HOW DOES ONE BECOME HOMELESS?
By: Reverend Tim Page
Holy Church of Christ Binghamton, NY
Let me start this by giving my own experience with becoming homeless. I owned my mobile home and lived in a park for 10 years. The last 4 years were a complete disaster. The Landlord evicted 2 tenants and tore down their mobile homes. They were both infested with rats. I ran a food pantry in my house at the time. The rats invaded my mobile home and destroyed floors, carpets, furniture, electric wiring in the walls and so many other things. I paid an exterminator over $2000 to get rid of them. The schedule was to be every 3 months but it was so bad they came every month. I had both of my hips replaced 1 year apart during all this. I had to buy all my medical equipment such as walker, commode, shower bench, a lift chair and other items. I also had to pay to have the Livingroom floor completely removed and new plywood installed. I had to pay 3 times for my washer drain hose and fill hoses to be replaced because the rats ate through them. They chew so much wiring that only 2 out of 8 circuit breakers worked. I sent my landlord an itemized bill and told him he needed to repay me. I had fallen behind in my rent because of all the damage. Two days before Thanksgiving 2023 He came to my door and said I was being evicted. We went to court 2 times because of this. The first time the Judge agreed with me and asked Him how he could even think about evicting a Minister that fell behind only because of the rats from His property? The Judge told him to come up with a payment plan and give me credit for the back rent. I got a call from His Lawyer the next day saying we had to see the Judge because the Landlord was settling and making a payment play to reimburse me. We went to Court and the Landlord agreed to pay me $100 a month and forgive the back rent I owed. I had applied for all the Senior housing in my area. I finally got a call from the Apartment building I live in now. I called the Landlord and told Him I was moving. We made a deal He would take my Mobile Home for what the back rent was and I moved. I didn’t press Him to pay me anything because I wanted to move and be done with Him. I was so lucky because I have God on my side. He let me go through that whole thing so I could understand how someone could become homeless. God protected me and saw me through a horrible time.
The point I’m trying to make is anyone at anytime can become homeless. It’s not always about wrong choices or bad decisions. There are all kinds of people that are homeless and not by choice or blame.
There are Veterans that the Government has let down and they have no place to go. There are people with mental health issues that have been turned out from any mental institution or rehab facility. When their time is up and their program is done, they are set free to find their own housing. Unfortunately, they can’t afford any. There are working individuals and families that can’t afford the high rents.
A dear friend of mine is in Her 70’s and is still working as an aide taking care of people in their homes. She has lived in Her apartment for almost 30 years. She and her neighbors were told by the Landlady they all had to move because the Landlady is going to rent to SUNY students to make more money. GUESS WHAT? IT’S LEGAL. A Landlord can evict you with just cause at any time. New York State considers this just cause.
There was a Lady with 3 children living in a motel that DSS paid for because Her Landlord evicted her the same way. DSS told the mother She had to look for jobs, which she is doing, attend a class to get a better job, which she does, and attend all appointments for DSS, which She does. One night at about 7:00 pm I got a message from a friend that advocates for the homeless. She was at the lady’s motel because the Sheriff’s Department was trying to get her and the children out because the Owner didn’t want her there. Turns out DSS sanctioned Her because she had her 15-year-old son babysit while dhe followed all DSS rules and went to class and looked for jobs, etc. The Advocate was able to arrange for them to go to another motel for a night and then they found an apartment.
There is a family which the Husband is the son of a friend of mine. The couple have 8 children and the Landlord raised the rent so high that they couldn’t afford it and fell behind. They were evicted with no place to go. The Husband is working but only getting minimum wage. They ended up splitting the family up between 2 relatives’ small apartments.
There are so many stories that no one hears because it’s not talked about. Homeless is thought to be a lazy, don’t want to work, want to live in the street’s way of life and not many care what happens to them. It’s amazing how when I share stories on Facebook or talk to people and they say, that’s my relative or friend, or I know them.
We are all God’s Children and HUMAN BEINGS.
We all bleed the same, feel the same, and want to be loved the same. I truly don’t understand in this day and age how so many turn their backs and don’t care. Government officials are even blind to the epidemic that they are creating by allowing rents to skyrocket and Landlords to Evict people so freely.
Binghamton has become a college town and that’s fine. We need to remember however that our residents that are already here come first. We all worked and built this city to be a great place to live that looks out for everyone. Binghamton has become instead the City of GREED! If money can’t be made and Local Officials can’t pat themselves on the back, then it goes against the current standards. People don’t matter anymore; lives are worthless and who cares what fellow BROTHERS and SISTERS go through. SUNY students come first. It doesn’t matter if they are wandering drunk in the streets all night screaming and causing problems. They are even beating the homeless and chasing them. I know because I see it out my windows. The Police arrest and chase the homeless out instead. The city destroys the homeless camps and chases them out without warning with no place to go.
CODE BLUE IS A JOKE!
There aren’t enough shelters and the Police and DSS are NOT trying to house those that are the VICTIMS. Instead, they like I said arrest them for trespassing and harass them. They are made to leave their camps and can’t take anything including medicines with them. They are set on fire and then are arrested and jailed instead of hospitalized. People that try to help and give them food are told by the Broome County Health Department they can’t give them food because they don’t have a commercial kitchen and food permit. Instead, they are told to put the food in the GARBAGE CAN and if the homeless take it, then that’s fine. I myself tried to have a RALL for homeless to hand out food, clothing and other items they need and bring awareness to the issue. Because of permits and insurance and red tape I couldn’t.
I have tried several times to get a building from the City or County that is currently abandoned or owned by them. No luck, they don’t respond and don’t even try to help because it’s going to be for the homeless and less fortunate. The only thing they care about is selling to out of town developers that become slum lords but charge outrageous rents, or rent only to SUNY students.
If our government would build housing for REALLY LOW-INCOME people and homeless, they could solve this problem. They have programs all over the country that house the homeless and have job training and other programs to help them get permanent housing and jobs. My goal is to one day have a program here in Binghamton that can do that. Unfortunately, it’s all about money and who you know.
I decided to write this to hopefully raise awareness and to bring new and fresh ways to combat this horrible injustice against mankind and God’s Children. Regardless of your faith or lack of, I pray that we all can come together as ONE and become a community of HOPE and LOVE again.
God Bless, Reverend Tim Page