Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Anthony Williams, Bill Purcell

Aired December 22, 2002 - 10:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: As many of us prepare to celebrate the holiday with food, more and more Americans are going hungry and have no place to call home. The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued its annual report on hunger and homelessness this week. And the report found a steep rise in both this year, leading some to call the problem a national disgrace. With more on the situation, we are joined by Mayors Bill Purcell of Nashville, Tennessee, and Anthony Williams of Washington, D.C.
Gentlemen, thanks to both of you for taking time out of your Sunday morning to be with us today.

MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Good morning, good to be with you.

SAN MIGUEL: I can imagine that the -- other than just the overall weak economy and the rise in unemployment that we have seen over the last year or so, is there anything in your particular cities, any situations in your particular cities or regions that have helped to, you know -- to lead us to this situation? And Mayor Purcell, let's start with you.

MAYOR BILL PURCELL, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Well, one of the things that each of the cities reporting indicated this year and more consistently than ever before is a lack of affordable housing and a need for a larger national housing agenda so that people can actually enter the housing market and start being part of the American dream.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Williams, what about you? Anything in particular in the D.C. area that's contributed to this rise in homelessness?

WILLIAMS: Well, certainly in our area, the contraction, if not collapse of the tech economy and the repercussions of that has certainly had an effect. Particularly important in our area too is the need for transitional housing. This is part of the support services that the homeless need to move into responsible lives. And right now, we don't have that where we need it.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Purcell, you know, contributing to this also could be cutbacks in those services that Mayor Williams talked about. Has that been an issue in the state of Tennessee and in your city?

PURCELL: It has been in Nashville and it has been across the country. The economy doesn't affect individuals; it affects philanthropic contributions. It affects corporate contributions. Two million fewer pounds of food were donated this year in Nashville, Tennessee, but the same story plays out across the country and more seriously now, in heartland cities like Kansas City or St. Louis, Norfolk, than even in the past.

SAN MIGUEL: And we don't want to -- we don't want to -- I mean we want to focus more on what is going on in the heartland, that this thing is not just an urban type of situation. It's going on -- I mean urban in types of, you know, the big cities in the Northeast or on the West Coast, but throughout America. And Mayor Williams, you're there in D.C. What is the government's role in this? What needs to be the government's role in battling this situation?

WILLIAMS: Well, certainly, the private sector has a role and individuals have a role, and the president has spoken to that. And I commend him for that because giving is down at a time the need is up. So, certainly, individuals and non-profits and private sector, faith community, have a role.

The government's role, I think, is with the limited resources we have, certainly, to provide immediate shelter, for them to try to target our strategies so that we're moving people into the world of responsibility. And as you've heard and as you've seen, that requires mental health services, requires substance treatment and rehabilitation. It requires, unfortunately, family services. Many of the homeless are working people, many of the homeless are families and tragically, many of the homeless are children.

SAN MIGUEL: And we wanted to say that 67 percent, according to the report that you released this week, that the Conference of Mayors released, 20 percent of those homeless do work. Sixty-seven percent are single parent families. Twenty-two percent are considered to be mentally disabled. Considering the families there, Mayor Williams, the ramifications for the children involved in this case?

WILLIAMS: Well, the ramifications for the children are horrible because if you take a child in a homeless situation without the support, that child goes to school, that child has a high likelihood, certainly in my city, of ending up with a reading level of about the third grade. And it's virtually near impossible to get that person into the kind of job we want for that person with that kind of literacy level. That's what we're talk about.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Purcell, you -- Mayor Williams talked -- touched on this earlier but the idea of, you know, the faith community taking a more active role. This is, of course, a big part of President Bush's faith-based initiatives. We spoke on this within the last two weeks. Are you seeing anything in there that can provide immediate assistance to your situation?

PURCELL: Well, certainly our call is this holiday season for everyone in America, individually, through their church, their synagogue, their place of worship; everyone needs to do more right now. A 19 percent increase in hunger and in homelessness across this country is a stark and compelling statistic and we all need to do our part right now. SAN MIGUEL: And it involves -- that would involve more donations. But there has to be something that can be done immediately and I'm wondering if you are presenting these findings to the Bush administration, to the government, going to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and saying, "We need something right now. We need money right now."

PURCELL: There is a call for action right now. The president and the Congress together, as we enter this New Year, need to focus together with the mayors and this whole country if we're going to eliminate hunger and homelessness as the president and all of us would like.

SAN MIGUEL: What other -- Mayor Williams, what else do you want to see the Congress do on this particular issue when they reconvene in January? In terms of rise in the minimum wage, many of these folks who are on the, you know, kind of on the edge, if you will, of poverty, of the poverty line, are maybe working service jobs, maybe a rise in the minimum wage might help with them?

WILLIAMS: Well, no. I mean I support a rise in the minimum wage. And I think we can support a rise in the minimum wage without an effect on job creation. I think that's been shown and that's been proven. But I also would like to see an intensive effort certainly in my city, federal support for transitional housing, where it comes to mental health and very, very, importantly, an increased emphasis -- and you're already beginning to see this -- an increased emphasis on continuing education for adults and literacy.

SAN MIGUEL: What has been the issue with the transitional housing? We heard New York's mayor talk about this a couple weeks ago involving the rise of homelessness in his city as well. Are we just not seeing enough -- you know, there used to be enough shelters? Have they shut down, not enough support or money coming for them as well? What's the issue with the shelters?

PURCELL: Well, there are a number of issues. I mean one issue is certainly the providing the financing from all different sources, whether it's local, whether it's federal and certainly, whether it's private. Another unfortunate problem that you find in many cities and I found this in my city is location of such housing. Everyone in the abstract wants these programs, but you know, very few people want them in their neighborhood. And it's a big problem.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Purcell, what about the food bank situation? We talk about, you know, hunger is also a part of this issue. What about the food bank situation in your city and what do you see concerning food banks across the country?

PURCELL: Well, again, both the national and across the country, demand is up, across the board, 19 percent. But in many cities higher demands are being made than that. Demand is up and supply is not. In many instances, supply is down and that obviously puts additional strain on people, on families and ultimately on our society. These are real statistics but there also real people that are hungry and homeless in our cities. And it's time for us to focus as a nation on this.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Purcell, I'll give you the last word. Also in this survey, you mention 34 percent are drug or alcohol dependent. Drug counseling, drug treatment services -- what have we seen -- are we seeing cutbacks in that particular category? What do you need to see going into the future?

PURCELL: Again, it's another area where demand either is up or remains static and we have not been meeting those needs. Mental Health, as the mayor of Washington indicated, is anther area that we need help in.

There is a very important focus on homeland security, but mayors deal with domestic security at the same time. We need help right now.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Bill Purcell of Nashville, Tennessee, and Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington D.C., we wish you luck on this particular issue and we do thank you for joining us on CNN's...

WILLIAMS: Happy holidays.

SAN MIGUEL: And to you as well, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 22, 2002 - 10:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: As many of us prepare to celebrate the holiday with food, more and more Americans are going hungry and have no place to call home. The U.S. Conference of Mayors issued its annual report on hunger and homelessness this week. And the report found a steep rise in both this year, leading some to call the problem a national disgrace. With more on the situation, we are joined by Mayors Bill Purcell of Nashville, Tennessee, and Anthony Williams of Washington, D.C.
Gentlemen, thanks to both of you for taking time out of your Sunday morning to be with us today.

MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Good morning, good to be with you.

SAN MIGUEL: I can imagine that the -- other than just the overall weak economy and the rise in unemployment that we have seen over the last year or so, is there anything in your particular cities, any situations in your particular cities or regions that have helped to, you know -- to lead us to this situation? And Mayor Purcell, let's start with you.

MAYOR BILL PURCELL, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Well, one of the things that each of the cities reporting indicated this year and more consistently than ever before is a lack of affordable housing and a need for a larger national housing agenda so that people can actually enter the housing market and start being part of the American dream.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Williams, what about you? Anything in particular in the D.C. area that's contributed to this rise in homelessness?

WILLIAMS: Well, certainly in our area, the contraction, if not collapse of the tech economy and the repercussions of that has certainly had an effect. Particularly important in our area too is the need for transitional housing. This is part of the support services that the homeless need to move into responsible lives. And right now, we don't have that where we need it.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Purcell, you know, contributing to this also could be cutbacks in those services that Mayor Williams talked about. Has that been an issue in the state of Tennessee and in your city?

PURCELL: It has been in Nashville and it has been across the country. The economy doesn't affect individuals; it affects philanthropic contributions. It affects corporate contributions. Two million fewer pounds of food were donated this year in Nashville, Tennessee, but the same story plays out across the country and more seriously now, in heartland cities like Kansas City or St. Louis, Norfolk, than even in the past.

SAN MIGUEL: And we don't want to -- we don't want to -- I mean we want to focus more on what is going on in the heartland, that this thing is not just an urban type of situation. It's going on -- I mean urban in types of, you know, the big cities in the Northeast or on the West Coast, but throughout America. And Mayor Williams, you're there in D.C. What is the government's role in this? What needs to be the government's role in battling this situation?

WILLIAMS: Well, certainly, the private sector has a role and individuals have a role, and the president has spoken to that. And I commend him for that because giving is down at a time the need is up. So, certainly, individuals and non-profits and private sector, faith community, have a role.

The government's role, I think, is with the limited resources we have, certainly, to provide immediate shelter, for them to try to target our strategies so that we're moving people into the world of responsibility. And as you've heard and as you've seen, that requires mental health services, requires substance treatment and rehabilitation. It requires, unfortunately, family services. Many of the homeless are working people, many of the homeless are families and tragically, many of the homeless are children.

SAN MIGUEL: And we wanted to say that 67 percent, according to the report that you released this week, that the Conference of Mayors released, 20 percent of those homeless do work. Sixty-seven percent are single parent families. Twenty-two percent are considered to be mentally disabled. Considering the families there, Mayor Williams, the ramifications for the children involved in this case?

WILLIAMS: Well, the ramifications for the children are horrible because if you take a child in a homeless situation without the support, that child goes to school, that child has a high likelihood, certainly in my city, of ending up with a reading level of about the third grade. And it's virtually near impossible to get that person into the kind of job we want for that person with that kind of literacy level. That's what we're talk about.

SAN MIGUEL: And Mayor Purcell, you -- Mayor Williams talked -- touched on this earlier but the idea of, you know, the faith community taking a more active role. This is, of course, a big part of President Bush's faith-based initiatives. We spoke on this within the last two weeks. Are you seeing anything in there that can provide immediate assistance to your situation?

PURCELL: Well, certainly our call is this holiday season for everyone in America, individually, through their church, their synagogue, their place of worship; everyone needs to do more right now. A 19 percent increase in hunger and in homelessness across this country is a stark and compelling statistic and we all need to do our part right now. SAN MIGUEL: And it involves -- that would involve more donations. But there has to be something that can be done immediately and I'm wondering if you are presenting these findings to the Bush administration, to the government, going to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and saying, "We need something right now. We need money right now."

PURCELL: There is a call for action right now. The president and the Congress together, as we enter this New Year, need to focus together with the mayors and this whole country if we're going to eliminate hunger and homelessness as the president and all of us would like.

SAN MIGUEL: What other -- Mayor Williams, what else do you want to see the Congress do on this particular issue when they reconvene in January? In terms of rise in the minimum wage, many of these folks who are on the, you know, kind of on the edge, if you will, of poverty, of the poverty line, are maybe working service jobs, maybe a rise in the minimum wage might help with them?

WILLIAMS: Well, no. I mean I support a rise in the minimum wage. And I think we can support a rise in the minimum wage without an effect on job creation. I think that's been shown and that's been proven. But I also would like to see an intensive effort certainly in my city, federal support for transitional housing, where it comes to mental health and very, very, importantly, an increased emphasis -- and you're already beginning to see this -- an increased emphasis on continuing education for adults and literacy.

SAN MIGUEL: What has been the issue with the transitional housing? We heard New York's mayor talk about this a couple weeks ago involving the rise of homelessness in his city as well. Are we just not seeing enough -- you know, there used to be enough shelters? Have they shut down, not enough support or money coming for them as well? What's the issue with the shelters?

PURCELL: Well, there are a number of issues. I mean one issue is certainly the providing the financing from all different sources, whether it's local, whether it's federal and certainly, whether it's private. Another unfortunate problem that you find in many cities and I found this in my city is location of such housing. Everyone in the abstract wants these programs, but you know, very few people want them in their neighborhood. And it's a big problem.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Purcell, what about the food bank situation? We talk about, you know, hunger is also a part of this issue. What about the food bank situation in your city and what do you see concerning food banks across the country?

PURCELL: Well, again, both the national and across the country, demand is up, across the board, 19 percent. But in many cities higher demands are being made than that. Demand is up and supply is not. In many instances, supply is down and that obviously puts additional strain on people, on families and ultimately on our society. These are real statistics but there also real people that are hungry and homeless in our cities. And it's time for us to focus as a nation on this.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Purcell, I'll give you the last word. Also in this survey, you mention 34 percent are drug or alcohol dependent. Drug counseling, drug treatment services -- what have we seen -- are we seeing cutbacks in that particular category? What do you need to see going into the future?

PURCELL: Again, it's another area where demand either is up or remains static and we have not been meeting those needs. Mental Health, as the mayor of Washington indicated, is anther area that we need help in.

There is a very important focus on homeland security, but mayors deal with domestic security at the same time. We need help right now.

SAN MIGUEL: Mayor Bill Purcell of Nashville, Tennessee, and Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington D.C., we wish you luck on this particular issue and we do thank you for joining us on CNN's...

WILLIAMS: Happy holidays.

SAN MIGUEL: And to you as well, thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com