An apartment in Pomona that leases through the Housing for Health Program. (Matt Tinoco/LAist)

Our California Dream collaboration is looking for solutions to some of California's most pressing problems, in this case, homelessness. An initiative in Los Angeles seeks to save taxpayer money by housing some of the most vulnerable residents — those who cycle from the street to the emergency room and back again.

The California Dream series is a statewide media collaboration of CALmatters, KPBS, KPCC, KQED and Capital Public Radio with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the James Irvine Foundation.

READ THE STORY AT LAist.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Two tents in Hollywood erected beneath the 101 Freeway during a January rainstorm. (Matt Tinoco/KPCC)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Homeless advocates erected a line of tents outside the Echo Park office of City Councilman Mitchell O'Farrell Feb. 12, 2020 to pressure him into meeting with them.; Credit: FILE PHOTO

Members of several groups of homeless advocates from across Los Angeles converged on a homeless encampment at the north end of   Echo Park Lake on Feb. 12 to protest the routine weekly litter collection.

A cleanup crew assisted by park rangers and city police officers did a once-through the campsite for miscellaneous trash, followed closely by a chanting and critical crowd of protesters.

The homeless advocates had erected extra tents that morning in protest of what they consider invasive cleanups. They also were trying to get City Councilman Mitchell O'Farrell to agree to meet with them as a group, same as he has met with other local organizations of homeowners and residents.

O'Farrell's spokesman Tony Aranga had insisted staffers were willing to meet with individuals to address their housing and other support needs.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

As the need for affordable housing in Winnipeg continues to grow, organizations like Raising the Roof are stepping up to help families in need.

Administration initially said that negotiations had failed and the land would be expropriated within four to eight months.

Written eviction notices handed out to residents of the encampment in Guelph's St. George Square in late October took effect on Wednesday. Unoccupied tents were removed and bylaw officers were waiting for the remaining few residents to leave voluntarily. Doug Godfrey, the general manager of Guelph's operations department, said in an emailed statement that bylaw officers may issue trespass notices to those who choose not to comply with the eviction order. Reporting by Cameron Mahler/CBC.

A new documentary film, Dorothy’s Way, shines light on the services and successes Berkeley’s Dorothy Day House offers. Founded in 1992, with UC Berkeley as a partner, DDH began serving breakfast to unsheltered people in People’s Park. It was named in honor of journalist and activist Dorothy Day, who dedicated her working life, from the […]

Seven thousand were reported homeless after fire destroyed homes in Lorega cemetery, Cebu City, on 18 March. OM helps provide basic relief.

After working with the needy on a Transform 2012 outreach to Greece, Anthony (UK) returned to Athens to continue in that ministry.

In honor or St. Mary of Egypt, let me introduce you to my brother Homeless Mark.

Bob goes out on street sweeps with Cornerstone to support the homeless.

The black Labrador goes out on street sweeps to help a charity speak with vulnerable people.

The mother and her children were put into temporary accommodation after fleeing domestic abuse.

Sandwell Council says there are currently 220 households living in temporary accommodation.

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The post The changing geography of homelessness in Australia (2001–21) and its structural drivers was curated by information for practice.

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The post Help the Homeless was curated by information for practice.

The intent of Bill 111 is to “provide the procedures to compassionately relocate people when necessary, including offering access to services and storage of personal property,” said committee chair Shane Sinenci. “Government cannot search and seize your personal property.”

The post Maui Considers New Law To Regulate Homeless Sweeps was curated by information for practice.

A Portland City Council discussion that could've ended a collaborative agreement, without a backup plan in place, has been scrapped a day after the election. The move would've cost the city more than $40M. by Courtney Vaughn

Update: Nov. 6- This story has been updated to note that this week's Council discussion has been canceled.

A day after an election showing Portland City Commissioners Mingus Mapps and Rene Gonzalez losing their bids for mayor, a plan to revisit an intergovernmental agreement on homelessness between the city and Multnomah County has been canceled. 

An agenda item scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7 to consider terminating the homeless services agreement was pulled from the agenda Wednesday afternoon, just 26 hours before it was slated to be considered by Council.

The proposal, which came from Commissioners Mapps, Gonzalez, and Dan Ryan, was a divisive move that could've upended the city's collaboration with the county on the most pressing issue impacting the region.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Gonzalez, Ryan and Mapps said pulling the plug on their plans "will allow space for the new City Council, Mayor, and County Commissioners to renegotiate the Homelessness Response Services Intergovernmental Agreement if they choose."

"The Commissioners remain steadfast in their conviction that the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and Metro can build a better system to address homeless services and pave a better path forward," the statement reads.

Three weeks ago, while presiding over a Council meeting in Mayor Ted Wheeler’s absence, Commissioner Gonzalez directed the city attorney to draft up a contract termination ordinance that would dissolve the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) dictating homelessness response and collaboration. He got a nod of support from Mapps and Ryan. 

The trio then introduced a proposal to formally end the contract between the governing agencies, citing “insufficient progress” to meet key milestones and deadlines. A contract termination proposal on Thursday’s agenda suggests the current arrangement lacks the right framework and governance structures to tackle the homelessness crisis “with the urgency, collaboration, and effectiveness required.”

Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps pitched the proposal as an orderly wind-down to make way for an improved agreement. But one day after an election showing Gonzalez and Mapps losing their bids for mayor, the proposal was abandoned.

The proposal drew swift backlash from the mayor and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. Following Portland’s Oct. 16 Council meeting, Vega Pederson issued a statement admonishing Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps. 

The majority of City Council says they don't want to work with the County to end homelessness.

Its clear these officials - candidates desperately vying for your vote this month - have their eyes on their own future and not our collective one.

Disappointing. pic.twitter.com/sZwkoQBiF2

— Jessica Vega Pederson (@jvegapederson) October 17, 2024

Last Friday, when the item officially appeared on a Council agenda, she spoke out again.

“The City Council deciding to end this agreement after just a few months is a short-sighted decision that will harm our community’s future,” Vega Pederson wrote November 1 in a lengthy explanatory statement released by the county. “We don’t need more talking–this community cannot afford it. That will not lead to better outcomes or fewer people on the street, and I do not believe it is a good use of taxpayer resources when we have a collaborative plan we are already putting into action. No single government can [solve] this issue alone. The County is taking action on homelessness every day and that work is best when we work in partnership.”

Vega Pederson previously called the move a “political stunt” by Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps just before the election. If the Council voted to end the contract, it wouldn't take effect for 90 days, when a new City Council is in place. 

Margaux Weeke, communications director for Commissioner Ryan, says the commissioner isn't opposed to working with the county under a modified arrangement, but it needs to be substantially different.

“Dan Ryan knows the players. He knows the game," Weeke says. "And he wants to expand the amount of seats at the table and pave a better path forward for homeless services."

The current IGA, which was just renewed in July, essentially lays out a division of labor, funding, and responsibilities between the city and the county with regard to homeless services and shelters. It also identifies goals and milestones for reducing the number of unsheltered people in the county. 

Vega Pederson said the county now spends all of its homeless services funds, and more, while providing clear data and public dashboards. She also noted the homelessness response plan lays out 120 action items, each assigned to a responsible party.

The county has issued data on spending and progress summaries.

If city estimates are accurate, ending the agreement would place a significant financial burden on the city as it heads into a tight fiscal year. Portland and Multnomah County currently share financial responsibility for the region’s homelessness response. 

The city would no longer have to send $32 million in general fund money to Multnomah County, but it would take on more than $40 million in costs to permanently manage the Safe Rest Villages and Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites. 

The roughly $40 million expense doesn’t include costs for wraparound services that the county currently provides at the shelter sites. The city doesn’t know how much it would cost to provide those services, and there is no alternative plan in place for maintaining services and shelter beds if the contract goes away.

Welcome Home Coalition, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and universal access to housing, warned the termination proposal was dangerous.

“They are presenting this action without a clearly articulated new plan of how the city will serve people experiencing homelessness,” an email sent from the coalition reads. “Backing out of the Intergovernmental Agreement without an understanding of how this would impact service provision will have rippling consequences that will no doubt result in more harm to those in the most need of services.”

In a joint letter released last week, the three commissioners explained their decision to introduce the agenda item, saying the city needs to see a different way of managing services.

“As Portland City Commissioners with years of experience with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, we are resolute that we can no longer afford to maintain the status quo,” the joint letter states. “We are also united in our repeated calls for accountability, efficiency, and improved governance to enhance our homeless services. …And despite our repeated requests for clear and useful data, operational alignment for short-term shelters, and a shared vision for the homeless services system, we have faced significant challenges in implementing these necessary changes.”

Ending the IGA would further deteriorate an already strained relationship between the city and county. Mayor Wheeler previously said the working relationship between both governments had improved over the past year, but recent IGA renewals have been met with reluctance from Mapps, Ryan, and Gonzalez.

Tents housing the homeless at an encampment in Echo Lake Park in Los Angeles, California on March 24, 2021.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

The Los Angeles City Council votes Thursday on a proposal to ban sleeping or camping in certain parts of the city, including near schools, parks, libraries, and other “sensitive” facilities like daycares. It would also ban tents and encampments from blocking sidewalks if wheelchair users cannot access them. The motion is a departure from the city’s previous approach to the homelessness crisis.

Council members voted 12 to 3 on Tuesday to pull the draft ordinance out of Homelessness and Poverty Committee, where it had been stuck since November, and directed City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office to draft the new rules. Today on AirTalk, we’re speaking with Los Angeles Times reporter Ben Oreskes about the proposed rules, what Thursday’s vote means, and what we know about possible legal ramifications of the proposed changes. 

Guest: 

Ben Oreskes, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @boreskes

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A homeless encampment is pictured at Venice Beach, on June 30, 2021 in Venice, California, where an initiative began this week offering people in homeless encampments a voluntary path to permanent housing.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

The majority of unhoused women across the nation — 57% according to recent data — say domestic violence is the direct cause of losing their permanent home. 

In L.A, almost 40% of women who are homeless say they’ve experienced abuse in the last 12 months.

The choice they’ve been forced to make: Stay in danger with their abusers — or escape, with nowhere to go.

“It’s like jumping from a burning building but there’s no net to catch you,” said Nikki Brown, a survivor and advocate.

There are many, complex reasons why survivors become homeless. Shame is one of them. Yet studies show that one in three women experience some form of intimate partner abuse in their lives. So why don’t we talk about it more?

“It's the greatest secret that's super common and nobody wants to admit it,” said Brown. “There are so many complicated circumstances that make it really hard to leave. And when you can't leave, that element of shame and blame is the thing that makes it so hard to talk about.”

Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about reporter Julia Paskin’s series Pushed Out, on domestic violence and homelessness in Los Angeles. Do you have an experience you want to share? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Julia Paskin, KPCC producer and reporter who created the “Pushed Out” series; she tweets @JuliaPaskinInc

Amy Turk, CEO of Downtown Women’s Center, which advocates and offers services for women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless women; she tweets @AmyFTurk

Nikki Brown, staff attorney at Community Legal Aid SoCal, where she has clients that are domestic violence survivors

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines evidence on whether providing permanent supportive housing (PSH) – a combination of stable housing and supportive services -- to individuals who are experiencing homelessness improves their health.

World leading artificial grass supplier, Act Global, will provide pitches at the Homeless World Cup in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

In latest commitment in its growing partnership with Project HOME, Philadelphia Nut Butter donates $7,500 to secure key Sponsorship

MULTI-AWARD WINNER SCREENWRITER Shaneen Bonner announces her new film script, From Homeless To Hollywood. This film script won over thirty awards at film festivals worldwide.

"Work Comp Matters" - the central location for all your workers' compensation, employment and labor law matters. Steve Appell hosts this weekly podcast from sunny southern California - presenting some…

During this addition of Work Comp matters Steve provides his solution to the homeless problem. Also during the show Steve Mike and Robert talk about marijuana, e-cigarette's, PG&E,Recent major league…

The bond between people and their pets can be life-saving, especially amid the struggle for safe housing.

The Committee for Communities visited two local homeless projects on the 8th December 2016 to mark Homelessness Awareness Week 2016.

Medicaid can now pay for medical and mental health care delivered on the sidewalk. This will transform how care for unhoused people can be given in the states that take advantage of the policy change.

(The Center Square) – A recent study looking at U.S. cities with the most economically at-risk residents, found some areas of concern for New Yorkers.

On a single night in 2022, 582,462 people experienced homelessness in the United States, and numbers are on the rise. Since 2017, there has been a 6% increase in homelessness.

Washington, D.C., police have arrested a suspect after recovering a stolen Salvation Army van used year-round every night to feed the homeless.

Bonnie McCoy has been living at the Trent Resource and Assistance Center, or TRAC, for two years…

Belly Laughs is returning to Birmingham to support SIFA Fireside.

Taking time at Christmas to remember homeless who passed away in Birmingham.

Fundraising day will help provide assistance for region's vulnerable sleepers.

Exact services vary depending on the community each project targets, but supportive housing generally includes on-site case managers, often with some health care or job training classes available in the building.

Bridge House's "work-first" approach is similar to Aurora's philosophy of how best to lift people out of homelessness.

Homeless valedictorians are on the road to college success.

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Tupac Mosley overcame homelessness to graduate as valedictorian, writes Jonathan E. Collins, but there’s an overlooked part of his inspirational story: policy.

Islanders are coming together to think up solutions to food insecurity and homelessness. About 80 Islanders attended a symposium at UPEI on Thursday night for a discussion focused on the intersection of food insecurity and homelessness.

The large urban mayors of Northern Ontario are advocating for increased provincial and federal support, prioritizing the establishment of Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs and the expansion of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

Veracruz, Mexico :: A team from Logos Hope points homeless people to Christ at a church outreach.