Homeless funding just isn't enough

[Mass]

And a big kudos to Kerry to care about POOR people. Unfortunately, this is an issue that has disappeared from the Democratic speech, probably because they do not vote and do not give political contribution, but, if Democrats (and independent like Sanders) do not advocate for them, who will?

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_19605958

The four homeless shelters in the Berkshires secured another year of federal funding this week -- a relief to advocates, but also a time to reconcile the fact that no additional money will bolster the busy shelters’ operating budgets.
...
Nonetheless, the arrangement doesn’t work for the many homeless individuals and families who, Gage said, need a great deal of help that round-the-clock shelter staff provide. Shelters in the Berkshires haven’t seen a budget increase from HUD in years.

In a statement to The Eagle, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., underscored the importance of maintaining the shelter funding that is, at the same time, insufficient.
"The grant money we’ve recently hauled in will help at a time when we’re expecting a horrendous winter and we need to bring the homeless population inside from the cold," Kerry said. "It’s a matter of life or death. We’ll take every penny we can get. But it’s not enough. Our shelters are really feeling the pressure."
...
In his statement, Sen. Kerry indicated that he would gladly eliminate "waste" in the U.S. budget to free up funds for homelessness, but that congressional disagreements are making even the extension of tax cuts a battle.

"The gridlock is toxic, but especially this time of year you’d like to believe that homelessness isn’t a partisan issue," Kerry said. "I still want to believe government still has a heart for the least among us, and when you’ve got homeless veterans and homeless kids, I have to believe we can do a lot better."

[karynnj]

1. His comments are thoughtful, but it seems the budget battles have been hard on him and others

"I still want to believe government still has a heart for the least among us, and when you’ve got homeless veterans and homeless kids, I have to believe we can do a lot better."

His comment on homelessness not being a partisan issue is the way it should be, but I would bet that aid to shelters gets few tea party votes. It is shocking to me that values in this country have shifted to a point where comments like Kerry's sound almost quixotic.