Lucky Duck Foundation’s Post

"The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) strongly condemns the Supreme Court’s decision in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson to allow jurisdictions to arrest and ticket unhoused people for sleeping outside, even when adequate shelter or housing is not available. 'This cruel, misguided ruling will only worsen homelessness,' said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel. 'It gives cover to elected officials who choose political expediency over real solutions by merely moving unhoused people out of public view rather than working to solve their homelessness. These ineffective and inhumane tactics exacerbate homelessness by saddling unhoused people with debt they can’t pay, while further isolating them from the services and support they need to become stably housed. To truly address and solve homelessness, policymakers must instead work with urgency to scale up proven solutions, starting with greater investments in affordable housing and supportive services.'” Read more: https://lnkd.in/g7b4mR6r 

https://lnkd.in/gDkxNy_F I am grateful and beyond privileged to announce I have been selected to receive an all-expense paid trip to San Francisco next March to attend the National Alliance to End Homelessness Innovations and Solutions Conference. All travel arrangements, lodging, registration, food expenses, and transportation provided! I wrote an essay about homelessness. It basically explained that Arizona(after the 2008 foreclosure crisis) failed to build single-family homes to match population growth. Then we promoted a tax-break system to attract revenue through corporate interest development. Population doubled in ten years. That created a society too expensive to live in, while economists’ voices were drowned out by petty politics and political powergrabs focused on the velocity of money. We caused homelessness by being short-sighted yet drive around and look down upon it as a behavior problem. Meanwhile, grandma is on the sidewalk with her walker because she got priced out of her apartment(for the first time in her life). We task police to target homeless people when we should be solving homelessness. Add in a pandemic and a $30B fentanyl industry at the southern border and we have in Maricopa County 12,000 homeless people, rampant overdoses, 765 heat-related deaths every year, a 25% annual increase in the unsheltered population & 290,000 single-family homes short of what we need while we run out of water! THE POLICY DOESN’T MATCH THE PROBLEM! Maricopa County houses 1200 people a year with HUD subsidies while 700+ die in the sweltering heat. It’s a legislative problem causing a “stick” without a “carrot” situation and suppressing peoples’ intrinsic motivations…😞 Top it off with a billion-dollar AHCCCS FBI fraud investigation, and you have the fastest growing homeless crisis in the United States alongside the worst massive billing-fraud in Arizona history. #disposablepeople #housingfirst #SUDtreatment #Structuralviolence Director Townsend in Washington D.C. sends a letter saying, “Congratulations- you’re going to San Francisco!”… 😳

We at Neighborhood Hands are deeply saddened by #SCOTUS's shameful and wholly unproductive decision in the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass, which will allow local governments (if they choose) to criminalize homelessness amidst a housing affordability crisis of heartbreaking proportions. We wish to be ultra clear with all neighbors: We will never end the era of encampments with punitive, short term strategies that ignore the root cause of the problem -- a severe lack of affordable housing in our community. If residents and elected officials say “NO” to more permanent affordable housing and “YES” to forcing low-income and unhoused neighbors into shelters (with jail as the alternative for non-compliance) – while ignoring the elephant in the room that THERE IS SIMPLY NOWHERE FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GO after a shelter stay due to our area’s exorbitant cost of living – our collective actions are the strategic and moral equivalent of a wealthy doctor putting a bandaid on a foot-long flesh wound and saying, “this is the best we can do.” In the wealthiest region of the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, our unprecedented crisis is the result of decades of NIMBY-ism and short term thinking at all levels of government. We are dealing with an immense societal failure, and one that demands the utmost empathy for those who have been pushed to the margins. We will only turn the tide and keep our most vulnerable neighbors from the endless rip currents of homelessness if we invest in a LOT more affordable housing and proven prevention strategies. If we don’t, the long-term cost for everyone will grow, and our lowest-income neighbors will continue to pay the heaviest price in pain. We witness this first hand every Saturday at our program. Arresting our way out of homelessness is simply not the answer. We can and must do better. #johnsonvsgrantspass #homelesscrisis #supremecourt #letsdobetter

⏰Wake Up Call⏰ Today, the US faces a critical juncture. Secretary Fudge just announced that we saw an unprecedented 12% rise in homelessness this past year. With homelessness affecting over 650,000 lives, the need for action has never been more urgent. Soaring rents and diminished pandemic assistance have pushed housing out of reach for countless Americans. Veterans, families, and those historically marginalized are bearing the brunt of this crisis. It's not just about statistics, it's about real people and real struggles. The climb in first-time homelessness underlines our dire need for change. We must not only reverse this trend, but we need to fortify our communities against the shocks of tomorrow. There is a possible future where housing is abundant. Affordability doesn’t need to be a rarity, it can be our reality. We need to collectively take bold and immediate action to increase our housing supply. We need to amplify our current efforts, build on our past successes and learn from our setbacks. Today’s news should be a call to action. We need to invest in sustainable, affordable housing solutions - not tomorrow, not next year, but now. Brick by brick, hope by hope – we can build a world where all of our neighbors have a home. It just can’t wait.

Tomorrow, April 22nd, 2024, the Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments on a landmark case around the debate of whether or not to criminalize homelessness. If SCOTUS rules in favor of Grants Pass, it will authorize cities and states to punish people forced to sleep outdoors with arrest and steep fines, even when they have no other safe option. Research shows that criminalizing homelessness is ineffective, wastes taxpayer money, keeps people homeless for longer, and distracts from real solutions like housing and supportive services. Let's hope SCOTUS prioritizes safe, dignified housing for all and chooses to address the root causes of homelessness instead of punishing those who are already suffering. This ruling would make homelessness worse and punish people for existing in public spaces. It's important to recognize the humanity in every person, regardless of their living situation. Criminalizing homelessness only perpetuates the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Instead, we must find real solutions to address the root causes of homelessness and prioritize safe, dignified housing for all. Let's hope for a just and compassionate ruling from SCOTUS. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gQJRnzXC

The United States Supreme Court made its ruling today in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson. In response to the decision, OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell issued the following statement: “For many, we knew this day was coming, and yet it is still devastating. This is a wakeup call for all of us – cities in particular. We cannot succumb to cynicism or confuse this ruling as a mandate. Many of us have either experienced the struggle to make ends meet or know someone who has. In the face of this shared reality, out of sight, out of mind positions that criminalize sleeping or sheltering in public spaces only exacerbates the experiences of homelessness. “OHCS’ position remains unchanged – we reject homelessness as an inevitable outcome. Every person, regardless of their background or where they come from, deserves a place to call home. Oregon’s shared values serve as a guidepost of hope and progress. In cities, suburbs, and rural towns across the state, our economies and communities are strongest when everyone’s fundamental needs are met. To the people of Oregon struggling to get by: We see you. We value your life. We will continue to work tirelessly on your behalf.” In 2023, Oregon prevented more than 9,000 households from becoming homeless, created over 1,000 new shelter beds, and helped some 2,000 people move from homeless to housed. This was done in partnership with Governor Tina Kotek, the Oregon Legislature, numerous state agencies and many local community partners who implemented the funding and policy developed through the Governor’s homelessness state of emergency (EO 23-02) and the Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package (HB 2001 and HB 5019, 2023).

One of the really nice things about All Home's framework for how to plan investments around homelessness is that it recognizes a simple reality: you cannot decrease unsheltered homelessness without preventing more people entering (or returning to) homelessness. There is no question we need more permanent, deeply affordable homes. There is also no question that we need interim and temporary solutions that reduce harm and provide safety. Where the public sometimes doesn't see the full picture is that a good deal of the crisis is fueled by first-time homeless experiences and people who return to the street for a variety of complicated but addressable reasons. This plan has been around for a bit, but it's worth sharing just to help people see an important part of the picture in California - the critical, ongoing necessity of dramatic increases in prevention. https://lnkd.in/gV_D6FuA

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that police can arrest or fine people for sleeping outside in public spaces. This disappointing ruling in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case will make homelessness worse in Grants Pass, Oregon, and nationwide. The local ordinance explicitly targets people who simply have nowhere else to go. The Court's decision has set a dangerous precedent for how we protect people from cruel and unusual punishments. The U.S. has an estimated shortage of almost 200,000 shelter beds. Homelessness is growing because of rising housing costs, stagnant wages, inflation, an inequitable tax system, and more. That’s why the Shriver Center works on multiple issue areas — we need to ensure our systems work for everyone. With our partners, we will continue to advocate for housing as a human right. Everyone deserves access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Punishments that penalize poverty are not the solution. Join us in the fight and email your elected officials today: https://lnkd.in/gNkCxY3h

Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 unhoused people in the U.S. are 55 and over? Or that homelessness among older adults is expected to nearly triple by 2030? Part of the reason is a complete lack of affordable housing options, and another big player is the cost of healthcare eating up peoples' savings after an emergency. We don't think it should have to be this way. Homelessness and housing resources, such as emergency shelters, temporary housing, and permanent housing, are often not prepared to meet the complex physical health, social, and psychological needs of older adults. Research shows that supporting local organizations (like us!) is the true driver of change in homelessness among older adults. We already built one subsidized apartment building, have another on the way, and provide assisted living care to seniors living in three additional subsidized buildings. We're doing our part to combat this crisis across Bergen County, and we need your help to continue. Visit https://lnkd.in/eVpX3X48 to be part of the change. 💙

The 2024 Point-in-Time Count took place on January 30, 2024, and today we are releasing the report findings with survey data.   The PIT Count conducted every two years, is a critical snapshot of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in our community and is useful for measuring trends over time. While this one-night snapshot report is essential, it does not always account for the changes, investments, and innovations happening locally. Highlights: ~Between the 2022 and 2024 Point in Time Counts, the city helped people exit homelessness at a faster rate than ever before. ~Over 7,500 clients exited homelessness from January 2022 to January 2024 through Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Housing Problem Solving interventions. ~The City of San Francisco provided emergency financial assistance for over 7,000 households at risk of homelessness through Prevention programs. To read our full report, click here >> https://lnkd.in/d6mhA2yH