The Poor People’s
United Fund, joined hundreds of others concerned about the 700 homeless
people displaced from Long Island Shelter when the bridge to get to the island
was declared unsafe. They had 4 hours notice to evacuate the facility. People
were forced to leave their meager yet important belongings behind…medications,
family photos, letters.
The City of Boston is finding it difficult to find
adequate shelter for them. Some have
found shelter and are sleeping on cots on gym floors, and on mats in hallways.
At the gym which is housing 250 people but there are only 2 toilets. The temporary
shelter at that local fitness center is for men only. Women displaced from Long Island are having more trouble finding safe places
to sleep so many are sleeping in cars and under bridges.
The Poor People’s United Fund’s, Fran
Froehlich, testified at the event
expressing a sense of urgency urging the city to find a short term solution
before winter sets in --- one woman has already died. “This situation has
demonstrated that the current shelter system can not handle the growing
homeless population. It is yet another indication that the system is broken. As
PPUF has been saying for over 30 years…. We must begin to invest in a long term
solution. The chickens of inequality have come home to roost! Good people
everywhere have got to say, Enough is enough!”
One homeless woman asked a great question,
“Why hasn’t the Mayor declared a state of emergency? Seven hundred of his
residents have been displaced.”