NLCHP
Civil Rights Groups Challenge Greensboro’s Unconstitutional Panhandling Ordinance
Three people who have experienced homelessness and a national advocacy group today filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block a Greensboro ordinance that criminalizes “aggressive” panhandling and many activities protected by the First Amendment.
Homeless People in RVs Ask the Court to Stop the City’s Ticketing and Impoundment...
Hundreds of homeless people in San Diego, many with disabilities, hope to lawfully stay in their RVs and other vehicles after today’s preliminary injunction hearing. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, along with Disability Rights California, Fish & Richardson PC
HUD Prioritizes Funding for Communities Taking Steps Against Criminalization of Homelessness
On June 20, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) issued its annual Notice Of Funding Application (NOFA) for its $2.2 billion grant stream for Continuums of Care – the public/private collaboratives that provide homeless services across the country. For the fourth time since 2015, the funding application offers additional points to communities that document the steps they are taking to combat the criminalization of homelessness.
Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty...
Cyndi Lauper and the True Colors Fund, in partnership with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, unveiled the State Index on Youth Homelessness –a first-of-its-kind resource that evaluates all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness.
Lawsuit Challenging Ban on Living in Vehicles Moves Forward
On Friday, June 8, a U.S. District Court denied the City of San Diego’s motion to dismiss in a lawsuit challenges the ticketing of homeless people living in RVs and other vehicles. The class-action lawsuit, Bloom et al. vs. City of San Diego, filed in November of 2017 by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, Disability Rights California
UN Expert’s Report on Poverty in America Highlights the Criminalization of Homelessness as Driven...
Last Friday, the top United Nations expert on poverty and human rights Philip Alston issued his official report on his mission to the United States in December 2017. In a press release issued by Alston today, he stated, “Locking up the poor precisely because they are poor
Homelessness Law Center Celebrates Opening of Exhibit Inspired by Pulitzer-Prize Winning Book Evicted
Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond, is the inspiration for a new exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The immersive exhibition will premiere April 14, presenting new data developed by Desmond’s Eviction Lab and using original photography and audio interviews to examine the impact of eviction.
Report: Renters’ Rights, Eviction Protections Key to Preventing Homelessness
Strengthening tenants’ rights can reduce housing instability and prevent homelessness, according to a new report released today by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Protect Tenants, Prevent Homelessness details the relationships between renters’ rights, evictions, and homelessness, highlighting issues lowincome renters face and providing recommendations for improving housing security among vulnerable populations.
New Report Reveals Rapid Growth of Homeless Tent Cities Across U.S.
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty released a new report, Tent City USA: The Growth of America’s Homeless Encampments and How Communities are Responding, reviewing the rapid growth of homeless people living in tents across the United States over the past decade, as measured by documentation in media reports.
Law Center on Homelessness Releases Education Manual to Help Students and Families After Hurricane...
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) released its Homeless Education Advocacy Manual: Disaster Edition, a resource that guides homeless students and their families displaced by a disaster on their rights to educational continuity and stability during disaster recovery.<
19th Annual McKinney-Vento Awards to Honor NFL Player Vernon Davis and U.S. Senator Cory...
Vernon Davis of the National Football League (NFL) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) will be honored tonight by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (Law Center) at the 19th Annual McKinney-Vento Awards for their efforts to end homelessness in America.
Statement on Hurricane Harvey
Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, issued the following statement in response to news about Hurricane Harvey: Over the weekend, as Hurricane Harvey pummeled south Texas with deadly winds and heavy rains, leaving thousands of people in the Houston area displaced, it brought the reality of homelessness to the fore for millions.
Homeless Houstonians Granted Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent Arrests for Public Camping
Homeless residents of Houston have been granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the City of Houston from enforcing an anti-camping ordinance against homeless people for sheltering themselves in public. The residents are represented by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, the ACLU of Texas, and Dechert LLP.
NLIHC Releases New Report on the Benefits of Reforming the Mortgage Interest Deduction to...
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released the “Reforming the Mortgage Interest Deduction: How Tax Reform Can Help End Homelessness and Housing Poverty” report today calling for Congress and the Trump administration to use mortgage interest deduction (MID) reform to end homelessness and housing poverty in America.
TRUMP BUDGET WOULD DEVASTATE ALREADY FRAYED SAFEY NET, INCREASE HOMELENSSESS
The Trump Administration’s budget makes $6.2 billion in cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and eliminates the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which has spearheaded coordinated efforts that have reduced veteran homelessness by as much as 47%. The budget also targets programs under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, such as the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program that help keep people in housing and prevent homelessness
Housing Advocates Applaud Introduction of Legislation Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure
The National Housing Law Project (NHLP), the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (The Law Center), and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) applaud Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for introducing legislation to permanently extend the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA)
The Law Center Announces A Major Bipartisan Victory to House Homeless People Using Surplus...
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) announced a major victory that will create housing for people experiencing homelessness by using surplus federal property. The Law Center worked with a bipartisan coalition in Congress on the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 (FAST Act), which reforms how the federal government disposes of its property, including property for homeless services under Title V. The FAST Act (H.R. 4465) passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May of 2016, and then passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on December 10, 2016. The bill is expected to be signed into law.
Government Receives a “D” on Report Card in Response to Homelessness
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) issued Grading the U.S. Response to Homelessness, its annual report card on the human right to housing in the U.S. The report card praises the progress of the federal government this year in addressing the criminalization of homelessness and in some areas to promote fair housing, but condemns its ongoing failure to stem the tide of homelessness by ensuring adequate, affordable housing is available to all, resulting in an overall grade of “D.”
HOUSING NOT HANDCUFFS REPORT SHOWS INCREASE IN THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS
Today, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty ("Law Center") releases its Housing Not Handcuffs report which shows that the criminalization of homelessness continues to increase throughout the country, despite strong evidence showing it is counter-productive and expensive. A national press conference will be held today at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the findings of the report.
As New Homeless Education Law Goes Into Effect, States Have to Do More
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty issued a new report showing that too many states were struggling to make schools accessible to students experiencing homelessness, even before heightened legal requirements went into effect earlier this month.
