I I� !I' I".! 1IIIIIl ut.u v , '\. n cr -. \ i, \\ ....
ROOTSO C
'I1Ie ...
bCMlIU.· d to a number of
fadon, Iy the loss of units
due to deterioration and the
OOIlVe1rs1(l' • of reDtai units into
I coado . . Th' <lisp ce-
t led to of SOO,(XX)
un' per year (19?O-
80), aod' . continuing into th .
decade.
The waJltma
�mple: NewOrleaas rents out
13,000 . . units and
21,cm households waiting
in line for them. Waitina .
like this are comm n
throughout our na' 's cities.
Furthermore, there are millioDS
of so-called 1lidden homeless­
or. families do up il­
legally ith other families.
N tionwide' s estima ed that 3
million persoas are IMng
doubled up.
ABANDO,.r .... ��
The Reagan AdministratioD
essentially abandoned the
nation's oommitmeat to public
housiag by Qlttmg subsidies by
80 pereeat, This' a tre ndous
of fimds but it simply means
that we have to rand another
way. 1be gr &t of home­
less families with children will
h fully tum the ,tide of public
option back in fa\lOr of nation­
al commitment to build affor­
dable rental units. States and
cities sha1I have to revie their
tax revenues and set their
pre •. accordingly. For ex-
ample, in Ne York City, where
homelessness is reaching
epidemic proportions, city offi­
cials have set a 10 year goal for
building 40,(8) public housing
units.
In addition to providing shel­
ter for low-income families
should establish on-site
programs in public housing
I
KanUS C ("'SOUrl) Star
October 31, 1899
. .
lynched, denied
faeiliti ich support
educate families of these
ide might iDdude a mobile
tr ct ceDter for after scbool care
daiIdreD of wor· parents,
to timulate them well
provide for their seauity. In a .
H Texas" us'
development, computer
tutorial are pr;ovided for
children in grades 3-5. The
progra uses public school
teacbers to � the read-
)
SFLF-ID1P
Other good upport
programs include ODe tab-
lished by the Continen a .
Black women's service group
which adopted the Whit­
comb Court development in
Richmond, Vqinia.
The group hlton resident
Children, coordinates a health
St%eeniDg cIinit; and takes kids
. out to CX)Dcuts and plays. ew
York City' elderly support
p.-ogra hires a emip ofes­
sional, on-site advisor in ten
ho ing developments to be
aYalliable 24 hours a day for
.. inteneptio counseling
or refema.ls to 0 services.
� role of all of our govern­
� .. federal, st te, and
local;.' toseekou tbesegood
.ideas. d expand and fmance
em. The homes thal Uncle
built are dimini
'. J ... " LJ
.,.l."."
.
Klt!> 'H1_ GR.! .. u: T f ��i'-T f),�
�.
.. ....-.ro u ed of
aying Bartend is
ngby 06
lirat
, W Edd
It is a little unusual for
teenage men to stay up past
midnight talking about h not
to get a girl pregnant, bu that's
exactly what happeoed at a late­
rulllliDg teen pregnancy preven­
t' conference aimed at young
men, sponsored by the AJpha
Phi AI Fraternity. To date,
at least 100 of the &aternifYs
chapt�rs have held similar con­
ferences, often 'th the Ip of
the March of Dimes, in com-
lJIun" around the country.
The conferences attract
anywhere from 3S to 200 high
school boy . Youths are en­
couraged to elp p� the con­
kun�, etthe �nda,and
help with the hard k of stag­
ing the even . The conferences
have three simp eg accord­
ing to Michael Price, director of
communications and programs
a( Alph Phi Alpha: ina ing
(he young men's kno ledge
about sexuality and the conse­
quences of teen pregnancy, get­
ting them to think bout their
values and goals, and encourag-
ing them to teach what they
learned to others, especially
their peer . .
"There is a tremendous
amount of ignorance- amo
young men about basic h
health, sexuality, and hpoe,
says Price. Young men are even­
less familiar with their bodies
and how they work than are
young gir he discovered
Yet young men also have, he
says, • a tremendous thirst for
this information." That is y
every such coeference begins
With a talk by a healty profes­
sional, who tells the young men
about their reproductive system
and the consequences of sex.
The second section of every .
conference tries to get the
young men to understand that
the>1 have control over and
responsibility for the choices
they m e in their lives. A mini-
er or a youth worker I ds
discussion, giving the you a
lesson th l, in too many families
today, parents no longer leach.
The young people are a ked
what th ir goals are and wit t
Hi
an y
they are doing every day to fur­
ther those goals; "If you want to
be a doctor tomorrow, what are
you do' today?"
FmalIy, the young people are
eDCXMIJ"a8Cd to carry the mes-
they have received to their
homes, chools, and com­
m 1bey do. After attend­
ing such conferences, says
Price, kids are fired up."
Youth's folio -up activities
have included school as­
semb.lies, ne paper articles,
'and continuing contact with .
fraternity members.
If your fraternity· king
for a way to join our
oommunity' efforts to f t teen
pregJWlcy, tim is a fme lace to
start. Contact Michael Price,
Alph Phi Alph Fraternity,
Inc., 4432 . Martin Luther
King, Jr. Driv , Chicago, IL
60653 (313) 373-1819.
Mtvion Wright Edelman is
Pruidolt of th Children �
INfense Fund, a nalionaJ voice
for cJaiJdIm.
