My Nightmare is over - I have an apartment!!!!!!!!!

This afternoon I took possession of keys to a studio apartment in Cambridge. There have been times in the past 13 months I didn't think this day would ever come. It is a private complex that works with the Cambridge Housing Authority.

Now I have to try and assemble the little things that will make it a home.

I NEED EVERYTHING

I will be getting some furniture tomorrow ( bed, dresser, desk and couple of chairs )

Frankly I really don't know what I will need until I need an item - but I will need things like sheets, pillows, blankets, toliet paper...

I would love to have a TV and also a computer ( old desktop or laptop would be a minor miracle )

The truth is with putting up the first month and security I am a little tapped out and could use a little cash...not much but every penny would help.

If you are inclined to help me get over this final hump - my PayPal account is active..

Once I am settled in I write some more about what the last year was like - the wonderful people I have met - and the not so nice ones as well.

I am just so happy to have a home again at last.

Thanks for reading.

July 1 update - when it rains it pours......

Ok - the good news is I am in temp housing until the end of Augustbut it is taking 80% of my Social security check :( - but at least I am safe

the bad news is my ankle infection keeps flairing up - I was just in Whidden Hospital in Everett for a week

Still I am thankful I am not out on the streets......it is really bad around Harvard Sq right now - some real bad people out there :(

Now.....I had a slight disaster a couple of weeks ago and I just reposted this on Craigs List

LOST/STOLEN - Dell™ Inspiron™ Mini 10 (1012) (Central Sq Cambridge)

It is bad enough I lost the backpack - which had my passport, birth certificate and other papers....but I had gotten a very small netbook from Sprint for no money , I simply had to buy a contract for $30 a month for 2 years.... I am on the hook for that even if the puter can not be found.

The computer was my lifeline.....I am lost without it. Problem is Sprint says I replacement would cost me $450 ( might as well be $45,000)

My contact information is on the sidebar of the blog - and If anyone wants to help me out in my electronic paper cup begging for change, I would be very grateful.



But hey at least the Broons won the Stanley Cup :)

Thanks for reading

Boston Globe video story on Harvard Sq shelter

Can not say enough good things about the students who run this place.



The print edition also writes about the shelter

Volunteering spirit catches fire

Young adults donate time, embrace the chance to give back

At Harvard, the Winthrop Street homeless shelter is one of 86 service and social change programs associated with the Phillips Brooks House Association, which is a student-run nonprofit. Students can work with deaf children, tutor prison inmates, bring pets to nursing homes, and prepare Chinese students to become US citizens, among other opportunities.

The Harvard Square shelter provides shelter, food, and resource counseling for a minimum of 24 guests each night, as well as dinner plates for those who come to the door. The shelter also has a “street team’’ of students who go out each night to bring food and conversation to homeless people.

It is a wonderful place.

1/26 - Dealing with the system......here is a roadmap

I would like to expand on what I blogged about on Monday.

In Cambridge here are the available options open to men

For women there is one other option

A a last resort

Very simply, it is a game of musical beds. In July it isn't a big deal, but in January......

Here is an overview of each program
SALVATION ARMY - CAMBRIDGE

Overview of Shelter & Services for the Homeless:
We offer a Continuum of Care for the Homeless through various levels of service. Bringing a man from homelessness to home ownership is a huge undertaking. That is, however, exactly what The Salvation Army attempts to accomplish. During the last fifteen years, The Salvation Army has developed a Continuum of Care designed to break the cycle of homelessness.
The Continuum of Care has five component programs offered at our Cambridge facility:

1. Drop-In Day Shelter
2. Emergency Overnight Shelter
3. A 90-Day Therapeutic Counseling Program with Housing
4. Single-Room Occupancy Housing Program at our Wellington House property in Arlington
5. Transitional & Independent Housing
Medical and mental health care are accessible through our collaboration with Health Care for the Homeless and Tri-City Mental Health Services.

To find out more please call us at (617) 547-3400.

HEADING HOME CAMBRIDGE 

The Cambridge Shelter – emergency shelter with capacity for 21 individuals that serves more than 150 annually
Women’s Drop-In Program – center that serves more than 275 women annually by providing hot meals, clothing, counseling and referrals

Housing


Homeless to Housing – apartments and intensive services provided for individuals with disabilities in Cambridge, Everett, Malden, Medford and Somerville
Congregate Permanent Housing – supported permanent housing provided for men and women

FIRST CHURCH SHELTER - CAMBRIDGE  (pictures)

Since 1987, First Church Shelter has provided a basic act of mercy to the poor and homeless of Cambridge and surrounding communities. Each evening 14 men are provided with a safe, comfortable place to stay. Our guests have access to two meals, showers and storage facilities for their belongings.

First Church Shelter also offers guests assistance with identifying and securing the resources they need to move out of homelessness and into transitional or permanent housing. Much of that assistance comes in the form of referrals to other agencies and service providers, but shelter staff are available to help guests negotiate the frequently difficult and intimidating process of applying for public benefits or subsidized housing.

CASPAR - ESC

FirstStep Street Outreach offers life saving alternatives to unsheltered homeless men and women who are affected by substance abuse, mental illness, and medical complications associated with life on the streets. FirstStep staff engage homeless people where they are and build trusting relationships. The goal - connect people with the services they need and save a life today so that recovery is possible in the future.

Through a combination of foot teams and mobile teams in vans, staff travel to known Cambridge and Somerville homeless hangouts—business districts, subway stations, parks, meal programs, drop-in centers, and building doorways— seeking homeless men and women who may need help. The staff offer unsheltered individuals access to emergency medical and psychiatric care, meal programs, shelters, substance abuse treatment, and daytime drop-in and social service centers.

HARVARD SQUARE HOMELESS SHELTER

We are a student-run homeless shelter currently operating out of the University Lutheran Church in Harvard Square that serves 24 men and women every night for the five coldest months of winter. We strive to provide our guests with resources and services that will help them successfully transition into housing. In the meantime, we hope to ensure a sense of dignity that is often absent when people have been maltreated or stigmatized because they are homeless.

ST. PATRICK'S SHELTER (WOMEN) - Somerville

St. Patrick’s Shelter for Homeless Women houses 30 women in emergency beds on a night-by-night basis as well as 10 transitional program participants each night. In addition to breakfast and dinner, the women are provided with referrals for health care, mental health services, and housing. A host of supportive and educational services are available to help families move toward a better future.

Those are the options.

The problem is long term shelters such as Heading Home and First Church are full. The Salvation Army to be blunt has left a bad taste in my mouth. I am far from alone in feeling that way.

First Church Shelter doesn't seem to return phone calls from my social worker at HSHS - other guests say the person who runs it is 'quirky'.

Heading Home - Every morning at 10 AM the answer is the same - full, try again tomorrow.

CASPAR - I am not a drunk, and sadly most of the people who stay there have simply given up or just don't care. Anyone who spends time in Central Square knows what I am saying.

Then you have the housing agencies

Waiting list - full - full - full

other options

and finally there is

Elderly/Disabled Public Housing

Elderly/Disabled Public Housing
The CHA manages over fifteen state and federally supported properties reserved just for elderly and disabled households. Applicants must be at least 58 years old to qualify for elderly housing. Elderly/disabled public housing is for low-income households with incomes not higher than 80% of of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Cambridge.

I am over 58 and I am on Social Security Disability - but I can't get anywhere with these people. This has just been so frustrating.

I need a Massachusetts ID - and I blogged about that last month 

Somerville Court computer system.Back in August of 2004 I paid a fine on a simple matter and somehow it was never credited to my docket number. 30 days later the court issued a warrant automatically. I was oblivious to this until March of 2008 when I returned to the court, the warrant was removed and fee was waived by the judge. However because the court had notified the Registry of Motor Vehicles of a warrant, the Registry wants $100 which again I don't have. The Registry people were actually very nice about it but they say there is nothing they can do unless the court WRITES a letter saying there was an error. Somerville Court says it is a Registry problem. Aye yi yi.


I can fully document all of this to anyone who wants to see my paperwork.


As far as what I owe the City of Cambridge - the bulk of it is now interest - I am willing to work as many hours of community service to pay my debt. I am not looking for a free ride.


Right now my income is $788 a month from Social Security (which also gives me full medical coverage)

BTW I again want to thank the people who have sent me a few dollars to help me get by. You have no idea how much that helps me right now. If anyone else is so inclined just click on the link below.




But as much as a few dollars would help, I just need help with the system. If you know anyway I can get eyeglasses please let me know and also for some legal guru to help me with this minor snafu between the Registry and the Somerville Court.

My computer time at the Cambridge Senior Center is up ( one advantage of being over 60 )

The snow is starting to fall and while I have been lucky in getting a one-night bed at the Harvard Square Shelter the past 4 nights I have no guarantee for tonight.

Thanks for reading and wish me luck. If nothing else I hope I have given some insight to the madness of going through the system.

1/24 - Surviving the cold......

It is Monday afternoon and finally getting some computer time at the library.

I was lucky enough on both Saturday and Sunday to get a 'one-night' emergency bed in Cambridge and we will see what tonight brings. I still can't re-apply for another 2 week bed until Thursday and even then there is no guarantee of getting one right away as there seems to be ten applicants for every available slot.

The 2 week bed is important not only for the piece of mind of not having to worry, but more importantly having a place to put belongings. Lugging around a suitcase all day (especially in this weather) is a chore and it makes it that much harder to set up appointments as to be honest there is a stigma attached to walking around with bags all day. Since storage lockers no longer exist it just adds to the 'fun and games'.

Logistics of these offices are almost comical.
Cambridge Housing is in Central Square at Mass and Prospect so that is easy, and some of the other housing advocate agencies are only a block or two away. No problems there.

Social Security has moved to Fresh Pond leaving their long time home in Davis Square. It can be reached by the 74 or 78 buses, and I have found the mobile website mbtainfo.com to be a life saver in catching a return bus in the winter. It is very accurate.

For services provided by the Commonwealth, one has to go to the Davis Square office, which is no longer in Somerville, it is in Revere. It is on the Blue Line and the office is at the Revere Beach Station but it is a hike.

One laughable part is that the Commonwealth gives the homeless 'food stamps' (about $40 a week) but what good are stamps if you have no place to prepare the meal? (I have $265 on my card right now - but)

California DOES allow for a restaurant to accept food stamps which would be a huge help.

Today I really didn't get much done as it was simply too cold.

Cambridge does offer services and the staff is wonderful but they are just overwhelmed...

Here is a link of what is offered by the City of Cambridge..

They also publish this

 Homeless Resource Guide (PDF)





The one thing that has kept me going is just meeting others my age who have also fallen through the cracks. Men and women who have worked all their lives but for whatever reason lost the place they called home.

Anyhow my time at the library is up..... thanks for reading and STAY WARM!!!!!

A long day dealing with everything

I am exhausted.

Started day with breakfast at the senior center in Central Square, Cambridge and then putting in applications for emergency/senior/disabled housing in Cambridge, Brookline and Newton. These agencies are simply overwhelmed and while Cambridge and Newton have some options they go to residents first while Brookline where my last residence was doesn't have much at all. The big headache is to get emergency housing in Cambridge or Newton I need an address in that city. Both cities offer rooms at the local YMCA which would be fine and affordable. Brookline just has nothing, not even a shelter.

Ummm IF I had an address I wouldn't be in this situation. Talk about a Catch-22.

I have been told to avoid Boston as I could wind up somewhere that isn't safe.

I was contacted by someone at Somerville Homeless and I will stop by tomorrow. I have precious little cash and I am trying to take full advantage of the Charlie Card transfer system.

Bank of America just won't budge so I made another stop in Newton at Barney Frank's office to show my bank statement that shows all the overdraft fees were caused by a deposit I made that bounced (see a previous post). Not having that $455 is crippling me right now. The person there was understanding and forward it to Washington and also told me that Barney wants this overdraft madness to stop. A court in California just yesterday slammed Wells Fargo.

Wells Fargo loses debit card case

Then I had to rush back to Cambridge for the senior meal at Cambridge Hospital. I am simply physically and mentally exhausted. I am only getting about 3 hours of sleep and my body is not happy. At least Sprint says I can pay on September 3rd when I get my next check but I have NO CLUE on how I can survive for 3 weeks with nothing.

One old homeless guy in Harvard Sq says I should go to the hospital and say I am going to kill myself and that would buy me a week or more. I just can't and won't play that game.


There is a dry shelter in MARLBORO but then I would be stranded out there. The MetroWest Transit System is barebones and getting to Boston is a 10 round trip by either bus or commuter rail. Other shelters in Waltham and Cambridge are full. Pine Street I am told has a daily lottery and if you don't get in there you are bused to a place on an island off Quincy.

I just want to sleep but my 'hiding place' in Harvard Sq is not an option until after 1 AM.

The nightmare continues