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Page 10 The Skanner January 3, 2018 News Solutions to Homelessness Come With Their Own Challenges By Geoff Mulvihill Associated Press any experts say homelessness is not an intracta- ble problem. A national focus on housing veterans and people who have long been homeless has made a difference, for example. But methods to end it or significant- ly reduce the problem come with financial and political hurdles. A look at some of the key strat- egies and their chal- lenges: M Federally Funded Subsidized Housing A shortage of housing that’s affordable to very low-income people, es- pecially in high-rent areas, is a key reason for homelessness. Pro- viding more affordable housing can sometimes prevent it. “We don’t need a multi-billion dollar homeless system,” said Paul Boden, a longtime advocate for the home- less who runs the San Francisco-based West- ern Regional Advocacy Project. “We need to re- invigorate our housing systems.” But nationally, that’s not the way things are headed. For the last 40 years, there’s been slow growth in the number of units in publicly subsidized housing, and President Donald Trump’s budget pro- posal calls for reducing vouchers. An analysis by the liberal-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that 235,000 fewer families could have access to subsidized housing un- der his plan. The cuts would not be as deep under budget plans be- ing considered in Con- gress. The study’s author, Douglas Rice, believes that perhaps 5 to 10 per- cent of families that lose vouchers would become homeless. Locally Subsidized Affordable Housing Building more low- cost housing is at the center of efforts to stem homelessness in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities. Since last year, voters in Los Angeles and Los Angeles County have approved bond issues totaling about $4.7 bil- lion over 10 years to build more affordable housing, using tax in- creases to pay for the bonds. Voters in the counties that include Oakland and San Jose have approved similar measures. Joe Colletti, CEO of the Hub for Urban Initia- tives, which provides planning and other services in several Cal- ifornia communities, said the approach is the right one. But it will take years to build homes. He said voters might be disappointed when they still see people liv- ing on the streets in a decade: While adding 10,000 units of housing in Los Angeles can pre- vent homelessness for many, he said, it won’t get everyone who is now homeless off the streets. Enforcing Laws In many places, offi- cials have added laws to combat panhandling, camping in public plac- es and stepped up en- forcement of those and other policies to keep homeless people away. In August, Sacra- mento County officials approved spending $5 million to increase enforcement of an an- ti-camping law along the American River, which is lined with en- campments. That’s discouraging for Bob Erlenbusch, ex- ecutive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Home- lessness. He says there aren’t enough efforts to house the growing numbers of homeless people. Read the rest of this story at TheSkanner.com OBITUARY: Oscar Eason, Jr. 1930-2017 T he Honorable Oscar Hamilton and Jeremy Eason; Eason, Jr., a faithful ser- his sister, Nell Rose Eason, vant, passed this life on his nephews, Dr. Charles Dec. 18, 2017. Hunt and his wife Bobbie, His home going is planned and Charles Sonny Eason; for Thursday January 4, his great-nieces, Robyn 2018, 10 AM at St. Paul Cath- Corr and her husband olic Church, 10001 57th Av- Dominic and Nicole Ford. enue South, Seattle, WA. Great-nephews, Charles South of Kubota Gardens. Hunt Jr., Jason Robinson and Burial at Mt. Tahoma Na- Sean Carrington. Oscar Eason, Jr. tional Cemetary, 18600 SE He was a faithful advocate 240th Street. Kent, WA 98042-4868 for people who could not speak for followed by a Repast in Roman Hall at themselves and did the work without St.Paul Catholic Church. complaining. He leaves a strong lega- Mr. Eason served on many boards, cy of community service and he will be Nationally, State, Federal and County. missed. In Washington State he was one of the The Seattle King County NAACP is- founding members of the Seattle Chap- sued the following statement upon Os- ter of Blacks in Government. Past Pres- car’s death: ident of Seattle King County Chapter, “It is with a heavy heart we grieve the also past President of the Seattle King loss of a longtime NAACP activist and County NAACP, past Regional Presi- leader, Oscar Eason, Jr. After nearly dent of the NAACP (Alaska, Oregon & six decades of service, Oscar served as Washington). A life time member of NAACP President of both Seattle King/ both organizations. Oscar also served County as well as Alaska, Oregon, WA on the National Board of Blacks in Gov- State Area Conference He leaves be- ernment. Several Governor appoint- hind a long, distinguished history of ments to the Washington State Afri- fighting for Civil Rights and equality can American Commission where he for all. served as President for 4 years. He also “While Oscar is no longer with us, served on the Board of the Central Area his legacy will live on for ages, both in Motivation Board (CAMP), Co-found- his personal life and in the mission of ing member of the Martin Luther King, the NAACP. He will have an everlasting Jr. March and Rally Committee and on impact on the hearts and souls of all the many other community boards. people who had the pleasure of know- Eason is survived by his wife ing and working him over the years. Oscar is survived by his wife, Lois; Our thoughts and Prayers go out to his his daughter, Angela Green and her family, as we all have lost a legend of husband Eugene of St. Louis, MO; his Civil Rights in Oscar Eason, Jr.” son, Oscar Eason III and his wife Gloria Funeral arrangements by Bonney of Kansas City, MO; His grandchildren, Watson Funeral Home, 1723 Broadway Oscar Eason IV, Jaylen Green, Derek Ea- Avenue, Seattle, WA. Phone number son, Lauryn Eason, Jazzmin Hill, Elexys (206) 322-0013. Garner cont’d from pg 8 this for being Black in America. I can’t.” In a March 2015 interview on NBC News, Erica Garner spoke passionately about the Black Lives Matter movement and other protests that sought justice. She recalled the August 2014 shoot- ing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and how it wasn’t until months later, when the video of her father’s death was released, that the Eric Garner inci- dent received national attention. Garner described seeing her fa- ther die via a cellphone video “a thou- sand-million times,” and when a grand jury failed to indict police officers, she said it was time to take her fight for jus- tice to the streets. “To me, it was just saying, ‘you know what? I’m just going to march,” she told NBC News. Even when there weren’t television news cameras, Garner said she was determined to keep marching, to keep fighting. “That’s the most annoying question I get. People ask, ‘when will you stop marching? What do you want from marching?’ He was my father,” Erica Garner said during the interview. “I will always march.”