Women face fight for spots in city's shelters

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/brown/559153,CST-NWS-brown16.article

On this night, 35 win and 6 lose in bid for night off the streets

September 16, 2007
BY MARK BROWN Sun-Times Columnist

As their names are called, the women step forward from the darkness of West Harrison Street and file politely inside a former mop factory now filled barracks-style with wall-to-wall beds.

An elderly white woman with a walker takes her turn. Close behind is a thin black woman dressed like a boy in a plaid flannel shirt, baggy jeans and stocking cap pulled all the way down over her face on this warm September night. All told, 35 women will pass through the doorway, most middle-age and African-American.

A young man with a clipboard stops calling names and double-checks his list.

"Totally full. No more open beds," he announces from beneath the sign for Franciscan House for Mary and Joseph, one of the city's largest homeless shelters. "I'm sorry, ladies. We don't have any more open beds tonight."

No room this night at Mary and Joseph's inn.

Byzantine procedures

As the announcement is made, I look up into the faces of six women left standing on the sidewalk. Their last, best hope for finding a place to sleep has slipped away.

[kdmorris]

1. Wow, that's really sad

The shelter can accommodate 215 men and only 35 women? That's really harsh. Maybe if they are starting to turn more women away, they could try to find room for the women. Of course, then the men will be turned away, which isn't desirable, either.

Damn, I hate Bush and his cronies. THIS should NEVER happen in the "richest country on earth". And the Republicans, since Reagan, have tried to convince EVERYONE that these are just lazy people who don't even try. Fuckers!

[emilyg]

3. I agree.

[donsu]

2. and you know how dangerous it is at night for homeless women

shame on us all