Number of houseless people in Japan hits record low
The number of unhoused people in Japan fell 8.0% as of January from a year earlier to 2,820, the lowest level since data began in 2003, the health ministry said in a recent survey report.
Houselessness
Baltimore finalizes $18 million deal to acquire hotels for long-term homeless housing
Once the city takes over operations of the hotels at the end of this year, it intends to convert the units for “permanent supportive housing,” a form of affordable housing that provides subsidized rent and social services, health care, counseling and other supports. The city plans to partner with a nonprofit provider to offer services to residents in the two buildings.
Denver meets goal of housing 1000 unhoused people before 2024
With the opening of a new micro-community in northeast Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston estimated over 1,100 hundred people will have been housed before the end of 2023. “As of yesterday, this city succeeded, in under six months, in moving more than 1,000 people off of the streets and into housing,” he said.
The U.K. repeals anti-homelessness law
There’s been a shift in policing attitudes overall, with police forces saying that they were moving away from arresting people under this act in favor of more “meaningful solutions.”
Rajasthan trials more holistic approach to combat homelessness
The four-month program offers practical skill training and emotional support to 100 homeless men. Participants are provided with food and a room, as well as a stipend exceeding India’s minimum wage.
Veteran homelessness in the U.S. decreased by nearly 50% between 2009 and 2018
Many veterans have connected with rapid re-housing through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. In 2015 alone, the SSVF program helped nearly 100,000 veterans and about 35,000 children remain in their homes or quickly exit homelessness,
Brighton & Hove the first U.K. city to adopt the Homeless Bill of Rights
The bill of rights was originally drawn up in 2017 to encourage cities and councils to recognize the rights of the homeless. The document was compiled of basic rights drawn from human rights law.
Austin redirects police funding to buy transitional housing for homeless
The Austin City Council voted unanimously to purchase the Texas Bungalow Hotel & Suites for $6.7 million. The hotel is slated to become transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Amazon launches $2 billion fund to make 20,000 affordable homes for working families
The Housing Equity Fund will invest more than $2 billion to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable housing units in Washington State’s Puget Sound; Arlington, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee.
Canadian experiment giving homeless people $7500 proves promising
The New Leaf project took 115 homeless people who were confirmed not to have serious mental or substance abuse problems, and put $7,500 in the pockets of 50 of them to see if they could turn their life around. One entire year later, most recipients still had $1,000 in savings and 67% were could still feed themselves every day.