Why Are We Homeless? A Panel Discussion

September 26, 2018 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Dennis Nett / The Post-Standard. Jim Hill and his girlfriend, Cindy Gonzalez, sit in a homeless encampment under the I-690 East overpass.

Please join us for a discussion on the root causes of homelessness in our nation and in our community.

As many as 3.5 million Americans are homeless each year. Of these, more than 1 million are children and on any given night, more than 300,000 children are homeless.

While the general impression is that the homeless are primarily the chronic and episodic, those unfortunate individuals often seen living on the streets in the downtown areas of our cities, the fact is that more than half the homeless are families with children. The vast majority of these have been thrust into homelessness by a life altering event or series of events that were unexpected and unplanned for. Contrary to the belief that homelessness is primarily the result of major traumatic events or physical and mental disabilities, there are many top causes of homelessness in America. -Source: HomeAid

Moderator: John Tumino, of In My Father’s Kitchen

Panelists:

Dr. Sunny Aslam, MD psychiatry and addiction specialist)
Kevin Batsford (formerly homeless individual)
Rose Austin, MSW (Associate Director of Shelter Services for Vera House).

This program is made possible, in part, by funding from the County of Onondaga, administered by CNY Arts.