SIXTY MINUTES - HOMELESS KIDS IN FLORIDA - ONE THIRD OF ALL FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS ARE IN FLORIDA

 2013
2/3rds of homeless families in Florida are living in the street. This social worker has organized food banks, given out clothes, taken donations and government funds.  ONE THIRD OF ALL FAMILIES WHO ARE HOMELESS IN AMERICA ARE IN FLORIDA. Families stay in Wallmart and YMCA parking lots and in Hospital Parking Lots.

ACTIVIST EXPOSES FLORIDA SHELTER - HOMELESS HELPING HOMELESS INC.

This is one of a series of videos. Among the complaints are forced payments in order to stay rather than true donations, questionable 501 non-profit status, staff possibly not following the law when it comes to equal opportunity and respect for people of all races, etc. It's a rare thing that a destitute person is able to create their own videos and post them on YouTube. Usually shelters looking for funds are the one's paying for and posting videos.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 2013.  We would love to know what's happened since we posted this!

MEDICARE FRAUD CRACKDOWN : HOMELESS

"A nationwide law enforcement crackdown has charged 91 people — including doctors and other medical professionals — with participating in Medicare fraud schemes involving $295 million in false billing...Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that 70 people were charged in indictments unsealed Tuesday and Wednesday and 21 others were charged earlier, beginning Aug. 24. Charges were filed in Baton Rouge, La.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston; Los Angeles and Miami.

"In Miami, U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said investigators noticed a new twist in which people who already were receiving Medicare disability checks were recruited with promises they could live in a halfway house in South Florida — as long as they agreed to receive mental health services they did not need. Many were addicted to drugs or alcohol, and some were homeless, and Ferrer said they would be threatened with eviction if they did not participate in the fraud scheme."

OREGON HAS THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION of HOMELESS POPULATION IN THE NATION

"For example, according to one study, Los Angeles was spending $6 million a year to pay for 50 extra police officers as part of a crackdown on crime in the Skid Row area at a time when the city budgeted only $5.7 million for homeless services.

The growth in homelessness fuels the debate. In Multnomah County, a count in January found 1,591 people sleeping outside, 820 in emergency shelters and 27 staying in motels with vouchers. That was 13 percent higher than in 2007. The deterioration in the economy since January means there are probably more homeless on Portland streets now, officials said.

A recent study by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development found that Oregon has the highest concentration of homeless people of any state in the nation, .54 percent of the population.

Portland tried to work out a solution in 2007 by providing benches, public bathrooms and the promise of a new center for homeless people where they could hang out during the day and access services such as permanent housing."


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2015 note.  As of last year FLORIDA has the highest percentage of HOMELESS FAMILIES.