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\u201cWhoever’s homeless now, will build no shelter; Today, it is reported that homelessness in Western New York state hit \u201ca record high<\/a>\u201d. The current level is \u201cthe highest recorded since data collection began in 2005, and 24% up from just last year<\/a>.\u201d Today it\u2019s also reported that \u201cEngland is facing its twelfth consecutive record high in the number of children living in temporary accommodation<\/a>.\u201d Elsewhere, it was reported<\/a>, \u201cThe number of children who are now homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England is at the highest level since records began as the country\u2019s spiralling housing crisis has left more people than ever without a home.\u201d Finally, last week it was reported<\/a>, \u201cA quarter of the way through 2026, eviction filings in Minnesota are outpacing 2025, the highest year for filings on record \u2026. In Minneapolis, where much of Operation Metro Surge was focused, filings climbed sharply between January and March, surpassing last year\u2019s rate of eviction filings in the city. And statewide through mid-April, eviction filings are still above 2025\u2019s record pace.\u201d<\/p>\n What is a record? a record high? a record pace? According to the Oxford English Dictionary<\/em>, from its first appearance to today, a record is \u201cthe documentation or recording of facts, events, etc.\u201d At its root, it meant \u201cpiece of evidence about past events, memory, account, story, discussion, negotiation, agreement, judgement.\u201d Additionally, a record is \u201cthe best performance or most remarkable event of its kind; spec. the best officially recorded achievement of a particular kind in a competitive sport.\u201d \u201cTo break<\/strong> (also beat<\/strong>) the record<\/strong>\u201d means \u201cto surpass the previous best performance in a particular activity\u201d.<\/p>\n Month in, month out, somewhere \u201cit is reported\u201d that evictions or homelessness are breaking the record, are surpassing \u201cthe best performance or most remarkable event of its kind, the best officially recorded achievement of a particular kind.\u201d On one hand, we have the situation in which evictions are not recorded. There is no national data base that records evictions or eviction filings. We have the great work of the Princeton University Eviction Lab<\/a> as well as innumerable other local and regional dashboards. None of them records \u201cinformal evictions\u201d and \u201cself-evictions\u201d, but they do great work, nevertheless.<\/p>\n On the other hand, what is the point of keeping a record if little to no substantive action emerges from the recording. We have records and no records, memory without a trace of memory, calls and cries without reception or echo. Every day, we surpass the previous best performance in the particular activity that is merely ourselves.<\/p>\n (By Dan Moshenberg)<\/p>\n
\nwho lives alone will live indefinitely so\u201d
\nRainer Maria Rilke, \u201cDay in Autumn<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n