Solutions-Homelessness
From WikiDemocracy
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
