Homelessness+8-505

A Glance At Another Chance By: Lubna, Zafir, Keti, Edimer, Samira, and Asifa



Homelessness is at its all time high in New York. **38,000** Homeless People sleep in New York City Shelter systems including more than **16,000** Children and thousands more sleep on the streets every night.There are over **2,700** Soup Kitchens and Food Pantries in New York State serving **2 Million** New Yorkers Annually. Over **2,500** people are turned away everyday. **Over Half** of Homeless Mothers have a history of Domestic Violence in their Records. **78%** of people living in New York City Homeless Shelters are Families. More than **1 in 4** Children in New York City are living in poverty.The typical homeless child is under **5 years old**. As the graph indicates, the number of unsheltered individuals has decreased steadily over the years. But in 2010, the number of unshletered individuals increased a considerable amount from 2009. As the number of homeless people grow, more must be done to protect them and help them get back on their feet.

Task 1 - Explaining the Problem

Imagine New York City (NYC) without homeless people living in the streets. Recently, the amount of homeless people has drastically increased, making it a very serious issue. The government and the community are responsible for solving problems concerning homelessness, and though this issue has been addressed, more effective solutions need to take place.

There are approximately 38,000 homeless people sleeping in NYC shelter systems, including more than 16,000 children. The typical homeless child is under 5 years old. Near Parsons Blvd., NYC, homeless people swamp the area. They crowd themselves under a bus stop to gain protection. In 2010, The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) conducted a census estimating the number of unsheltered homeless people in NYC. In 2010, there were 3,111 unsheltered individuals. In the Bronx, the number of homeless people increased by 6%, 47% in Manhattan, 45% in Staten Island, 14% in Queens, and in Brooklyn it increased by over 114%. According to the DHS, there were a total of 37,509 people in shelters on January 28, 2011, including over 8,000 families.

The largest group currently dealing with this issue is the DHS. Their goal is to provide all homeless families and individuals temporary shelter, which will eventually lead the homeless to find permanent housing. However, many times this proves to be ineffective. If one is found eligible, they are placed in a homeless shelter. There, the homeless must continually look for permanent housing, while also following all the shelter guidelines. However, this isn’t very effective since many homeless people are not given enough support to rebuild their lives in shelters. 200 families are denied services each month. Other homeless organizations include the Coalition for the Homeless and Homes for the Homeless. These organizations help homeless people by providing them food, shelter and help to rebuild their lives. Also, the local government is responsible for taking care of this issue. Homelessness has increased 34% in NYC from Jan. 2009-Mar. 2010.

The conditions in the homeless shelters are very poor since many of the people in the shelters face violence, sexual abuse, and other acts once they are in the shelters. Despite the overpopulation of the shelters, they are often in horrible conditions. At the Aladdin Hotel in Manhattan, DHS observed that smoke detectors weren’t working, gas tanks were stored in the basement, and bathrooms needed repair as well. Worse conditions were found at the Pilgrim Icahn cluster site buildings, which are shelters mainly for children. In these shelters, bugs and rodents were found along with leaking pipes and dirty mattresses. Within these conditions, people can come across a series of health problems.

Many government officials have an interest in helping homeless people, including Mayor Bloomberg and President Obama. They are interested because they have realized that homelessness is an issue that is increasing daily. They have power over the public and can influence them to contribute to the cause. The NYC DHS is equally responsible, because their main goal is to help the homeless and work to get the best services for them. The government provides shelters for the homeless for a certain period of time until the people can leave the shelter and live on their own. However, many people find themselves living in homeless shelters for long periods of time because they do not have any opportunities to rebuild their lives by getting a job or other means. About 25% of homeless people have serious mental issues. Many homeless people use drugs as well. Under these circumstances, the people do not have a good opportunity to leave shelters and receive permanent housing.

Undoubtedly, homelessness has negatively affected the lives of many and the number of homeless individuals and families in New York City is rising. Many people are forced to live on the streets without any food, water, or any basic necessities due to the lack of shelters and/or the policies and issues of and faced by shelters themselves . More effective policies are needed and already existing ineffective ones must be omitted.

 Sources

Bosman, Julie. "Number of People Living on New York Streets Soars." New York Times. New York Times, 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

Costella, Ann Marie. "Queens Chronicle - Jamaica: Haven for Homeless." TownNews.com. 05 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[|http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20443605&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574905&rfi=_]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">National Alliance to End Homelessness. "Mental/Physical Health." National Alliance to End Homelessness. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"NYC Department of Homeless Services." NYC Department of Homeless Services. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sager, Stacy. "Teen Accused of Sexual Abusing Child in Shelter." Eyewitness News. Eyewitness News, 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Thompson Finds Horrid Conditions At Shelters For Homeless Families | New York RealEstateRama." New York RealEstateRama | Real Estate News, Press Releases and Articles from New York. 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Task 2- Examining Alternative Policies

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Homelessness is an issue that the local and the state governments of New York should be more concerned about, being a particularly widespread issue. There are currently many policies that are placed in attempt to help the homeless, however it is apparent that they have not been very effective. PATH's policies for admitting homeless into shelters is very ineffectual since many homeless are denied shelters. Also, Mayor Bloomberg's policies to help the homeless are also very impotent, since they have not helped at all to lower the number of homeless people. In fact, the number of homeless people has actually gone up. We believe that these policies are not adequate to deal with the widespread issue of homelessness, and that better policies should be in place for such an enormous issue.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Homeless families seeking shelter have to apply to the Prevention Assistance & Temporary Housing (PATH) offices in Bronx, NY. The homeless families are required to prove that there are no other housing options available for them, and then the Department of Homelessness (DHS) conducts an investigation to see if there really isn't any other housing available for the homeless family seeking shelter. This is the biggest flaw in the PATH policies. They do not conduct valid investigations for other available housing for the family. Often, they just look for other housing like if there are any available rooms in a friends' house, etc. However, there are other factors contributing on whether there is available housing like if there is domestic violence going on in a certain area or if there is abuse, etc. NOT just if there are available rooms. Often, the investigation just puts the homeless families in homes that are not good enough for the families, and the families are denied shelter. For example, once a homeless woman (named Ms. G) and her child were constantly denied shelter at PATH because PATH insisted that that they could live with the woman's mother in a 2 bedroom apartment. However, Ms. G and her child could not live with Ms. G's mother because they have a poor relationship, and Ms. G has faced physical and sexual abuse from her mother. So basically, PATH does not investigate enough whether a home is well enough for a homeless person or not. Anyway, families that are in desperate need of shelter must track down proof and get certified letters stating that there are no other available housing options and they must waste precious time and money trying to find proof that there are no available housing options for them, and that they need shelter. Then, the homeless policies must often go through PATH's application process multiple times hoping that they will be allowed to enter a shelter. PATH and DHS must conduct much better investigations for the homeless, and stop making assumptions. Some people REALLY ARE in need of a shelter, however they are often denied shelter because PATH and the DHS conducts bad investigations and make assumptions that homeless people have a place to go to, when in fact, they don't. The only people that are likely to support this policy are the people that do not want to deal with homelessness, and the people that believe that homelessness is not a big issue. This is because this policy does not really do much for the homeless. Thousands of people's applications to homeless shelters are rejected each day, and PATH and DHS do not do much investigation for the homeless people. The people who are likely to oppose this policy are groups that work hard to end the growing issue of homelessness such as the Coalition for the Homeless and the National Alliance to End Homeless. These two groups support actually dealing with homelessness and working hard to help the homeless find a home instead of just pushing homeless people aside and denying them help, which PATH and DHS seems to do often.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg changed the New York City’s homeless policy. Since, the 1980’s, New York City has provided numerous homeless families with Federal housing vouchers. The vouchers helped homeless families pay rent and obtain permanent housing. Many homeless families did not return to shelters once they received the federal housing vouchers. In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg replaced the Federal housing programs with short-term City rental subsidies. The new program only gives homeless people a limited amount of money for a limited amount of time. Often, the amount of time is not adequate enough for a homeless family to find a stable job and housing. The Bloomberg administration thought the new policy would reduce the number of homeless families seeking shelter. Although, many homeless people that received the new rental subsidies returned to shelters. Many homeless families had their housing assistance expire and they had to return to shelters. Rising unemployment rates and a lack of affordable housing has made Bloomberg’s new policy very ineffective. In 2005, Bloomberg also implemented the “Housing Stability Plus” program. The program reduced rental assistance by 20 percent each year. It also required homeless people to stay on public assistance. This prevented many homeless people from working. It did not allow homeless people to become independent. Also, many homeless families were placed in houses with dangerous conditions including lead paint hazards.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">There should be more policies to help the currently homeless people get the help they need. There also needs to be a way for them to be able to afford a permanent home to prevent them from becoming homeless again. Although there are policies in effect, they aren't doing much help right now. Most of the past policies that were in effect are no longer no more. We either need to bring them back or replace them soon. Homelessness rates are steadily going up, and we need to do something about it now!

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Sources

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Morera, Jorge. "The Difficult PATH to Family Shelter." Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|<http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/blog/entry/the-difficult-path-to-family-shelter/]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Routhier, Giselle. "Revolving Door: How the Bloomberg Administration Is Putting Families At Risk of Returning to Shelter." Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Policy: Policy Priorities." National Alliance to End Homelessness. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Policy Guide on Homelessness." APA. American Planning Association. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Millman, Jennifer. "NYC Starts Charging Rent at Homeless Shelters." NBC New York. 9 May 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Tam, Brian. "Panelists Discuss Homelessness, Advocate for NYC Housing Reform." Washington Square News. 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Monahan, John J. "Murray Working on Developing Policy to Help Homeless Families." Telegram.com - An Edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and Sunday Telegram. 13 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"San Francisco a Model for Homeless Policy? - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum - FOXNews.com." FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Homelessness." Almanac of Policy Issues. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Task 3- Proposing a Public Policy

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Homelessness is a widespread issue that needs more attention. The policies currently dealing with this issue are ineffective. A new policy must be proposed to ensure that the homeless receive the care they need from the homeless shelters. In homeless shelters, the homeless with a special condition are usually singled out because the shelters lack a proper system that ensure people with special needs are given the proper attention they need. Shelters must be improved so that there are different departments to meet the needs of homeless people. There should be a department for education which is further divided into specific sections. For example, there should be a section of education for those that are mentally ill and homeless, there should be a section of education for those that are alcoholics and homeless, etc. Using this policy, homeless shelters will be more organized and can provide the proper care and education to those who need it most.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Many people are homeless because of a lack of education. Therefore, the main goal of our proposed policy is to build a shelter to educate homeless people. This policy makes sure that in shelters, homeless people will get the proper education so they can become successful. If homeless people are educated, they are more likely to find permanent shelter. In our policy, every homeless shelter will have an education department. This department will be divided into sub-divisions. These sub-divisions make sure all homeless people get the education that fits their needs. For example, homeless people with mental disabilities will get different education than homeless people without mental disabilities. Drug addicts would get an education that would teach them to stay off of drugs. Smokers would get a different kind of education, likewise. This is an effective system that will help all homeless people receive an education, AND overcome their specific issues.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The proposed policy includes many advantages as well as a few disadvantages. First off, one major advantage is that the homeless can actually get educated in the shelters. A large number of homeless people today are illiterate and have no formal education. The shelters that this policy build can help the homeless actually learn to read and write, and this leads to another great advantage. In the shelter, the homeless can be taught skills that can aid them in getting a good job. They can learn to read and to write if they do not already know, and they can also learn special skills such as resume writing skills, and etc. In addition, what makes these shelters different is that they are separated into different departments to deal with different issues among the homeless. For example, there would be a department for the homeless who are facing drug abuse, the homeless who are alcoholics, the homeless who have mental disabilities, etc. With this specialization, they can get the education they need to help them get a job and rebuild their lives, as well as learn how to overcome their own issues. Furthermore, there would be a small student to educator ratio because it is more effective to help a small group of homeless at a time than to have a very large group of homeless per class.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">However, there are a few disadvantages to this proposed policy. This policy can be costly and take some time to be put into action. People would have to cover the costs of building the shelter, getting the basic necessities into the shelter such as food, beds, etc. Also, it would take some time to actually build the shelter, and also to find suitable educators for each class in each department. It would also be costly to pay each educator. However, it is quite evident that our advantages overweight the disadvantages. This policy, when put into action, can drastically change the lives of many homeless people on the streets of New York City.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">This proposed policy does not violate the U.S Constitution. It does not in any way invade the privacy of the homeless people, nor does it discriminate them in any way whatsoever, and it does not put any restrictions on their freedom of expression. It merely sets up a shelter where the homeless can go to rebuild their lives by overcoming issues such as drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. and it teaches them important skills that are necessary for jobs. The level of government responsible for carrying out this policy is local government. This is because the local government is responsible for the needs of citizens in certain communities, cities, towns, etc. The proposed policy sets up a shelter for the homeless, and this is for the needs of citizens, therefore, the local government is responsible!

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">This proposed policy is very effective and efficient. The policy will make sure homeless people receive the education they deserve for many years to come, if this policy is adopted. Many homeless people are homeless because they lack a sufficient education. This policy will help decrease homelessness by teaching homeless people how to earn a living and live on their own. There are a few advantages in this proposed policy, however, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The policy is not only effective, but it does not violate the Constitution.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Sources

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Answers.com - What Are the Things That the Local Government Is Responsible for." WikiAnswers - The Q&A Wiki. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Morera, Jorge. "The Difficult PATH to Family Shelter." Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|<http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/blog/entry/the-difficult-path-to-family-shelter/]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Routhier, Giselle. "Revolving Door: How the Bloomberg Administration Is Putting Families At Risk of Returning to Shelter." Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Policy: Policy Priorities." National Alliance to End Homelessness. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Policy Guide on Homelessness." APA. American Planning Association. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Millman, Jennifer. "NYC Starts Charging Rent at Homeless Shelters." NBC New York. 9 May 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Tam, Brian. "Panelists Discuss Homelessness, Advocate for NYC Housing Reform." Washington Square News. 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Monahan, John J. "Murray Working on Developing Policy to Help Homeless Families." Telegram.com - An Edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and Sunday Telegram. 13 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"San Francisco a Model for Homeless Policy? - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum - FOXNews.com." FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"Homelessness." Almanac of Policy Issues. Web. 18 Feb. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><[]>.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Task 4- Developing An Action Plan <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;">Many people believe that more should be done to overcome homelessness. Homelessness can be decreased tremendously if we are able to convince the government and influential organizations that education is the key factor to helping the homeless rebuild their lives. However, we must inform the right people who will help us carry out our policy. By contacting powerful and influential people who already work to improve the lives of the homeless, we will be able to introduce our policy to the government. The government can then be informed about our policy and even put it into affect.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Our plan is to improve the current New York City shelters. We believe that homeless people must receive an education so that they can learn important life skills to help them rise out of homelessness by finding a job again. In addition, we believe that homeless people must also be given treatment for any specific problems that they have such as alcoholism, drug abuse, etc. Therefore, we want to set up specific departments in the current homeless shelters for people with specific needs. For example, the alcoholics would be in one department, the drug addicts would be in another, etc. In these departments, the homeless people would be educated. This can be done by gaining support from influential people. Influential groups include the Coalition for the Homeless, Homes for the Homeless, etc. These two organizations both agree that not enough is being done for the homeless and they must be given an education in order to rise above homelessness. Because our policy is mainly about giving the homeless an education, they would likely support our policy. To win their support, we can start off by writing letters to them explaining our policy. We can ask them what they think of our policy, how they think it can help the issue of homelessness, and we can ask for them to support us. We’ll try to get recognition for our policy through these organizations.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> One influential individual who might oppose our proposed policy would be Michael Bloomberg. He thinks that homelessness is adequately being taken care of. He feels that nothing else has to be done; because the homeless people are better off now then they were a few years ago. His policy merely set up a place for the homeless people to stay, and the houses that they were sent to were usually illegal boarding houses. We might win his support by explaining how he would be doing more to help the homeless people through this policy. Also, we could explain to him that it would be much easier with different departments, so that each person could learn at their own pace. In addition, Barry H. Berke might be willing to support the proposed policy because he is the chairman of the "Coalition for the Homeless," and their main goal is to help homeless people, which is what our proposed policy does. The proposed policy does not have any negative effects. If anything it would enhance the quality of homeless peoples' lives.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> There are ways to get government officials to support our proposed policy. Even if there are government officials that oppose our policy, we can get them to support us in a variety of ways. One way to get government officials to support our policy is to write letters to them. In the letter, we can provide our goal or mission. We can also explain how we intend to reduce homelessness in New York City. An influential government official that may oppose our policy is Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York. Mayor Bloomberg has already implemented a plan to reduce homelessness. We think that his plan is ineffective. Therefore, we may have to write a letter to him explaining how our policy deals with homeless in a more effective way.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> Our proposed policies main goal is to give homeless people the skills and knowledge to support themselves. This is one of the most effective ways to lower the amount of homeless people in NYC; through education. There are influential people that may support it, as well as those who might not. Nonetheless, it is definite that our goal to decrease homelessness can be achieved through support for the proposed policy.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Sources

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Coalition for the Homeless. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> < http://www. coalitionforthehomeless.org/ >.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> Homes for the Homeless. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> < @http://www.hfhnyc.org/ >.

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