Editorial: A big help — on paper
Monday, Dec. 6, 2004 | 8:59 a.m.
A program to help homeless people get on their feet is instead keeping federal workers seated at their desks while they shuffle paperwork.
The McKinney-Vento Act of 1987 required federal agencies to compile quarterly lists of their surplus property, then send the lists to the Housing and Urban Development Department, where staff members would combine them into one long list and publish them each Friday in the Federal Register. Homeless organizations were to have first priority in applying for this property.
For the past 17 years the list-making and routing and publishing routine has been conducted very efficiently except for one thing -- none of the surplus property is being claimed.
This is because most of it is junk. And even if there were value, there is no logistical plan for getting the property into the hands of the homeless. An example is the recent listing of three aging mobile homes at Great Basin National Park in Central Nevada. By filling out the right applications, a homeless person or advocacy group could claim them. But the homes are near-wrecks, and pulling them out of the park would have to be at the claimant's expense.
If this program can't be made to work for the homeless, then it should be dumped and replaced by one that can.
archive
- Most Read
- Discussed
- Most E-mailed
- Funeral procession for slain officer includes Las Vegas Strip
- General Growth moving subsidiaries out of bankruptcy protection
- Justin Hawkins is a Rebel with many causes
- Man on death row for 1990 Vegas murder kills self
- Metro officer remembered as ‘protector’ of family, community
- When did Binion’s $1 million display appear?
- 6th arrest made in officer’s death; 5 face formal charges
- Marcus Jones finds his true passion in hunt for UFC contract
- Henderson educator named Nevada Teacher of the Year
- Sen. Steven Horsford parked in handicap spot for hours
Blogs
The Kats Report
Twenty years ago today, Human Nature took root on the farm
'DWTS' champ Donny Osmond still deft afoot in return to Flamingo (2 Comments)
Politics: The Early Line
Meeting of GOP governors draws challengers, not Gibbons (2 Comments)
Politics: Ralston's Flash
Oscar loves forcing developers to sign labor peace agreements, Culinary loves the city's downtown plans and all is forgiven (2 Comments)
Now and Then
Underdog is open on a post pattern
Miech Again
Kruger contract altered in September (6 Comments)
Robin Leach's Las Vegas Celebrity Watch
Photo Gallery: Donny Osmond brings DWTS trophy to Las Vegas
Calendar »
- 26 Thu
- 27 Fri
- 28 Sat
- 29 Sun
- 30 Mon
-
Food drive with Adam Hunter at Bonkerz Comedy Club
Bonkerz Comedy Club | 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
-
DJ Battle at Drai's
Drai's Afterhours | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
2012 at Cheyenne Saloon
Cheyenne Saloon | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
-
Sampson's Army at the Double Down Saloon
Double Down Saloon | 10 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Technorati












