Civic House hosts talk on homelessness

An official from Project H.O.M.E., one of many organizations and activist groups working to reduce homelessness in the Philadelphia area, spoke to a Civic House audience of 30 people last night about the program and the problem of homelessness in the city. Project H.O.M.E. -- which stands for Housing, Opportunities, Medical Care and Education -- works to get people off the streets and into a better life, said Will O'Brien, the group's director of education and advocacy. Project H.O.M.E began about 10 years ago and is a non-profit organization that serves primarily single adults who "fall through the cracks" of help from other organizations, O'Brien said. Most of these people are chronically handicapped or addicted to drugs. O'Brien explained the step-by-step process involved in helping these individuals. The first step, he said, is "street outreach," where counselors go into the streets to get familiar with the homeless. "The most important thing is to build a relationship with them. We need to build some trust and affirm someone's dignity," O'Brien said. From that point, those in need can be moved off the streets into entry-level facilities. Once they are "stabilized," they move into transitional housing and then finally into permanent housing. These people are also encouraged to get entry-level jobs. Project H.O.M.E., O'Brien noted, runs a both a thrift store and a book store that helps to employ these people. One of the other main purposes of Project H.O.M.E., O'Brien said, is political advocacy. The organization was very active in the recent controversial City Council ordinance restricting activity on Philadelphia sidewalks and the amendments made to the bill before it was passed. Organization officials believed that some of the provisions in the bill were inhumane and harsh. "The most important change we got in the bill was the city's commitment to facilities for the homeless," O'Brien explained. With constant renovations being done to low-income housing by big business, this is a big victory for the political advocates, he added. A question-and-answer session followed the speech. In response to a question on what makes Project H.O.M.E. a model for similar organizations, O'Brien explained that "what we have learned and have is a comprehensive program. We put together continual care." The project does this through its constant outreach approach to those on the streets, he said. College freshman Jolan Bogdan, who is on the steering committee of Civic House and also works for Project H.O.M.E., encouraged those interested to participate in the program, saying, "we're always looking for volunteers." For more information on Project H.O.M.E., call 382-1622 and ask to speak to Brian McGory.