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"TO tell or not to tells... That is the question"

Homeless Voucher plan shrouded in bureaucratic secrecy

"TO tell or not to tell... That is the question"

By KaPonda

Homeless Voucher plan shrouded in bureaucratic secrecy.

An eerie hush passed through the grandiose structure as Scott and I walked through the doors of the building at Dr. Carlton Goodlet Street. We had planned to seize the area bordering the space inhabited by the Mayor and, therefore, arrived 15 minutes earlier than his scheduled press conference.

Shrouded in secrecy the entire week, the homeless voucher plan had been expected to be announced by Mayor Willie Brown during his press conference on Friday, March 24, 2000. Advocates of the homeless had interpreted these private meetings of City officials as veiled threats.

The homeless voucher plan (hereinafter, "the plan"), according to inside information, features elements similar to the ill-fated initiative set forth by Earl Rynerson, Proposition E. Instead of welfare payments, the plan would provide vouchers to homeless people. It would cause people to scurry throughout the city to find compassionate landlords who would accept vouchers instead of lucre.

As we ascended the ritzy stairs to the second floor of City Hall, Scott and I reviewed one of the many questions propounded as a reality check for the Mayor. If Proposition E was soundly and decisively defeated by the voters of San Francisco, why are you creating a plan that voters have strongly opposed? Paul Boden of the Coalition on Homeless mirrored the sentiments of San Franciscans in his statement, "San Franciscan voters have recognized what people tracking housing and treatment trends across Clinton's America have been saying for years. Vouchers do not build housing nor can they create treatment slots."

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The inside informant further advised that the proposed plan would create a state of emergency, as many homeless welfare recipients would be unable to secure housing or a place in a shelter. During a daylong symposium on affordable housing, Lyle Wray, a housing official from Minnesota was quoted as saying, "It's like the twilight zone here. By our standards, nothing is affordable in San Francisco." Mayor Brown also stated at the same symposium, "....This [San Francisco] is a place where everyone wants to live and everyone wants to work. It's a creative challenge to help find enough housing for everyone."

The only possible rationale, according to inside information, to institute a voucher policy is that it would be cost effective, and; therefore, would stack the City's coffer on the overburdened backs of homeless people. But those cohorts in this putrid scheme have to understand that a plan of this magnitude would devastate the very foundation of this great City. It should be conveyed to the various heads of agencies that vouchers as a way of paying rent will not work in any form. They do not work because they are inherently less valuable than cash. Vouchers do not afford an individual the opportunity to save money for permanent housing. Lastly, vouchers will not work because of the abundance of red tape on both the Department of Human Services and the prospective property owner.

There were many other questions that needed to be addressed on this Friday morning. The names of the participants who helped devise this plan? Also, if those participants had spoken to the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, the Coalition on Homelessness, or shelter clients? Would a voucher guarantee a shelter bed? From where would the 1,900 additional shelter beds come? (DHS estimates there are about 3,000 homeless people in the CAAP programs and there are currently only 1,100 shelter beds for single adults.)

The slender blond appeared caught off guard as Scott and I inquired concerning the press conference. Ms. Bender, Mayor Brown's press secretary, located the strategically placed calendar to make certain that there was no scheduled press conference. In a pleasant tone, she, again, told us, "I'm sorry, Mayor Brown does not have a press conference scheduled this morning."

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