The Homeless Speak Out

On March 28, the X Committee mobilized about 20 people from Dorothy Day and Mary Hall shelters to attend St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly’s “Street Beat” meeting on poverty and homelessness.

Their goal was to get their voices heard, learn about the mayor’s future plans to address homelessness in the city, and to invite the mayor to meet with the homeless population at large at Listening House, a drop-in day center in downtown St. Paul.

Raelynn Jones, Sheila Husemoller, and Sue Sazevich presented a giant, bright yellow invitation to the mayor signed by over 70 people from Listening House and the Dorothy Day shelter. Each of them also presented one of the X Committee’s three main issues that they want to see addressed in St. Paul:

1. Many people staying in shelters have long-term physical and mental health problems that are worsened by the shelter environment, and they need a medical shelter that addresses their medical needs.
2. There are not enough shelter beds to meet the need in St. Paul, and people have to sleep under bridges and in the woods. There needs to be funding for enough shelter beds to meet the need.
3. “Affordable housing” in St. Paul isn’t really affordable for people with very low incomes. There need to be more truly affordable housing options.

Mayor Kelly immediately accepted the invitation, and will be coming to Listening House in early May.

Editor’s Note: The X Committee is a group of people experiencing homelessness who are organizing and self-advocating to fight and end homelessness. They can be reached at xcommittee@yahoo.com.