What Do We Need? Shock Therapy?

Slow to catch onto what’s killing us…

Diane Nilan

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The once-united states of America. Photo by Diane Nilan

I knew it when I first heard about it — 30+ years ago. Soaring housing prices on both the East and West coasts meant the rest of the country would follow the trend. From 30 years ago (part of me wants to laugh)…

The median sales prices of an existing single-family home in northern New Jersey now stands at $194,000, more than two and a half times the national median sales price.

Along with high prices that are causing the dream of homeownership to recede for many hard-working families, our state is suffering a severe shortage of affordable rental housing. (NYT, Feb.12, 1989)

Now when people in the middle of the country lament the tight housing market and the skyrocketing cost of renting apartments, I just sigh.

I’m not a researcher or social scientist. I’m a former shelter director (1987-2003) and a homelessness advocate/activist. For the past 14 years I’ve been living in a van, traveling the country to chronicle (video) families and youth experiencing homelessness. My nonprofit — HEAR US Inc., www.hearus.us.

Of late, I’ve been researching and writing a book on family homelessness with a colleague, Professor Yvonne Vissing. The only reason I’d ever consider writing a book is to fill a huge unmet need…

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Diane Nilan

Founder/pres. HEAR US Inc., gives voice & visibility to homeless families & youth, ran shelters, advocate, filmmaker, author, 18 yrs. on US backroads. hearus.us