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In an article titled “Downtown ‘Problems’ Might not Exist,” the Colorado Springs Business Journal offers another classic example of how commercial interests contribute to the criminalization of homeless people. The basic formula: Step 1: Foment unreasonable fear of street people. Step 2: Employ punitive measures to “manage” them. The Business Improvement District and Downtown Partnership … Continue reading “Criminalization of the Poor: A Case Study in Colorado”

A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecast has been circulating online of late and lists “The 10 Occupations with the Largest Job Growth, 2004-14.” It will surprise few people that primarily low-wage jobs are identified, ranging from retail salespersons and janitors to home health aides. For a quick look at the difference a living wage … Continue reading “Low-Wage Jobs: Let's Have Some Justice”

American Libraries Online reported the positive news that Worcester (Mass.) Public Library has implemented a new policy to ensure equal access for homeless patrons and others without permanent address. Worcester Head Librarian Penelope Johnson said in the Telegram and Gazette that everyone who has a library card will be treated equally; they can take out … Continue reading “Worcester Public Library Changes Borrowing Policy”

Las Vegas, Orlando, and other cities have made it difficult, even illegal, to give food to homeless people in public places. Tulin Ozdeger, an attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, is critical of such punitive ordinances: The latest trend of restricting groups that share food with homeless people is truly baffling. … Continue reading “Feed a Hungry Person, Go to Jail”

Every two years, the Economic Policy Institute releases a Labor Day study that “sums up the problems and challenges facing American working families” and “examine[s] the impact of the economy on the living standards of the American people.” The State of Working America 2006/2007 is now available. A fact sheet sample: The United States bills … Continue reading “The State of Working America and More”

ALA Policy 61—Library Services for the Poor was adopted in 1990. It promotes, among other things, “the removal of all barriers to library and information services, particularly fees and overdue charges.” This spring, The Christian Science Monitor published an article titled “Is the Lifting of Library Fines Long Overdue?”. Writer Marilyn Gardner observes, As libraries … Continue reading “More on Library Fees and Fines”

“Katrina: One Year Later” offers an archive of articles assembled by The Times- Picayune in New Orleans. The site features reporting from last year’s catastrophe, current analysis of rebuilding efforts, photos, and stories of the storm’s victims. A related site, Katrina’s Lives Lost, contains tributes and obituaries: Joan died Aug. 31, the day after the … Continue reading “After Katrina, Keeping Up Appearances, and More”

The following list was first published on August 29, 2005. A second version, with an introduction, appeared in the Fall 2005 issue of Counterpoise (Vol. 9, No. 4). Today’s update includes new resources. Homeless people who reside in urban areas are frequent targets of ordinances that restrict their use of public space. Such regulations—often approved … Continue reading “The Fight for Public Space: Selected Resources”

Beginning August 29, PBS is broadcasting the documentary Waging a Living by filmmaker Roger Weisberg. Shot over a three-year period in the Northeast and California, this observational documentary captures the dreams, frustrations, and accomplishments of a diverse group of people who struggle to live from paycheck to paycheck. By presenting an unvarnished look at the … Continue reading “Waging a Living, Family Resources, and More”

The Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts, in conjunction with the ACLU of Massachusetts, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of homeless citizens against the Worcester Public Library. The library restricts borrowing privileges for homeless residents, limiting them to two books—versus 40 books for everyone else. The Boston Globe reports (7/9/06), [T]hree homeless patrons of … Continue reading “Homeless Citizens Seek Equal Access at Worcester PL”