Latest Homelessness News

‘Beyond cruel’: Newsom retaliates against this LA suburb for its ban on homeless shelters

Oct. 04, 2024 11:23 AM EDT

The mayor of a middle-class Los Angeles County suburb said the city stands by its moratorium on homeless shelters and supportive housing even after facing state sanctions Thursday. California’s housing department revoked approval of the state-mandated housing plan for Norwalk, a...

Florida enacts tough law to get homeless off the streets, leaving cities and counties scrambling

Oct. 01, 2024 16:48 PM EDT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — As the sun rose Tuesday, Robert Robinson pulled himself from the sidewalk outside Fort Lauderdale's bus depot. It's where he'd slept — and become a violator of Florida's newest law. Under a statute that took effect Tuesday, it is now illegal in...

Late payments to nonprofits hamper California’s fight against homelessness

Oct. 01, 2024 11:57 AM EDT

California’s homeless service providers have a problem: They aren’t getting paid on time, and it’s making it even harder for them to get people off the street. Nonprofits that provide everything from shelter beds, to counseling for homeless residents, to affordable housing,...

Moving homeless people from streets to shelter isn't easy, San Francisco outreach workers say

Sep. 26, 2024 00:32 AM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Outreach worker Edgar Tapia hit a San Francisco neighborhood on a mission to find people to take eight available shelter beds, including a tiny cabin perfect for a couple. He approached a cluster of tents in the Mission District, calling out greetings and...

Suit seeks to overturn Georgia law on homeless voter registration and voter challenges

Sep. 24, 2024 17:20 PM EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — A new lawsuit seeks to overturn two provisions of a Georgia election law related to voter challenges. The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda filed suit on Tuesday in federal court in Atlanta, arguing that a law...

More shelter beds and a crackdown on tents mean fewer homeless encampments in San Francisco

Sep. 22, 2024 07:05 AM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sidewalks once teeming with tents, tarps and people passed out next to heaps of trash have largely disappeared from great swaths of San Francisco, a city widely known for its visible homeless population. The number of people sleeping outdoors dropped to under...

Man accused in shootings near homeless encampments in Minneapolis

Sep. 21, 2024 11:12 AM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man has been charged in shootings near Minneapolis homeless encampments that killed one man and injured another. Anthony Jones, 36, was charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder, the Hennepin County...

California governor signs package of bills giving state more power to enforce housing laws

Sep. 19, 2024 17:00 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California cities will soon face more state scrutiny — and new penalties — for pushing back on housing and homeless shelter construction, according to a package of laws signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom has been cracking down on what he...

Vermont caps emergency motel housing for homeless, forcing many to leave this month

Sep. 19, 2024 11:37 AM EDT

BERLIN, Vt. (AP) — This fall, hundreds of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Vermont must leave state-funded motel rooms where they’ve been living as the state winds down its pandemic-era motel voucher program. The move is prompting outcry from municipal leaders and...

Disney trips meant for homeless students went to NYC school employees' kids, officials say

Sep. 16, 2024 16:43 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Six employees of New York City's public school system took their children or grandchildren on trips to Disney World, New Orleans and other locations using tickets that were meant for homeless students, investigators said in a newly released report. The trips...