All articles tagged with #homelessness
Nick Reiner, a former Mainer who once lived homeless in Portland, has been indicted on murder charges for stabbing his father, Rob Reiner, and his mother Michele to death in Brentwood, California. The indictment bypasses the need for a preliminary hearing, and Nick Reiner has pleaded not guilty.
RFK Jr. blasted LA’s homelessness system at the Dream Center as a taxpayer-funded “industrial complex,” warning that federal funding to LAHSA could be cut if programs don’t move people off the streets into treatment and recovery. The Trump administration is pushing a shift of roughly $240 million toward recovery-focused housing, suspending LAHSA’s grants for now and directing providers to apply directly to the federal government. LAHSA is challenging the suspension, while a Rhode Island judge has blocked the shift for the time being.
A federal judge blocked HUD’s 2026 funding changes intended to shift Continuum of Care dollars from permanent housing to temporary housing and services, ruling the agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act by skipping the required notice-and-comment process; this marks the third time a judge has blocked HUD’s changes during the Trump era, and HUD may attempt similar policy shifts for fiscal 2027.
LA is facing a dramatic surge in flea-borne typhus spread by rats and their fleas, driven by a growing urban rat population, garbage-filled streets, and a homelessness crisis. With cases rising from single digits in the early 2000s to record highs (about 220 cases in 2025 and 187 in 2024) and hospitalizations making up a large share of patients, public-health officials say they’re overwhelmed and underfunded. Tightened state rules on anticoagulant rodenticides and reduced pest-control tools compound the problem. The article argues for more resources and policy changes to finally curb the medieval disease threatening Angelenos.
St. Paul began clearing the Fish Hatchery encampment at Pig’s Eye Park, forcing about 100-200 residents to confront uncertainty as city outreach connects people with shelter, housing and health services. While volunteers and residents warn the move could fracture community care, some plan to relocate to other camps or remain on long housing wait lists. The city opened a two-week transitional hub downtown to link residents to shelter, care and financial assistance, with limited storage and rides for those who accept shelter.
After the Williamson Street encampment was cleared, belongings were relocated to Demetral Park for pickup with city staff on site through August 5; unclaimed items will be moved to the Parks Division and disposed after 45 days. Friends of Corey Ruiz say the movement should shift beyond memorials toward durable solutions for unhoused residents.
Madison officials cleared an encampment at the Williamson–Baldwin site where Corey Ruiz was shot, after about two weeks of efforts to resolve the situation peacefully. City staff offered hotel lodging to roughly 50 homeless people, with a majority accepting and about 10 moved into hotel rooms on Monday, while some encampment members threw rocks and fires prompting police intervention. The mayor urged sustainable, community-focused change, asked protesters to keep businesses and homes accessible, and said the city is cooperating with the Wisconsin DOJ investigation and will turn over relevant materials to the Office of the Independent Monitor when allowed by state law.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway urged an end to the Williamson and South Baldwin encampment formed after the July 22 shooting of Corey Ruiz, but the site remains barricaded with tents, vehicles, and makeshift amenities as residents, businesses, and protesters voice safety concerns; city officials seek a respectful transition and memorial preservation while a state DOJ investigation into the shooting continues.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway urged ending the ongoing occupation of the Baldwin-Williamson intersection, saying the blockade harms public transit, emergency response, and local businesses; she called for barricades to come down, continued outreach to unhoused residents, and collaboration on a memorial for Corey Ruiz as the city moves toward a constructive, non-destructive path forward.
Burlington business owners publish an open letter urging officials to pair compassion with accountability—calling for housing, treatment, and enforcement as the city debates a public-safety resolution and Gov. Scott deploys state police downtown, reflecting ongoing struggles with homelessness and addiction.
Raman highlighted a 49% year-over-year drop in street homelessness in her district, contrasting with about an 8% citywide increase, as LA homelessness counts show roughly 45,194 homeless citywide with 36% in shelters. She attributes the district’s improvement to a targeted, aggressive approach and limited use of Inside Safe; Bass’s campaign argues Inside Safe contributes to citywide progress, though 41% of entrants have returned to homelessness. The piece frames Raman as leveraging district gains in the mayoral race against Bass.
New figures show Los Angeles’s homelessness count rose 3.5% from last year, erasing two years of progress; Mayor Karen Bass attributes the uptick to federal and state funding cuts and policy changes, while touting Inside Safe and housing for veterans—though critics argue services remain inadequate and Downtown LA’s Skid Row remains the focal point of the crisis.
Los Angeles’ homelessness numbers rose in the latest LAHSA count, with overall homelessness up 3.4% and unsheltered homelessness up 7.9%, a setback for Mayor Karen Bass as she runs for reelection. Bass notes funding and service gaps as drivers while highlighting progress like moving more than 6,000 people indoors; however, a notable share of those housed through her Inside Safe program have returned to homelessness, underscoring ongoing challenges and political sensitivity around the issue ahead of the November vote. Countywide figures show smaller increases and LAHSA faces federal funding scrutiny and structural debates.
After Seattle touted cleaner streets during the World Cup, critics say officials merely shifted the problem out of sight rather than solving a persistent fentanyl-and-homelessness crisis, with billions spent on homelessness services but overdoses and unsheltered numbers continuing to rise; radio host Charlie Harger argues for accountability and real interventions over tolerance or removal, noting 2024 homelessness services spending of about $153.8 million and roughly 16,000 unsheltered residents in King County.
Seattle’s socialist mayor Katie Wilson faces protests in the Chinatown-International District ahead of a US World Cup match, with critics accusing her of neglecting homelessness and open-air drug activity; Wilson says CID crime issues have long gone unaddressed and pledges to work with the community, while local business owners report declining foot traffic.