Category: Homelessness & Poverty
-
Report warns Boston at risk of housing deficit
The costs of building new housing in the Boston area have gotten so high that the city is at risk of a “permanent housing deficit,” says a new report from researchers at Northeastern University. “This year’s report emphasizes that we are in or near a period of crisis over the cost and availability of housing…
-
State Officials Take on Family Homelessness
With nearly 4,500 homeless families throughout the Commonwealth, officials are taking action to amend the system and help them find housing and shelter. At the moment, a bill is making its way through the State House that would ease access to emergency shelters and childcare vouchers. One of the biggest changes that the bill would…
-
Seattle declares homelessness an emergency
Seattle became the latest city to declare homelessness an emergency this week. Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine announced they were declaring the emergencies Tuesday, November 2, Murry’s office said in a press release. Seattle City Council members Mike O’Brien, Sally Bagshaw and John Okamoto also helped outline new investments aimed at…
-
One Year Later: Rally remember the Long Island bridge closure
One year after the Long Island bridge’s sudden closure on October 8th 2014, the homeless, the recovering and their advocates spent a morning rallying to raise awareness and demand mores services from the city and the state. Long Island was home to the city’s largest shelter, detox center and a number of addiction recovery services.…
-
LONG ISLAND: Closure and fallout timeline
Oct. 8: Long Island bridge closes after a private inspection. The city deems the bridge unsafe in the wake of new state requirements. Programs on the island—both health care workers and their clients—are given three hours notice. Buses on their way to the island’s shelter are turned around, bringing shelter guests to a new location.…
-
ONE YEAR LATER: Boston Warm's successes, challenges, and future
Boston Warm was formed on November 20, 2014, a bit over a month after the Long Island bridge was closed. A group of interfaith leaders felt the city wasn’t handling the situation and decided to take action. Since then, the group has opened two warming centers, advocated for the reestablishment of treatment beds, produced a…
-
RISING TIDE: The fight against the criminalization of homelessness
Last month, the Homeless Empowerment Project’s Vincent Flanagan, in his last action before leaving his post as executive director of Spare Change News, testified before the Massachusetts State House regarding a Homeless Bill of Rights. The law would make it illegal for an employer to discriminate based on whether an applicant has a permanent address…
-
GIVING BACK: Activist Cleve Rae starts Homeless Inclusion Initiative
Cleve Rea, an activist for the homeless community, is starting a new program to pair homeless individuals and families with concerned citizen mentors, he announced on Spare Change News TV on August 31. The program, dubbed the Boston Homeless Inclusion Initiative, will provide a support system and community for homeless individuals and families. A major…
-
ONLINE: Cambridge gets creative with "charrette" on homelessness
The City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs will host a public conversation about homelessness, bringing together the local community and experts to discuss problems and work toward solutions. Coordinating with Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), the Charrette on Homelessness will take place from September 15 to 18, featuring six two-hour discussions and a…
-
STREET DOCTOR: Q&A with author Dr. James O'Connell
Dr. James O’Connell has been a doctor on the streets of Boston for 30 years, providing healthcare to Boston’s unsheltered population. A founding physician of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, he got his start in 1985 and now serves as the BHCHP’s president. Dr. O’Connell has recently released his book, Stories from…