Tag: Homelessness
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Senior Housing in Brighton to Add Units for Disabled, Chronically Homeless
Seniors looking to live in Brighton this fall may be in luck now that the Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE) campus is close to having 61 more units of affordable housing. The units are being built at 132 Chestnut Hill Ave., which is down the road from 30 Wallingford Road where JCHE residents…
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Homeless women face a different set of problems
The number of homeless people in the United States has been increasing rapidly over the past several years and women have been among the fastest growing group. Among the most advanced nations, the United States has the highest number of homeless women and children. Of homeless women, 60% have children who are under 18, but…
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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…
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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…
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From Homeless to Hopeful: One Woman’s Battle Against Addiction
In the back room of East Boston’s Meridian House, a long rectangular table is covered with blank paper. A group of about 20 people chat idly, sitting on all sides. Some have dyed hair and tattoos. Some speak in thick Boston accents. Some curse. Soon, they are quieted by a woman with bright pink hair…
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Some advocates see holes in HUD data, argue that homelessness may not be on the decline
The narrative that homelessness is on the decline nationally and in Massachusetts is something that local homeless advocates find hard to believe. Recently released reports from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) say that there are less homeless families, veterans and disabled persons on the street this year than in previous years, yet…
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HUD reports homelessness in the U.S. declines by 14 percent
Homelessness is declining in the United States, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said in a press release November 17. According to the 2016 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, 549,928 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2016, a 14 percent decline since 2010. That year is significant since that also…
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What Does Massachusetts’ Low Unemployment Rate Mean for the State’s Homeless?
This past August, the Massachusetts unemployment rate hit a substantial low, dropping from 4.1 percent in July to 3.9 percent—the lowest it has been in 15 years. With 5,900 jobs added last month, the last time the state’s jobless rate was this low was August 2001. The added jobs were primarily in leisure and hospitality,…
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Silence
The party conventions are over and the candidates have been chosen (not the greatest of choices) and we now move on to the campaigns, the debates, the name calling and those annoying TV ads for the next three-and-a-half months. But wait: hear that silence, boys and girls? Crickets chirping? That, my friends, is the sound…
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San Francisco Media Band Together to Address Homelessness
On June 29, San Francisco media will join together in a concerted effort to raise awareness about homelessness by dedicating the entire day to writing on the issue. In addition to the participating media outlets, coverage will also be available on social media such as Facebook and Twitter and on Flipboard, Medium and Apple News.…