Virtual Book Display: Homelessness

People who have experienced homelessness share their stories.

According to one estimate, nearly 570,000 people nationwide were homeless on a night in 2019.

As the homelessness crisis and the coronavirus crisis converge, what can we learn from one city’s struggles?

It’s easy to walk past the homeless, to disregard the guy lying on the street or ignore the woman standing at an intersection holding a handwritten sign with a plea for help.

Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously on Tuesday to authorize $18 million for a two-year program serving the homeless as advocates project a rise in homelessness with the novel coronavirus.

Over the next decade, the number of elderly homeless Americans is projected to triple — and that was before Covid-19 hit. In Phoenix, the crisis has already arrived.

A new Housing and Urban Development report said blacks make up nearly half of the homeless population, despite comprising only 13% of the population.

More than 70 homeless encampments will be cleaned from now until the end of 2020.

Some low-income students have dropped out, and there are growing concerns about hunger and homelessness.

Nearly 200 tents stand inches apart on the scorching gravel lots, many covered in blankets for an extra layer of relief from the desert sun. Outside, their occupants sit on hot ground or in folding chairs, nearby palm trees providing no shade.

The problem of homelessness is at its root a problem of affordable housing.

Cities like Austin, Texas, are working hard to solve homelessness. By partnering with those affected, they've come up with some creative solutions.

Homelessness has recently been getting worse, with a 3% increase in the number of homeless people just in the past year. But, says Nan Roman, head of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “there’s never been anything like this.”

The national emergency and consequent economic crisis triggered by COVID-19 has exposed one of America’s greatest needs: adequate and safe housing.

California’s middle class isn’t done shrinking. They await their fate, one government program away from minimum-wage jobs or losing their homes.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to end homelessness in the United States. They use research and data to find solutions to homelessness; they work with federal and local partners to create a solid base of policy and resources that support those solutions; and then they help communities implement them.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is an independent federal agency within the U.S. executive branch that leads the implementation of the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. USICH is advised by a Council, which includes the heads of its 20 federal member agencies. USICH partners with these 19 federal agencies, state and local governments, advocates, service providers, and people experiencing homelessness to achieve the goals outlined in the first federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, Opening Doors.

The website for the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition provides links to resources in the area that can assist people that are currently homeless.

Texas Homeless Network (THN) is a non-profit membership-based organization helping communities strategically plan to prevent and end homelessness. THN works to end homelessness in Texas by collaborating with all communities, large and small, across the state to build systems to achieve this goal. They coordinate local and national advocacy efforts, data collection and research, host an annual statewide conference, and serve as the host agency for the Texas Balance of State Continuum of Care (CoC) where they assist in the coordination of programs and funding.

The mission of Coalition for the Homeless is to lead in the development, advocacy and coordination of community strategies to prevent and end homelessness. The coalition has four programs to direct homeless services providers and the community at-large. The research program serves as the repository of data and knowledge about homelessness, services, and related issues. The project management program reduces silos and ensures that our community is working together effectively and efficiently to solve homelessness.The system capacity program provides regular, best practice-based trainings to ensure that front-line staff are providing quality services to our most vulnerable Houstonians. The Coalition also provides technical assistance to individual programs as-needed to ensure that those partners needing extra help can get up to speed. The public education program hosts multiple Consumer Input Forums throughout the year where individuals currently experiencing homelessness are invited to share their insights and experience with The Way Home system, programs, and other topics impacting their lives.

SEARCH pursues a mission of providing hope, creating opportunity, and transforming lives of men, women, and children who are trying to break free from the cycle of poverty and homelessness. They help their clients obtain permanent housing, increase their income, improve their health, develop their children, and ultimately achieve independence.

Volunteers of America (VOA) is a faith-based nonprofit organization founded in 1896 that provides affordable housing and other assistance services primarily to low-income people throughout the United States. The organization includes 32 affiliates and serves approximately 1.5 million people each year in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. In addition to those in need of affordable housing, VOA assists veterans, low-income seniors, children and families, the homeless, those with intellectual disabilities, those recovering from addiction, and the formerly incarcerated.

Covenant House is a large privately-funded agency in the Americas providing shelter, food, immediate crisis care, and an array of other services to homeless and runaway youth. In addition to basic needs, the organization provides care to homeless youth aged 14–20 (certain locations care for youth as young as 13 and adults as old as 24), designed to transition them into an independent adulthood free from the risk of future homelessness. Covenant House offers services including healthcare, educational support/GED preparation/college scholarships, job readiness and skills training programs, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal services, mental health services, mother/child programs, transitional living programs, street outreach and aftercare.

Statistically, most people are closer to being homeless than they are to being millionaires. The longer someone is on the streets, the harder it is to escape — there are too many barriers. There are dozens of nonprofits that provide services to the homeless, but they're a bandage on a gunshot wound. In order to truly solve homelessness, people need to work to remove the institutional barriers that keep people homeless.

We The Unhoused is a podcast that lifts the voices and struggles of the unhoused in LA and beyond. Host Theo Henderson is currently unhoused and resides in Chinatown, Los Angeles. He tackles issues such as police brutality, harassment, policy, and the survival challenges of unhoused people. Through a series of interviews, we will discuss issues that are germane to unhoused people like the cost of living, gentrification, health struggles, harm reduction, and trauma-informed care. The revolution will be heard on this podcast. Tune in each week to be a part of it.

Homelessness on the West Coast is rising to crisis levels at a time of historic economic growth and prosperity. Why? KNKX Public Radio and The Seattle Times' Project Homeless spent one year in a city that’s grappling with homelessness. What’s it like to live outside for months on end? What’s it like when tents come to your neighborhood? What new solutions can city leaders find? This is Outsiders.

This podcast was created by Interfaith Community Services, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization located in North San Diego County. Hosted by Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, each episode features a local professional's perspective on the issue of homelessness, as well as shares the real story of an individual or family who has experienced homelessness in San Diego.

This is Biggest Little Streets audio street chronicles, a podcast by Our Town Reno. We address issues of homelessness, the disappearance of public space and the value of helping each other out. We do live reporting, micro storytelling and spoken word. As we face an affordable housing crisis, what happens to our most vulnerable?

At Lone Star College, we don't want anything to throw you off course to achieving your educational goals. We understand that if you have concerns about meeting some of life's basic needs, you can be distracted from your path to success.

Change, stress, and personal growth are all elements of the college experience. LSC counselors are skilled professionals committed to assisting you in meeting your academic, career and personal goals. Counselors are available to meet with students to help identify, discuss, and address concerns that may be interfering with students’ goals. Students often seek help for a variety of concerns including–but not limited to–stress, anxiety, depression, crisis, self-esteem, time management, and career exploration. If you feel you could benefit from our services, please connect with one of us to schedule an appointment. We are happy to help!