EARLIER THIS YEAR, the US Department of Veterans Affairs announced its ambitious 2023 goals toward preventing and ending veteran homelessness, including ensuring that 95 percent of veterans recently housed nationally do not return to homelessness this year. This is admirable, and it is potentially achievable, if there is an investment in – and commitment to […]
Charles Gagnon
Posted inOpinion
Right to counsel needed on housing issues
WHEN A DISABLED VETERAN with diabetes fell behind on his rent in 2020, his landlord illegally denied him heat during the winter, forcing him to reside in inhumane and unlivable conditions. Without knowing his rights, this veteran had to move out of his home and into a transitional shelter, giving the landlord control of the […]
Posted inOpinion
Veterans facing homelessness deserve more
WHILE CONTINUING TO contend with the evolving challenges of the pandemic, we must return attention to a crisis that long predated COVID-19 – homelessness in our region. This crisis is made worse by a lack of affordable housing and high demand for it. This is a combustible formula that threatens our regional economic growth and […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
To reduce recidivism, address the root causes
DURING A BROADCAST town hall forum late last month, President Biden took issue with the way some jurisdictions release inmates. “You get 25 bucks and a bus ticket. You end up back under the bridge exactly where you were before,” he said. When justice-involved individuals re-offend, the easiest answer as to “why” is to lay […]
Posted inDrug Addiction
Frontline behavioral health workers are saving lives, too
WE ARE LIVING in the age of crisis. An opioid epidemic. A global pandemic. Systemic racism. Each event will forever spark meaning and historical remembrance in our national conscience. Taken together, the first half of 2020 has been marked by the collision of three separate crises. No one can claim to be untouched by the pain […]