The Republicans of the House and Senate released the final version of their tax bill on Friday, Dec. 15, with the intention of voting it into law before the new year. The bill—titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—has received numerous edits since it was originally introduced by House Means and Ways Committee Chairman Kevin…
Memories of Thanksgiving on the Street
I enjoyed this past Thanksgiving, probably more than I’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving in quite some time. I got to spend a nice, quiet holiday in my adopted hometown with friends. It was quiet, and I caught up on a lot of sleep and watched movies. I wish I could say that nothing bothered me at all,…
Triage Tool Uses Health Care Info to House Homeless With Better Support Systems
Mathematica Policy Research released a study demonstrating that a triage assessment tool used by the Massachusetts Shelter and Housing Alliance (MHSA) can successfully predict the emergency resource utilization of chronically homeless individuals. The MHSA partners with organizations and service providers in the state to place chronically homeless people in housing with appropriate supportive services. Since…
Indigenous People and Homelessness: a Distinct and Growing Reality
Carole Lévesque is a professor at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) who specialises in urbanization, culture and society. Over the course of two years, she headed a team of six researchers who studied the situation of homeless indigenous people in Montreal and Val-d’Or and wrote a report on their findings. A specialist…
Indigenous People and Homelessness: a Distinct and Growing Reality
Photo by Paul Fleurent Carole Lévesque is a professor at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) who specialises in urbanization, culture and society. Over the course of two years, she headed a team of six researchers who studied the situation of homeless indigenous people in Montreal and Val-d’Or and wrote a report on…
From Recovery to Revolution: Russell Brand talks addiction and recovery
Photo by Louise Haywood-Schiefer The Big Issues of the United Kingdom and Australia have gone Russell Brand daft in recent issues. In this conversation from a church in central London, the eccentric actor, writer, comedian and activist talks with a group of Big Issue vendors about what drives their addictions and how they overcame them.…
Voices From Rosie’s Place: Live Your Dreams, Not Your Circumstances
Spare Change News is proud to present the next installment of “In Their Own Words,” which highlights the work of writers who meet at Rosie’s Place. In late 2014, Rosie’s Place, a community center for Boston’s poor and homeless women, started a memoir workshop. The intention was to have the guests, as they call the…
Furnishing a House into a Home
On Saturday, Oct. 28, the nonprofit Furnishing Hope of Massachusetts cut the ribbon for its new location in Harvard Square, a bigger office than its previous location. Executive Director Suzy Palitz’s goal is to help families furnish their new house into a home. So in 2013 she started the nonprofit in Cambridge. Today Furnishing Hope…
Boston Clergy Reignite MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign
As Americans all over the country eagerly await a real change, an enthusiastic crowd of people was heard chanting “No more! Poverty has to go!” outside Trinity Church on Thursday. The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who is popularly known for his effective Moral Mondays movement, and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, have picked…
Huge Mobile Home Park Co-op Deal Puts Residents in Charge
In a deal that is the largest of its kind, a group of 700 Halifax residents this week bought the mobile home park where they live for $27 million—and they’ll turn it into a co-op run by a nine person board. The deal at Halifax Estates was facilitated by specialists at the Cooperative Development Institute…