Some good news on the homeless front ..... guarded and waiting

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the live edition of the All Angles program on October 3 (above) hosted by Dionne Jackson Miller who approached LGBT related matters quite balanced before and when compared to the CVM TV Live @ 7's coverage of the issue on September 6 this one was far more balanced and had the players who were involved in the meeting that followed the eviction of the men from Cargill Avenue of August 29th and the subsequent standoff/insurrection at the offices at Jamaica AIDS Support for Life on September 21, 2012 where the police were called in alongside the security detail on the scene after a shot was fired in the ground.

I like the previous Executive Director of JASL who formed the previously closed Safe House Project am guarded and waiting, some of these same men were apart of and redisplaced after allegations of rowdy behaviour in 2009/10.

I am more interested in the psycho social and pyscho sexual interventions that will be rolled into the mix and how sustained it will be, pity it took so much cussing out and noise to finally get to here and I hope it does not go the route of the Safe House Pilot Project in 2009 where is was closed suddenly as implied above. The forward thinking of the member of parliament for the area Julian Robinson is commendable he is thinking as I am where the counseling is needed (I hope he is not hinting to reparative therapy). Dane Lewis however seems hesitant to embrace the idea of a full time engaging program.

On her new blog the Queens Yellow Brick Road she postured her point of view and a poll that clearly suggests most persons are guarded as well as we have heard of programs and interventions happening before only for them to die due to lack of funding or other controversial circumstances suddenly appearing on the horizon.

She also went on to say:

Dionne Jackson Miller, on her show tonight, ’ALL ANGLES’ as usual went straight to the point. Whilst I didn’t get to watch the entire show, I was very glad to see that Dionne wasted absolutely no time in following up on the recently held closed meeting CALLED BY CITY OFFICIALS who became concerned about the behaviour of the clan of homeless gay men. Her programme featured the MP – Julian Robinson along with representatives from the business community, the police, JFLAG represented by Dane Lewis and AIDS Free World represented by Maurice Tomlinson, with a few interviews with the homeless gay men on the street.

Dionne dug hard to get timelines to the talks and promises:

A dedicated shelter for homeless gay men. JFLAG alluded to the fact that a steering committee consisting of partners has been instituted to guide the process. They have found a landlord that is willing to participate in the project and seem to be interested in adapting The Open Arms Shelter model. JFLAG indicates that by weekend they should know something.
The business community has pledged its support in anyway, including financial once they are able to see a justified and I think sustainable project

The show left me feeling so good, the discussion was balanced and I was very impressed with all the panelists, in particular the persons/agents responsible for calling the meeting in the first place. Initially JFLAG’s reaction at the meeting as reported by the paper had me really disappointed as it appeared we had lost the opportunity to really get the support of these major major social players, namely the police, the politician and the business community. It was heart warming and extremely encouraging to note that the conversation was evidently focused on finding a solution to what was a growing issue for the business community and security of the new kingston area. I am still disappointed that it was not JFLAG that initiated and represented the need for a solution, but very glad that we are getting somewhere. It appears now the ball is in our court…and by our I mean JFLAG, and secondarily the steering committee to ensure that this does not fall through the cracks.

I have dreams that with the backing of these critical social development agents and contributors, a sustainable solution will be the outcome of this action; that the Jamaican people will fashion those attitudes of the police, politician and business man, and will start understanding that caring for its most vulnerable will boost our economy, families, social graces and yes…propel us to a Jamaica that will make our ancestors happy by fulfilling our mantra enshrined in our National Anthem and Motto. I have dreams that when Jamaica changes its attitudes toward gay people and human rights, we will truly finalize our position as world leader…we are a great nation and a great loving people and culture

I am so damn happy!!! 

ENDS

UPDATE December 2012

On the same blog she also shared her views on the Safe House Pilot Project she was attached to and helped initiate with assistance and valuable input from the defunct GLABCOM Steering Committee of which I was apart, now you can appreciate my long standing interest in this matter and why I blog the way I have been doing since 2009 regarding the homeless MSM, eyebrows were raised from December 2009 when the ultimatum was given by JASL for the men housed at that facility to move due to uncontrollable behaviour without the possible tweaking and stabilization work being done, the building was turned into JFLAG's office soon after which has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.

see this post from 2009: Homeless MSM to feel the pinch as JASL issues ultimatum then we started to see the early consequences of the closure: Complaint of "Freaky Gays" Harassing New Kingston .. and Homelessness still a major problem the cracks had gotten wider to the present scenarios. 

click below to see more - 

The pilot homeless shelter programme – the original truth

also see from the June 13th (non-homophobic)double murder click: 

JFLAG’s needs to accept some responsibility for the Trafalgar Murders ….. homelessness not properly addressed

UPDATE DECEMBER

After a town hall meeting on November 7 to introduce the shelter idea to us with a list of things of which included:

1)Costing of $1.5M to conduct repairs

2)A shelter manager had been hired 

3)Assessements were to be done to ascertain who could enter the facility

4)The facility/project was a pilot for a short time

5) A five year strategic plan was presented in print

6) Programmatic outline was to be prepared

Now it turns out that due to the fact that it was funded by Global Fund cash and the present cycle/round ends in March 2013 even if the project commenced it would have ended by April as the next round would have been due to July or so and the pilot would only be to prove it can be run.

As for the psycho social and psycho sexual make up of the interventions when I questioned Executive Director Dane Lewis on the matter he said he would have sent the information, to date no such information has come, typical lack of follow up.

The original shelter idea had to be scrapped as the town planning laws governing that area where it sits would have been breached plus the property has to insurance to cover certain eventualities.

also see the December 6 eviction of some of the men (yet again) from another open lot as carried on both television stations: Kingston Homeless MSM Evicted (yet again)