Sorting Out Homelessness

 We were impressed with the turnout at the recent campaign event supporting the candidacy for governor of New Mexico by Deb Haaland.  After the event, however, Margaret commented on her surprise that the segment allotted for questions did not produce anything on the topic of homelessness.  That might have just reflected the short time available, but it still seems that the subject might have had a higher priority of concern.

It seems people may just be overwhelmed by the size and seeming intractability of the problem of homelessness.  Most efforts to combat the problem have often seemed superficial, or just  a shifting ot the problem from one locale to another.  

Estimates of the scope of the problem and ineffective remedies are probably mostly accurate.  Less clear are perceptions of the fundamental causes.  There seems to be a widespread tendency to ascribe moral and behavioral impropriety to the homeless, with an accompanying suggestion of a need for correction or punishment.  In fact, about half of the people confined in Albuquerque's jails are classified as homeless.

It seems more likely that successfully analyzing the fundamental causes of homelessness needs to look more broadly at historical and economic  trends.  That thought prompted me to submit a request to Google's AI Mode to produce a chart comparing the trajectories of homelessness and economic inequality since the beginning of the Reagan Presidency in 1981.

The congruence of the the two trend lines seems far too close to be ascribed to coincidence.

Comparing homeless rates among different countries and economies does not yield easily to statistical analysis because of different national statistical approaches.  However, some relevant facts emerge from queries about homelessness internationally.

 The U.S. has the highest income inequality of the major advanced economies. While its reported homelessness rate (approx. 23.1 per 10,000 in early 2025) is lower than some European peers, it has a much higher percentage of "unsheltered" homeless people living on the streets rather than in temporary facilities. In 2023, approximatel  653,104 people experienced homelessness in the United States on a single night in January. 

 Finland is widely cited as the only EU country where homelessness has consistently declined, driven by its "Housing First" policy. This approach provides permanent housing as a fundamental right before addressing other issues like addiction or mental health, rather than requiring people to be "housing-ready" first.  Since the strategy began in 2008, the country has successfully converted almost all temporary shelters into permanent housing units.  According to 2023 data, there are fewer than 3,500 people experiencing homelessness nationwide in Finland.

Sunshine

The defeat of Orban in Hungary is a hopeful signal of what may be a possible way for the U.S. to rid itself of our own despotic regime.  At the same time there is no guarantee that what comes after will ultimately help restore democracy.  The course of events that led to Orban's defeat and the uncertainties that follow are nicely recounted in Jacobin.

Deb Haaland for Governor

 We enjoyed attending a campaign event today with Deb Haaland, who seems likely to be New Mexico's next governor.

Such good energy, intelligence and moral clarity.  What a contrast to what comes out of Washington these days!

Look at Deb's website for her plans for the State and some of her life story which makes her such a good fit for the job. 

Former State Senator, Jerry Ortiz y Pino, provided the session's introduction to Haaland's history and experience with due credit to the details from the good Wikipedia article about her. 

Walking The Dog

Spring Finery

This large Siamese was following a woman pushing a stroller.  He was complaining loudly, apparently wanting her to stop, but she plowed on around the corner and left him behind.  I called him and he walked in my direction, but I was not the human he was looking for.

The Final Frontier

 News reports of the recent flight around the moon talked about the astronauts impressions of seeing the far side, and their adaptations to space travel including toilet repair.  One pictures them jockeying for position at the capsule's window trying to make snapshots of the moon's surface.  Had they taken time for a space walk, we might have seen this scenario:

 What is clear is that for all that money spent  little  real science was accomplished.  Humans are not required for making pictures, or really anything else in space exploration.

Crazy Brave: A Memoir

photo: Shawn Miller

Joy Harjo's memoir provides some valuable insights into what it is like to grow up as a minority person surrounded by an often-hostile dominant culture.  In addition to that cultural challenge, Harjo also had to contend wirh violent abuse by her step-father which ultimately drove her to abandon her family home as a teenager.  Just surviving those experiences seems remarkable enough, but on top of that Harjo found her way to a functional and productive adult life;  a life which included becoming the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States.

What struck me early on in Harjo's story was how much it resembled the story of another woman half a world away, that of novelist Arundhati  Roy.  As a member of a Syrian Christian family Roy had to constantly contend with living in the shadow of the Hindu majority.  She also, like Harjo, was subjected to parental abuse which drove her to leave home as a teenager, and to negotiate a precarious voyage to adulthood to ultimately achieve success at the highest level. 

Both women were highly intelligent and both showed early interest in creative pursuits which seemed to help to sustain their dreams in the face of daunting circumstances.  Were those traits the secret to their ultimate successes?  Many others with similar traits and experiences must have proceeded into unsatisfying lives and untimely deaths.  Sheer luck certainly played a role.

I am left wondering if Harjo and Roy ever had the chance to sit down together to compare their life experiences or, if not, how such a meeting might help us to understand how devastating early adversity might be overcome. 

Seven Cranes