Photo: Kelsey Lockhart. Positive Metal Attitude runs deep through Davey Muise’s veins. As a young kid in the 90s, he dove into the grunge explosion, listening to bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Live and Pearl Jam. However, it was through a different avenue that the Vanna frontman immersed himself in the hardcore punk and…
Former TD Garden security contractor and guard sued on behalf of homeless victim of alleged assaults
The guard named in the lawsuit, Rene Norestant Jr., has been named in three other attacks at The Garden. -Photo: Wikimedia commons Four homeless people are suing a former security guard and his former employer, Allied Universal, for violent incidents that occurred at the TD Banknorth Garden last year, according to Suffolk Superior Court documents.…
How unaccompanied youths become exploited workers in the U.S.
Border between San Diego and Tijuana. – Wikimedia Commons The Trump administration has released a series of executive orders targeting immigration at the U.S. southern border. Central American families and children traveling alone represent nearly half of all unauthorized migrants apprehended by Customs and Border Protection. The criminalization of immigrants at the U.S. southern border…
Sound the alarm: HUD will face cuts under Carson
Spare Change News co-founder and columnist James Shearer. File photo For those of you who thought homelessness and poverty couldn’t get any worse, strap in. The new head of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson barely got his feet warm when the Trump administration revealed what’s in store for those on the bottom of the…
Two transitional programs closing in Boston due to HUD budget changes
A row of bunk beds at 112 Southampton Street Shelter. Photo: Zengzheng Wang. Two Boston transitional programs designed to help homeless addicts recover and find housing while providing them shelter and aid are closing down due to a change in funding at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The two programs are currently…
Boston schools commit one million dollars to homeless students for 2018
The Department of Education estimates that there may be as many as 37,000 homeless students in the Massachusetts public school system. New studies suggest that public school students in both Boston and New York City are at greater risk of homelessness during their school years. A Politico analysis of New York City found a 25…
Homelessness advocates gather at State House for Legislative Action Day
A woman identified only as Lynetta tells the assembled advocates and service providers about her experience with homelessness, after being evicted by an unscrupulous landlord. Photo by Alejandro Ramirez One day, Lynetta and her family were evicted from their home. She says her landlord retroactively increased her rent, which is illegal, and painted her as…
Report reveals family homelessness on the rise In Massachusetts
According to the report, 60 percent of homeless people in the state are children; 7,800 of the 13,000 people currently on the streets in Massachusetts. Photo by pikespice – Wikipedia Commons Family homelessness has spiked in Massachusetts, according to a report released by The Boston Foundation on February 23. The report—which the foundation contributed data to…
OUT ON HER OWN: A Story of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness
Photo by Mike DeSocio. Author’s Note: The central character in this story, Liniște, asked that she be referred to by a pseudonym for safety reasons. I met Liniște in September and spent five months following her throughout various parts of her life, closely observing her experiences with homelessness and sexuality. This approach seemed most appropriate…
Harvard Law Students partner with Spare Change News
Harvard Law students Antoine Southern and Anne Rosenblum will be guiding Spare Change News vendors through the legal questions that come with being a small business owner. Courtesy photo We are third-year Harvard Law School students from the Transactional Law Clinics’ Community Enterprise Project, and we are partnering with Spare Change News to address some…