Washington, DC, December 16, 2019 – This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition by the city of Boise to review the case Martin v. Boise (formerly Bell v. Boise). This leaves in place earlier rulings by the 9th Circuit that homeless persons cannot be punished for sleeping outside on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives. People experiencing unsheltered homelessness—at least in the 9th Circuit—can sleep more safely without facing criminal punishment for simply trying to survive on the streets.
Read MoreWashington, DC, December 4, 2019 – Yesterday, it was announced that Robert Marbut would be named as the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), a position recently left open by the ousting of Matthew Doherty. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty looks forward to continuing to work with this esteemed group under new leadership, and we also hope to see the organization continue its bipartisan, solutions-focused work to end homelessness in the United States.
Read MoreWashington, DC, November 22, 2019 — Last Friday, the White House removed the Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Matthew Doherty, raising concerns that it plans to move forward with a political, rather than evidence-based, strategy to addressing homelessness in California and across the country.
Read MoreWashington, DC, November 7, 2019 – On Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ignored the voices of countless Austin residents when he ordered the displacement of homeless people living under Texas bridges in the Austin area—with no plan for where they would go. In an apparent response to these actions, the Austin Chamber of Commerce announced plans to spend millions on a “large tent structure,” which the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty is concerned will not serve many of Austin’s homeless residents.
Read MoreWashington, DC, September 17, 2019 – On Monday evening, President Trump’s Council of Economic Advisors released a white paper that ignores and directly contradicts the evidence-based consensus of 19 of his own agencies. Last year, those agencies published the Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness, stating that housing, low barrier shelter, and decriminalization is the best way to end homelessness.
Read MoreWashington, DC, September 12, 2019 – On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that President Trump ordered White House officials to “crack down” on homeless encampments in California. While the Law Center agrees that unsheltered homelessness is a crisis in California and across the country, we are concerned about the Administration’s plans to displace people without real attention to alternatives.
Read MoreWashington, DC, August 13, 2019 – Yesterday, the Trump administration released the final version of the “public charge” rule which will prevent legal immigrants and their families from pursuing permanent residency if they or someone in their household legally use federal public assistance programs including Medicaid, nutrition-related resources, or subsidized housing.
Read MoreWashington, DC, July 17, 2019 – Today, the #IAskForHelpBecause Campaign launched its second round of a nationwide effort to strike down bans on panhandling and to replace them with more constructive policies that address the root causes of homelessness.
Read MoreBoise, ID, April 1, 2019 – Tonight, people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the west coast states of the Ninth Circuit can sleep more safely, without facing criminal punishment for simply trying to survive on the streets.
Read MoreLos Angeles, CA, March 7, 2019 – On February 28, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) adopted a new policy that calls for decriminalizing life-sustaining survival actions of the more than 40,000 Los Angelenos who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Read MoreJacksonville, FL, February 13, 2019 – A group of advocacy organizations and pro bono attorneys are suing St. Johns County Sheriff David B. Shoar and Florida Highway Patrol Director Gene Spaulding on behalf of Peter Vigue, a St. Augustine resident who has been arrested by both law enforcement agencies for standing on the public right of way and holding a sign soliciting donations.
Read MoreWashington, DC, February 13, 2019 – A new report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and National Network for Youth discuss the state laws impacting an estimated 700,000 minors in the U.S. experiencing homelessness alone each year. These youth face high risks of assault, dropping out of school, food insecurity, and health problems.
Read MoreWashington, DC, January 25, 2019 – Over 2.5 million children experience homelessness each year in the U.S., and advocates fear their ranks will increase due to the continuing government shutdown. As the 800,000 federal government employees currently furloughed or working without pay miss their second paycheck today, some will be unable to pay their rent or mortgage– putting them and their families at risk of homelessness. More than two million other low-income families rely on government rental subsidies to help pay their rent, subsidies that are only guaranteed through February 28th.
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