Author: Marisela Fermin
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A Victory for Privacy Rights in Shelter Living
Marisela Fermin The U.S. court system has long provided a setting for action within the homeless community. In the landmark 1979 case Callahan v. Carey, a class-action lawsuit initiated on behalf of the homeless in New York, the court ruled that shelter was a constitutional right. However, even more than 30 years later, the legal…
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Not in Here You Don’t: Plans to Ban Smoking in Boston Public Housing
Marisela Fermin In January 2010, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced his vision for smoke-free public housing by 2014. The proposed ban would prohibit public housing residents from smoking within their apartment units and in shared common spaces. Individuals who want to smoke would have to do so outside their buildings. Low-income smokers in MA also…