Summit on homelessness planned

A summit planned for Thursday in Charleston is intended to forge a dialogue between the community's homeless, its residents and South Carolina's elected officials to find out what the state needs to do to take care of its own, state Rep. Wendell Gilliard said Monday.

Gilliard, a Charleston Democrat, organized "Hope for the Homeless and People in Transition," which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the International Longshoremen's Association Hall at 1142 Morrison Drive.

The goals are to help connect homeless men, women and children with services; tap federal resources; and push for tax incentives for businesses that hire homeless workers, Gilliard said.

Additionally, he wants to build support for three bills he has introduced in the state Legislature.

The bills would assess the services available to the homeless during the recession and whether additional temporary shelters are needed immediately; establish a committee dedicated to the issues surrounding homeless veterans; and make injuring a homeless person a hate crime.

During a Jan. 29 one-day count, 4,664 people were recorded as homeless in the state. The same one-day count, recorded 560 homeless people who were veterans, according to the state Council on Homelessness

The state has roughly 1,100 emergency shelter beds and 1,300 beds in transitional housing units. An additional 300 beds are available for victims of domestic violence. The greatest need in the state is for affordable housing.

The second part of the event, beginning at about 1 p.m., will connect the homeless with resources, Gilliard said. Three short films about shanty towns in Charleston and North Charleston also will be shown.

Food and drinks will be available and homeless people will be offered coats and sweaters.

Gilliard also hopes to produce a booklet for the homeless that lists where they can go to find jobs, get health care and find food.

Representatives for U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham and 1st District U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, all South Carolina Republicans, are expected to attend.

Brown, a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, "has worked to increase resources available for homeless veterans and their families," according to Brown's communications director Sharon P. Axson.

"These efforts must extend beyond subsistence services to include education and training which would allow veterans to obtain the necessary skills to successfully return to the work force and self-sufficiency," she said.

While there is a considerable need, the number of homeless veterans has been cut by almost half since 2005, largely as a result of an increased focus on the VA's partnerships with community service providers, Axson said.

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-926-7855 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.