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New Community Responses Bring Hope to the Homeless in Washington, D.C., But They Still Need More Permanent Housing

Joseph Young Robert Warren

August 30, 2020 |

Law at the Margins |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Washington D.C. has decreased the number of people experiencing homelessness through the implementation of its permanent supportive housing programs. The 'housing first' initiatives prioritize providing permanent housing to those experiencing homelessness and then connecting those residents to all the services they need to maintain that housing. There are no requirements of sobriety, employment, or medication to receive the permanent housing. The local government adopted the housing first approach in 2008 and has seen a decline in homelessness.

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A Healthy Quality of Life Should Be Available to All — Even the Poor, Sick and Disenfranchised

Jennifer Alexander

August 30, 2020 |

Law at the Margins |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tennessee

Advocates in Tenneessee are looking to California's state-funded programs that approach the issue of homelessness holistically, providing wraparound services. Social services are combined with medical care, to help those who live in poverty and are at risk of medical issues that lead to debt and eventually homelessness. The program is known as Whole Person Care and provides supportive services to those who end up in emergency rooms.

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An incomplete picture

Emma Athena

August 27, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

Housing First, an approach that has helped many cities address homelessness, has failed to make much impact in Boulder thanks to a shortage of permanent housing and complaints that the program suffers from a lack of coordination and ignorance of the views of the community it's trying to serve. Boulder County housing authorities and non-profits teamed up in 2017 to shift toward permanent housing and other services for people experiencing homelessness, rather than the previous policy of providing temporary shelter beds. But most people remain unserved by both temporary and permanent solutions.

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Protecting Chicago's Homeless Population During Covid-19

Katie Scarlett Brandt

August 19, 2020 |

Chicago Health |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Over 100 organizations in Chicago that focus on helping those who are experiencing homelessness are now working together to provide COVID-19 testing and increase housing capacity throughout the city. Although testing teams have been visiting shelters to administer COVID tests, new facilities have been created to increase bed capacity and those with underlying medical conditions have been provided individual hotel rooms, the enhanced resources aren't necessarily reaching everyone.

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Cleveland shelters work to protect homeless from COVID-19

Conor Morris

August 17, 2020 |

The Land |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

Health officials and Cleveland homeless shelters are working together to prevent a coronavirus outbreak among those who are experiencing homelessness. Mass testing, separate areas for the already tested and those yet to be, and a focus on more equitably disseminating information have been key to helping the caseload stay low, although the shelters are facing limitations such as a slow turnaround time for test results.

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COVID-19: NC rural mental health outreach gets creative

Liora Engel-Smith

August 07, 2020 |

North Carolina Health News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Asheville, North Carolina

Mental health agencies in North Carolina have partnered with a mobile phone carrier to provide data-enabled smartphones to individuals who lack access to technology during the pandemic. Because this doesn't provide a solution to all, however, mental health experts are also meeting with patients outside in social distanced settings.

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On dangerous ground

Emma Athena

August 06, 2020 |

Boulder Weekly |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

When an eviction moratorium expired and the government's pandemic aid spigot closed, Boulder County nonprofits and public agencies mounted a coordinated response to address a looming homelessness crisis. A gusher of donations created an eviction legal defense fund, a rental assistance program, and other aid to people struggling to pay utility and food bills. In just three months, 800 households received help in forestalling evictions while thousands more received legal and humanitarian services. Despite the community support, housing risks remain without a resumption of emergency government aid.

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This City Stopped Sending Police to Every 911 Call

Christie Thompson

July 24, 2020 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Olympia, Washington

Since April 2019, Olympia’s Crisis Response Unit has sent civilian first-responders instead of police officers to hundreds of “quality of life” calls such as a mental health crisis or problems related to addiction or homelessness. Providing services while doing outreach on the streets, following up on previous calls, or dispatched by 911 operators or police, these responders connect people with the services they need to be safe and healthy, freeing police to handle more serious calls and avoiding police interactions that can lead to violence or needless jail stays.

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To fix homelessness, let's treat it as a health issue like they do in Denver

Diana Lind

July 20, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia can look to places such as Denver and New Jersey for examples of how to alleviate homelessness by treating it as a health problem. Many people experiencing homelessness struggle with alcohol, opiate and drug addictions as well as mental and physical disabilities. Hospitals are often obligated to treat and keep anyone who may not have a safe place to go after release therefore the healthcare industry has an incentive to mitigate the homelessness crisis by providing wraparound services as well as transitional housing for people who have no where to go after a hospital release.

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What the Coronavirus Proved About Homelessness

Yasmeen Serhan

July 18, 2020 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, England

Britain's response to curbing the spread of coronavirus included the "Bring everyone in" operation which brought people experiencing homelessness off the streets and into accommodation - typically empty hotel rooms. Temporary shelter proved effective with only 16 deaths among those who were brought indoors. People were also given services that could lead to a life off the streets. The success demonstrated the ability of the government to quickly house people when political will and money were put toward solving the problem.

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