Latest news with #homelessness
BBC News
an hour ago
- Business
- BBC News
Housing: Call to stop displaced children going 'missing' from schools
"I spent all of half-term looking for somewhere to live," says mother-of-three Shanice 29-year-old from west London rejected her council's most recent temporary accommodation offer "an hour away" from her children's Shared Health Foundation is urging the government to put in measures to stop children in temporary accommodation going "missing" from schools and GPs after widespread displacement of families across the country. The charity's new report calls for a notification system so that all authorities are aware when a child moves into temporary government says it is investing £1bn in homelessness services this year to help families trapped in temporary accommodation. 'My family will soon be homeless' Ms Aird was living in a secure tenancy flat in Ealing with her three children, aged three, five and seven, but was moved to temporary accommodation in Hounslow in 2021 after witnessing a stabbing. She is now being evicted from the two-bedroom property by the landlord, but says Ealing Council has only offered her unsuitable alternative accommodation, including one flat an hour away from her children's Aird says she will soon be homeless and will have to "sofa surf with friends" after the council discharged her from their housing duty."We haven't been able to do anything this half-term because I'm constantly on the phone to councils, emailing, trying to get as much help as I can," she admits her children's attendance at school is "awful" as they do not have a permanent home."It's really horrible because as a mum you want to try and provide as much safety and happiness as you can." Ms Aird says she needs to be close to family and friends to help with her mental health. "I have bipolar type 2 and tend to go into depressive episodes, if it's a really bad episode it leads to me not being aware of what I'm doing," she says."I'm happy to move to another borough, as long as I've got some kind of family support network."Ealing Council said Ms Aird was recently made offers of "suitable properties both in and out of the borough within easy reach of her support networks", which she refused."Because of her refusal of these property offers, the council have discharged her main housing duty, and we have made a referral to children services at Hounslow Council who may be able to support her under the Children's Act," it added. 'Normal childhood' More than 164,000 homeless children are currently living in temporary accommodation across England, the highest number on record, figures of government data by homeless charity Shelter suggests there are almost 94,000 children in London living in temporary a result, families are being displaced with some Londoners being moved miles away due to a lack of permanent affordable housing in the capital, according to Alicia Walker, Shelter's assistant director for activism and advocacy."We're sending children and families from London to Manchester, but Manchester has the very same problem, then the children and families in Manchester might be moved to means we've got a country of displaced people," she says. Dr Laura Neilson, founder of the Shared Health Foundation which co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on temporary accommodation, says they want to see children "still have access to education and healthcare" so they "get to live a much more normal childhood than these children are experiencing"."We are asking the government to be more curious about how many children are missing from education because of temporary accommodation," she adds. Felicity Afriyie has lived in temporary accommodation for 21 years with her three children aged 16, 19, and 20. In that time they have lived in more than 10 houses. Currently, they are living in a one-bedroom hostel in Lambeth, south previous temporary accommodation, she says her children's journeys to school took two 53-year-old says it took so long to do the school run she "spent the whole day" waiting for her children to finish school."Sometimes you see schoolchildren on the bus sleeping because they come from very far," she says. 'It's not a level playing field' Her daughter Grace, 20, says: "One of our school journeys was two hours. "Doing that distance to school every day was awful. It's had a massive impact on our education."You can't expect a 16 year old... that's moved houses more times than they can count to sit a set of exams that will change their life and expect them to perform as well as their more stable affluent counterparts. "It's not fair and it's not a level playing field."Grace says she has dropped out of university due to the stress of temporary accommodation."Some of us are actually trying to get out of the system," she says. "We've grown up like this and we don't want the generation after us to be in the same position. We're never going to get out of the system when it's stacked against us."Lambeth Council says it had made a direct offer of suitable permanent accommodation to Ms Afriyie but she turned it down and requested a review. The review found that the permanent property proposed was suitable. Local authorities have a legal duty to provide temporary accommodation to anyone who qualifies as Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, is calling on the government to urgently increase the temporary accommodation subsidy in the upcoming Spending Review."Frozen temporary accommodation subsidy rates have left councils to pick up more than £700m in temporary accommodation costs that they are unable to claim back from government."The government says the forthcoming Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to introduce better protections for all children and better join-up between children's social care, schools and other local the children not in school registers, there will be a single unique identifier for every child and a requirement for every council to have multi-agency child protection team."Protecting vulnerable children falling through the cracks are at the heart of the forthcoming Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which represents the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation," a government spokesperson said."We are also investing £1bn in homelessness services this year to help families trapped in temporary accommodation, driving up housing standards and delivering on our commitment to build more social and affordable homes."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Piedmont Health presenting new laundry trailer to Compass For Hope
AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF) – Compass For Hope is a community driven organization with a mission to help the homeless in our area be self-sufficient while offering aid for them to better their lives. The second laundry trailer was officially put into service Sunday and the Executive Director for Compass For Hope, Mike Garrison, says it will make a huge difference for the people in need. 'It's such a blessing. I always say that we're chasing a crazy dream trying to help homeless people and it's so wonderful when companies and organizations like Piedmont get on board with us and support that crazy dream that we've got,' Garrison said. Garrison explains they were only able to do around 8 loads of laundry with one trailer, but now they are able to double that to 16. He says it may attract more people, and they will hopefully be able to give them fresh clothes. 'Clothing is a very unique situation with the homeless community because regardless of the manufacturer, it's only valuable until it can be replaced. Now with us being able to launder some clothing maybe we extend the life of some of those garments that they have and stuff doesn't end up as trash on the streets,' said Garrison. Piedmont Health is the sponsor presenting the trailer to Compass For Hope. One of the board members with Piedmont Health, Hugh Hamilton, says it was an honor to be able to do something like this and got emotional speaking about the impact compass for hope has in our community. 'In all of our busy lives there are things that go on that we are just not aware of and this is a real eye opening experience to come here and see how many people need this service and the wonderful job they do to serve our community,' said Hamilton. The organization hopes to make an even bigger impact in our area with this additional trailer. If you wish to learn more about Compass For Hope you can find the link here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oakland clears homeless encampment, moves 70 to shelter — but advocates say city's outreach efforts fell short
The City of Oakland has cleared a large homeless encampment on East 12th Street, relocating about 70 people to the Mandela House — a former hotel turned shelter, now funded through a state grant. The move marks one of the city's most visible steps toward addressing homelessness, a crisis that has more than doubled in Oakland over the past decade. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Driven by rising rents, stagnant wages and a chronic shortage of affordable housing, more than 4,000 people in the city are currently unhoused. Oakland officials say the clearance is part of a broader push to connect unhoused residents with long-term housing support. It follows Governor Gavin Newsom's rollout of a model ordinance aimed at helping cities respond to what he calls the 'dangerous' and 'unhealthy' conditions of encampments. 'There's nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,' Newsom said in a press release. 'Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history.' As Oakland aligns with statewide efforts to address homelessness, the impact of encampment closures — and whether they help — remains at the center of the conversation. California's homelessness crisis has reached a breaking point. According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 187,000 people were homeless in the state last year — nearly 24% of the entire nation's unhoused population. The pressure is mounting on state and local leaders to act fast. In response, Newsom announced $3.3 billion in new funding to help cities expand access to housing and treatment for the state's most vulnerable. Cities like Oakland and San Francisco are rolling out targeted interventions. San Francisco's newly elected mayor, Daniel Lurie, has pledged to tackle homelessness head-on. Oakland is already home to the Community Cabins program — a shelter initiative offering small, two-person cabins built on public land. These temporary shelters focus on stabilization and connecting residents to long-term support. The program has seen high participation rates, largely because cabins are built near existing encampments, allowing people to stay close to familiar spaces. 'Oakland's Cabin Community model is one of the most promising and cost-effective homeless shelter innovations I've seen,' said Trent Rhorer, executive director of the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it City officials say closing the East 12th Street encampment is a step forward, but community reactions suggest a more complicated reality. Some residents and business owners say they're relieved to see the area cleared, calling it a long-standing source of frustration. "I was driving by, and I was shocked to see the whole encampment was clean," said Veleda, an Oakland resident, in an interview with Fox KTVU. "It was an eyesore, and it was very hard for them to tackle it." But homeless advocates say that while shelters like Mandela House or Community Cabins represent a step in the right direction, the process of clearing encampments often unfolds with little warning and limited resources. "People lost medication, people lost their IDs, people lost their phones, people lost their clothing, their food," Needa Bee, director of the homeless advocacy group, The Village, told Fox KTVU. According to Bee, she was able to reconnect with 54 individuals from the East 12th encampment — none of whom were offered housing options before the site was cleared. The city maintains that shelter space was made available at Mandela House. But advocates argue the outreach efforts fell short, and question how effective these emergency responses really are in the long term. With growing pressure to 'clean up' encampments, cities risk swapping long-term solutions for short-term optics — and sidelining the very people these efforts claim to support. Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Modesto celebrates opening of housing project aimed at combating homelessness
The city of Modesto celebrated on Thursday the grand opening of Jenny's Place, a project created to provide permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. Named after the late City Councilmember Jenny Kenoyer, the 54-unit apartment complex will provide residents with amenities including a mattress, refrigerator, bathroom and closet. Of the units, 38 are for people ages 18 to 24, while the rest don't have an age restriction. The on-site manager will have a one-bedroom apartment, while all others are studio apartments. The complex is at 710 N. Ninth St., where a Travelers Motel previously stood. Maya Carter is one of the new residents at Jenny's Place. Before she moved in a couple of days ago, Carter moved from hotel to hotel with her kids for two and a half years. She also lost her job and was suffering seizures, she said. 'I was unable to pay for anywhere to stay, and I was staying in a friend of mines' truck,' she said. 'I was living a really hard life.' Carter learned of Jenny's Place through the Stanislaus County Access Center. With the help of its housing assessment team, she signed her lease. Carter currently lives alone and her family members visit her on weekends. She viewed the opportunity as a 'last chance for me, and there's no way that I'm gonna mess this up or try not to mess this up, intentionally, but I'm very happy.' Now with a fresh start, Carter plans to attend Modesto Junior College and look for a job. She hopes other people facing a similar situation take advantage of the resources available. 'You're never too old to try to go back and get something done right. All you have to do is look within yourself and know that the only person you're lying to is yourself,' Carter said. City of Modesto spokesperson Sonya Severo stated in an email to The Bee that 16 units at Jenny's Place are occupied. Residents moved in during early May. Severo also said there is no application, as individuals are referred through a Coordinated Entry System (CES). Managed by Stanislaus County Community Services Agency and its Community System of Care, the CES helps individuals and families navigate housing resources by going through one centralized system. Residents of the new complex will be housed through a one-year lease agreement with the option to renew. Over 30 attendees were present at the site Thursday and were allowed to explore some unoccupied units following a speech and ribbon-cutting ceremony. 'Jenny's Place is opening the doors to hope, safety and stability, to those who need it most,' Mayor Sue Zwahlen said. 'They no longer have to worry about where they are going to sleep at night or feeling safe.' According to a press release, the project cost $23 million. The city, the California Homekey Program, the Stanislaus County Community System of Care and the Health Plan of San Joaquin all contributed funding. In October 2023, the city and the project's co-developers, Upholdings and RH Community Builders, received a $16 million grant from the state's Homekey Program, a statewide initiative to expand housing for anyone experiencing homelessness or at the risk of homelessness. Caity Meader, director of supportive housing for Upholdings, said the project's construction began in February 2024 and concluded in April of this year. In March, Modesto received a $5.7 million grant from the state to help people experiencing homelessness transition to shelters and permanent housing. Later that month, Dignity Village Modesto opened a 42-unit complex to help individuals facing homelessness and other obstacles. On Jan. 24-25, 2024, the Stanislaus Community System of Care conducted a 24-hour Point-In-Time count that found 2,052 people were experiencing homelessness in the county. Out of those, 1,622 were in Modesto.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘A Bed for Every Child' program helps provide beds for children in need across Mass.
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A local Elks Lodge took part in an initiative ensuring every child in Massachusetts has a safe and comfortable place to sleep. A Bed for Every Child is an initiative with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, a commitment to ensure that every child in the state has somewhere safe to rest. Holyoke Farmers' Market kicks off 2025 season 'We all know how important a good night's sleep is, and these kids aren't getting it when they are sleeping on the floor or whatever or in the homeless shelter,' said Lewana Dyer, Treasurer of the Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge #1481. 'So we are trying to satisfy some of that need.' The Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge #1481 is bringing together not only its members but also members from other Elks Lodges across western Massachusetts, community members, and even a couple of Boy Scouts, building 20 beds for children in need. The Lodge has been planning and fundraising for this event since October. 'We had a comedy show, we had dinners, members donated, the community donated,' Dyer said. Each bed kit costs $350, but with the money raised, they were able to provide more than just a bed for 20 kids on the wait list. 'We have sheet sets, we have blankets, we have pillows, we have backpacks, we have toys,' Dyer said. 'We have stuffed animals to go along with the beds when they go.' Members and volunteers that weren't able to get down on their hands and knees to build the beds could participate in the Inspiration Station, where they could create unique medallions for each child's bed. 'While each one of these beds may be built uniformly, there is a special element that folks are signing the back of the decal,' said Tina Baptista, Program Director of A Bed for Every Child. 'It's custom and it really just helps make these beds extra special for the child who will soon receive it.' The Westfield-West Springfield Elks Lodge hopes to make this an annual event going forward. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
