Cisneros Urges Stronger Federal, Private Efforts to Aid Homeless

Two days after a homeless woman died outside the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary Henry G. Cisneros implored federal agencies and private organizations to redouble their efforts to help the nation’s homeless.

“I would like to urge every American please not to allow this tragedy to pass without taking some action to assist the plight of those who are homeless . . . especially as we approach the cold months of the winter,” Cisneros said Wednesday.

Since becoming HUD secretary, Cisneros has made a reduction in homelessness a top priority, although little money is available for the task.

Asking for donations of time, food, money and blankets, Cisneros called on Americans to “learn how you can make a difference for someone who is so much less fortunate than us that their only place to sleep is a cold sidewalk.”

Advocates for the homeless had mixed reactions to Cisneros’ emotional appeal.

“It can make a difference,” said Bill Faith, president of the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless who has spent 12 years seeking solutions to the problem. “Over the last several years we have seen people grow weary of this issue. They’ve seen the problem get worse and worse and worse.”

But Faith and other specialists in homelessness said that--while such speeches can stir people from their callousness--they cannot combat the problem’s root causes: lack of affordable housing, shortage of drug treatment facilities, too few jobs and too little housing for mentally ill individuals.

“The government holds the key to correcting the structural problems that lead to homelessness,” Faith said. “But it does come at a cost.”

Most of the public and private aid now available to the homeless target only temporary shelter and nutritional needs.

“Nonprofits have been out there for 10 years or more to find creative ways to open doors to the homeless,” said Fred Karnas, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless. “All this federal pontificating is great. But it’s not going to solve the problem unless there is more permanent housing.”

Cisneros’ proposals start with a $20-million program, dubbed DC Initiative, which is set to begin here next year. The program will enlist more workers to help get homeless people off the streets, out of parks and into shelters. It also will create more transitional housing for homeless people suffering from mental illness, drug addiction and AIDS, and it will stress job training.

The Administration hopes to expand the program to other cities with large numbers of homeless people.