A Home for the Homeless

Billy Grant roams the streets of New Orleans daily, equipped only
with a shopping cart full of bottles and cans, and a cheery grin that
somehow never seems to leave his face. Originally from Kingston,
Jamaica, Billy has been in America since the late 80s, and can be
usually found in Uptown New Orleans during the summers. He claims
a distant familial connection to the legend Bob Marley, and can often
be heard walking around whistling Three Little Birds. When asked
how he ended up in New Orleans, he said, I came down here for the
music and the culture and such, but its hard to keep a job when
everyones partying around ya 24/7, finishing off the sentence with a
toothy chuckle. A typical day for Billy consists of strolling the streets of
New Orleans with his shopping cart, picking up cans and other
recyclables to exchange for money, and striking up conversation with
any willing passersby.
The topic of homelessness is one that seems to never quite go
away. With the ever-growing divide between the rich and poor, and
despite efforts to the contrary homeless rates have gone up in cities
across the country, according to the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Major cities like New York and Los Angeles continue to
experience increases in the number of people living on the streets.
A few years back, New Orleans set in motion a plan to combat
this increasing homeless rate and is appearing to have some success.

New Orleans is the first major city in the nation to end homelessness
among Veterans, a report released in early 2015 by Unity of Greater
New Orleans claimed. Now this is an interesting stat line Veteran
homelessness brought to an end entirely in New Orleans? News reports
like this can often be a little lax on specific details, it would appear that
New Orleans is actually one of the cities leading the country in the
fight to end homelessness, particularly among Veterans.
Living on the streets isnt exactly anyones ideal situation, but
Billy manages to make the best of his circumstance, largely with
services provided to him by the city, They pretty good to me, all
things considered. I find a decent place to sleep most nights, and make
enough for some food and booze most days. He described his source
of income, Yeah, I bring these here cans down to sanitation people
every other Saturday; thats the main way of makin money, which he
said provides enough for him to live on. Billy Grants situation is
representative of thousands of people living without homes across the
country. The main difference, however, is the initiative that New
Orleans has taken to alleviate poverty. The city is one of the nations
trailblazers in the fight against homelessness.
There are dozens of shelters and kitchens committed to
providing the homeless with resources needed to survive. Sure, I been
to the Mission before. Also Salvation Army is good helpful people also.
If youre lucky theyll give ya a bed and a meal. The effort put forth by

the city to assist those in need is truly seen in Billy Grants cheery
disposition. When his biggest complaint is, Its just kinda a bitch when
it rains, if ya know what I mean, it would appear that New Orleans is
doing something right.
Dryades Street was once lined with bustling retail shops and
restaurants, a great spot for tourists and locals alike. But the times
have changed this street. Now officially known as OC Haley Boulevard,
this area has become a magnet for illegal activity and the homeless.
The signs of decay are obvious. Graffiti adorns the wooden boards used
to cover the windows of various abandoned buildings. Not exactly the
type of neighborhood that youd want to be stuck walking through late
at night, to say the least.
Reverend John Pierre is a man who is determined to restore OC
Haley back to its former glory. Feed the Hungry is a nonprofit
organization devoted to helping those in need, and is one of the few
bright spots left on OC Haley. We set up shop in the early 80s when
this was still Dryades Street said Reverend Pierre. Back in the day,
this used to be a hub for retail stores and the like; nowadays its a
struggle to get any good new businesses to open up.
Feed the Hungry is located right in the heart of OC Haley, and
provides much-needed care to people living on this dilapidated street.
Their mission is to try and provide shelter for as many people as
possible, while also helping those who are lost in the depths of drug

addiction. Reverend Pierre readily admitted that, Theres still a lot of

people homeless out there on OC Haley, but also regales stories of the
countless people that Feed the Hungry has been able to help. When
asked what else can be done to assist in his mission, the Reverend
said, Its going to take the effort of the community to put a stop to
this problem; the power of the community is what has brought us this
far in the first place. He conceded, however, that it is difficult to rally
support for an area that a lot of people have lost hope in.
Reverend Pierre and his charitable organization are under the
umbrella of Unity of Greater New Orleans. As a result, Feed the Hungry
has also been involved in the effort to eradicate the homeless
population that has established itself under the Pontchartrain
expressway. New space is getting opened up across the river to allow
for more beds and services offered to the people down there,
explained the Reverend. While it wont completely solve the problem,
its certainly gonna help.
The optimism and dedication displayed by Reverend John Pierre
seems to be the best defense against the homeless problem. While
Feed the Hungry certainly cannot find homes for every single person
living on the streets, their effort is admirable and certainly beneficial to
the community as a whole. Reverend John Pierre summarized the
situation quite succinctly when he said, I think solving the homeless

problem is still going to take some time, but were certainly heading in
a positive direction.
The VA Hospital in New Orleans is a free clinic dedicated to
helping Veterans who can no longer afford healthcare. Dr. Dean
Robinson, Chief of Mental Health at the VA Hospital in New Orleans,
described the issue of Veteran homelessness as, a moving target.
In recent years, New Orleans has made national headlines in
announcing various programs established to aid the homeless of the
city. In 2011, Mayor Landrieu created the New Orleans Interagency
Council on Homelessness with a 10-year plan dedicated to ending
Veteran homelessness in the city. The VA Hospital played a large part
in the forming of this council, and continues to do so today. Dr.
Robinson described the program as having took off in a truly amazing
fashion, and the numbers seem to support this statement. Robinson
elaborated, We started off years ago with a significant [Veteran]
homeless population of around 2,500, and gradually that has dropped
to the point that in last March it was around 212.
When asked how exactly the Veteran homeless population has
reached zero, Dr. Robinson described the process by which a Veteran is
placed into a network of care. After the hospital learns of a veteran
that is living on the streets, they are able to, effectively and very
quickly get them into supportive housing or into a supportive
environment immediately. And by immediately I mean same day.

Robinson also explained how cities across the country are replicating
New Orleans process because of the high degree of success that has
been displayed. Certainly it is difficult to ensure an effective zero
veteran homeless population, but New Orleans has a system in place
that truly has provided results. Its been a very gratifying experience,
Dr. Robinson said with a smile, to see that when a community really
pulls together like this, the results can be very satisfying.
From Billy Grants aluminum-filled shopping cart to the
dilapidated streets of OC Haley, homelessness is certainly still present
in New Orleans. What has brought national attention to the city,
however, is the effort that has been put forth to help fix what is broken.
Reverend Pierre exemplifies this effort, working tirelessly to assist
those around him. Dr. Robinson and the rest of the VA Hospital are
dedicated and passionate about what they do as well, and their efforts
are shown through the experiences of many who have fallen on hard
times in this city.
The media may inflate the numbers a bit, but that shouldnt
tarnish the progress that has been made. Effectively clearing the
streets of every last homeless person is a never-ending pursuit that
requires determination. New Orleans, a city well known to fight with its
back against the wall, certainly does not lack the fortitude required to
continue this battle.
Matthew Luchinsky is a junior majoring in Public Relations.

Sources:
http://unitygno.org/2015/01/new-orleans-first-major-city-in-nation-toend-veteran-homelessness-one-year-earlier-than-federal-goal/
http://www.nola.gov/mayor/press-releases/2014/20140501homelessness-reduction-announcement/
Dr. Dean Robinson
http://www.va.gov/providerinfo/neworleans/detail.asp?providerid=7482
Billy Grant - no source
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/nov/21/local/la-me-ln-hud-homeless20131121