Obamacare Brings Medicaid To Skid Row's 'Ugly Reality'
Among those who stand to benefit the most from the expansion of Medicaid are homeless adults. Many of these men and women are mentally ill or addicted to drugs and alcohol. Enrolling them can be...
View ArticleWith A Series Of Small Bans, Cities Turn Homelessness Into A Crime
By prohibiting acts like loitering and sleeping in public, cities hope to make streets safer. But advocates for the homeless say this type of legislation can be counterproductive.
View ArticleNew York Debates Whether Housing Counts As Health Care
Offering a homeless person an apartment with access to a doctor and social services may be cheaper than paying for emergency room visits and jail or shelter stays. But should Medicaid help with rent?
View ArticleMental Health Cops Help Reweave Social Safety Net In San Antonio
Across the U.S., jails hold many more people with serious mental illness than state hospitals do. San Antonio is reweaving its safety net for the mentally ill — and saving $10 million annually.
View ArticleACLU Challenges Miami Law On Behalf Of Homeless Sex Offenders
Miami-Dade County has strict limits on where sex offenders can live — so strict, many wind up living in outdoor encampments. Now the ACLU is challenging the law, which it says is harsh and arbitrary.
View ArticleAs Downtown LA Grows, So Does Urgency To Fix Skid Row
In Los Angeles, more than a thousand people sleep on the street in cardboard boxes and tents — just a mile away from City Hall. Many want to fix Skid Row, but how to do it is extremely controversial.
View ArticleCommunities Struggle To Reach Homeless Students Living In The Shadows
More than 1 million public school students in the U.S. don't have permanent homes. Most live doubled up with family or friends, but many live in motels, emergency shelters, campgrounds — even cars.
View ArticleHomeless Man Encourages Others On The Streets To 'Get Up'
Tony Simmons is a former heroin addict and drug runner who had been in and out of jail. Today, he helps many of Baltimore's 3,000 homeless residents — with housing guidance, advice and hugs.
View ArticleFrom Skid Row To Rome: The Story Of An Unusual Running Club
A Los Angeles criminal court judge has organized a running club made up of residents from Skid Row's Midnight Mission. This weekend, the club is running far away from home.
View ArticleLowering A City's Homeless Population — By Forcing The Homeless Out
Officials in Hollywood, Fla., have long battled a controversial homeless advocate. Now they've bought his shelter — and made a deal for him and the homeless people who stayed there to go elsewhere.
View ArticleAmid Seattle's Affluence, Homelessness Also Flourishes
In Seattle — one of the nation's wealthiest cities — homelessness has surged over the past decade. More people are now homeless in Seattle than anywhere except New York City, Los Angeles or Las Vegas.
View ArticleHomeless Families Wait Longer For Shelter Under Seattle's System
Even with vacancies, most Seattle shelters don't let families stay right away. A system designed to alleviate homelessness has resulted in a bottleneck that leaves families on the streets for longer.
View ArticleFor Homeless Families, Quick Exit From Shelters Is Only A Temporary Fix
The rapid rehousing program provides the homeless with short-term rental assistance. But many recipients ultimately face the same problems as those who stay in shelters, a new government study finds.
View ArticleWhen A Budget Motel Is 'Home,' There's Little Room For Childhood
In San Bernardino County, nearly one-tenth of public school students are homeless. For many, that means living in rundown motels — and coping with troubling conditions long before they get to class.
View ArticleHouse Calls To The Homeless: A Doctor Treats Boston's Most Isolated Patients
James O'Connell refers to himself as a "street doctor." Since 1985, he has cared for homeless patients, sometimes making visits on park benches or in alleys. His memoir is Stories from the Shadows.
View ArticleTide Starts To Turn Against The 'Crime' Of Being Homeless
Some local laws make it illegal to sleep or eat outside. Advocates have fought these laws in court. Now, the federal government is taking a stance, pushing ways to help, not criminalize, the homeless.
View ArticleNew Stats Boast A Dip In Homelessness — But They're Not The Full Story
Over 560,000 people lived on the street or in homeless shelters this year — a 2 percent drop, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Still, many say the numbers are unreliable.
View ArticleUtah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent; Here's How
Over the past decade, Utah's toughest cases of homeless people dropped to fewer than 200, from nearly 2,000. Utah's size and support from Mormon leaders are among the reasons for its success.
View ArticleThere's Shelter, And Then There's Housing. Utah Claims Muted Victory
Utah has reduced its chronically homeless population by 91 percent since 2005. But like many places, it lacks affordable housing, leaving more than 14,000 people in the state homeless this year.
View ArticleTemporary Housing For Young People, By Young People
Homeless young people can often be targets of theft and assault by homeless adults. Two 23-year-olds in Boston founded a new shelter to assure their peers are safe, warm, welcomed and supported.
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