She tells me she’s 57 years old and mostly deaf, ineligible for Medicaid and unable to work because of her learning disability. A slew of other medical problems keeps her in perpetual discomfort and prevents her from sleeping comfortably. Linda Mariano has wanted to get off the streets since she landed on them seven years ago. And she did get off the streets—twice.
Right now she’s waiting for Gulfcoast Legal Services to give her notice on a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) appeal, since she was turned down for the service two months ago. They tell her it’s going to take a year and a half to get her into court because they’re so backed up with claims.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2010.