meal
Teamster Local 200
The Harlington Poynette Area Clergy
Association
Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Dev.
Inc.
West Virginia
Community Action of South East West
Virginia
CWA West Virginia
Genoa Christian Center
Global Village Enterprises
Huntington W. VA. Housing Authority
Iron Workers Local 787
::
REDEEM Realizing Economic
Development Through Education, Enterprise
and Morals
Roofers Local Union #242 AFL -CIO
SAFE
Southern Appalachian Labor School
Teamsters Local Union #505
The Religious Coalition for Community
Renewal
West Virginia Economic Justice Project
Wyoming
Cheyenne Crossroads Clinic
Christ Chapel Apostolic Church
Health Care for the Homeless
Interfaith Good Samaritan
Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless
Wyoming Winds
Endnotes
2000 U.S. Census
" How Many People Experience Homelessness? Rep. National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. Accessed on
web: July 2010, www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How
Willis, Jess. "How We Measure Poverty." Oregon Center for Public Policy. Feb. 2000. Accessed on web: July
16, 2010, www.ocpp.org /poverty/how.htm.
"Poverty Thresholds (United States Census Bureau)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 2012. Web. 23 Aug.
2013. <http: / /en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Poverty_ thresholds_ (United_States_Census_Bureau) >.
"Mollie Orshansky." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013.
< http: / /en. wikipedia .org /wiki /Mollie_Orshansky >.
Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fir Economy. New York: The New Press,
2000. Pp. 26 -27.
"" Ibid.
Ibid., pp. 26 -28
'x Ibid.
x Ibid.
Xi Next Century Economy. Rep. San Rafael, CA: ICF Kaiser Economic Strategy Group, 1988.
x " Bernstein, Jared. America's Well Targeted Raise. Issue brief no. 118. Economic Policy Institute, Sept. 2, 1997.
Accessed on web: July 11, 2010. http: / /epi.3edn.net? l2b3330cc427b9fa7f h9m6b5d4e.pdf.
x "' Bernstein, Jared, and John Schmitt. Http: / /www.epi.org. Issue brief. Economic Policy Institute, June 1, 1997.
Accessed on web: July 10, 2010. http:// epi.3cdn.net /12b3330cc427b9fa7f h9m6b5d4e.pdf.
x '" The History of Tipping- From Sixteenth Century England to United States in the 1910s, Ofer H. Azars,
http: // 129.3.2.0.41 /eps /eh/papers /0309/0309001.
x" Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
x "' Ibid.
x" Coleman, Maria. "A Wage and Price Survey of Austin Area Fast Food Restaurants." UniversalLiving Wage. org.
N.p., June 1999. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http: / /www.universallivingwage .org /docsupport.htm >.
Waltman, Jerold L. The Case for the Living Wage. Algora Publications, New York, 2004, pp. 117 -118.
x;x Shulman, Beth. The Betrayal of Work: How Low -wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans and their Families. The
New Press, New York, London, 2003.
�r
"" "HUD Historical Background." Locating New Page .... U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 41
May 18, 2007. Accessed on web: July 16, 2010. www.hud.gov/ offices /adm/about /admquide/history.cfm #197
' "Multifamily housing — Renting — HUD." Locating New Page.... U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, June 2007. Accessed on web: July 16, 2010. www.hud.gov/ offices /hsg/mfh/gendocs /factsrap.pdf
""" "Summary." Fair Market Rents. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Accessed on web: July titer
16, 2010. www. huduser .org/periodicals /ushmc /winter98 /summary- 2.html.
"BAH Levels and Increases." OSD Military Compensation (militarypay.defense.gov). Accessed on web: July to
16, 2010. http: / /militarypay .defense.gov /paylbah/.
""'" Koidin, Michelle, San Antonio Express News, Sept. 29, 2002.
Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
"""' 2000 U.S. Census.
Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
""" "' Ibid.
""'" Shulman, Beth. The Betrayal of Work: How Low Wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans and Their Families.
The New Press, New York: London, 2003.
""" Ibid.
"Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
"""" Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation/The Dark Side of the All- American Meal. New York, Harper Collins,
Perennial, New York, 2002.
""" "' Ibid.
"""'" Ibid.
"""" Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
""""' Ibid.
xx ' v " "The Sky Hasn't Fallen." Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
` .. Pollin, Robert, and Stephanie Luce. The Living Wage: Building a Fair Economy. The New Press, New York,
2000.
"""'" 2000 U.S. Census.
•,
G
XI "The Realities of Poverty in Delaware 2001 - 2002." Welcome to DHC. N.p., 2002. Web. July 11, 2010.
www.housingforall.org/rop_O I 02. htm.
x° Luce, Stephanie. "Cry Wolf Project."
Http.11www. history. ucsb. edu /projects /labor /documents / Luce_ Cry WolfLiving wageordinancesdraftnovl. pdf. N.p., 1
Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Aug. 2013.
< http:/ /www. history .ucsb.edu /projects /labor/ documents / Luce_ CryWolfLivingwageordinancesdraftnovl .pdf >.
di Adams, Scott N. "A Decade of Living Wages: What Have We Learned ?" California Economic Policy. Califorina
Public Policy, July 2005. Web. 24 Aug. 2013. <http: / /www.ppic.org/ content /pubs /cep /EP_705SAEP.pdf >.
x1d Neumark, David and Scott Adams. 2000. Do Living Wage Ordinances Reduce Urban Poverty? Working Paper No.
7606. Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Xry Troxell, Richard R. "2011 Health Sleep Study I House The Homeless." House The Homeless. N.p., 18 Feb. 2011.
Web. 03 Mar. 2013.
xw Ibid.
XIVi National Alliance to End Homelessness:. Rep. National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2013.
<http: / /www.endhomelessness.org /pages /cost_of_ homelessness >.
x1v° Ward, Mike. "Steamy Prisons, Cool Pig Barns." Austin American- Statesman 17 Aug. 2013: 1a -8a. Print.
x1viii Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976)
AN William Wayne Justice, "The Origins of Ruizv. Estell," Stanford Law Review 43 (1990):1.
Ira P. Robbins, "Managed Health Care in Prisons as Cruel and Unusual Punishment," Journal of Criminal Law and
" Criminology 90 (1999 - 2000): 195, 197
Mark Collette, "Telemedicine has a global reach," Galveston Daily News, (30 March 2008) http://galveston
dailynews.com/ story, lasso? ewed= ac62eOe39941f466c8545f57966c9063.
°i 'A Thin Line" The Texas Prison Healthcare Crisis and The Secret Death Penalty. Rep. Austin: Texas Civil Rights
Project, 2011. Print.
°i Brenda Bell, "Falling crime rates in Texas outpaced by U.S. decline," Austin - American Statesman (29 May 2009)
http:/ /www. statesman .com /blogs /content /shared-
gen /blogs /austin /investigativeentries / 2009 /05/29/ crime _drops_in_texas_but_its_d.html.
°v Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "Statistical Report Fiscal Year 2008," (January 2009): 15,
http: / /www.tdcj.state.tx.us /publications/ executive /FY08 %20.Stat /o20Report.pdf.
M.
Iv Scott Henson, "How about some balance on the Board of Pardons and paroles ?" Grits for Breakfast, (7 July 2007)
http: // gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com / 2007 /07/ how - about - some - balance -on- board- of.htmi.
Ivf "3G" refers to a section of the Texas penal code describing certain crimes that include but are not limited to
murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery or use of a deadly weapon. No probation for conviction of these
crimes. See Tex. Code Crim. Proc. 42.12,3(g)
90
Iv " Scott Henson, "AIDS drugs, healthcare for elderly inmates driving TDCJ medical costs" Grits for Breakfast, (3 April
2008) http://grits forbreakfast.blogspot.com / 2008 /04/ aids - drugs - healthcare- for - elderly.html
Iviii Marc A. Levin, "Policy Perspective: Mental Illness and the Texas Criminal Justice System," Texas Public Policy
Foundation: Center for Effective Justice, (May 2009):1, http: / /www.texaspolicy.com /pdf /2009- 05 -PP15
mentalilluness- ml.pdf.
fix Mental Health Association in Texas, "Factsheet," Mental Health Association in Texas. (28 February
2003):1, http:// www. mhatexas .org /mhatexasmain /FACTSH EETIfinal3_O3.pdf.
Ix ibid
1xi Levin,1.
1xii Coming Home: An Asset -Based Approach to Transforming Self & Community, A Report on Re -Entry by the Phelps
Stokes Fund Co- Production at Work, Volume 1, Submitted to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, November 2008
1xiii No More Throw -Away People The Co- Production Imperative Edgar S. Cahn Creator of Time Dollars and Time
Banking Second Edition 2004 Essential Books publisher
ix'v C.A. Visher, "Returning Home: Emerging Findings and Policy Lessons about Prisoner Re- Entry," Federal
Sentencing Reporter 20, no. 1 (2007): 94
1xv "A Thin line" The Texas Prison Healthcare Crisis and The Secret Death Penalty. Rep. Austin: Texas Civil Rights
Project, 2011. Print.
[x "' J. Travis, "Reflections on the Re -entry Movement, 20 Fed," Sent. Rep 84 (2007)
91
Ll
.r
Richard R. Troxell
2014 — House the Homeless, Inc.
Author of Looking Up at the Bottom Line:
The Struggle for the Living Wage
http: / /www.HouseTheHomeless.org
www.UniversalLivingWage.org
rrtroxell @aol.com
Cover design by: W BetsyLeClair.com
Printing donated in part by: Austex Printing & Mailing
Intern Union Painters & Allied Trades #807
Oregon
Alima Cosmetics Amer Friends Service Commitee
Bend Area Habitat for Humanity
Cnrtl OR Jobs with Justice Comm Dev Network
Environmental Justice Action Group Keepers! Inc.
Eugene - Springfield Solidarity Ntwk /Jobs w Justice
Laborers Local # 121 Mid - Willamette Valley JwJ
Glad Rags Neighborhood Pride Team /Portland
Oregon Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
Oregon Food Bank Portland Jobs With Justice
Progressive Investment Management
Rogue Valley Comm Dev Corp Hawthorn Auto(linic
SW Oregon Community Action White Bird Clinic
Pennsylvania
1260 Hsg. Dev. Corp. A Second Chance, Inc.
Adams County Interfaith HSQ. Corp AFGE# 644
American Friends Service Committee
Asociacion Puertorriquenos en Marche, Inc.
Beaver Co Building & Construction Trades
Bethesda Project Blueprint to End Homelessness
Bucks County Housing Group Care link- CMC /HCH
Catherine McAuley Center COLT Coalition CDC
Community Action Committee of the Leigh Valley
Comm. Action Commission
Comm Human Services Corp. Community Mosque
ELS Landscaping Community Shelter Services
Cooperative Parenting for Divided Families
Fresh Start Comm Dev Corp Glenwood C D C
Healthcare to Underserved Populations
Hmless Advcy Prjt Hunting Park Comm Dev Corp
IBEW 56 IBEW 1637 IBEW 1919 IBEW 385
Indiana, Armstrong, Clarion (LC
Labor Religion Coalition of PA NAACP
Mental Health Association of SEPA Milogro House
Not Cncil Urban Peace & Justice Musicians Loc130
PA Low Income Hsg Coalition
Philadelphia Area Jobs With Justice Project Home
Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness
Phila. Veterans Multi- Service & Education Center
People's Emer Ct SEIU Local 668 PSSU, F &O 22
Sisters of St. Joseph NW PA Thomas Merton Cntr
VISION, Inc. Welfare Rights - Housing
W PA Living Wage Coal Westmoreland Human Opp
Puerto Rico
Hagar Padre Venard Hogarde Ayuda Refugio
Lo Fondita de Jesus Municipality 0 -P Mayaguez
www , .LniversalLivingWage.org Endorsements
Manus Al Servicio de In Comunidad, Inc.
San Juan Con /Care Coal Sheet Metal Wkrs# 41
Rhode Island
Brown Hillel Found. Childhood lead Action Proj
Genesis Ctr Green Party /RI New Hope Emer Cntr
Opportunities Unlimited Ocean State Action
RI Coalition f/t Hmless RI Jobs With Justice
Travelers Aid
South Carolina
Sistercare, Inc. Second Harvest Food Bank
Allen Temple Comm Dev Ctr
Anderson Sunshine Hse
Concerned Citizens Assoc. of Saluda S.C.
Crisis Ministries Family Shelter
Elm Place Wedding Chopl Games Coal f/t Hmless
Little Britain Monthly Meeting of Friends
Little River Medical Center Meg's House
Pee Dee ( Act A Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
SC Institute on Poverty & Deprivation
Trinity Hsg Corp Up -State Homeless Coalition/ SC
YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County
South Dakota
American Friends Service Committee SO
American Indian Services Road Home Inc.
Souix Empire Homeless Coal Tulare United Church
Tennessee
Bethlehem -Wiley Church Blount Co Hub /Humanity
Bradley - Cleveland Comm Sery
Cleveland Emer Shltr Grtr Memphis Coal f/t Hmles
Knoxville.lobs /Justice Not Hlth Care Hmless Cncil
Second Harvest I'd Bk TN Ntwk /Comm Econo Dev,
Texas
Adiding Missionary Baptist Church
Abilene Big Country Central Labor Council
AC( Amer Fed /Teachers local 6249
Advocacy Outreach Agape Outreach Ministries
Advocacy Outreach, Alliance for a Feminist Option
Amalgamated Transit Union # 1549 ATU #1091
American Friends Service Committee (TX, AK, OK)
Ameri Corp Proj Amer Video Tape Service Cntr
ALLGO Anderson Co. Area CLC, AFL -CIO
Assoc. of Professional Fire Fighters AFL -CIO 975
Bikes Not Bombs Art From The Streets
Austin Amer Civ Lib Un Austin Area Hmis Tsk Frce
Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
Austin Center/ Peace & Justice Austin Recovery
Aus. Families/ Aus. Area Employers Collaborative
Austin labor Council of the AFL -CIO
Austin Living Wage Coalition Austin, TX NAACP
Alli /Multcul Comm Sery Austin Peace /Just(oal
Aus Tenants Council Aus Federation/ Musicians
Austin /Travis Co MHMR Banner Sign & Graphics
Bicycle Sport Shop Casa Marionella Bay Area
Hmles Sery Brick Oven Rest.
Brazos Valley Central labor Council
Brownsville Hsing Auth (layworks Studio/ Gallery
Cardio On -Call Specialists (WA local 6132
Cartridge World SE TEX Cecilia Wood Law Practice
(en-Tex Silicone Implant Support CEO
Clip Joint Not Hair Salon & Spa City of Austin
City/ Rollingwood Cohen & Assoc Colonias Unidas
Comm in Schools Corpus Christi Am Fed /Teachers
Cit /Social Democr Crime Prevnt Inst C Van R Auto
Dorothy Day Cath. Wkrs
DC Mitchell Const. Dallas Hmles Neighborhd Assoc
Dem Party /Collin Co Or Choi's Social Policy (lass
Dr. Singha's Natural Theroputics
Eco -Wise Education Austin Guadalupe Econo
EI Paso (enter/ Family Violence Family Forward
Forbidden Fruit Ft Worth Bldg & (onst Trades Cncl
Flick Report Front Steps Goad life Magazine
Gray Panthers/ Austin Gray Panthers /Houston
Graphic Communication Intl Union Local 528 M
Green Party TX Harris Co. Comm El Franco Lee
Hatch Partnership Architect Hays Co Green Party
Harris Co Green Party Houston Area Women's Ctr
Hston Hlth Care f/t Hmless HSR Construction
Hston Gulf Cost Bldg Const Trades Cncil IBEW 716
Intrn'I Union of Operating Engineers Local 450
Intrn'I Union of Operating Engineers Local 178
IE Inc. INNU Salon Interfaith Hospitality Ntwk
Holy Rosary Catholic Church Keep the Land
Jacinto City United Methodist Church JWJ Austin
KOOP 91.7 FM Comm Radio Latina Momi
LULAC Manus de Cristo Mind Science Found
Mission Waco Motor Blade Postering Natrl Gardnr
PODER Public Citizen Native Amer Ctr /TX
N. Dallas Jobs with Justice Plenty Austin
Nueces Co. Dept. of Human Sery PAX Christi -Aus
PHOGG Phoundation Picket Fence learning -Cte
Push -up Foundation San Fernando Cathedral
Poetic Healings Productions Proyecto Azteca
Prince/ Peace Lutheran Church Pro Musicians /TX
Richard Rogers Consulting Safe Place SEED Coal
Services for the Elderly Inc Sisters & Brothers
Social Welfare Act Alliance SE/ TX Comm Dev(orp
Serving San Antonio TBESP OZANANAM, Inc.
Students for A New Democracy, STAND
St. Martin De Porres Church St. Alphonsus Church
Steelbeam Stew Pot Timon's Ministries
Tank Town LL( Texas NOW Teamsters Local 657
Texans Stand Tall TX AFL -CIO Trans Remodeling
TX ACLU TX Allian /Human Needs TX Assoc /(DC's
TX Civil Rights Project TX Council /Family Violence
TX Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
TX Conf/ Churches TX Fair Trade Coal TX Dev Inst
TX Fed /Teachers
TX Gray Panthers TX Hmless Ntwk Rose Garden
TX legal Services Center Texas Tenants' Union
TX Moratorium Netwk TX Low Income Housing
TX State Dem Exec Comm
TX State Employees Union /CWA Local 6168
Travis Co Green Party TX Assoc of CDCs Travis Co
Travis (o Vet Sery Off Transp t Wkrs Union #555
Triangle Neighborhd Assoc Unitd East Austin Coal
Unitd Farm Wkrs /TX Vets for Peace 066
Dynamics /Org & Comm Class /UT School Sac Wrk
U /Texas Students /Universal Living Wage
Venus Rouhani D.D. S. Family Dental Practice
Vol legal Sery /Cntl TX UFCW 540 White Mtn Fds
Wheatsville Co -op Whole Earth Body Works
Women's International League/ Peace & Freedom
Workers Assist Progs YES YWCA/ Greater Austin
Utah
Coal of Religious Comm Cross Roads Urban Ctr
IBEW #354 JEDI for Women Jobs with Justice
Mormons for Equality & Social Justice MESJ
Pipefitters, Plumbers, HVAC UA #140
UMWA # 8622
Virginia
Arlington Street Peoples Assist Ntwk
Body Harmony CARES CWA #2201 SUUVA /CWA
Comm. Lodgings Giles Co. Hsing & Dev. Corp.
CWA2204 Giovanni Leather Wk Homestretch
Hampton Rds Bldg /Construct Trades Cncil
Line Sync Arch Miriam's House Mtn Mystic Trod.
Moonrise Jewelry Norfolk Hmless Consort
N Virginia Interfaith Coal /Justice
Our Lady Queen of Peace RC Church De. Gene Betit
Prjt Comm Salvation Army Social Act Link Togethr
Staff Union of University of Virginia /CWA
Tenants /Workers Comm Tomorrows World
VA Organizing Project VA Coal f/t Homeless
VA Interfaith Center for Public Policy
Vermont
Brattleboro Area Community Land Trust
Brattltboro Area Drop In Center, Inc.
Brattleboro Housing and Human Resources Council
Ctrl VT Comm Action Cncil Good Samaritan Haven
Old Spokes Home COTS RPJ Hsng Dev Corp
Sisters of Mercy, Vermont Leadership Team
Randolph Area Comm Dev Corp
Vermont Affordable Nsing Coal
Vermont (enter for Independent Living
VT Coal f/t Homeless VT Livable Wage Campaign
VT Workers' Center/ Jobs With Justice
Washington
Aloha Inn American Friends Service Committee
Catherine Booth House Families in Shelters
First Place School Helping Nand House
International District Housing Alliance
JubileeWomen'sCter MetroDevCncil One(hildhood
Peace /Just Action League/ Spokane
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Real Change SAMCO Resident Peacenicks
St. Martin De Porres The Metro. Dev. Council
Tacoma /Pierce County Coalition for Homeless
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Wash Assoc /Churches Wash Low Incm Hsing Ntwk
Wash State Coal f/t Hmless
Yakima County Coalition for the Homeless
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Brown Co Coal f/t Hmis Dane Co Hmis Coalition
Emergency Shltr /Fox Valley Hunger Task Force
Mfd. Hme Owners Assoc St. Benedict Comm Meal
Harlington Poynette Clergy SE WI Hsing Corp
Teamsters Local 200
Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Dev.
West Virginia
Community Action of South East West Virginia
CWA -West VA Genoa Christian Center
Huntington W VA Hsing Auth Roofers 242 AFL -00
Realizing Econoc Dev thru Ed Enterprise & Morals
SAFE Teamsters # 505 WV Econo Justice Group
Wyoming
Cheyenne Crossrds (linic Intrfaith Gd Samaritan
Health Care f/t Hmless Grace AME Church
Relig Coal /Comm Renewal WY Coal f/t Hmless
The East Oakland (DC Theresa Living (enter
The Gail Eckhaff Transitional House
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Urban Coal of St. Paul
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Quitman County Dev. Org. Inc.
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American Fed of Musicians Local 109
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IBEW #768 MT Coal Against Domestic Vilolence
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Samaritan House The Nurturing Center
North Carolina
The Advocacy for the Poor Inc.
Alomanca Co Inter Agency Council /Homeless Assit.
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Beloved Community (enter (athreine's House
Bladen Brunswick Columbus (ED Culture's Edge
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News ... from our Shoes N W Continuum of (are
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Sociologists w/o Borders
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NC Low Income Hsg Coal Triangle Jobs With Justice
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YWCA Central Carolinas YWCA of Greensboro
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Aff Hsg Dev Inc. loannis HCH Clinic
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Community Humanitarian Resource Center
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AFS( -NH AHEAD. Concord Fire Fighters # 1045
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Monadnook Trans Shltr Monadrook Hsing Coal
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Camden County Council on Economic Opportunity
Carpenters local 1305 CWA Local 1022
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E Trenton Initiative Elizabeth Coal/ Hse the Hmis
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Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey
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Home Front Interfaith Council
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N J Assoc /Correction N Camden L Trust
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Princeton Community Housing Project live Inc.
The York Street Project Triple C. Housing, Inc.
Volunteers of America /Delaware Valley
Women Rising, Inc.
New Mexico
A FS C Albuguerque(ir /Peace +Justice
AFT # 3313 Albuquerque Hmiss Advocacy Coal
IAMAW Clothes Helping Kids Helping Hands
Macnab Design Oatie Yum Yum SMWIA local 49
Taos (a. Econo Dev. Corp. NM Voices for Children
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America's Childrens Charities, Inc.
Global Property Mtg. Group IATSE local 720
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Project Restart Pulidor Foundation
New York
Albany Jobs with Justice Anirondack Vets House
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Agenda for Children Tomorrow
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Bridge Ctr of Schenectady Buffalo Musicians #90
Buffalo AFL -CIO Comm Sery Carpenters 608, 926
Cayuga /Seneca Community Action Agency
(attarougus Alleghany (LC
(tr /Econo & Social Rights
Center for Urban(ommunity Services ((UCS)
Charas/ El Bahia Culturel and Community CenterNY
Citizen Soldier Coalition of North East. Assoc.
Coal for Econo Justice /Buffalo Jobs with Justice
Columbia County Habitat for Humanity
Concern for Independent Living
Council of Churches of the City of New York
Cornell Coal f/t Homeless
Civil Service Employees Assoc.
(WA #1170 , #1168, #1104,1109, #1105
Dr. Usdi Adisi Ahwi,Phd.NCA
E Side Catholic (ter /Shelter Econo Security Campn
Erie Co Commission on Hmisness
Eviction Intervention Services
Fellowship of Reconciliation Harlem Ind Liv Or
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HELP USA, Bronx Northern Manhattan
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IBEW# 1381 IUOE# 691 Interfaith All/ N.Y.S
Lincoln Sq Neighborhood Or Long Is Hsg Sery
Labor Local 670 Long Island Labor /Religious Coal
L Is. Progressive Coal L Is. Ctr for Indep Living
Mid Hudson labor - Religion /Jobs w Justice
Mercy United (WA 1133 Met Cncil /Jewish Poverty
Metro Comm Methodist Church Multi - Talents, Inc
Nassau. Suffolk Coal f/t Hmless
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N Y Children's Health Project OPEIU Local #3
NY City Physicians /Social Resp NY Urban League
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Opportun /Chenongo Orange (o Hsg Consortium
Patchogue- Medford Youth and Community Services
Parent Watch Inc. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Picture the Homeless Poor Homeless Farmers
Providence House Radio.com Roofers Local #195
Sanitation Officers Assoc
School of Social Welfare Senses Sharp Committee
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Food Program Southside Community Mission
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Statewide Emergency Network for Social and
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Twn of Greenburgh True Vine Tabernacle of God
Untied Brotherhood /Carpenters 20 USW #1042
United Tenants of Albany United Vets Beacon Hse
Utica Citizens/ Action Unity House of Troy
Untd Evang Council /Christian Churhes UAW 1097
Women /Reform Judaism World Hngr Year
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AFM local 101 -473 ABCD ACCESS Amethyst
Asbestos Wkrs #84 Care Alliance CBTU - Columbus
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Dayton B(T( Columbiana Co. AFL -CIO Labor (nd
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& 4501 Corp for Ohio Appalachian Dev
Day Laborers' Organizing Committee
Defiance County Residential Housing, Inc.
Div 4, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers &
Trainmen Dr. George Randt /Medical Practice
Eastside Catholic Centers Shelter
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Founders Path First Friends Church, ST Mary's
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Goodwill Industries of Ohio Muskingum (o CL(
Glaziers # 847 Grtr Akron Comm / Better Hsg
Grtr (inn Coal f/t Hmless H.M. Life Opport Servic
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Int'I Brhood /Elec Wkrs 573 Ironworkers Local 172
Laborers' Intl Union of N America #125, #1015
Lifeline for the Empowerment & Dev of Consumers
Lima's Samaritan House NAMI- 4 County
Lima /Allen Council on Comm Affairs
Mid OH AFL -CIO Muskingum Co CLC AFL -CIO
New Home Dev North River Dev. Corp.
NWn OH Bldg & Coast Trades Cndl
NE Ohio Coal for Hmissness
Northwest Ohio Affordable Housing Ohio NOW
Northwest Ohio Housing Coalition QDROS.com
Power Inspires Progress Roofer Local Union #42
Regional Council AfL -CIO (Allentown)
Roofers & Waterproofers' Local #44, #75
Shared Harvest Foodbk Sources Comm Ntwk Sery
The House of Refuge Missions The Other Place
Tri- County Indep Living Or UNITE HERE Local 10
United Steelworkers 979, #2173
W. OH Food Bk Wstn Rese Bldg. Const.Trades(ncil
Women's Connect Women /Racial & Econo Justice
Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice
Oklahoma
AFGE #916 AFS( Deep Fork Comm Action
OK City Federation of Teachers, Local 2309, AFT
OK (WA My Sisters Keeper
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Goldenrule Housing & CDC Green Party/ Brevard
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Hmiss Coal Hillsborough (o
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IAMAW Loc 2777 IAMAW loc 2319 IATSE Local 780
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KissMylayoff.com
Miami Coal f/t Homles Mid - Florida Homles Coal
Naranjo Princeton CDC Recovery of Choice
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St. Joseph St. Vincent DePaul Society
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Agnus Scott College- Human Services Committee
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1.D. /Associates Jerusalem Hse
Living Room Macon Outreach at Mulberry
Mercy Housing South East
Metro Atlanta Task Force f/t Homeless
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Rachel's Daughters Residential Connection, Inc.
Roofers local 136/ Atlanta
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The Redistribution Alternative
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Musician Assoc of HI Amer Fed of Musicians #677
Pacific Islanders United Methodist Church
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Waimaho/ Sunflower Residents' Association, Inc.
Idaho
CWA local 7603 CWA ID State Council AfL -CIO CLC
Helping Hand Woodworkers W364 IAMAW
ID I'd Bk ID Women's Netwk Ironworkers #732
Interfaith Alliance of ID Lewiston /Clarkston CLC
St Vincent De Paul Silver Valley People's Act Coal
Your Family, Friends & Neighbors, Inc.
Iowa
Affordable Housing and Homeless Partnership of
Polk County, Iowa Broadlowns Medical Center
BCMW Community Sery Churches United Shelter
Cntrl IA BCTC
Comm Action Agency/ Siouxland IA City Fed /Labor
IBEW Local 1362 IA Coal Against Domestic Viol
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Justice Comm(edar Rapids St Vincent De Paul
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YWCA /Fort Dodge
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Auto Mechanics 701 IAM & AW Bethel New Life
Breakthru Urban Ministries Ctr/ Womn /Transition
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Chicago Coal f/t Hmless Chicago Uptown Ministry
Deborah's Place DuPoge Co. Green Party
Fed of Musicians #26 Helping Hands /Springfield
IL Coal to End Homelessness IL Hunger Coal
IL Interfaith Hsg Ctr Maternal & Child Health Coal
Jewish Council Urban Affairs Kushtush Organics
La Casa Norte Lake Ca Coal f/t Hmless
Metro Hsing Dev Corp Protestants /Common Good
Roofers# 9 #32 #119
Saint James Ch San Jose Obrero Mission SEIU 73
Sisters of Mercy, Chicago Regional Justice Comm.
Statewide Housing Action Coalition SWAN, Inc.
SouthSideMission Task Force Against Hmlessness
The Pollution Solution
Unitarian Universalist/ Social Justice
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Tri -Co Musicians Union #88 Will Feed Comm Org
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AFSCME Local 3733 Brothers' Keeper CWA #4100
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Ctrl IN Jobs w Justice Comm Faith & labor Coal.
Familys' Children's Services Haven Hse Services
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IN Coal Hsing& Hmless Issues Just Goods
IAMAW Dist Lodge 90 King Park Area Dev Corp
N. Ctrl IN AFL -CIO Ctrl Labor Council
St Joseph Valley Pit /Jobs/ Justice
Scott Co Welfare- Work
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UAW local 685, 2488
Vincent House, Inc. YWCA of ST. Joseph County
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Homestead Affd Hsing Inter -Faith Min Wichita
IBEW Local 661 Kansas AFL -CIO Kansas CWA
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Plumbers & Pipefitters 441 SEIU local 513
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Ashland- Tomcats.(om Coalition f/t Homeless
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IBEW #130 1 Can America, IATSE #290
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Not Policy Advisory Council on Hmisnes -SRO
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City of Portland Social Services
Kids (an Make a Difference OHI
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Michalowski Group Radio Free Maine
Preble St Resource Ctr Teamsters Local 340
Unitarian Universalist Fund Prog
Rumford Group Homes, Inc.
United Assoc Local 716 York Cumberland Housing
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Arise f Social Justice Boston Area Rape Crisis Ctr
Berkshire Co Committee /Homelessness BH(HP
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North Star Asset Mgnt Our Bodies Ourselves
P.O.W.E.R. Project Hope Samaritan Inn Shelter
Somerville Hmis Coal. Solutions At Work Suki, Inc
Teamsters 404 Comm it /Jewish (am m /Amherst
Tikkum Olom Tri City Hsng Task Frce /Hmmes Fam
Unitarian Universalist Sery Comm
United /Fair a Economy UF(W #1445 Urban Edge
Women of Means
Maryland
AFT Maryland Alliance Art Therapy Studio
Bait City Hlth Care f/t Hmless
Bolt Co Coal f/t Hmless
Calvert Cntr for Poverty Solutions CWA# 2105
CEASMC Children's Health Outreach Project
Coalition for Homeless Children& Families
Dev. Training Inst. Dist. Council # 51
Frederick (o Coal f/t Hmless Gimmie Shltr Prod
Health Care f/t Hmless Hispanic Comm Church
Homeless Persons Representation Project
Patuxent Friends Meeting Prjt PLASE
Pub Justice Ctr Bolt Hmless Shltr Sisters /Mercy
SEIU, Dist. 1199E -DC Sprinklr Fitters local 669
United Ministries Women's Housing Coal
Michigan
Advocacy Project Affordable Living Services
All Saint's Episcopal Church Altrusa Teen SHARE
Battle Creek Hmis Council Consumer Advoc Pit
Det Air Trnsprt 11141 Hmeles Act Ntwk
IBEW #219, #131 #252, # 498, #665, #557,
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People's Progressive Ntwork / Washenaw Co
Clothing Matters Peace Action Safe Horizons
Southeast MI Jobs With Justice Sugar Law Center
Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team
UAW Local 652,600 UB( 340 Undergrnd Railroad
Universal living Systems Vista Center of Flint
Minnesota
Beths Buttons for Social Change BiCounty CAP
Carver Committee /Emergency & Transitional Hsg
Carpenters Local #851 Cntrl Lutheran Church
(ntrl MN Hsing Partnership
Churches United f/t Hmis
Community Home Ownership CWA Local 1022
Community Psychologists of Minnesota ELLM
Congregations Concerned/ Child Advocacy Netwk
Duluth AFL -CIO (ntrl Labor Bdy Div /Indian Work
Elim Trans Hsg F -M Dorothy Day Hse/ Hospitality
Fathers /Children Together
Houston Co. Women's Resources /Hokoh IATSE 13
IBEW# 294 Integ Comm Solutions
Intercongregation Communities Assoc.
Job Corps Admissions & Placement
Kootasco Comm Action Lutheran Soc Services
Metropolitian Interfiath Council /Affordable Hsg
Millright Local 548 Minneapolis Pipefitters 539
MN Coal f/t Homeless MN Housing Partnership
MN Librarians/ Soc Res Mission Lodge New Found
New Pathways Northern Cradle
Partners /Afford Hsing People Escap Poverty Pit
People Service People Inc. Perspectives, Inc.
Peta Wakan Tipi Fire Lodge Prodigal House
Ramsey Action Program Range Transitional Hsg
Residents for Affordable Housing RISE, Inc.
St. Anne's Place St Paul Area (ouncil /Churches
Sheet Metal Wkrs #10 Duluth
Shelter House, Inc. St Stephens Human Services
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St. Stephen's Housing St. Stephen's Shelter
National
American Friends Service Committee
American Medical Student Association
Ben and Jerry's Foundation
Center for Child Care Workforce /The American
Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation
Center for Community Change
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Church Women United
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Communications Workers of America, (WA Inter
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Global Exchange
Gray Panthers
Green Party of the United States
House the Homeless, Inc.
Housing Assistance Council
HSR Construction (Nationwide Builders)
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
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Nat. Alliance of HUD Tenants
Nat. Association of Social Workers
Nat. Coal for Asian Pacific American Comm. Dev
Nat. Coalition for the Homeless, NCH
Nat. Council of Churches /Econo /Social Justice
Nat. Org. for Human Services
Nat. Health Care for the Homeless
Nat. Rural Housing Coalition
Nat. law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
Nat. Low Income Housing Coalition
Nat. Lawyers Guild Economic and Social Justice
Nat. Network for Children
Nat. Organization for Women (NOW)
Nat. Policy & Advisory Council on Homelessness
Nat. Priorities Project
Network: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
North American Alliance for Fair Employment
North American Street Newspaper Association
Pax Christi USA Rock the Vote
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Rainbow /Push Coalition
Service Employees International Union /SEIU
Spina Bifida Association of America
Union of American Hebrew Congregations
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AL Arise Al Appleseed Ctr for law & Justice
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Metro Birmingham Services for the Homeless
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Safeplace UAW #1155 #1413 UB(JA /SCIW #240
Alaska
American Friends Service Committee
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Anchorage Council Bldg & Construct Trades Unions
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Arkansas Foodbank Ntwk Arkansas Hunger Coal
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College Statin CDC CWA IBEW 700 Kings Outreach
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AZ Coal to End Homelessness
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Brewster (tr Domestic Violence Services
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(WA State Council AFL -CIO, (LC CWA Local 7050
Community Information & Referral
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IATSE Local 875
Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.
Phoenix Consortium for the Homeless
PPEP Microbusiness & Housing Dev. Corp.
Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity
Professional Musicians of AZ AFM #586
Project Aware Moody Chapel AME Church
Primavera Foundation Spirit of Service
Save the Family Foundation of AZ WHEAT
No. AZ Veterans For Peace "Bud Day" Chapt.108
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Affordable Housing Network /Santa Clara (o., CA
AFSC -Farm Labor /Project (ampesino
AFSC-Pon Valley Institute AFSC -San Diego
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American Apparel B(TC San Mateo (o. Bee Bright
Beyond Shelter Amalgamated Transit Union 1225
Building Opportunities for Self- Sufficiency
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Catholic Charities /San Jose Care link -CMC (N(H)
Civil Service Div. of (SEA Local 1000 SEW AFL -CIO,
CL( (California State Employees Association)
Coalition of CA Welfare Rights Orgs. Inc., ((WRO
Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights /LA, CHIRLA
Coalition /Hmlessness, SF Coachella Valley Hsing
Comm Hmless All Ministry Comm Tech Alliance
Contra Costa Homeless Ombudsperson
(.E.O. Women (WA Local 9503 B. 53 Drawbridge
Drywall- Lathers # 9083 Green Bldg Pages
E Oakland CDC Ecumenical Min Haight Ashbury
Fair Housing Council of Son Diego
Global Exchange Gubb & Barshay LLP
Career Dreams www.GrossrootsHost.com
Haight Ashbury Clinic Hsing Rights Committee /SF
Half Moon Bay Mutual Benefit Ctr
Health Care f/t Homeless Higgins Foundation
Home &Comm Hsing Amer Hmless Hlth Care LA
Housing CA Hsing Rights Committee of San Fran
LAMP Community IAM Local 1173 IATSE B -192
Imperial Co. Building Trades Council IATSE #905
IBEW #11 IBEW #234 IBEW # 428 IBEW #595
IBEW #617 Interfaith Committee /Worker Justice
Korean Immigrant Workers Advocates of S. CA
Kasper Organics Kern Inyo & Mono Bldg Trades
Laborers Local Union 886 Los Amigos /Orange (o.
Living Wage Coalition Sonoma Ca. CA
Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Los Angeles Coal to End Hunger & Homelessness
Los Angeles Youth Network
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Mission -San Froncisci De La Esprada
Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, AFL -CIO
Motion Picture Machine Operators IATSE Local 169
Ms. Lefkowitz's Jewish Law II (lass Period B6
New Native NE Valley Health Corp.
OneDance:The People's Summit OPEIU Local #3
Orange (o. Community Hsg Corp Organic Attire
Orange Co. Interfaith Coal /Social Justice
Open Circle Our Brother's Keeper
Partners in Urban Transpt Plumbers UA Loc 393
Peoples' Self -Help Hsg Corp Project Censored
Religious Witness with Hmis People Rock the Vote
Resources / Indep Living Roof ers /Waterproofers95
Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee
Sacramento Hsg Alliance Sacramento Mutual Hsg
San Diego Coal for Hmless San Francisco Hillel
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Serve Ctr /Indept living SEW #121 RN, #34348
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SWEAT -X /Team -X So. (A Asso /Non- Profit Hsing
Teamsters 601 Utd Farm Wrkrs Tides Fdn
US Mexico Bdr Prog
UNITEHERE! 11, 681 UFCW 770, 1167,1428,1442
Veterans Speakers Alliance /VFP Chapter 69
Veterans for Peace Chapter 71 Sonoma Co.
Voice 4 Change Women for Orange Co.
Women of Color Resource (tr (W(RC)
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Write Way
Colorado
American Friends Service Committee Access Hsg
CO Coal f/t Homeless (0 College Comm Kitchen
CO Fiscal Policy Inst CO Yurt Co Jobs w Justice
CWA -Dist 7 Cofox (am Ntwk Denver Hmless Voice
Denver Urban Ministries Earthlinks Mercy Hsg
Epilogue Book (o. Greeley Trans House
IBEW #68 Men's Hith @ Denver Hlth Med N -CAB
Samaritan Hse SEW 121 RN Sheet Metal Wkrs
7510 St. Francis Stout St. Bridges Stout St Clinic
Suicide Risk Response Services, Prof. LL(
Uptown Partnership Warren Village
Women's Crisis (tr/ Violence Prevention Institute
Untd Bro /(orpen743 Urban Peak Untd Taxi Wkrs
US /Mex Bdr Prog Wyncia's Scrap Bogs
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AFSCME Council 4 AFM local 400
CT 1447 W. Haven Fed of Teachers /School Nurses
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Oper Hope Primary (are Assoc SEW 760 & 2001
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Hsg Assistance Council Capital Area Food Bank
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Citizens Policies Inst. Comm Family Life Sery
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CWA 2336 First Trinity Lutheran Church
Homeless Assoc National Connection
National Ntk for Youth Operation Enduring Indep
Spina Bifida Assoc. America Salvation Army-WD(
Washington legal Clinic for the Homeless
Washington, DC Bureau /Rainbow /PUSH Coalition
Delaware
Better Homes of Seaford, Inc.
DE State Homeless Coal DE Housing Coal
Saint Paul Church The Shepard Place
Green Party of Delaware IBEW Local 1238
Statewide Assoc of Tenants
Florida
AFM Local427 -121 Artisans' World Market Place
Alachva Co. Coalition f/t Homeless & Hungry
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American Veteran Newspaper Benedict Haven
Better Way of Miami Brevard Co. Salvation Army
Brevard Fed/ Teachers Broward Coal f/t Hmless
Camillus Health Concern, Inc.
Central Florida Voters Congress,sm
Charlotte (o Hmiss Coal
Coalition for the Homeless of Paseo (o.
Coalition for the Hungry & Homeless - Brevard (o.
Community Coal. for a Living Wage of Miami
Community Coalition on Homelessness
Community Empowerment Services
Connections Job Development CWA Local 3120
David J. Murphy, RHCF
David Lawrence Center Florida Acorn
Democratic Club of Greater Fort Myers, Florida
Diocese /St Augustine Domestic Abuse Shltr Hms
Family Resource Coalition of Citrus County
FL Coalition f/t Homeless
FL Housing Coalition Florida Impact
FL Keys Outreach Coal FL State Lawn Care
Friends Meeting of Ocala /Quakers