By: Erin Smith
Homelessness in Bladen County is a problem that is, for the most part, hidden from view. There are those who have jobs, but simply cannot financially afford housing. There are others who have a criminal record which disqualifies them for government subsidized housing, according to William Moore.
“We know we have them. We’ve tried different things to promote the conversation,” said Janet Miller with the Bladen County Department of Social Services. “If we are made aware of their situation, we can often help.”
Miller said in Bladen County there are not a lot of resources to help those who find themselves faced with homelessness. She said her staff usually must send them out of county for shelter space. There have also been problems in the past when there were issues with those who are homeless trying to set up camps in Tory Hole Park in Elizabethtown.
Miller said that the last homeless census in January 2016 identified five individuals as homeless. She said it is difficult to get an accurate accounting of exactly how many individuals are homeless. “Some don’t want people to know they are homeless,” said Miller.
To complicate things further, definitions of homelessness differ among agencies. The US Department of Health and Human services defines homelessness as “A homeless individual is defined in section 330(h)(5)(A) as “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. [Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b)]”
She said her staff do encounter some people who work or who have Social Security income but are still homeless. “Some of these adults make conscious decisions that lead them to become homeless,” said Miller.
Mr. Moore places the number of homeless in Bladen County at about 100. They are spread out over the county with about 50 percent in the Elizabethtown area and the remainder spread throughout the county. Mr. Moore said many of them will seek shelter in abandoned homes or buildings throughout the county.
Some of the homeless do need some form of mental or behavioral health services. Mr. Moore said some of the homeless he is in contact with have issues with painkillers and marijuana.
He said, “If you have a record, you have nowhere to stay especially if it is a marijuana charge.” He explained that someone can go to jail once, and when they are released, the record of that charge generally makes it difficult to obtain housing. Mr. Moore said some of the policies regarding housing and who can qualify for housing, may need to be rewritten or reviewed.
In certain circumstances, if an individual is living with a friend or relative, they cannot be considered as homeless. “If you stay with someone (a relative or friend), you are homeless,” said Mr. Moore.
He added if a person applies for government housing, and they have a criminal record, they can be denied housing. Mr. Moore said if the individual is fortunate enough to locate a place they can rent, it costs between 400 to 500 per month in rent. He said if the individual is receiving disability income or retirement income, it can become a burden to pay monthly rent and utilities, buy groceries and buy medicines.
Mr. Moore said he is attempting to locate and purchase cinder block houses to renovate and offer to those that are homeless. He said the homes he is seeking are small and can be purchased for about $5,000 each. Mr. Moore said he has located about 10 of the block houses. He said most of the homeless don’t have any income.
He is affiliated with the United Universal Life Church in Elizabethtown. Mr. Moore said he has been slowly working on raising the funds needed to purchase these houses. He said he has been holding fundraisers trying to raise enough money to purchase another house. If you would like to help Mr. Moore, you can mail your contribution to the United Universal Life Church, P. O. Box 1235, Elizabethtown, NC 28337.
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