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After Public Outcry, Homeless Providers Clarify Use of Controversial Micro-Shelters

THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES — “There is no way that these tiny micro-shelters can provide dignity for people. They need permanent supportive housing, but the money has not been there for the type of safe, decent and affordable housing that we need. This is a stopgap. This is not meant to be the be-all and end-all to homelessness. This is simply an option,” said Michelle Farley, executive director of One Roof, the official continuum of care organization for Jefferson County.
The post After Public Outcry, Homeless Providers Clarify Use of Controversial Micro-Shelters first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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4 years ago

July 13, 2022

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By Ryan Michaels | The Birmingham Times

No one will be sleeping in any of the prototype structures that were built as part of a city-funded, community-led effort to provide temporary housing and services for homeless residents of Birmingham during The World Games (TWG) 2022, according to Bruce Lanier, an architect who has worked on the project.

The World Games will be held in Birmingham and area venues from July 7-17.

Following public outcry about the structures, representatives of five organizations involved in the “Compassion Project” met on Thursday at Faith Chapel Care Center in the Smithfield neighborhood to provide clarity about the project.

Representatives who spoke on behalf of the Compassion Project on Thursday were Debra Blaylock, executive liaison, ministerial/community at Faith Chapel; Michelle Farley, executive director of One Roof, the official continuum of care organization for Jefferson County; Kelly Greene, executive director of Food for Our Journey, which provides food for homeless residents of Birmingham; Bruce Lanier, an architect representing the Alabama Center for Architecture, and Kay Simmons, founder of God’s Loving Hands Ministries, which provides entertainment and services for homeless people in Birmingham.

The meeting was attended by about 30 residents and community activists.

Lanier, part of the Alabama Center for Architecture, said the shelters would only be for use at night and will have air conditioning, locking keypad doors, a light, cots with sleeping mats and electrical outlets. To assemble the shelters before the Games was an “extremely ambitious goal,” Lanier said.

“I’m here to tell you that we did not meet that goal. While occupancy is something that we had hoped to achieve by the World Games, this is not a World Games project, nor is it a project that was intended to follow the World Games timeline,” he said.

The shelters are still planned to be used after TWG2022 following further revision and feedback, Lanier said. When the architects involved with the project decide on a design suitable for use by people, the structures will be built and housed on an as-yet-unknown site partnered with the Compassion Project, Lanier said.

He also stressed that the Compassion Project is not a project of the city of Birmingham, TWG2022 or law enforcement agencies.

Farley said the “micro-shelter” approach to housing homeless people is not a permanent solution.

“There is no way that these tiny micro-shelters can provide dignity for people. They need permanent supportive housing, but the money has not been there for the type of safe, decent and affordable housing that we need. This is a stopgap. This is not meant to be the be-all and end-all to homelessness. This is simply an option,” Farley said.

While permanent housing is not available for homeless residents of the city, micro-shelters can provide temporary sanctuary, Farley said.

“Our folks are much more likely to be victims of crime than they are to perpetuate crime. If we don’t have permanent housing for them. We need some barrier between them and those who would harm. This is not a perfect answer,” Farley said.

Kay Simmons, founder of God’s Loving Hand Ministries, one of the partnered organizations in the Compassion Project, said the project was never “solely about sleeping” but intended to provide for and include homeless residents of Birmingham during the Games.

Simmons and other representatives of the project also said that whether homeless residents took part in the services was a choice for each of those residents to make.

“This was never about force…That was never a conversation from anyone in the Compassion Project. People actually took time to go and speak in the park with our [homeless] friends, to some of the shelters, did surveys to really see exactly what they wanted,” Simmons said.

During a question-and-answer session, Cara McClure, a single mom who was homeless between 2008 and 2011 and a founder of Black Lives Matter Birmingham, said seeing the prototype structures was “triggering” for her.

“I could not imagine me and my son in that structure. It looks scary, and I would not like being in the structure and not knowing what’s happening around me. I wouldn’t want to be in a fenced in space. It gives me the idea of jail,” McClure said.

With further community engagement, the project would improve, McClure said.

“I just feel your heart and your passion, and I’m so glad that you brought this together, and I’ll gladly open up the conversation,” McClure said.

Blaylock emphasized that the amount of time that architects had to work on the shelters was limited and that the team consulted with the homeless population in Birmingham but conceded they may not have gotten enough feedback.

The shelters are an experiment that requires feedback, Lanier said.

“The reason that you try things is to get a response, and if the response is that people who’ve experienced homelessness personally don’t think this is something they would use, then that’s something I want to understand more. I think it matters,” Lanier said.

“Learning is not failure. Learning is progress,” he added.

Faith Chapel Care Center, 921 2nd Ave N, Birmingham AL 35203, can be reached at 205-785-9673

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

The post After Public Outcry, Homeless Providers Clarify Use of Controversial Micro-Shelters first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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1 week ago

September 20, 2026

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Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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1 week ago

September 20, 2026

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Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY