This week Jeff, Ana and Sherry talked with American activist and writer James Abro. In 2000, Mr. Abro founded 32 Beach Productions, a virtual multi-arts venue featuring the writing of Mr. Abro and the music of Skip Spady. Before he started 32 Beach Productions, Abro was a professional writer and editor with The Harlem Writers Crew, and the Infinity Foundation. He also teaches creative writing to ‘youths at risk’ in juvenile detentions centers.

He has written a total of six novels and two books, all of which are available from Amazon. Excerpts from each are available on 32 Beach Productions.

Abro now resides in on the Jersey shore where he continues to write and work as an advocate on social and economic issues pertaining to the themes in his books. For more information about that, you can visit his Facebook group, Advocate for Economic Fairness! Abro also invites you to share a ‘game- changing’ experience from your life on his Facebook page, An Invitation to Odyssey.

Here’s a couple of articles that James has written on the topic recently:

http://spotlightonpoverty.org/spotlight-exclusives/fighting-poverty-community-action/

Here’s Nelson’s homelessness figures from http://homelesshub.ca:

HOMELESSNESS
Individuals estimated to be experiencing some type of homelessness: 116 (April 2016)
of those surveyed, or at emergency or transitional housing: 91 (April 2016)
living on the streets: 40 (2010)
living as ‘hidden homeless’: 306 (2011)
living in facilities (incl. emergency beds) 355(2013)
living in housing with supports: 175-200 (2010)
Number of shelter stays: 355 (2014)

People were found to be experiencing the following types of homelessness:

unsheltered: 27 (April 2016)
emergency: 13 (April 2016)
transitional: 22 (April 2016)
hospital, corrections, in care: 5 (April 2016)
couch surfing/temporary: 17 (April 2016)
number of people indicated that they were part of the hidden homeless in the past year: 57 (April 2016)
number of shelter stays: 404 (2015)

HOUSING
Number of public & subsidized housing units: 476 (2013)
Number of affordable housing units offered in the non-profit sector: 329 (2016)
Number of households in ‘core housing need’: 1/3 of all households (2014)

Rental Vacancy Rate: 0.4% (October 2015)
Average Cost of Rent (1 bdrm): $938/mo. (Spring 2016)

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
The Nelson Food Cupboard Food Bank served: 15,175 (2015)
Income assistance (single individual): $610 (2013)
Number of individuals accessing income assistance supports: 383 (2013)

Nelson’s population and income stats are as follows:

Population: 10,802 (2015)
Unemployment Rate: 9% (2016)
Minimum Wage: $10.85/hr (as of September 15, 2016)
Total Number of Shelters: 1 (2015)
Total Number of Beds: 17 (2015)