Tag Archives: homelessness

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: A Southern California mayor facing a recall effort is coming under fire after his suggestion to ending his city’s homelessness issue was “giving them all the fentanyl they want.” The comments were made by longtime Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris during a city council meeting on Feb. 25. The comments have surfaced in recent days since …

NBC News reports: Like many who took up new hobbies during the pandemic, Austin Rivers found comfort in knitting. But his craft took on a larger meaning when he realized his scarves and hats could also support his New York City queer community. He was particularly eager to help homeless LGBTQ youths, who comprise up to 40% of the country’s …

Popular Information reports: Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as the co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Despite its name, DOGE is not a department or part of the federal government. But it appears that Trump will look to Musk and DOGE to determine what government programs are essential and what …

Back in February, I reported that Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano had penned a coming book and today it has gone on sale. From the Penguin Random House press release: Carl Siciliano met Ali Forney—a Black nonbinary teenager overflowing with life—in 1994 while working at a daytime center for homeless youth in New York City. Nineteen years old and …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending legislation he signed this week that bans people from sleeping in public, saying it doesn’t punish the unhoused, but helps them. “It’s not criminalizing homelessness. What they’re saying is you don’t have a right to just sleep in front of somebody’s business or you don’t have a right to just take over …

The South Florida SunSentinel reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a controversial bill Wednesday that forbids homeless people from sleeping in public places and prevents local governments from allowing them to stay there unless the state authorizes them to do so. The governor was joined at a news conference announcing the signing by local South Florida leaders and representatives at Santorini …

“I’m going to sign legislation over the next month or so to really counteract Florida ever going in the direction of California on things like homelessness. “Cities can govern themselves and there are certain state laws, but you know, we don’t want a city to turn into a Los Angeles or San Francisco with respect to having homeless everywhere. “So …

Florida Politics reports: The Senate has passed a House bill creating a new financial obligation on localities by banning homeless people from sleeping in public, setting the stage for a Gov. Ron DeSantis priority becoming law. The measure from Rep. Sam Garrison (HB 1365), passed by a 27-12 vote after being substituted for the Senate version, would ban counties and …

Florida Politics reports: It could be significantly harder for unhoused people to sleep in public spaces soon, as the House has passed legislation cracking down on the practice and compelling counties to set up homeless camps. The Republican Rep. Sam Garrison bill has been called a “carrot and stick” approach to managing the homeless problem in the state. “The status …

Via press release from Penguin Random House: Carl Siciliano met Ali Forney—a Black nonbinary teenager overflowing with life—in 1994 while working at a daytime center for homeless youth in New York City. Nineteen years old and driven from home, Forney was the heart of the community, known for infectious laughter, fierce loyalty to friends, and an unshakeable faith in their …

Florida Politics reports: Sen. Jonathan Martin’s legislation (SB 1530) would ban counties and municipalities from permitting public sleeping or public camping on public property without explicit permission via temporary permits, a move deemed by the bill language to fulfill an “important state interest.” Localities may designate certain public property for sleeping or camping with the sanction of the Department of …

Raw Story reports: Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that he had homeless encampment “tents” removed regularly when he was in office, as the former president called for a full federal government takeover of Washington, D.C. “I kept it beautiful,” he said. “If I saw one tent or two tents or three tents as I was coming in from the airport, …

The New York Daily News reports: Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran whose chokehold killed Jordan Neely on a Manhattan subway train, is to be charged with second-degree manslaughter and will turn himself in to police on Friday, sources told the Daily News. Penny, 24, is expected to turn himself in at the Fifth Precinct stationhouse on Elizabeth St. in Chinatown, …

From the far-right Washington Times: Former President Trump has a plan to fix the homeless problem, saying he will work with states to outlaw urban camping and give street people the choice between going to rehab in tent cities or face jail time. “We want to take care of them, but they have to be off our streets,” Mr. Trump …

The New York Times reports: The city’s overnight drop-in centers for homeless and runaway youth, which are serving a rising number of young people, received a jarring message last month: “Effective immediately, providers are required to discontinue the practice of allowing youth and young adults to sleep overnight.” At least one of the centers has responded in turn: no. Alexander …

The Times Of San Diego reports: The former pastor of an Imperial County-based church and his wife were sentenced in San Diego federal court Friday following their guilty pleas to benefits fraud charges, in a case that originally stemmed from allegations that the church’s leaders forced homeless people to surrender their welfare benefits and panhandle to benefit the organization. Victor …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: Los Angeles’ newest mayor has already announced she will take action to fulfill one of her campaign promises in her first day in office. Former U.S. Representative Karen Bass was sworn in as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles Sunday. In doing so, she became the first woman and second Black person to lead the …

The New York Times reports: Mayor Eric Adams announced a major effort on Tuesday to remove people with severe, untreated mental illness from the city’s streets and subways, saying New York had “a moral obligation” to address “a crisis we see all around us.” The effort will involve hospitalizing people involuntarily, even if they do not pose an immediate risk …

Media Matters has the transcript: GREG GUTFELD (CO-HOST): I do have a solution and it’s a progressive solution. Give the homeless what they want because there is no way you can have a conversation with them. You can’t reason with the unreasonable. Give them what they want but not in the city. The city allows this to happen. Move them …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: The city of Miami passed a plan to move its homeless population to a camp that will be built in Virginia Key Beach North Point Park. The area is currently an open field in the park. The location of the camp is ironically located right across the water from the most exclusive place to live, Fisher …