Solutions-Homelessness

With housing costs rising, tiny homes offer one solution to address homelessness

by Giles Bruce, Kaiser Health News 7/02/2022 PBS News

Then in 2014, he heard about this community being planned by Occupy Madison, a spinoff of the national movement against income inequality. Cox started helping with gardening, one of his passions. A few months later, he moved into one of its 99-square-foot houses (echoing the “99%” of the population that Occupy aimed to represent).
With housing costs rising, tiny homes are spreading as a solution to homelessness in California, Indiana, Missouri, Oregon, and beyond. Arnold Schwarzenegger garnered considerable publicity in December when he donated money for 25 tiny houses for homeless veterans in Los Angeles. It reflects a growing interest in outside-the-box ideas to get unhoused people off the streets, especially during winter in cold climates and amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

L.A. Activists Demand Real Solutions to Housing Crisis as City Cracks Down on Homeless Encampments

by DEMOCRACY NOW 11/8/22

As cities nationwide crack down on unhoused populations and soaring rents force people out of their homes, the Los Angeles City Council faced major protests this week when it voted to ban encampments for unhoused people near schools and daycares.

Stakeholders and Advocates Discuss Solutions to Homelessness

by harrise 13/10/17 CHASING THE DREAM

The situation goes like this: You’re earning wages below the poverty line. Statistically, you’re the one in four working poor residents spending more than 70 percent of your income on housing alone. And, it’s not hard to imagine ending up on the street.

Input from the unhoused may be crucial solution to homelessness in San Francisco

by Stephanie Sy 6/7/21 PBS NEWS

The San Francisco Bay Area has a rising homeless population. On any given night, an estimated 35,000 individuals are without a place to live. Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to climb. Much effort has gone into resolving the crisis, to little avail. But now, there's new hope that those with an insider's perspective can make that much needed difference. Stephanie Sy has that story.

ACLU Responds to Supreme Court Decision that Cities Can Punish People for Being Homeless

by City of Grants Pass v. Johnson 28/6/24 ACLU

The court held that punishing a person for sleeping in public, even if they have no other option, punishes conduct, not status, and so Robinson v. California, which established that it is cruel and unusual to criminalize a person’s status, does not apply. The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, originated from an Oregon city that passed ordinances barring people from sleeping outside in public using a blanket, pillow, or even a cardboard sheet to lie on.

U.S. homelessness up 12 percent to highest reported level as rents soar and pandemic aid lapses

by Kevin Freking 15/12/23 PBS NEWS

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States experienced a dramatic 12 percent increase in homelessness as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday.

The Solution To The Homeless Crisis In Seattle

by Carolyn Ossorio 6/12/17 HUFFPOST

I'm not a politician. I'm not a social worker. I'm a mother. I'm a writer. I'm a doer. And, the issue of homelessness in Seattle has been weighing on my conscience: I NEEDED to do something.

The housing shortage and homelessness in San Francisco. Is there a solution?

by Duarte Geraldino 2/6/16 PBS NEWS

Special correspondent Duarte Geraldino traveled to San Francisco, where he met housing advocate Gary McCoy. McCoy, who was homeless in San Francisco for years, is now running for a seat on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.

ACLU of Texas calls on City of Dallas to End Cycle of Homeless Evictions

by ACLU of Texas 25/10/16 ACLU

DALLAS – In a letter issued Friday to Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Dallas City Council members, the ACLU of Texas warned city officials that they must respect the constitutional rights of the homeless, cease enforcement of the city’s unconstitutional ordinance banning sleeping in public and seek legal, humane and long-term solutions to the city’s homelessness crisis.

Newsom issues order directing California agencies how to remove homeless encampments

by Trân Nguyễn 25/7/24 PBS NEWS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday to direct state agencies on how to remove homeless encampments, a month after a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces.

Italy: Many children among dozens left homeless by forced eviction in Rome

by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 9/7/14

“Today’s shocking demolition in Val D’ala is an eviction in violation of international human rights standards – leaving these people homeless and destitute. There was no formal advance notice of eviction or consultation with the community, and no suitable alternative housing has been offered,” said Matteo de Bellis, Amnesty International’s Italy Campaigner, who is currently with the community as they seek redress from municipal authorities.

Homeless Crisis Update

by PBS 29/7/21

Hawaiʻi continues to search for solutions to its homeless crisis, which may worsen as the state’s pandemic eviction moratorium is set to expire next month.

Resolution Vet Hunters Campaign to Eradicate Homeless Veterans by 2015

by LEAUGE of UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS

WHEREAS, Vet Hunters "Vet Hunt," in areas such as washes, canyons, streets and under bridges. When the Platoon members are not Vet Hunting, they are raising awareness all while bringing solutions to ending homelessness For Vet Hunters, when it is a Homeless Veteran issue it is a 2417 issue. This is why VHP goes beyond 9-5 Monday through Friday and at times, the weekends; and

The BLOCK Project: An Innovative Community and Homelessness Solution

by Rebekah Bastian 23/3/17 HUFFPOST

The BLOCK Project aims to put a BLOCK Home in the back yard of one single-family lot on every residentially zoned block within the City of Seattle. While this goal sounds ambitious, Facing Homelessness – a nonprofit of three including Managing Director Sara Vander Zanden and Community Director Sarah Steilen – is not tackling it alone. BLOCK Architects – a collaboration of Rex and his daughter Jennifer LaFreniere – has formed connections with over a dozen companies and organizations who are providing their services pro-bono.

How Richard Gere and Bernie Glassman Offer Solutions for the Homeless

by Michaela Haas 17/9/15 HUFFPOST

Fifteen years later, though, Richard Gere did indeed stumble upon the secret how to be invisible, even in the midst of New York. In his new film Time Out of Mind (out this month), he plays an elderly alcoholic who ends up on the streets. Gere wanted to shoot the film documentary-style, and he was worried his A-list status would attract too much attention.

France: Scores of Roma left homeless in forced eviction near Paris

by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 15/10/12

Around 150 Roma – including some 60 children – have been left homeless outside Paris after being forcibly evicted and having their homes bulldozed on Monday morning, Amnesty International said. The forced eviction in Noisy-le-Grand, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis east of the capital, is the latest in a string of similar operations in Roma settlements across France in recent months.

Finally, a Market-Driven Solution to Housing Homeless Families

by Mike Green 8/1/14 HUFFPOST

I often hear voices in the private sector speak of market-driven solutions to many societal needs. Yet, all too often the most pressing needs of destitute families and youth are addressed by charities, churches and nonprofit organizations funded by the taxpayers. Every year, particularly when winter sets in, journalists highlight these issues to prick the national conscience to come up with solutions.

Cold, Homeless, and Chasing a Dream

by CHASING THE DREAM 13/12/16

Women and children make up the majority of NYC’s homeless population. In this segment from our partners at Metrofocus, former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn offers solutions.

The Solution to Homelessness is Housing

by Farrah Hassen 19/7/24 COUNTERPUNCH

In 2018, after being banished from every park in town and accruing thousands in fines, she sued the city as part of a class action suit for violating homeless residents’ constitutional rights. The Oregon District Court agreed in 2020 that the city’s actions constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.”

HUD Comments on Homeless Definitions

by ACLU 21/6/10

On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union, we respectfully

submit the following comments regarding the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) proposed rule on “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act:

ACLU of Southern California Wins Historic Victory in Homeless Rights Case

by ACLU of Southern California 14/4/06 ACLU

"Anyone who cares about homelessness and finding positive solutions to this serious issue in our community will be delighted and encouraged by this decision," said Ramona Ripston, Executive Director of the ACLU of Southern California. "The ACLU has always maintained that police should target serious crime like rape and drug trafficking and not criminalize people for sleeping on the street when there is nowhere else to go."

ACLU of Texas Files Suit on Behalf of Homeless Houstonians

by ACLU of Texas 16/5/17 ACLU

HOUSTON — The ACLU of Texas announced today that it had filed a lawsuit on behalf of three homeless Houstonian plaintiffs adversely affected by the City of Houston's camping and panhandling ordinances. Taken together, these ordinances illegally deprive homeless Houstonians of shelter, infringe on their right to free speech and ultimately constitute a criminalization of homelessness itself.

In The Midst Of Frigid Temperatures, Aclu Sues Over Law That Will Kick Some Homeless Out Into The Cold

by ACLU of Rhode Island 2/1/18 ACLU

As emergency workers and homeless rights’ advocates work feverishly to help move vulnerable homeless Rhode Islanders out of the frigid weather, the ACLU of RI has filed an emergency lawsuit to halt enforcement of a new state law taking effect tomorrow that, as those advocates had earlier warned public officials would happen, will evict some homeless people out into the bitter cold.

San Francisco homeless camp razed amid questions of long-term solution

by Maria L La Ganga 1/3/16 The Guardian

On 23 February, the city declared the sprawling encampment a “public health nuisance” and gave its residents 72 hours to depart. Many of those living in upwards of 200 tents gathered their belongings and left under their own steam. On Tuesday, what tents remained were cleared away.

Bulgaria: Roma families left homeless after evictions

by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 9/5/25

Around 200 Roma people in Sofia have been left homeless following the demolition of their homes by local authorities, without due process, adequate prior notice, or exploration of alternative solutions, and in direct violation of a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Now deprived of shelter, access to water, electricity, and other basic services, the affected families, including children, elderly individuals, pregnant people and people with disabilities, are living in extremely precarious conditions. Amnesty International considers that such eviction, given the lack of procedural safeguards and resulting homelessness for most of the affected people, amounts to a ‘forced’ eviction, a practice prohibited under Bulgaria’s international and regional human rights obligations. Amnesty International urges the Bulgarian authorities to provide all affected families with adequate alternative housing, medical care, and social support.

Ron DeSantis condemned over Florida’s ‘draconian’ new anti-homelessness law

by Richard Luscombe 11/9/24 The Guardian

A Florida law that criminalizes sleeping in public spaces and will take effect next month is expected to provoke a “tsunami of lawsuits” but do nothing to alleviate the state’s homelessness crisis, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale has warned.

San Diego unveils unorthodox homelessness solution: big tents

by Kelly Davis 29/3/18 The Guardian

Bob McElroy strode through the busy entrance of the vast, gleaming-white tent, greeting people right and left. The prominent homeless services provider calls the new structure, located on the outskirts of downtown San Diego, “the Rolls-Royce of tents”.

The Solution to Homelessness Is Not Death

by Steve O’Keefe 7/5/22 COUNTERPUNCH

Richard R. Troxell is the Moses of homelessness. He’s been leading his people toward the promised land for many decades. His people are America’s homeless, a fluctuating group most people work hard to avoid. Troxell comes to see them clearly through street contact and annual surveys, always deepening his understanding of homelessness even as municipalities deepen their never-ending efforts to force the homeless to go away.

How Traditional Homeless Agencies Can Help End Homelessness

by Joel John Roberts 23/8/14 HUFFPOST

Thirty years ago, the community-based organization that I run was created because a group of local people saw an increase in homelessness on the Westside of Los Angeles. They created an agency that would temporarily provide food and shelter, and believed that homelessness would end within five years.

Nigeria: World Bank panel turns its back on forcibly evicted community

by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 18/7/14

The decision by a World Bank Inspection Panel to refuse to investigate a complaint about forced evictions linked to a World Bank project in Lagos shows a complete disregard for its responsibilities, Amnesty International said today.

How Finland Virtually Ended Homelessness—and We Can Too

by Linda Mcquaig 29/4/23 Common Dreams

And so it is that here in Toronto we’re busy studying how to jam more beds into already-cramped shelters, while over in Finland — where innovation is more than just another word for privatization — they’ve managed to virtually end homelessness.

One Year Since Grants Pass: Tracking the Criminalization of Homelessness

by ACLU

In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that punishing a person for sleeping in public, even if they have nowhere else to go, does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s cruel and unusual punishment clause. In Grants Pass v. Johnson, plaintiffs argued that an Oregon city’s ordinance, which barred people from sleeping outside in public using a blanket, pillow, or even cardboard sheet, was cruel and usual punishment. In a 6-3 decision, the court upheld the camping ban, opening the door for other cities and states to pass laws to jail, ticket, or otherwise make it a crime to be homeless.

Business As Usual Isn’t Good Enough for World’s Homeless

by Juliana Nnoko 7/5/20 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

In many wealthy countries, homelessness has come to be seen as a fact of modern society. Some governments have claimed it can’t be solved. The “homeless” themselves exist in the margins, invisible people whose basic right to adequate housing is easily forgotten by society and the people who avert their eyes as they rush past on the street.

Population in Camps Housing Haitians Left Homeless by the 2010 Earthquake Drops Below 600,000

by IOM UN MIGRATION 18/8/11

The IOM Haiti Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), prepared in

support of the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) group, estimates that the camp population was approximately 594,800 at the end of July 2011. This represents a decline of some 6 per cent from the previous month (June 2011).

How Trump’s executive order could criminalize homelessness: ‘Terrifying’

by Melody Schreiber 7/8/25 The Guardian

Donald Trump’s executive order that pushes local governments to remove unhoused people from the streets will exacerbate the issues already facing people who have unstable housing, mental health conditions and substance use disorders – and the vague wording could be used for wider action, experts say.

Local Homeless Kids Are Getting Involved in Their Own Solutions

by Dan Duray 25/5/11 HUFFPOST

The number of homeless youth is growing statewide, but many go uncounted for and simply drop out of society. A formerly homeless Montrose teen is hoping to do something about the problem.

Tiny houses: salvation for the homeless or a dead end?

by Paul Lewis 23/3/17 The Guardian

Othello Village is on a plot of land behind a gas station, surrounded by a chain-link fence. It consists of 28 wooden huts and 12 tents that flap in a bitter Pacific wind. Residents share a shower, toilet and kitchen tent, with food stored in plastic boxes to keep out the

US Supreme Court Justices Should Be Deadly Ashamed for What They Have Done to Homeless People

by Christiana Stalnaker 11/8/24 Common Dreams

I know what it’s like to be without a place to call home. In the years before the pandemic, my husband and I were working hard to buy a house for our children and the animals we rescued. I’d overcome an opioid addiction. We had a small business and were starting to achieve our dreams.

‘We have failed’: how California’s homelessness catastrophe is worsening

by Sam Levin 22/3/22 The Guardian

When California shut down in March 2020, advocates for unhoused people thought the state might finally be forced to solve its homelessness crisis. To slow the spread of Covid, they hoped, officials would have to provide people living outside with stable and private shelter and housing.

In California, Corporate Interests Fight Housing Solutions

by Seth Sandronsky 6/10/23 COUNTERPUNCH

David versus Goliath might be a stretch. In one corner is the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), a progressive activist group. In the other is the California Apartment Association (CAA), a property owner organization. ACCE is alleging that the CAA is blocking local and statewide solutions to the housing crisis, e.g., tenant protection policies and eviction moratoriums.

IOM Delivers Indian Roofing Sheets for Sri Lanka's Homeless Returnees in North

by IOM UN MIGRATION 30/9/10

At the request of the Ministry of Economic Development, IOM will

move the CGI sheets in 29 containers from the Port of Colombo to the Divisional Secretariats in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya for final distribution.

For Even the Neediest, Housing Is the Solution to Homelessness

by Rosanne Haggerty 19/2/15 The New York Times

The truth is that we have known how to end homelessness for several years now, and solid research, which has been replicated repeatedly, has proven that it is far cheaper to do so than to allow the problem to persist. The cheapest, most assured way to end homelessness turns out to be deceptively simple: provide homeless Americans, many of whom struggle with disability, mental illness, or life threatening health conditions, with stable homes.

These innovative projects are tackling homelessness around the world

by Patrick Henry 29/10/21 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

The economic devastation caused by the pandemic has made a tough situation even worse. Extreme poverty spiked in 2020 as governments locked down their economies, according to the World Bank. With the outbreak still raging, and economic recovery uncertain in many countries, the outlook for tackling homelessness remains challenging.

How Houston Moved 25,000 People From the Streets Into Homes of Their Own

by Michael Kimmelman 14/6/22 The New York Times

One steamy morning last July, Ana Rausch commandeered a shady corner of a parking lot on the northwest side of Houston. Downing a jumbo iced coffee, she issued brisk orders to a dozen outreach workers toting iPads. Her attention was fixed on a highway underpass nearby, where a handful of people were living in tents and cardboard lean-tos. As a vice president of Houston’s Coalition for the Homeless, Ms. Rausch was there to move them out.

Seeking Solutions for People Adrift

by The New York Times 25/5/08

As a clinician who has worked with homeless people for 15 years, I am concerned about city plans to move the main intake center from Manhattan. Removing the center from the borough that has the largest number of homeless individuals is a counterintuitive choice and may endanger those who will not have the wherewithal on a freezing night to get to the Bedford-Atlantic Armory in Brooklyn.

“Homeless Solutions” makes New Jersey homeownership a reality

by NJ Spotlight News 5/7/18 CHASING THE DREAM

In one of the most expensive states in the country, Morris County, NJ residents are facing eviction at increasing rates. Homeless Solutions is creating permanent, affordable multi-fami

Journalist Kevin Fagan looked for solutions to homelessness

by Rachel Signer 10/5/12 THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

Journalist Kevin Fagan spent months immersed in the homeless community in San Francisco for his “Shame of the City” series, which ran in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2003. The series not only documents the daily lives and personal struggles of homeless people and families, it also examines various existing and emerging solutions from a critical perspective, looking at what works and what doesn’t.

Crackdowns on homeless encampments fuel debate over effective solutions

by Claire Rush 28/11/23 PBS NEWS

Contractors from the city of Portland had arrived to break down the stretch of tents and tarps on a side street behind a busy intersection. People had an hour to vacate the encampment, one of more than a dozen cleared that July day, according to city data.

The most cost-effective way to help the homeless is to give them homes

by Matthew Yglesias 22/2/19 Vox

Addressing housing directly is cheaper than relying on cops and emergency rooms.

This is how cities are helping homeless people self-isolate

by Rosamond Hutt 24/3/20 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

The virus hits older people and those with underlying health conditions hardest. Homeless people are three times more likely to have chronic diseases than the wider population – respiratory and heart problems in particular.

4 practical solutions to the world's spiraling housing crisis

by Michael Purton 10/6/24 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

In his report to the UN’s General Assembly last year, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said “the underlying factors driving the affordability crisis are rooted in structural shifts spanning recent decades". He cited rapid urbanization, a decline in public housing and lack of state intervention as some of the causes.

From tiny homes to camps: Cities struggle to find solutions for homelessness

by Jessica Boehm 6/4/23 AXIOS

Street homelessness in the U.S. has increased by 25% since 2017, and most major metros don't have enough or the right kind of shelter to accommodate people living outside.

Seeking a Quick Solution to Longtime Homelessness

by Matthew Thompson 8/2/24 The New York Times

In 2008, Alan Graham brought an idea to a neighborhood meeting in Austin, Texas: he wanted to build a mobile home park in the neighborhood for people coming out of chronic homelessness. He already had a plot of land, given to him by the city. But residents hated the idea. They voted against it, 52 to 0. So he shelved it for years until he could reimagine it on the outskirts of the city.

Long-term homeless solutions call by Wales Audit Office

by India Pollock 9/1/18 BBC

The report found there had been a 26.3% drop in real terms over six years on how much all Welsh local authorities are spending on homelessness and housing advice services.

Decline in Veterans’ Homelessness Spurs Hopes for a Broader Solution

by Jason DeParle 6/8/24 The New York Times

After two years in the Air Force and decades on Skid Row, Steve Allen was spending his senior years living in his car. John Sullivan, who joined the Army after seeing the film “Patton,” slept on his son’s couch. Home for Babs Ludikhuize, an Air Force veteran recovering from domestic violence, was in psychiatric care.

Homes for the Homeless

by The New York Times 19/2/15

More cities have adopted a homeless policy which might seem like common sense — give homeless people housing. Proponents say it saves money over time and is more humane. Opponents call it a naive approach to a complicated problem, which also costs too much.

Homelessness Can Require Complex Solutions

by Kevin Corinth 19/2/15 The New York Times

Unfortunately, homelessness is not that simple. Among the chronically homeless, large numbers suffer from severe mental illness or substance abuse. Few are regularly employed and many are disconnected from family networks. The Housing First philosophy threatens to distract us from the solutions that would most effectively address these other important needs.

Homelessness: What drives it and what's needed to end it

by Kate Whiting 20/8/24 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

For six months in 2013, David Tovey lived inside his red Peugeot 203. In August 2024, that car became the centrepiece of an exhibition on homelessness in the UK – transformed by Tovey himself into a house-shaped sculpture.

Why aren’t we harnessing technology to end homelessness?

by Joel John Roberts 1/3/18 Vox

For starters, why not implement predictive analytics for people at risk of being homeless?

Being homeless in winter can be a death sentence — but New York City has an innovative solution to the crisis

by Harrison Jacobs 21/3/18 BUSINESS INSIDER

Those two issues feed the larger vicious cycle of homelessness, where many people become homeless because they can't find an affordable home and then stay homeless due to shelters that don't deliver adequate services to get people back on their feet.

A Plan to Flood San Francisco With News on Homelessness

by Thomas Fuller 15/5/16 The New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — As the editor in chief of The San Francisco Chronicle, Audrey Cooper has overseen countless stories on homelessness. But the issue became personal three years ago when she was pushing her 6-month-old child in a stroller through the city’s business district. A homeless couple in a tent on the sidewalk were having sex, tent flaps open, as their pit bull stood guard.

THE CITY SEES NO SOLUTIONS FOR HOMELESS

by Deirdre Carmody 10/10/84 The New York Times

A record $100 million will be spent this year to provide food and shelter for the growing numbers of single homeless people in New York, but city officials say they still have no solution for those who live in the street and refuse assistance.

What Students Are Saying About: Housing the Homeless, Pimple Positivity and a Giant Machine

by The Learning Network 15/11/18 The New York Times

This week, we received the most comments on our writing prompts of the school year so far — and some of the best. With students’ excellent writing, interesting personal stories and smart insights, it gets harder and harder to choose our favorite comments.

'Housing, not handcuffs': Advocates seek solutions for homelessness beyond fines and arrests

by wbur 22/4/24

The National Low Income Housing Coalition crunched data and found that in Grant Pass, Oregon, for every 10 low-income families, there are just two affordable and available apartments. The nonprofit joined an amicus brief in the SCOTUS case saying punishing people for sleeping outside does nothing to solve unsheltered homelessness.

Los Angeles mayor discusses strategy to counteract alarming increase in homelessness

by Geoff Bennett 6/6/23 PBS NEWS

This program, Inside Safe, has moved more than 1,200 homeless people off the streets out of encampments into interim housing. What's the plan to make sure that those folks and others find their way into permanent housing?