Tag: Homeless
Birmingham Council Gives $1M to Help Jimmie Hale Mission Establish New Homeless Center
Councilors also approved spending $3.6 million on end-of-year bonuses for employees.
Council Approves Extension of Homeless Outreach Contract; Williams Questions Price Tag
The council extended a $1.7 million agreement with Urban Alchemy.
City Council OKs Drainage, Erosion Repairs
Birmingham councilors also discussed an upcoming homelessness summit and recent national conference.
Birmingham Council Weighs $600K for Park Amid Scrutiny of Homeless Services
Several councilors questioned the effectiveness of the city’s contract with Urban Alchemy.
Birmingham Council Approves $2.6M for Homeless Shelters, Services
Two programs have plans to provide micro-shelters and services to help residents experiencing homelessness build better lives. Read more.
Tyson Questions the Work of Shelters and Presence of Homeless in Her District
Tyson said she’s seen an increase in homelessness in her district and asked for reports on where homeless shelters are spending the county’s money. Read more.
You’ve Gotta Have HEART: Program Launches to Respond When Situations Arise Involving Unhoused Residents
A community-based public safety program launched in Birmingham this week to reach out to homeless individuals in crisis before situations escalate to the point of needing police response. Read more.
A Seat at the Table: Group Brings Together Unhoused and Housed Folks at Railroad Park Picnic
Urban Purpose’s A Seat at the Table event was designed to put people on a level playing field during a relaxed, laid-back late afternoon hang out, leaders said. Read more.
You’ve Gotta Have HEART: Birmingham Council Approves $1.7M to Address Nonemergency Incidents With ‘Unhoused Neighbors’
The council this week approved spending more than $1.7 million on a HEART Birmingham operation to respond when nonemergency situations arise involving the homeless population. Read more.
In the Shadow of Brother Bryan: Homeless Living in Park Draw Ire, Sympathy
Sometimes the tears welled up in Brother Bryan’s eyes
The Rev. James Alexander Bryan, a Princeton-educated pastor, is known in Birmingham as an advocate for those facing homelessness.
“They are all dying for a little bit of love, for a kind word, for a warm handshake,” Brother Bryan was quoted in the book “Religion in Shoes” as saying of those he served. “Beneath that torn coat or ragged shawl, the life may be torn, but there is a soul for whom Jesus died.”
This week, Terrance Smith sat in a Birmingham park named after Brother Bryan. Smith is among hundreds facing unsheltered homelessness in and around Birmingham, many of whom frequent the city’s parks, including Brother Bryan in the Five Points neighborhood.
Earlier this month, Birmingham city councilors discussed individuals facing homelessness in Brother Bryan Park after a member of the public asked that city officials do more to address what he described as a “real problem.”
“It’s just horrifying what goes on over there,” Councilor Valerie Abbott said at the body’s meeting on Aug. 8. “There are people living in the park, and no other people will go in there.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Smith reacted to the council’s comments, saying he felt some of the discussion was offensive. Councilors, Smith said, should “get to know their neighbors.”
“I think they’re wrong,” Smith said, an etching of Brother Bryan on a stone facade just a stone’s throw away. “They just push us aside like we’re not people, but they forget. God created me. God created them. So what’s the difference?” Read more.
