1999-2000 Social Action Theme:
Hunger and Homelessness
October 24, 1999
Cook for the Homeless
We write to you about homelessness and hunger as Jewish Teens living in the Boston area. Not having enough to eat, or even a place to live can effect anyone at anytime. The average age of a homeless person is now six years old; we feel this deeply as young people. Our concern is the lack of affordable housing that the state once promised. There are currently 10,000 families and 6,000 more individuals who when working, getting paid minimum wage, would have to do the impossible to work 119 hours per week just in order to afford a two bedroom apartment at 30% of their income. The fact is that the U.S. Median Fair Market rent for a two bedroom apartment is $11.08 per hour in a forty hour work week as compared to the minimum wage that so many people can’t survive on. In Boston over 37,000 people pay 50% or more of what they work so hard for to rent. Your comments before the Rental Housing Association of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board concerning a block on new legislation for subsided housing degrade our state, our supposed commonwealth. If you were one of over the 10 million American families who live below the poverty line, we think you would care. You would care about your children who would be likely to end up hospitalized because of asthma from cockroaches, rats, and mold, their lead poisoning, their malnutrition, the fact that 45% of students who are homeless can not complete one school year because of their ever changing residence. And yet, you celebrate this free market. Then Governor, how come it is this free market that is binding our brothers and sisters and children in shackles of hunger and homelessness? Please rethink your comments and support legislation to help rebuild our commonwealth. Thank you for caring. We look forward to hearing from you.