SAN JOSE, Calif.  January 20, 2010-- In the United States, up to 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year.  Some are the chronically homeless who live on the streets without any real hope. Others are the temporarily homeless who have lost their apartments and homes, because they have been unable to find jobs to sustain their existence. Some have lost their homes due to foreclosure because of unregulated rising interest rates.

San Jose author and community activist Timothy Fitzgerald (www.timfitzgerald.org) personally has experienced bouts of homelessness throughout his life. He first experienced homelessness at the age of 25 after he graduated from San Jose State University in 1971. The last time Mr. Fitzgerald coped with homelessness was in 2006 after he lost his apartment at the age of 60.

“Failure to recognize homelessness as a social issue has plagued the industrial world for centuries,” said author Timothy Fitzgerald. “In the old days, the homeless were called able-bodied beggars. Nineteenth century economist David Ricardo wrote off this condition as the ‘iron law of wages.’ Economist Ricardo saw homelessness as a failure of capitalism. In the 1800s in England, the Speenhamland laws created workhouses for the poor. This failed as a solution to homelessness. The United States did not seriously address the issue of homelessness until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration during the depths of the Great Depression of the 1930s.”

"The homeless are the hidden faces of America," said author Timothy Fitzgerald. "The true condition of the homeless has never been fully documented. In a recent post on my blog http://timothyfitzgerald.blogspot.com, I wrote about my experiences as a formerly homeless person. I urge those who have experienced homelessness to blog about their experiences. America must learn about the true condition of the homeless."

Fitzgerald urges the homeless to turn to public libraries for assistance with blogging. "Most public libraries offer free Internet access," said author Timothy Fitzgerald. "Use this free resource to set up your blog to record your experiences as a homeless person.  If you do not understand technology, ask someone to help you."

Timothy Fitzgerald recently authored "The Wawona Brotherhood: The San Jose State Campus Revolt" in which he chronicles his experiences at San Jose State University during the turbulent 1960s through the early 1970s. In his eight-year quest to obtain his bachelor's degree, Mr. Fitzgerald battled mental illness and poverty. As a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Mr. Fitzgerald has faced severe discrimination. At one point, he was temporarily confined to a mental health institution.

Since his time as an undergraduate, Mr. Fitzgerald has been a community activist in San Jose. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Disability Advisory Commission in San Jose and Mr. Fitzgerald is a former Green Party state leader.  In addition, he has taught social science subjects in California community colleges. At the age of 64, Mr. Fitzgerald is now working on completing his master's in Philosophy at San Jose State University. He is on track to be awarded this degree in Fall 2010.

For more information about author and community activist Timothy Fitzgerald, visit his Web site www.timfitzgerald.org. For interviews, e-mail timothyfitzgerald97.yahoo.com or call 408.726.9940.

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