“Cities are pouring money into the nonprofit to manage encampments and patrol the streets where unhoused residents congregate. Not everyone is happy about it.”
Author: Lisa Gieskes
How Sellers of L.A. Mansions are Dodging a Tax Meant to Help the Homeless
A study by Peter Dreier, a professor of urban and environmental policy at Occidental College, found fewer than 3 percent of single-family properties sold in L.A. in the 2021-22 tax year cost above $5 million.
He told the Washington Post: ‘Ninety-eight percent of the homeowners in L.A. won’t feel this at all, and the ones who will feel it can afford to pay it.
‘This is the rich striking against the poor.’
Massachusetts Will Let People Receiving Food Assistance Use Their Benefits at Restaurants for the First Time
Come September, Massachusetts will let people receiving food assistance use their benefits at restaurants for the first time.
What’s happening: Fourteen Boston-area restaurants were selected by the state to participate in a pilot program with the federal government, called the Restaurant Meals Program. There were 27 total restaurants selected statewide.
What Happens When Libraries Stop Sharing Wi-Fi?
“For those who are trapped in poverty and have many other circumstances that make daily existence difficult, it is even more challenging if you’re not connected to the internet,” said Sunne Wright McPeak, CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund. “This is as much a problem if not more so today if you’re trying to navigate any system or get assistance, find shelter, find food and help without having the internet.”
MORE THAN SHELTER: A Town Hall About Homelessness and Community: Join Us Online on Wednesday, May 10, 6:00-7:30 p.m. ET
How should we understand the increasing demonization and criminalization of homelessness across America? Is shelter alone enough for meeting the call of this moment, or merely an essential starting place? What can leaders in this field teach us about invoking empathy and critical analysis in responding to this complex set of issues?
Since Becoming Fine-Free, Over 21,000 Items Have Been Returned to Houston Public Libraries, Officials Say
Heatherwick Studio Designs “Wellbeing” Library in Maryland
“UK-headquartered architect Heatherwick Studio has designed a community library for Howard County Libraries in Maryland, USA with a focus on wellbeing and diversity.”
Long Beach Library
The public can now donate various goods and gift cards to help people who are unhoused at all city library locations and other sites throughout Long Beach.
Manhattan Public Library’s New Resource
MPL recently put together a new resource, “For Neighbors in Need,” a listing of local organizations that help those in need. This resource lists locations where people can go for assistance with food, clothing, laundry, hygiene, shelter, mental health and physical health. You can find this list at mhklibrary.org/for-neighbors-in-need, or as a handout at the Reference Desk on the second floor.
Professor Launches LGBTQIA+ Emergency Fund
“Nearly one in four transgender young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 experience homelessness, nearly double the rate of their peers, according to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQIA+ young people.”