Tag: homeless
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Northwest heat waves spotlight emergency planning needs for homeless
Homeless person on a bench. Photo by piercecountywa.gov Homeless people have been the most vulnerable residents during this summer’s heat waves in the Pacific Northwest. Gaps in local emergency planning left homeless residents in many northwest communities without water and other assistance at their time of greatest need. The increasing number and severity of climate-related…
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How have we improved homeless services during the pandemic?
Keeping homeless clients safe and slowing the spread of COVID-19 has forced homeless shelter providers to make a lot of changes. Some of these new approaches have been very effective and may continue being used after the health crisis has passed. There have been improvements in providing shelter because of social distancing requirements. The most…
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Federal judge rules cities cannot issue fines for being homeless
A federal judge recently ruled that the City of Grants Pass, Oregon, cannot issue citations and civil fines to homeless people sleeping in public. Following up on an earlier case that outlawed criminal penalties for sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, the ruling will force local governments to rethink how they address the challenge of…
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Homeless persons face the worst of the coronavirus pandemic
Many state and local governments are recognizing that if COVID-19 spreads among the homeless population, it would be a public health disaster. Cities nationwide are making efforts to help the homeless, but there’s a lot of uncertainty when looking into the future. Shelters do not have the space for safe social distancing. Unsheltered people have…