Newsletter

While the Trump administration attempts to sow division and chaos throughout the country, we are witnessing the power communities have when we come together to protect our unhoused neighbors. In the past month, organizers have stopped a billionaire-backed bill that would make homelessness worse in Iowa and slowed the implementation of a bill in Freemont, California that made it a crime to help people forced to live outside.

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered a homeless shelter in downtown San Diego, presented a valid warrant, and arrested one person. To our knowledge, this is the first time ICE agents have targeted a homeless services agency since the Trump administration reduced restrictions against entering protected areas such as houses of worship, hospitals, and homeless shelters.

While the Trump administration attempts to sow division and chaos throughout the country, we are witnessing the power communities have when we come together to protect our unhoused neighbors. In the past month, organizers have stopped a billionaire-backed bill that would make homelessness worse in Iowa and slowed the implementation of a bill in Freemont, California that made it a crime to help people forced to live outside.

Thank you to the nearly 2500 people who registered for last week’s webinar on fighting back against the Trump administration’s plans to make homelessness worse. To learn more about Trump’s plans to force homeless people into government run detention camps, see this Shelterforce article. We are inspired by the perseverance and determination of this movement to ensure everyone has the housing and support needed to thrive. Please see below for a recording of the webinar and the presentation slides.

Yesterday, six homeless New Yorkers filed a lawsuit against the City of New York and the Eric Adams administration to end the City’s inhumane and unlawful homeless sweeps. The lawsuit alleges that both the City’s sweeps policy and the practices that follow are unconstitutional and violate individuals’ civil rights. The plaintiffs are represented by the Urban Justice Center – Safety Net Project (UJC-SNP), the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC), and Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Where We Go From Here: A Mass Organizing Call for Johnson v. Grants Pass. We’re grateful to this community of advocates for sharing your passion, comments, questions, and stories. Read more for a recording of the webinar.

In a profoundly disappointing ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today shamefully ruled that people who are arrested or fined for sleeping outside are not included in the Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Let us be clear, this will make homelessness worse.

The National Homelessness Law Center is outraged over the strangulation and murder of Jordan Neely Monday, May 1, 2023.  The Law Center condemns the NYPD, Mayor Eric Adams, and Governor Kathy Hochul for their failure to hold Jordan’s vigilante killer responsible, and for their subsequent efforts to shield his murderer and smear a murder victim.