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SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- Luis is among the hidden homeless.
The 18-year-old says his mother kicked him out of their apartment earlier this month because he clashed with her boyfriend.
After three nights on the streets, he moved into a friend's spare bedroom, paying her and her mother a little rent and helping with the chores.
He's satisfied, if a bit embarrassed.
"It's going great so far," said Luis, a Sunnyside High School senior who asked that his real name not be used.
While he disagrees with the label, he's considered homeless, said Tim Sullivan, housing and homeless program manager for Yakima County.
And he's not alone.
The Sunnyside School District has 231 students it defines as homeless.
Sullivan and other social workers are now reviewing results of Thursday's annual Point in Time homeless survey, closely watching Luis's elusive category -- those who stay with family and friends, as opposed to sleeping outside, in vehicles or in shelters.
They are called the hidden homeless and, like Luis, many don't use the term on themselves.
"It would never even cross their minds because they have a roof over their heads and a warm meal," Sullivan said.
But their unstable and temporary living arrangements -- sometimes called couch surfing -- could end at any time.
It's a type of homelessness that's common to the Lower Valley and is hard to find and measure. When two cold-weather homeless shelters opened in Sunnyside churches this month, they attracted few takers.
"It's not the homeless that we picture," said Phil Schenck, Sunnyside deputy police chief. "People are going to say there's no homeless in Sunnyside. That's not true."
Statistics surprised the Point in Time survey organizers last year. For one thing, Sunnyside ended up with more homeless overall than Yakima.
But of the 498 people identified as homeless in Sunnyside, 61 percent said they were staying with family and friends. Toppenish reported a similar rate though had fewer homeless overall.
In Yakima, 24 percent reported the same living arrangements.
Officials blame the lack of permanent jobs and affordable housing in the Lower Valley and better survey techniques.
Anna Campos' family will be among this year's statistics after she was surveyed Thursday in the single-room motel she shares with her five children, some of whom sleep on the floor.
The 37-year-old mother has been staying month-to-month in the cramped quarters for more than a year after leaving a relationship she called abusive.
She does consider herself homeless because she has tried to find a bigger place.
"It's too small and I can't afford to buy any extra beds," she said of her motel room.
Campos, who has lived in Sunnyside since 1982, has worked off and on in food warehouses, farms, a store and restaurants. She currently receives state welfare payments but is taking GED classes.
Not all agencies would define Luis and Campos as homeless. They don't meet the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition of homeless.
But that is changing.
Last year, Congress passed the HEARTH Act, which paved the way for more homeless programs to include those in temporary living situations with certain restrictions.
Nationwide, homeless advocates say couch-surfing is just as precarious as traditional homelessness, especially to families.
"The motel and dangerously doubled up living situations that so many homeless children, youth, and families face are every bit as damaging to families and destabilizing for children as living in a shelter," according to a statement on the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness Web site.
Sunnyside has traditional homeless, too.
"There are still a lot of street-walking homeless people," said Dave Hansen of Sunrise Outreach, who organized the two Sunnyside shelters.
Sometimes they hold cardboard signs outside the Walmart parking lot or hunker under tarps in vacant lots. Some are local, some are just traveling through, said Schenck of the Sunnyside Police.
Couch surfers, whether they call themselves homeless or not, struggle with society's curveballs.
Some are women fleeing domestic violence, said Julia Hart, executive director of the Lower Valley Crisis and Support Services. The women, often mothers, live with a friend for as long as the friend tolerates.
"After a while her friend decides you can't live on my sofa any more," said Hart, who is coordinating the Sunnyside count this year.
Homeless students are more likely to drop out, repeat grades or skip school when they spend their days looking for a place to spend their nights, said Sam Ramirez, the Sunnyside School District homeless liaison,
"I think they're focused more on that than on their studies," Ramirez said.
With the help of federal funding, the district employs seven home visitors who help the district's 231 homeless students with rides, clothes shopping and the occasional vouchers for brief hotel stays.
The home visitors say the hidden homeless are hard to find. They sometimes knock on four or five doors a night just to deliver a message about a disciplinary or attendance problem. Some parents move so often they register at school with post office boxes instead of street addresses.
Some don't want to be found because they fear state Child Protective Services, said Elizabeth Garcia, a home visitor.
Home visitors tell stories of five families under one roof, where children have no quiet place to study. Some mothers are so afraid to overstay their welcome, they hardly let children out of the single bedroom they all share.
They say they find only a fraction of these situations.
"We don't know a whole lot of the kids unless they come to us," said Dora Barraras, a home visitor.
That's how they found out about Luis.
Luis told almost nobody about his situation. When friends asked, he just told them he had moved.
"I was embarrassed," he said.
It was Jan. 15, a Friday, when Luis, the oldest of three brothers, left his mother's apartment -- for good, he said.
Luis said he has not seen his father since the second grade, and extended family members abuse drugs and alcohol.
So he spent the weekend sleeping on a playground slide, pulling his parka above his head to keep out the rain. He ate his meals at the Sunnyside restaurant where he works.
Luis found a place to live with his childhood friend and her mother by Monday.
He finally confided in his favorite teacher, a welding instructor, who let administrators know so Barraras could help him.
He likes his living arrangement. His friend helps him with his math homework, while her mother asks him how his day went.
Luis plans to stay for the rest of the school year, saving up for his own apartment and welding classes at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.
"They told me as long as I need," he said.
* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8978 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.
Well thats what happens when you focus more on the immigrants then anything. I left my husband because of domestic violence. Had my 1 year old daughter with me. I went all over Toppenish,Wapato,and Granger looking for shelter and had 3 apartment managers turn me away saying their apartments were only for Migrant Workers!.. ILLIGAL ALIENS had more assistance that I did,a AMERICAN CITIZEN. Then I went to DSHS to apply for medical coupons because out of spite her Father took her off his plan. They denied me of any TANF, Food Stamps and worse MEDICAL COUPONS! Amazing but all of the Migrant workers got whatever they wanted. I was working at that time but was only making $8/hour and was still considered in POVERTY.. Today I am doing good for my daughter and I we have a big house nice car and each other. I am proud to say I made it through the tough time with out ASSISTANCE but sad to say I had no choice. I been a tax payer since I was 14 and couldnt get SQUAT from my government!.. Focus more on Immigrants and Illegal Aliens and kick the American Citizens to the curb should be the Campaign SPeaches..
Report Violation5thunders,You sound like one very ticked off lady and you have every right to be.
Report Violation"Well thats what happens when you focus more on the immigrants then anything. I left my husband because of domestic violence. Had my 1 year old daughter with me. I went all over Toppenish,Wapato,and Granger looking for shelter and had 3 apartment managers turn me away saying their apartments were only for Migrant Workers!.. ILLIGAL ALIENS had more assistance that I did,a AMERICAN CITIZEN. Then I went to DSHS to apply for medical coupons because out of spite her Father took her off his plan. They denied me of any TANF, Food Stamps and worse MEDICAL COUPONS! Amazing but all of the Migrant workers got whatever they wanted. I was working at that time but was only making $8/hour and was still considered in POVERTY.. Today I am doing good for my daughter and I we have a big house nice car and each other. I am proud to say I made it through the tough time with out ASSISTANCE but sad to say I had no choice. I been a tax payer since I was 14 and couldnt get SQUAT from my government!.. Focus more on Immigrants and Illegal Aliens and kick the American Citizens to the curb should be the Campaign SPeaches.."
Stop making a fool out of yourself. Every migrant housing facility requires legal social security. You're very ignorant if you think all migrant workers are illegal immigrants. "if they're brown and work in the fields... THEY HAVE TO BE ILLEGAL!".
Anywho, I sense the "you're wrong, its impossible for people to be brown and not illegal" brigade coming.
besides, when 84% of the agricultural workforce is from immigrants or migrant workers (not the same, don't confuse the two)... these practices are to be expected.
I think the homeless rate has to do more with the yakima valley being HISTORICALLY much poorer than the rest of the nation, lack of a diversified economy (hence, agriculture being the main source of income for half the county), and a lack of low income housing.
With such a low tax income in the county, its not surprising that so many services and programs aren't available to everyone. Well heres my tip, quit voting in conservative politicians that want to remove just about every public service out there.
Headline we'll never see: "In search of the hidden illegal aliens"
Report Violationsjuan2 Exactly!!
Ogre, KEEP screaming your Rights maybe somebody will hear you. and Making the ILLIGAL aliens and Immigrants who are known to steal identity to get what they need. I will have you know that when i finally did get my own apartment There was a little old mexican lady going through not only my mail but my garbage. I turned her in and she was ILLEGAL with some little native girls SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER! you must be of illegal alien descent you seem so compassionate about the matter.
HUH, I am no longer ticked off. I have a lot of pride knowing that I survived while so many people were standing in there line with their hand out. It only made me stronger.
END OF SUBJECT!
It annoys me that our government can search the streets high and low for people to give our tax dollars to, yet our sheriff is not even willing to check the citizenship status of criminals who get arrested.
Report Violationall of your claims are pointless without evidece. Don't let blatant hatred make you colorblind, not everything is so black and white.
"! you must be of illegal alien descent you seem so compassionate about the matter. "
What if I am? What if I'm more educated on this matter irregardless of my immigration status? I can't take you seriously unless you provide evidence other than your "brown = illegal" technique.
"Making the ILLIGAL aliens and Immigrants who are known to steal identity to get what they need."
In order to be employed you need to present an ID and social security card. When verifying, the name, age, sex, race...ect. need to match.
Are you telling me that its that easy to make social security cards, fake ID's... and FAKE VERIFICATION?
Get real.
ogre,
"Are you telling me that its that easy to make social security cards, fake ID's... and FAKE VERIFICATION?"
yes. google it.
Also, our state gives drivers licenses to illegal aliens.
You don't get it, do you? If someone "steals" your identity, they would have to have an ID/driver's license with your name, age, race, sex, heigth, place of birth... and your MATCHING social security number.
Trust me, its not easy. Ever heard of e-verify? Are you telling me that every illegal immigrant in this country has found their carbon copy?
On the fake credent'ls; rumor has it they go for $500 a pop out of yakima. Every time you broadcast your birthdate, soc., phone bill gets lost, you're making it easier. We are #? in the second highest state in the nation for identity theft? $500.
Report ViolationHow about the 30 some-odd home invasions last week? Just for a $5 resale dvd and a $10 resale boob tube, you think? Guns, Jewelry, ID. Drugs if you got 'em. That's what they want. They won't even steal the bread, and blankets and tents, so they don't need to steal.
Report ViolationLet's get real a parent does NOT need thier own social security number to get goverment housing if you have a child born in the USA parents can use thier child's social security numbers. I am also a home visitor and most of the families I visit work out in the fields with false documents they will tell you this temselves. And here is one to think how do they get income tax refunds.
Report ViolationAre you implying that all 30 home invasions were conducted by illegal aliens looking for identifications to steal?
where the hell does this sensationalism come from?
" if you have a child born in the USA parents can use thier child's social security numbers"
No freakin duh!
"Hey, American born citizen, you're undeserving of anything simply because of the actions of your parents).
Thats not exactly stealing an identity, is it? You can disagree with it, but don't call it what its not.
ogre,
Pull your head out of the sand. Your ideology is blinding you.
How about you answer my question: "Are you telling me that every illegal immigrant in this country has found their carbon copy?"
By the way, what IS my ideology? I haven't promoted anything specific, just merely pointing out the flaws in people's arguments.
A fact is only a fact when facts are present, other than that, its an opinion.
Wasnt the article about the homeless?
Report ViolationGrandview-Resident, exactly, the article was about the homeless but the comments kind of got hijacked. That happens a lot around here.
5thunders, congratulations on your ability to survive and thrive and be a good mother to your daughter. However, you have about as much reason to rant about getting turned away from migrant worker housing as any migrant worker would have who'd been turned away from a battered women's shelter. That is to say, not much.
Martha is there any way I can contact you? email, phone, business... anything? I have a personal matter to discuss.
sjuan, is there ANY problem that you DON'T blindly blame on immigrants? I bet you think the wars in Afgahnistan and Iraq were also started by immigrants, and they're also responsible for the top 1% owning 50% of the wealth.
ogre,
"sjuan, is there ANY problem that you DON'T blindly blame on immigrants?"
Is there any comment that you won't mischaracterize? Is there any straw man you won't build? Is there any truth you won't distort?
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
Care to explain and present evidence on what I'm distorting? Just becuase you make claims you can't back up doesn't make me wrong for pointing it out.
P.S, I'm not interested in talking about physics or economics with her, I'll tell you that much.
ogre's straw men arguments in this thread alone:
"You're very ignorant if you think all migrant workers are illegal immigrants."
"if they're brown and work in the fields... THEY HAVE TO BE ILLEGAL!".
"Are you telling me that every illegal immigrant in this country has found their carbon copy?"
"Are you implying that all 30 home invasions were conducted by illegal aliens looking for identifications to steal?"
"Hey, American born citizen, you're undeserving of anything simply because of the actions of your parents)."
Ogre,
When people correctly point out that we have a problem with illegal immigration and identity theft, you reply by making straw man arguments like "why do you hate immigrants", or "why do you think all hispanics are illegal aliens", or some other nonsensical comment. It's pathetic.
"Ogre,
When people correctly point out that we have a problem with illegal immigration and identity theft, you reply by making straw man arguments like "why do you hate immigrants", or "why do you think all hispanics are illegal aliens", or some other nonsensical comment. It's pathetic."
So, ar you saying that you can, justly, accuse any minority of being an illegal alien simply because it suits your prejudice? Besides quoting me, you haven't ACTUALLY EXPLAINED how you're right.
I'm glad your generation of xenophobes are dieing out.
"you saying that you can, justly, accuse any minority of being an illegal alien simply because it suits your prejudice?"
Add that one to the list. zzzzzzzzzz.
Maybe Ogre doesn't know what a straw man argument is. Let me help you:
"A straw man argument is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position.[1] To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by substituting a superficially similar proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position.[1][2]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
Did you even read the first responses? Clearly your reading comprehension needs some help. If someone goes around calling every brown person they meet an illegal immigrant, its prejudice in every way.
Must be some sort of guilty conscious since most of the "straw man arguments" weren't directed at you, but you made it your best interest to defend the person making ignorant comments at all costs.
p.s. You've still yet to explain how my "straw man" arguments are false. Thats like me calling every caucasion I meet a racist... you know, one of those over generalizations ignorant people tend to make.
The first respondant never clearified how she knew that the people living in those complexes were illegal immigrants, she unjustly assumed so.
How can you defend that?
"You've still yet to explain how my "straw man" arguments are false."
Maybe you need to explain to yourself, since you're the only person who made them.
You're just talking in loops.
If person A says all X-amount of people are illegal immigrants, and I clearly pointed out that its not true... how is that a straw man argument?
How much more do I need to explain? Critical thinking can really help you here.
A straw man argument would be... someone saying "hey, I meat some racists skinheads in Idaho"... and I respond with "oh, so now all white people are skinheads?"
If anyone is making straw man arguments its you and 5 thunders.
Ignorance is bliss.
Ogre,
"If person A says all X-amount of people are illegal immigrants"
That's the point Ogre, nobody said that. Maybe I'm missing it. If so, please show me where.
" I went all over Toppenish,Wapato,and Granger looking for shelter and had 3 apartment managers turn me away saying their apartments were only for Migrant Workers!.. ILLIGAL ALIENS "
I'm not even argueing semantics or ethics here, but how can one assume that every migrant worker is an illegal immigrant? I tried explaining that these places aren't willing to give out money to JUST ANYONE, and that lengthy verification is often required.
Think about it, the most over reaching statement was made in the first post, and I responded to it. I really think you missed it becuase you wouldn't be argueing with me if you did. I understand your position on immigration, we've discussed it many times.
but one can't make big generalizations like that. Which has me confused as to why you think I'M the one doing so.
Are you guys employed?? Man I want your job to able to fight over the internet all day.
Report ViolationOgre's selective quoting:
I went all over Toppenish,Wapato,and Granger looking for shelter and had 3 apartment managers turn me away saying their apartments were only for Migrant Workers!.. ILLIGAL ALIENS
Actual quotation:
"I went all over Toppenish,Wapato,and Granger looking for shelter and had 3 apartment managers turn me away saying their apartments were only for Migrant Workers!.. ILLIGAL ALIENS had more assistance that I did,a AMERICAN CITIZEN."
One of these things is not like the other one....
(This comment has been removed by a Yakima Herald-Republic moderator)
This whole "straw man" thing is out of hand... Do you know what leads people to form such "straw mans"? Broad, sweeping statements that leave nothing but implications and presumptions from the other party. How can you blame a person for actually asking you if you're implying one thing or another if you're not going to elaborate on your point, and then simply throw around, "straw man" this and "straw man" that.
One should realize that 5thunders second post was riddled with such "straw mans".
"...and Making the ILLIGAL aliens and Immigrants who are known to steal identity to get what they need. I will have you know that when i finally did get my own apartment There was a little old mexican lady going through not only my mail but my garbage. I turned her in and she was ILLEGAL with some little native girls SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER! you must be of illegal alien descent you seem so compassionate about the matter."
Also, there is no misrepresentation of the quote, ogre simply left off part of the statement. He/She didn't alter the actual point in any way, and the quote is verbatim except for a portion at the end. That is a very weak straw man you yourself are making.
Now we can just drop this whole "straw man" thing and try to make a concise point? Elaborate and take away any presumptions or implications that ogre may make and you would be more effective.
This was supposed to be about homelessness, but I can't say honestly that the issue isn't related to illegal immigrations, but to argue upon that issue alone isn't going anywhere, especially not the way you two are going about it.
Sorry, but to me focusing on immigration alone as the problem ( or even the largest problem ) would be repeating a very ignorant history. Though, it wouldn't be the first time we've made the repetition, and I don't believe the parties involved are necessarily ignorant as much as they are indignant. My point is, people have to get over what they feel they're entitled to, what they feel they've been deprived, and realize that groups of people have immigrated to this country before, caused a slight burden, and then have contributed to a growth in the country. To think anything but that will happen with this current immigration simply because of the illegal immigrants only suggests to me that immigration laws themselves need to be reformed, and we as a country need to learn that celebrating diversity is more than being "tolerance" and involves understanding the true value of our country as the melting pot it is, and understanding that if we lose sight of that, we lose touch of what does still make us great as country.
In the end, what I'm saying, is that as America... As the great, free, and equal country we all want it to be. If immigration is a problem, then that simply means there is a problem with America as a whole. Those same problems that make immigration an issue are what is causing the symptoms such as homelessness. However, we're so deluded that see see a symptom such as homelessness as something expected, and something like immigration as an unexpected problem. Isn't that indicative of a larger problem itself?
Personally I see the problem with our public schools. Though this is another topic of discussion rife with immigration issues, the actual issue I was mentioning is standardized testing. Schools are not really teaching children, they're simply teaching them memorization tricks to pass tests and relieve more funding. Every year in Washington teachers go on strike, demanding higher wages for the job they're not doing. What do we do as a populace? Refuse to pay taxes, and then blame the problem on our kids ( they're immigrants, they don't speak English, they have ADD, etc. ) without ever really addressing the issue: Kids are growing up, learning nothing, and then expected to find gainful employment.
Then, for the few youths that manage to go to a good school, have a good teacher, or even a fair mentor that helps them reach a college level, we are then faced with ever-raising college tuition fees, and the people that have already put in the foot work, gotten their degrees, are being rewarded by having their job given to someone in Indonesia that completed five times the amount of training and will work for five times less than the American graduate, because he had to pay $50,000 for the education the Indonesian received for free.
When you really compare America to the rest of the world, what you see is an undereducated, overpaid society. We expect companies to pay more, for less experience, than they could get from someone overseas that grew up in a country whose education plan didn't revolve around rote memorization and standardized testing in the name of higher funds for teacher salaries, and actually gave them the skills to do something. Do you realize that while your 15 year olds are memorizing multiplication tables and "nouns" in Yakima Public Schools, that there are kids in many other nations of the world learning how to program a computer better than most university programmers?
Who can say that teachers don't deserve more money though. They have to go through these hiked higher education institutions for seven or more years, rack up hundreds of thousands in student loans, to make barely enough money to remain above the poverty line themselves, and they're told, "Okay, here, deal with your debt, earn your meager living, and teach the future of America. Did I mention they all hate you and are unwilling to learn because they're starving and their parents are on drugs? Have fun!"
I mean, how do you expect to have employment in a country like this where graduates demand obscene amounts, no one wants to pay them that much, and no one can get an education, to earn a better living they won't receive, without paying a ridiculous amount they can't afford to higher education institutions, which they won't be able to pay off in the future... Doesn't anyone see the cyclical nature of this?
I mean, we wonder why we have things like a drug trade or high school drop outs, when we're asking kids to stand over a 400 degree oven for 8 hours a day at some fast food place, just to not be able to afford both food AND an education, and knowing all the time that once they do get a job, the majority of their living will go to pay off their massive student loans or put food in their kid's mouth. We expect them not to think that making $2,000 a day measuring and bagging illegal substances is a better future than that? We expect them not to drop out of school when they learn more watching TV than they have in their entire scholastic career? Then we have a country full of unemployment drop outs and a huge drug trade, and we want to blame both on "immigration".
Bottom line is we as a country need to address the other issues, and I believe it's a problem with education and employment. We're simply undereducated as a country, and then we expect our companies to pay a ridiculous amount of money to hire us simply to compensate for the ridiculous amount of money we paid for the trivial education. Then, the government decides that, "Well, hey, anyone wanting to learn anything should get some money," and shells out money to anyone that wants to study anything at school, regardless of whether they will ever really get a degree, or ample employment with said degree. More often than not, they wind up working at McDonalds or Pizza Hut, paying off student loans, wishing they spoke Spanish because there's no bilingual employees, and some customer helps out the transaction, but can't actually work at the store because he's an "illegal alien".
The irony of it is that before this, I never considered my friends homeless. However most of them are, and ironically they have to be that way to afford to go to school, to get a degree, to get a job. A lot of them have a degree and still don't have a job, and wind up living in a parents basement when they lose their mediocre temp job.
I mean, people assume the only people picking apples are destitute illegal immigrants, but you'd be surprised how many college graduates I know that do warehouse work.
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