Philip Mangano is the current "homelessness czar" for the Bush Administration. It's not known yet whether he will have a role with Obama, although he is working with the transition team. As this Washington Post article notes, Mangano attempts to reduce homelessness through permanent housing solutions instead of temporary shelters. His "Housing First" approach has had some success in Boston . Critics of Mangano feel that his programs create a hierarchy of sorts in the homeless community (homeownership may not be everyone's dream), and point to the rest of the measures put forward by the Bush Administration on housing as proof that it's not a priority there. Mangano went from music agent to one of the 2006 Public Officials of the Year . He worked for a bread line in Boston before taking over homelessness programs.
Mangano was interviewed on NPR, and said some pretty interesting things about "remoralizing" the countless people that have worked on homelessness issues through the years. He tells a story of his patron Saint Simone Weil , a Jewish Philosopher in the 1940's and contemporary of Camus and Eliot. Here is the PBS article, with the Simone Weil discussion at the end . Part of Mangano's plan involves the creation and adoption of local 10-year plans to address homelessness (again, through permanent housing mainly) that require a change in resource allocation and methodology. There is an interesting story of Mangano and former Mayor Hahn of L.A.talking with people on "skid row" about homelessness issues... (I'm wondering if people that live there call it "skid row"...) and coming away with ideas for the 10-year plan. Here's Mangano explaining his core beliefs and strategies:
Mangano was interviewed on NPR, and said some pretty interesting things about "remoralizing" the countless people that have worked on homelessness issues through the years. He tells a story of his patron Saint Simone Weil , a Jewish Philosopher in the 1940's and contemporary of Camus and Eliot. Here is the PBS article, with the Simone Weil discussion at the end . Part of Mangano's plan involves the creation and adoption of local 10-year plans to address homelessness (again, through permanent housing mainly) that require a change in resource allocation and methodology. There is an interesting story of Mangano and former Mayor Hahn of L.A.talking with people on "skid row" about homelessness issues... (I'm wondering if people that live there call it "skid row"...) and coming away with ideas for the 10-year plan. Here's Mangano explaining his core beliefs and strategies:
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