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Sounds like Amerika is a socialist country!!!
In addition to being a police state!
One interesting thing to look at would be how many homes and apartments does Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria and other cities in the valley own that are rented at discount rates to poor people? I suspect the number is in the hundreds and possibly in the thousands. Phoenix leaders target chronic homeless By Dustin Gardiner The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:55 PM Phoenix leaders are rethinking the way they combat homelessness, focusing on providing permanent housing rather than temporary shelter. Starting in July, the city will set aside rental-assistance vouchers and apartment units at city-owned complexes to help house the chronically homeless. The goal: Get 200 additional individuals and families off the streets over the next three years. City officials outlined the initiative Wednesday afternoon, saying they aim to “end homelessness,” not simply manage the problem. While they conceded the goal sounds lofty, they said a housing-first approach has proven most effective in other parts of the country. “More Phoenix families are struggling and falling through the cracks after facing job loss, foreclosure and a frayed social safety net due to massive budget cuts at every level,” Mayor Greg Stanton said. “Too many of our veterans are still living on the streets.” The changes will not result in any increased cost to taxpayers, officials said. Instead, Phoenix will reprioritize how it uses existing federal funds and services provided through the city’s departments of housing and human services. Phoenix already provides thousands of vouchers each year to help low-income residents afford housing, and the city owns several apartment complexes where housing costs are subsidized. Rent costs vary based on individual income. Now, the city is looking to make sure more of that money helps those who are chronically homeless, meaning they have been living on the streets or in a shelter for an extended period. People who are low-income but not homeless would still be able to get assistance through a waiting-list process. Rental assistance and public housing for the homeless will be matched with other support, such as job placement and counseling for substance abuse and mental-health problems. “The fact is there are people suffering right before our eyes,” Councilman Daniel Valenzuela said. “Why not get ahead of the issue this way?” |