homelessness

The latest Los Angeles homeless count found 66,433 people now live on the streets, in shelters and in vehicles around LA County.

Homelessness In Los Angeles County Rises Sharply

8:02pm June 12, 2020

by Anna Scott

Los Angeles County's annual homeless count came out Friday and shows a double-digit increase over last year. The pandemic is also causing future homelessness projections to skyrocket.

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Volunteer Earl Banks guides a load of food to a waiting van at a Denver branch of the Volunteers of America.

Coronavirus Drives Away Volunteers Just As They're Needed Most

1:47pm April 03, 2020

by Pam Fessler

Many food banks and homeless shelters depend on volunteers. But fewer are showing up at a time when the need for these services is skyrocketing.

Organizers of the Homeless Connect say the event outgrew its old space at the Salvation Army and had to be moved to the city's large downtown convention center.

National

To Combat Homelessness, Spokane Is Starting To Put Relationships Before Punishments

5:04am February 19, 2020

by Kirk Siegler

America's worsening homelessness crisis can feel like an intractable problem. But Spokane, Wash., may be having some early success trying some new tactics to help its most vulnerable.

Pope Francis shares a meal with guests and volunteers of the "Palace of the Poor."

World News

Pope Francis Turned A Vatican Palazzo Into 'Palace Of The Poor' For Homeless People

1:49pm February 07, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

"If you sleep on the ground covered in cardboard and have to wake up at 5 a.m. before the police come to shove you away, and then you find a place like this, what more do you want?" a new guest says.

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Buckshot Cunningham lived without housing for years before he moved into a small cottage at Hope Village, a shelter run by the nonprofit Rogue Retreat in southern Oregon.

Law Enforcement Officials Argue Rural Homeless Services Worsen Problem

6:06pm January 21, 2020

by April Ehrlich

Rural homelessness in Oregon isn't as visible as its urban equivalent, but it's a major problem. Even when money is available, local officials say providing resources could make the problem worse.

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Eagle Village resident Jolene Neiss says it's important to make each room feel like the resident's home with decorations, knickknacks and family photos.

National

Seattle Shelter Focuses On Native Peoples Experiencing Homelessness

9:33am December 30, 2019

by Casey Martin

Organizers hope potential residents are more comfortable coming to a facility that attends to their specific cultural needs.

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San Francisco police officers wait while homeless people collect their belongings. Nearly a quarter of the country's homeless population lives in California.

National

Supreme Court Won't Hear Case On Ban Against Homeless Sleeping In Public Spaces

2:39pm December 16, 2019

The denial upholds a lower court ruling that put severe limits on cities' ability to enforce anti-camping ordinances on streets and in public rights of way. Advocates for the homeless lauded the move.

A person sleeps on a sidewalk near New York's Times Square this past week. A new report says more and more American cities are passing laws that make it illegal to sleep outside, on the street, in a park or in your own car.

National

Opinion: Should It Be Illegal To Sleep Outside?

12:34pm December 14, 2019

by Scott Simon

Laws that ban sleeping outside favor relocation over resolving the problems that force people onto the streets.

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Robert Marbut has been tapped to lead the federal office on homelessness. Marbut is seen here in 2011 in a shelter in Clearwater, Fla.

White House Names Controversial Pick To Head Homelessness Office

3:25pm December 05, 2019

by Laurel Wamsley

Advocates for the homeless worry that Robert Marbut, a consultant who has been hired by many cities, will roll back the successes of arranging housing for the homeless.

News

Report: Greensboro Homeless Disproportionately Targeted By Police

7:30am November 13, 2019

by April Laissle

People experiencing homelessness in Greensboro face major barriers to attaining permanent housing and financial stability, according to a new study by UNCG, Guilford College, and the Homeless Union