Homelessness

California officials seek ‘care’ without coercion as new mental health courts launch this fall

Under the new system, family members and first responders can ask county judges to order people with psychotic illness into treatment, even if they are not unhoused or haven’t committed a crime.

What does it mean when the homeless workforce can’t afford housing?

It means there’s fewer people to help the unhoused, exacerbating the homelessness crisis, a new report says. It estimates that $4.8 billion is needed to adequately pay current workers.

Motels converted to house families at capacity, new homeless intake center expected to hit limit

The model of converting motels into shelter space has helped address underlying issues of homelessness by providing housing and individualized case management, but one county needs more of them.

To solve the affordable housing crisis, some communities are turning to hotels

The pandemic presented communities with a unique opportunity to convert hotels into residential spaces, creating everything from temporary transitional housing to long-term supportive homes. But is the model sustainable today?

Prevention pays off: How one city may soon end family homelessness

Milwaukee’s community leaders and social services organizations are setting common goals and directing resources toward keeping families from becoming homeless in the first place.

Couch, car or curb: Defining which young person is ‘homeless’ affects aid state by state

A patchwork of definitions complicates efforts to help youth without permanent homes.

Housing-first interventions, not policing, key to ending homelessness

New data shows that government assistance during the pandemic dramatically reduced homelessness. So why are cities and states increasingly turning to criminalization to address the issue?

What it’s like to be a homeless woman

A recent survey of unhoused women sheds light on an oft-overlooked and little understood problem. As the number of homeless women grows, so do their concerns about safety and privacy.

Emergency financial aid can prevent homelessness

COMMENTARY | People were 81% less likely to be homeless within six months after receiving financial aid through the Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System, according to a recent study.

How one region consolidated homelessness data to improve care

San Diego County, California, turned to the cloud to collate information on its homeless population from disparate sources in an effort to get more people into housing.

Homelessness could have a 3D-printed solution

An innovative pilot in Chattanooga aims to tackle the challenge of sheltering homeless residents.

The federal government has more than 8,000 vacant properties. Why aren’t they being used to house the homeless?

A 2016 law says unused federal properties should be turned over to help the homeless. But a complex process and bureaucratic requirements are making that nearly impossible.

Work requirements for SNAP don’t get people into jobs

COMMENTARY | Work requirements for SNAP benefits don't boost employment, a study finds. Instead, they have adverse effects on homeless people.

California’s homelessness crisis is homegrown, study finds

A survey of homeless Californians reveals that the primary reason they end up homeless is not addiction or mental health conditions, but rather a lack of affordable housing.

New Initiative Will Help Cities Reduce Homelessness

The program will “embed” federal officials in six cities to help local officials get people off the streets and into homes more quickly.

State Lawmakers Eye Forced Treatment to Address Overlap in Homelessness and Mental Illness

Democratic politicians in California and Oregon are reconsidering the restrictions of involuntary commitment laws. They argue that not helping people who are seriously ill and living in squalor on the streets is inhumane.

States Take Up Bills to Confront Youth Homelessness

From couch surfing to living in the streets, it is easy to overlook young people experiencing homelessness. That’s changing.

California Governor Announces Plan to ‘Create More Housing, Faster’

In an effort to tackle one of the country’s largest homeless populations, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week announced plans to build 1,200 tiny homes and spend $1 billion on local homelessness initiatives.

Tackling Rural America’s ‘Hidden’ Housing Crisis

Over the past two years, the rate of homelessness and housing insecurity rose faster in rural places than the country at large, but community-based organizations are in a unique position to offer solutions.

L.A.’s Scoring System for Subsidized Housing Gives Unhoused Black and Latino People Lower Priority Scores

An investigation by The Markup found racial disparities in L.A.’s intake system for people experiencing homelessness.