Articles for the Organization "National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty"

Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in US Cities

2009-07-15T02:32:01

Homes Not Handcuffs is the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty’s (NLCHP) ninth report on the criminalization of homelessness and the National Coalition for the Homeless’ (NCH) fifth report on the topic. The report documents cities with the worst record related to criminalizing homelessness, as well as initiatives in some cities that constitute more constructive approaches to street homelessness. The report includes the results of research regarding laws and practices in 273 cities around the country; as well as descriptions of lawsuits from various jurisdictions in which those measures have been challenged. (Authors)

A Place at the Table: Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness

2010-12-29T07:31:10

This report specifically focuses on ordinances, policies, and tactics that discourage or prohibit individuals and groups from sharing food with homeless persons. Uncomfortable with visible homelessness in their communities and influenced by myths about homeless people’s food access, cities use food sharing restrictions to move homeless people out of sight, an action that often exacerbates the challenges people experiencing homelessness face each day just to survive. (Authors)

Advocating for the Special Education Needs of Homeless and Mobile Students: A Guide to Rights and Resources

2009-04-23T01:27:39

This booklet provides legal resources for students with special needs who are homeless or highly mobile. (Authors)

Advocating for the Special Needs of Homeless & Mobile Students: A Guide to Rights and Resources

2009-07-24T11:48:26

Many children and youth experience physical (e.g. blindness, speech problems) and learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia) that may make it difficult for them to reach their full potential. However, schools can change classrooms and education plans to meet their unique needs, providing them with the best possible opportunity to succeed. (Authors)

An Ounce of Prevention: Programs to Prevent Homelessness in 25 States

2009-07-23T03:55:34

Given the tremendous challenges many individuals and families are facing, homelessness prevention programs must implement strategies to maximize available resources in the regions that they serve. In Massachusetts, the state’s Residential Assistance for Families in Transition Program will use fiscal year 2009 as a “year of experimentation” to revamp the program’s structure. Under this restructuring, funded organizations will be permitted “to develop their own regionally based service delivery systems that will promote the goal of ‘targeting the right resources to the right people at the right time.’” In some respects, this means eliminating the use of funds in one area (e.g., furnishings) and increasing benefits in another area (e.g., mortgage assistance). Other homelessness prevention programs may have to engage in a similar type of assessment and restructuring. (Authors)

Domestic Violence Shelters and Civil Rights Statutes

2009-07-24T11:36:16

This Q&A provides information about federal civil rights laws that apply to domestic violence shelters and the services they provide to clients. Four federal civil rights laws are discussed in this Q&A: 1. Americans with Disabilities Act (referred to as the ADA) 2. Fair Housing Act (referred to as the FHA) 3. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (referred to as Title VI) 4. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (referred to as Section 504) (Authors)

Indicators of Increasing Homelessness Due to the Foreclosure and Economic Crises

2009-04-23T04:04:33

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty is tracking news stories and reports from around the U.S. on its new Wiki site, http://wiki.nlchp.org/display/Forum/Foreclosure+News. The following statistics, taken from these stories and reports, are indicators of increasing homelessness in the U.S.: (1) increasing foreclosures and evictions, (2) increasing numbers of homeless students, (3) increasing use of shelter, and (4) increasing use of food stamps, food pantries, and soup kitchens. (Authors)

Insult to Injury: Violations of the Violence Against Women Act

2009-04-23T11:49:29

Violence against women is a leading cause of homelessness nationwide. Ensuring safe and affordable housing is essential for survivors of domestic violence and for preventing and ending homelessness. (Authors)

Model Approaches to Cleaning Public Spaces

2009-07-24T11:58:58

A number of cities across the country and at least one state have instituted formal policies establishing procedures that police officers and other city employees must follow when cleaning public areas where homeless persons are living. These include procedures for providing advance notice and storing homeless people’s personal belongings if encountered during a cleaning to ensure that homeless persons’ rights will not be violated. (Authors)

Shortchanging Survivors: The Family Violence Option for TANF Benefits

2009-12-17T10:28:18

Despite a federal law that could improve access to the major federal welfare program for the poor (Temporary Aid to Needy Families, or TANF) for domestic violence survivors, many survivors are being denied this potentially life-saving aid. This report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty shows how poor state and local implementation of an important federal waiver can leave survivors in severe economic distress. (Authors)

Using the CACFP Program for Children in Domestic Violence Shelters

2009-07-23T04:33:04

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal nutrition entitlement program, which helps provide meals to children. The program can be used to reimburse meals for children living in domestic violence or homeless shelters. Each state has a State Child and Adult Care Food Program agency, usually located in the State Department of Education. (Authors)

Using The CACFP Program for Children in Homeless Shelters Fact Sheet

2009-07-23T04:26:36

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal nutrition entitlement program, which helps provide meals to children. The program can be used to reimburse meals for children living in homeless or domestic violence shelters. Each state has a State Child and Adult Care Food Program agency, usually located in the State Department of Education. (Authors)

Without Just Cause: A 50-State Review of the (Lack of) Rights of Tenants in Foreclosure

2009-07-23T04:02:23

Renters most often have very different rights and responsibilities in a foreclosure than homeowners. An initial survey of the different state treatments of renters in foreclosure by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) revealed significant differences among states and the need for considerable education on the issue. Few advocates and certainly few tenants are aware of what their local law says about renters caught in a foreclosure. To begin to bridge this information gap, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), working in collaboration with NLIHC, completed a more thorough survey of the laws of the 50 states and the District of Columbia regarding the rights of tenants living in properties subject to foreclosure. NLCHP recruited WilmerHale to provide pro bono legal assistance to assist in carrying out this work. (Authors)