Homelessness

View of St. Paul skyline from Minneapolis with apartment building in foreground

What the Pandemic Taught Us About Eliminating Homelessness

Housing advocates say the additional resources made possible by federal relief funds offer a useful model for improving conditions for unhoused people.

May 24, 2022 - MinnPost

A group of socially distanced tents for the homeless are set up on a parking lot in San Francisco's Civic Center.

Number of Unhoused People Lower in San Francisco, but Growing Across the Bay Area

While the city saw fewer people experiencing homelessness for the first time in years, homelessness across six Bay Area counties grew by 8 percent.

May 18, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Homelessness

Fewer People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco

In a first since 2015, the number of people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco declined from the year prior, according to preliminary analysis of the city’s most recent Point-in-Time count.

May 17, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

hand holding house key with house-shaped keychain and house in background

What Is Supportive Housing?

Supportive housing combines affordable housing with social services providers to help people experiencing homelessness, disability, or other hardships transition to permanent housing.

May 11, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

Downtown Honolulu as seen from the top of Diamond Head

Report Calls for Comprehensive Plan To Eliminate Homelessness in Maui

A commission report found that Maui does not have a comprehensive plan for supporting unhoused residents, leaving efforts largely to nonprofit organizations.

May 9, 2022 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Subway Station

How Transit Agencies Can Offer Supportive Services

As more people experiencing homelessness seek shelter in transit facilities, transit agencies are looking for ways to offer assistance and reduce interactions with law enforcement.

April 5, 2022 - The New York Times

Housing Homeless

'Tiny Home Village' Fires Raise Doubts About Their Sustainability

'Tiny home villages' were touted as a quick, if temporary, solution to California's housing crisis, but a series of fires is raising concern about their safety.

March 28, 2022 - Curbed

Australia Hotel

Assessing California's Homekey Program

The innovative housing program launched during the pandemic has made a significant difference for unhoused individuals, but long-term support remains underfunded.

March 25, 2022 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

SEPTA Station

Riders Getting Stuck in SEPTA Tunnels Due to Increased Security Measures

As ridership dropped during the pandemic, Philadelphia's transit agency started locking station doors to keep unhoused people from using the tunnels as shelter. Now, riders are becoming trapped inside.

March 21, 2022 - Billy Penn

This is a panoramic photograph taken on April 1st, 2021, of People's Park in Berkeley, California. During the COVID-19 pandemic the authorities eased restrictions on overnight camping by homeless persons on the grounds of People's Park. The photograph shows the presence of some of the tents set up during this period.

UC Berkeley Commits to Supportive Housing Project in People's Park

The university will work with the city and local nonprofits to provide 42 units of housing and supportive services to unhoused people living in Berkeley's iconic People's Park.

March 11, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

A group of police officers wearing masks during the Covid-19 pandemic gather on a subway platform in New York City.

More Unhoused New Yorkers Died in 2021 Than in any Prior Year

New York City saw its deadliest year for people living in shelters or public spaces, with the pandemic and a rise in deadly overdoses fueling a fatal epidemic.

March 10, 2022 - City Limits

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Uphill Battle Facing Section 8 Recipients

Housing voucher recipients face a gauntlet of challenges when trying to find housing. Nonprofits are doing their best to streamline the process.

February 28, 2022 - LAist

A group of socially distanced tents for the homeless are set up on a parking lot in San Francisco's Civic Center.

HUD Credits COVID-19 Relief for Improved Homelessness Numbers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's "2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report" comes with significant caveats about partial data and changing homeless shelter practices.

February 8, 2022 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Denver Light Rail

Where Mayors Want to Spend Federal Aid

An annual survey reveals that mayors want to prioritize spending federal funding on homelessness, transportation, and social services.

December 6, 2021 - Route Fifty

California Homeless

Study: At Least 1,500 Unhoused Died on the Streets of L.A. During the Pandemic

New research represents the first detailed picture of death among people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

December 2, 2021 - The Guardian

Houston, Texas

Houston Could End Homelessness With Less Than 2,000 Housing Units

Houston's homeless response program has yielded strong results in the last few years. Just 1,900 new affordable housing units could 'effectively end' homelessness in the city.

December 2, 2021 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Austin Traffic

Austin Becoming Least Affordable City Outside California

The Texas capital, once one of the most affordable metro areas, is experiencing a housing affordability crisis as median prices soar and longtime residents face displacement.

December 1, 2021 - The New York Times

Unofficial monument to 25 years of People's Park, Berkeley, California

A Fight For the Future of People's Park

Community groups are fighting a plan to build student housing in the historic People's Park.

November 24, 2021 - Mercury News

Los Angeles Protest

L.A. Shifts Homeless Policy to Clear Street Encampments

Advocates say L.A.'s new focus on clearing 'unsightly' homeless encampments is a political band-aid that won't help people find permanent housing.

November 22, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Homeless encampments on the Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk.

The Blue State Problem

The New York Times and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have a message for progressives living in liberal cities in Blue States: you're part of the problem.

November 21, 2021 - The New York Times

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