Page 31 - February 2020
P. 31

Adult responsibility                                               are skyrocketing across America. I
      was enveloping me like                                                watched a 2019 documentary by

      a cloak—the days of                                                        DW (a German television
      misspent youth were                                                            station) about the status
      behind me.                                                                      of homelessness and
                                                                                      poverty in the United

                                                                                      States (“How poor people
                                                                                    survive in the USA / DW
                                                                                Documentary”—on YouTube
                                                                                  with over 9 million views).

                                                                                      None of those in the
                                                                                       documentary had
                                                                                              the  struggle
                                                                                              of a criminal

                                                                                               background like
         Even with fiscal                                                                   I did—they were
      responsibility, a house was a bridge too far; there  hardworking, law-abiding citizens that could not
      was no way I could purchase a house with my  afford housing. What hope do recently released

      income. But then a friend said the magic words:  ex-felons have if law-abiding taxpayers can’t
      “I wish I could find someone who wants to buy  even afford housing?
      a house together.” She and I are now house                A special guest at my home Toastmasters
      hunting—together (and massive debt is once  club introduced me to Constructing Hope.

      again looming on the horizon)!                         Their website says: The mission of Constructing
         No, I am not buying a house with my  Hope is to rebuild the lives of people in our
      husband—he is still in prison. I wish he were  community by encouraging self-sufficiency
      out, but not yet. I am buying with a friend so my  through skills training and education in the

      husband can come home when he is released.  construction industry. At Constructing Hope
      I know how difficult it is for ex-felons to find  we serve people of color, people coming from
      housing—especially with bad credit and no rental  incarceration, and low-income adults. A youth
      history at all.                                        summer camp provides skills, motivation, and

         I know too many homeless ex-felons living in  construction career pathways. (https://www.
      highway meridians, in tents, or out of their cars.  constructinghope.org)
      And it isn’t just former felons that are finding it       I was thrilled to hear about their program
      difficult to afford housing. Rates of homelessness  for helping the recently incarcerated. While




                                                                                VOICES! | FEBRUARY 2020       31
   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36