Latest News
IJT – April 2019
April 2019 SUBSCRIBE Dear Friends— Earlier this month, the Law Center and our partners won another big victory in our fight against the criminalization of homelessness. The federal court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected an effort to review our earlier outcome in Martin v. Boise, meaning that our landmark victory stands. This victory has the [...]
Alone Without a Home 2019
Alone Without a Home 2019 This report provides a state-by-state review of laws in 13 key issue areas that affect the lives of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness. Topics include status offenses, emancipation statutes, health care access, consent and confidentiality statutes, and juvenile justice system statutes. It also offers an overview of the range of approaches taken by jurisdictions and the relative prevalence of these approaches and includes detailed indexes [...]
Homeless Persons Cannot Be Punished for Sleeping in Absence of Alternatives, 9th Circuit Decision Establishes
Homeless Persons Cannot Be Punished for Sleeping in Absence of Alternatives, 9th Circuit Decision Establishes NLCHP Contact: Cassidy Waskowicz Acting Director of Development & Communications cwaskowicz@homelesslaw.org 202-638-2535 ext 105 (April 1, 2019, Boise, Idaho) – Tonight, people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the west coast states of the Ninth Circuit can sleep more safely, without facing criminal punishment for simply trying to survive on the streets. Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected [...]
700,000 U.S. Minors are Alone and Without A Home: New Report Addresses Their Rights In Every State
700,000 U.S. Minors are Alone and Without A Home: New Report Addresses Their Rights In Every State NN4Y Contact: Darla Bardine Executive Director Darla.bardine@nn4youth.org NLCHP Contact: Cassidy Waskowicz Acting Director of Development & Communications cwaskowicz@homelesslaw.org Legal Barriers Prevent Youth from Accessing Essentials like Shelter, Health Care, School (February 13, 2019, Washington, D.C.) – A new report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and National Network for Youth discusses the state laws [...]
IJT – March 2019
March 2019 SUBSCRIBE Dear Friends— One of the many myths about homelessness is that it primarily affects men. This is simply not true, and March—when we celebrate Women’s History Month—is a good time to set the record straight. The reality is that women are especially vulnerable to homelessness—regardless of how it’s defined. The majority of homeless families [...]
LA Homeless Services Authority Adopts Progressive Policy for Unsheltered Homelessness
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Adopts New Guiding Principles and Practices for Unsheltered Homelessness NLCHP Contact: Cassidy Waskowicz Acting Director of Development & Communications cwaskowicz@homelesslaw.org 202-638-2535 ext 105 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (March 7, 2019, Los Angeles, CA) – On February 28, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) adopted new policy that calls for decriminalizing life-sustaining survival actions of the more than 40,000 Los Angelenos who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The policy, entitled Guiding [...]
IJT – February 2019
February 2019 SUBSCRIBE Dear Friends— February is Black History Month, but racism is a reality every month, and it permeates every aspect of American society. Homelessness and poverty are no exception. African Americans make up 12.4 percent of the general U.S. population, 23.5% of the total poverty population-and a staggering 42.6 percent of the U.S. homeless population. The [...]
Advocacy Groups Take Legal Action on Florida Panhandling Bans
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A group of advocacy organizations and pro bono attorneys are suing St. Johns County Sheriff David B. Shoar and Florida Highway Patrol Director Gene Spaulding on behalf of Peter Vigue, a St. Augustine resident who has been arrested by both law enforcement agencies for standing on the public right of way and holding a sign soliciting donations. The suit, filed on February 12, 2019, challenges the constitutionality of Florida statutes that prohibit [...]
