Category: National
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Puuhonua O Waianae: Hawaii’s refuge for the homeless, by the homeless
When Twinkle Borge heard about the community meeting in 2010 to discuss what to do about the growing population at the homeless encampment near Waianae Boat Harbor on Oahu’s west coast, she figured the camp’s residents ought to have a voice. Borge had been living in the camp since 2006, a few years after she…
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Ground Zero, 15 Years later: A slideshow
Photographer Zengzheng Wang contributed these photos from the memorial at the base of the One World Trade Center in New York, fifteen years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Flowers, letters, and names adorn the memorial — a calm, solemn tribute to those we lost that day. All photos: Zengzheng Wang.
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More specific language could help social workers provide services to the homeless
Research conducted by Elizabeth Bowen hints that more specific naming conventions could help social workers and researchers alike provide aid to homeless individuals more accurately and efficiently. With a wide diversity of individuals living in Single Residency Occupancies (SROs) across the United States, service providers often have trouble offering proper aid. But by using more…
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Can We Completely End Veteran Homelessness?
Veteran homelessness has been a consistent problem in the United States dating as far back as World War II. While 17 percent of our entire homeless population is made up of veterans, just 8 percent of Americans claim veteran status, according to Green Doors, a homelessness organization in Central Texas. Earlier this year it was…
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Landmark case to set precedent on Illinois’ Homeless Bill of Rights
A court case in Chicago will set a precedent on how effectively the state’s Homeless Bill of Rights Act will defend the rights of the homeless. Three years after Illinois’ Homeless Bill of Rights Act passed, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless took Chicago to court over allegations that city employees mistreated Robert Henderson. This…
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Life on Skid Row
(Photo: Zengzheng Wang) 1890 was a good year for California oil baron Lyman Stewart. His company had merged with Sespe Oil and the Mission Transfer Company to form Union Oil, Paul Rood, adjunct professor of political science and history at Biola University, said. At the time it was the largest oil company in California, responsible…
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HUD offers $2 million in grants to help students living in assisted living pay for college
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made it a little easier for students living in low-income housing to attend college earlier this month. HUD announced in a press release on August 2 that it is making $2 million in grant funding available to these students through its Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS)…
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Wendy Oxenhorn on co-founding Street News and her life helping those living in homelessness and poverty
By Adam Kampe and Eric Falquero Courtesy of INSP.ngo / Street Sense In 1989, Wendy Oxenhorn was approached by a rock musician to find a way to help people experiencing homelessness in New York City. Hutchinson Persons wanted to organize a large concert that would function as a canned food drive. He had heard of…
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Updates to McKinney-Vento Act set to take effect October 1
On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to improve the scholastic opportunities for homeless children. Along with other addendum to its precursor, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, the act renewed and updated the McKinney-Vento Act, which has aided 1.3 million homeless children enrolled in public…
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Court date set for alleged serial killer who police say targeted San Diego’s homeless
A court date has been set for an alleged serial killer who police say murdered three homeless men, and tried to kill two others in early July. Jon David Guerrero, 39, will undergo a mental competency hearing on October 7 at San Diego County Superior Court for the alleged attacks. For weeks San Diego Police could…