The Lasting Impact of Covid-19 on Homelessness in the US
3 years, 11 months ago

The Lasting Impact of Covid-19 on Homelessness in the US

Wired  

Dave "Dogdave" Hirschman, a 53-year-old man who has been experiencing homelessness since 1984, is starting to lose hope. “It was successful at two things: preventing large numbers of homeless individuals and families from actually contracting Covid, and moving people inside at very high rates.” Compared to last spring, when it seemed that all the Covid-19 pandemic would bring to America’s unhoused population was sickness and hunger, there’s now rather a lot of good news. “We don’t have the data to be definitive, but eviction moratoriums also probably kept some people in their homes that may have been forced to the streets,” Painter says. “You don’t know what you're going to get.” That financial uncertainty has plagued unhoused individuals and organizations fighting homelessness alike throughout the pandemic, often for political reasons. “That would be a night-and-day change for all kinds of issues related to housing and homelessness.” It’s too early to say if Biden will keep all of his campaign promises, but he has already signed an executive order stating that FEMA should reimburse 100 percent of what states spend to house people in non-congregate shelters, all the way through September 2021.

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History of this topic

Homelessness rises to a record level in America
1 week, 2 days ago

Homelessness rises to a record level in America

Live Mint  

Each year for a few frigid days in January volunteers fan out across cities, towns and rural areas to try to count every homeless person in America. The method is admittedly flawed: cities do their counting in different ways, and many homeless people are transient or hide away in subterranean tunnels and under highway overpasses. The results for January 2024, …

US sees record 18% increase in homelessness in 2024 as buying a house becomes more expensive
1 week, 5 days ago

US sees record 18% increase in homelessness in 2024 as buying a house becomes more expensive

Firstpost  

According to the new report released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless this year, as per the tallies taken across the country Homelessness in the United States has become a rampant issue marking a major spike this year. According to the new report released by the US Department of …

US homelessness surges 18% in 2024 as affordable housing crisis deepens
Top News
1 week, 6 days ago

US homelessness surges 18% in 2024 as affordable housing crisis deepens

India Today  

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday. “No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access …

U.S. homelessness crisis surges to record levels alongside rising rents and immigration
1 week, 6 days ago

U.S. homelessness crisis surges to record levels alongside rising rents and immigration

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery More than 770,000 people experienced homelessness in 2024, according to …

Homelessness hit a record high in the US this year
2 weeks ago

Homelessness hit a record high in the US this year

CNN  

CNN — Homelessness in the United States soared to the highest level on record, according to government data released Friday. More than 770,000 people experienced homelessness in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported. “While this data is nearly a year old and no longer reflects the situation we are seeing, it …

U.S. homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people
2 weeks ago

U.S. homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people

LA Times  

The United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, a rise driven by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country, federal officials said Friday. “No American should face homelessness, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every family has access to the …

It’s now significantly more deadly to be homeless. Why are so many people dying?
10 months ago

It’s now significantly more deadly to be homeless. Why are so many people dying?

Raw Story  

This story was originally published by CalMatters, nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics. The study’s co-author, Matthew Fowle of the University of Pennsylvania, said the 238% increase was “astonishing.” “It’s unlike any other mortality trend that we really see in demography,” he said. Can I get enough food to eat?’ You can’t think about these other longer-term …

US homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses
1 year ago

US homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and coronavirus pandemic aid lapses

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness to its highest reported level as soaring rents and a decline in coronavirus pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said Friday. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said the data underscored an “urgent need” to support proven solutions that …

U.S. homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and pandemic aid lapses
1 year ago

U.S. homelessness up 12% to highest reported level as rents soar and pandemic aid lapses

LA Times  

In this photo illuminated by an off-camera flash, a tarp covers a portion of a homeless person’s tent on a bridge overlooking the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. The United States experienced a dramatic 12% increase in homelessness as soaring rents and a decline in pandemic assistance combined to put housing out of reach for more Americans, federal officials said …

US homeless numbers stay about the same as before pandemic
2 years ago

US homeless numbers stay about the same as before pandemic

Associated Press  

SAN FRANCISCO — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Monday that it is ramping up efforts to help house people now sleeping on sidewalks and in tents and cars as a new federal report confirms what’s obvious to people in many cities: Homelessness is persisting despite increased local efforts. The 2022 All In strategy roadmap made public Monday follows a 2010 …

Pandemic eviction protections, direct payments kept homelessness in check, study shows
2 years ago

Pandemic eviction protections, direct payments kept homelessness in check, study shows

LA Times  

Mickey Marraffino locates an unhoused man at the Redondo Beach Pier during the 2022 L.A. homeless count on Feb. 23. Eviction moratoriums and cash income from extended unemployment insurance and stimulus payments helped thousands of economically vulnerable people in Los Angeles County avoid becoming homeless during the pandemic, a new study has found. “The big thing is to learn from …

Tally of homeless veterans fell 11%, biggest drop in 5 years
2 years, 2 months ago

Tally of homeless veterans fell 11%, biggest drop in 5 years

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The number of veterans in the United States experiencing homelessness dropped by 11% since 2020, the biggest decline in more than five years, the Biden administration reported Thursday. There were 33,136 homeless veterans in January of this year, compared with 37,252 in 2020, according to the Point-in-Time count conducted by the departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and …

Editorial: Want to fix homelessness in Los Angeles? The pandemic showed us how to do it
2 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: Want to fix homelessness in Los Angeles? The pandemic showed us how to do it

LA Times  

For two years, the county of Los Angeles postponed its annual count of the homeless population due to concerns about COVID. The count revealed that the population of people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County increased just 4% since the 2020 tally, which is significantly smaller than the year-over-year increases in the 2019 and 2020 counts. The city numbers remained …

Households facing homelessness ‘at highest level since before first lockdown’
2 years, 5 months ago

Households facing homelessness ‘at highest level since before first lockdown’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Charities said next prime minister …

COVID-19 got this medical team into homeless camps. What about after the pandemic?
3 years, 3 months ago

COVID-19 got this medical team into homeless camps. What about after the pandemic?

LA Times  

Inside the white van parked in the concrete bed of La Canada Verde Creek, Wendy Ruvalcaba rooted in her bag for her phone as it chimed. Dr. Absalon Galat of the L.A. County Department of Health Services street medicine team drives a van on the concrete bed of La Canada Verde Creek during a visit to homeless encampments. “That makes …

End to COVID-19 hotel housing for homeless raises worries
3 years, 6 months ago

End to COVID-19 hotel housing for homeless raises worries

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Everyone on the streets knows “Sir Charles,” the skinny guy with the saxophone, sunglasses, felt hat and megawatt smile. In one Vermont community, social workers are offering camping equipment to some homeless people no longer eligible to stay at motels come month’s end. The motel program was supposed to end a few weeks ago, “but we …

Report shows US homelessness rising even before pandemic
3 years, 9 months ago

Report shows US homelessness rising even before pandemic

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Homelessness in America was on the rise even before the coronavirus pandemic dramatically dragged down the economy, according to a government report. The Housing and Urban Development Department’s annual report on homelessness provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people, both sheltered and unsheltered, in America on a single night. The one-night counts are conducted during the …

L.A. homeless are 50% more likely to die if they get COVID
3 years, 9 months ago

L.A. homeless are 50% more likely to die if they get COVID

LA Times  

Faced with the knowledge that homeless people are dying at much higher rates if they catch COVID-19, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will make the county’s entire homeless population eligible for vaccines starting Monday. But this week, new research from UCLA epidemiologists found that nationally, homeless people who did contract COVID-19 were 30% more likely to die …

COVID-19 job losses will worsen L.A. homelessness by 2023, new report says
3 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 job losses will worsen L.A. homelessness by 2023, new report says

LA Times  

Parts of downtown Los Angeles are looking ragged nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Massive job losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide will leave tens of thousands of low-wage workers without homes over the next three years, a report published Tuesday by a Los Angeles-based research group forecasts. Los Angeles County, already struggling with one of the nation’s largest …

The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl is behind rising deaths in the homeless population
4 years ago

The powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl is behind rising deaths in the homeless population

LA Times  

A sharp rise in deaths of homeless people starting in the spring of 2020 was driven by drug overdoses involving fentanyl, a report released Thursday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health concluded. “Despite the relatively smaller direct impact of COVID-19 … the first seven months of 2020 saw an alarming increase in overdose deaths in this population,” …

Editorial: COVID is surging among homeless people. L.A. needs to do something about it.
4 years ago

Editorial: COVID is surging among homeless people. L.A. needs to do something about it.

LA Times  

Los Angeles Police Sgt. For months during the pandemic, homeless people in Los Angeles seemed less susceptible to contracting COVID-19 — a combination of being spurned by others and living by themselves in tents on sidewalks. It also helped that the city and county provided up to 4,000 motel and hotel beds to particularly vulnerable homeless people through a program …

L.A. homeless sites ‘overwhelmed’ by COVID-19: ‘These are the toughest times’
4 years ago

L.A. homeless sites ‘overwhelmed’ by COVID-19: ‘These are the toughest times’

LA Times  

A tent at Union Rescue Mission became an impromptu triage center as Housing for Health struggled to respond to a sudden surge in the spread of COVID-19 cases through the homeless shelter system. “We moved our men inside to 2nd floor and handed over keys last Sunday.” The tent at Union Rescue Mission became an impromptu triage center as Housing …

In Pandemic America's Tent Cities, a Grim Future Grows Darker as Funding on Verge of Drying up
4 years ago

In Pandemic America's Tent Cities, a Grim Future Grows Darker as Funding on Verge of Drying up

News 18  

Nadeen Bender stood outside her home, a tattered two-man tent, surrounded by the re-purposed Amazon Prime boxes she uses to store her life’s belongings. To deal with an exploding homeless population and encourage social distancing during the pandemic, Marcipoa County officials turned this pair of asphalt-topped parking lots into the area’s newest homeless shelter. “It’s not just the pandemic, it’s …

Who has it harder than homeless people when the pandemic closes indoor spaces?
4 years, 1 month ago

Who has it harder than homeless people when the pandemic closes indoor spaces?

LA Times  

I have a roof over my head. This past week, I set out to check up on people living on the streets of my Hollywood neighborhood because I couldn’t stop thinking about the extent of that privilege. Tom Ponzo, 51, camping on a side street just north of Hollywood Boulevard, said nearby restaurants that are still open won’t let homeless …

Have L.A.’s homeless people dodged a COVID-19 catastrophe?
4 years, 4 months ago

Have L.A.’s homeless people dodged a COVID-19 catastrophe?

LA Times  

When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, advocates predicted that a “time bomb” was about to go off in the homeless community. But most of those infected had no symptoms: In Boston, where every shelter resident was tested, the asymptomatic rate was 70% to 90%, said Dr. James O’Connell, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and president of Boston Health Care for …

When the pandemic hit, 26 new city homeless shelters opened. Only seven are left
4 years, 4 months ago

When the pandemic hit, 26 new city homeless shelters opened. Only seven are left

LA Times  

As the summer heat crested in the late afternoon Monday, Royal Fahrner left the Pan Pacific Park recreation center with a large plastic bag and her backpack. Still as temperatures reach record levels in California, activists and homeless Angelenos are wondering why more Park Department gyms and recreation centers aren’t being used to get people off the streets. “We are …

States have to ensure adequate housing amid the pandemic
4 years, 4 months ago

States have to ensure adequate housing amid the pandemic

Al Jazeera  

Upholding the right to housing is more urgent than ever as the pandemic has worsened housing crises across the world. With this unambiguous position adopted by governments, I was certain we would see the global housing crisis tackled with the urgency that is in fact warranted when a human right is violated en masse. I assumed that in keeping with …

'A Homeless Pandemic' Looms As 30 Million Are At Risk Of Eviction
4 years, 5 months ago

'A Homeless Pandemic' Looms As 30 Million Are At Risk Of Eviction

NPR  

'A Homeless Pandemic' Looms As 30 Million Are At Risk Of Eviction Enlarge this image toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP Damian Dovarganes/AP Cruz Santos thought her life was finally turning around in early March when she found a job at a shoe store after months of looking. Sponsor Message Over the weekend, President Trump signed an executive order requiring administration officials …

The Pandemic Presents The Chance To End Homelessness In Canada For Good
4 years, 6 months ago

The Pandemic Presents The Chance To End Homelessness In Canada For Good

Huff Post  

This story is part of After The Curve, an ongoing HuffPost Canada series that makes sense of how the COVID-19 crisis could change our country in the months and years ahead, and what opportunities exist to make Canada better. “That’s one of the things that these emergency measures have proven — that we can act rapidly and move people into …

Coronavirus: ‘Worrying number’ of renters still falling through gaps in government’s support schemes, Shelter warns
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: ‘Worrying number’ of renters still falling through gaps in government’s support schemes, Shelter warns

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A “worrying number” of people are still falling through gaps …

The US already had a housing crisis. Covid-19 has only made it worse
4 years, 7 months ago

The US already had a housing crisis. Covid-19 has only made it worse

CNN  

CNN — Martha Escudero had been living with her two young daughters on the couches and in the spare rooms of friends and family in Los Angeles for about a year and a half. “I’m, like, supposedly successful according to American standards,” said Escudero, who works as a home health aide. The shortage of housing, Escudero said, “is really immoral, …

Mass unemployment over coronavirus could lead to a 45% jump in homelessness, study finds
4 years, 7 months ago

Mass unemployment over coronavirus could lead to a 45% jump in homelessness, study finds

LA Times  

Tyrone Dixon, 53, center, waits with fellow homeless people outside the Echo Park Community Center, one of several Los Angeles recreation centers that have been converted to shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This reversal of economic fortune has caused a level of pain that is hard to capture in words, as lives are upended amid great uncertainty about the future.” …

Are homeless shelters ‘a nasty experiment’ during coronavirus? L.A. says no and opens more
4 years, 8 months ago

Are homeless shelters ‘a nasty experiment’ during coronavirus? L.A. says no and opens more

LA Times  

LA City parks and recreation staff along with volunteers from the Salvation Army set up cots for homeless at Westwood Recreation Center in Westwood. The outbreak is what critics of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s plan to convert dozens of city recreation centers into homeless shelters have feared — and what other cities have already experienced. On Monday, Garcetti said that the …

Lockdown protects the well-off, but what about those who face hunger, homelessness or poor health?
4 years, 8 months ago

Lockdown protects the well-off, but what about those who face hunger, homelessness or poor health?

The Hindu  

Communicable diseases, we know, affect socio-economically disadvantaged communities disproportionately. And so lockdown and social distancing were rapidly established as the one-size-fits-all response to COVID-19 globally — despite the variations in the impact of the disease and the serious social consequences of such measures. While these measures protect people by reducing and slowing down transmission, what has also become quickly apparent …

Editorial: What every homeless person needs in this pandemic: a room of their own
4 years, 9 months ago

Editorial: What every homeless person needs in this pandemic: a room of their own

LA Times  

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, you can’t follow the order to stay at home if you have no home. Even a group setting like a shelter — equipped with more hygienic facilities and with service providers watching for signs of illness — is healthier than a sidewalk, according to L.A. County public health officials. They have sought deals with hundreds …

Coronavirus hotels policy shows governments can tackle street homelessness immediately, advocates say
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus hotels policy shows governments can tackle street homelessness immediately, advocates say

ABC  

Care providers say South Australia's move to accommodate rough sleepers during the coronavirus pandemic shows homelessness is not the intractable social problem many believe it to be — and governments have the power to make an immediate impact. Key points: Rough sleepers will be able to stay in hotels and motels under a taxpayer-funded scheme Service providers say it shows …

Coronavirus: Homeless people 'scared and hungry' on streets despite promise to house them over weekend
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus: Homeless people 'scared and hungry' on streets despite promise to house them over weekend

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Homeless people are “scared, hungry and desperate” as they continue …

How am I supposed to go into coronavirus self-isolation when I'm homeless?
4 years, 9 months ago

How am I supposed to go into coronavirus self-isolation when I'm homeless?

ABC  

I spent last night in the emergency department at Royal Perth Hospital. I came over to WA to look after my son two years ago, and now I can't get home even if I wanted to. Everyone knows that this virus is coming, that it's out there already, but a lot of homeless people don't know the extent of it, …

Coronavirus: Hotels and empty offices should be used to let homeless self-isolate, ministers told
4 years, 9 months ago

Coronavirus: Hotels and empty offices should be used to let homeless self-isolate, ministers told

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “In order to ensure these powers are used as a last resort, the government …

An unexpected side effect of the coronavirus? A new urgency about helping homeless people
4 years, 9 months ago

An unexpected side effect of the coronavirus? A new urgency about helping homeless people

LA Times  

Alan lives on the street and sometimes struggles to hold a cup or bottle of water. “I see one scenario where this virus mercifully dodges the homeless population or another scenario where it hits the homeless population quite hard,” said Randall Kuhn, a professor at UCLA’s department of community health sciences. But by securing motels and deploying trailers, Newsom said …

Homeless People Are Especially At Risk Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
4 years, 9 months ago

Homeless People Are Especially At Risk Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Amid a global coronavirus pandemic, one population is particularly vulnerable: homeless people. In San Francisco — where the number of homeless people rose 17% from 2017 to 2019 — Mayor London Breed announced a $5 million emergency fund that would go toward additional cleaning in shelters, expanding shelter hours and adding more hand-washing stations around the city. …

Homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak
4 years, 9 months ago

Homeless amid the coronavirus outbreak

Al Jazeera  

Experts say homeless individuals, already dealing with multiple diseases, are at high risk for contracting COVID-19. “It’s really clear we’ve been in a public health crisis,” said Alison Eisinger, executive director at the Seattle-King County Coalition on Homelessness. In a city with one of the highest concentrations of homeless people, it’s “only a matter of time” before the city’s homeless …

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