HHH Candidate Forum a Success

With a great turnout from the homeless community and the politicians, HHH is pleased with last night's candidate forum. See below for some of the paper's coverage:

County homeless line up to vote
About 150 already registered for Nov. 6 due to rule revision, campaign
VICTORIA CHERRIE

Two years ago, the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections wouldn't allow about 300 homeless people to vote because they registered under an agency address where they did not live, and hadn't provided a map of where they stayed outside.

This election is different.

About 150 homeless folks already have registered to vote in the Nov. 6 election, bringing Mecklenburg County's total to a little over 200, said Michael Dickerson, board of elections director. That's the most since the 2004 presidential election, he said. Homeless Helping Homeless, a program of Charlotte's Urban Ministry Center, is leading a registration drive and will increase efforts next week to educate the homeless community. The center sponsored a debate Wednesday night for the two mayoral and eight at-large City Council candidates.
Among the questions candidates were asked: Did you read the city's 10-year homeless plan? And how would you ensure Charlotte has housing for the chronically homeless?
In addition to the debate, the agency will sponsor marches and give rides to early voting spots, said Liz Clasen, associate executive director of the center.
"It's always a challenge to get folks who are busy worrying about their survival to think about voting," Clasen said. "But engaging people to vote is moving them one step closer to humanity. Their voice counts."

In 2005, Commissioner Bill James challenged hundreds of voters who registered using the addresses of the Urban Ministries office at 945 N. College St., and the Charlotte Rescue Mission at 907 W. First St. He argued and the board of elections agreed that the registrations were invalid because the shelters are mailing addresses, not permanent residences. Under North Carolina law, homeless voters also are required to draw maps of where they sleep, and that wasn't done. For years, the maps were used mostly to identify the addresses of rural voters, though obviously the rule also applies to the homeless, Dickerson said. Officials need the nearest crossroads in order to identify a voting district and assign a precinct, said Jeanette Johnson, a voter registration supervisor. James, who said he keeps a database of Mecklenburg County's registered voters, questioned the method and asked how the staff would investigate if someone challenged the locations.

Dickerson acknowledged he doesn't have a system for checking to see whether the homeless stay where their map says they do. "If we mail the card (to a mailing address) and it doesn't come back then they are registered," he said.

Homeless Voters Comments from debate

About 100 people attended the Homeless Helping Homeless debate Wednesday night, including many registered homeless voters. Here are their stories and what they're asking the mayoral and City Council candidates.

JOHNNIE SPEARS, 60
Became homeless, he said, after suffering from depression when his wife of 33 years died. He wants City Council candidates who don't just cater to developer.
"Why do they lean toward developers so much? They are letting developers run the city."

CLAUDIA MOSES, 62
Landed in a womens' shelter seven years ago after losing her money to medical bills. Now, on disability, she says she is able to rent a Charlotte Housing Authority apartment. City officials have a skewed view of what is or isn't "affordable" in Charlotte, she said.
"What does the word affordable mean? I make less than $10,000 a year. I can't buy a house. That's my reality."

DIRK THUNE, 47
A convicted felon, he said he slept on the streets for seven years but now stays in a trailer in a westside backyard. His mission now is helping get others off the streets. City officials can, but aren't helping enough with that, he said. "They are all talking and talking but there are no programs. It's in the individual -- you have to want to get out. Where are the programs to help?"