Homelessness news covering housing-first programs, encampments, shelter capacity, policy responses, and urban poverty.
Over 600 homeless New Yorkers died in fiscal year 2025, marking an 18% decline from the previous year. This is the first decrease in seven years, attributed to city efforts including safe-use locations and overdose prevention. Despite this drop, the shelter population remains at record levels with street homelessness hitting a decade peak.
Preliminary 2026 data shows homelessness declined in more than half of the 28 California counties that released results. San Joaquin County reported a nearly one-third reduction, while San Francisco saw a modest 4% decrease. However, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Napa counties recorded increases in their homeless populations.
Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson removed mayoral candidate Nithya Raman as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, citing a lack of leadership on over 100 pending issues. Raman claims the move is politically motivated due to her primary challenge against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
The author argues that the Los Angeles City Council's decision to remove anti-camping protections in specific public areas constitutes a surrender on homelessness. The commentary contends that enforcing these restrictions is necessary to preserve public spaces like parks and senior centers for their intended users, rejecting the notion that enforcement merely displaces unhoused individuals.
Portland and Multnomah County plan to decommission more than 1,000 adult shelter beds by the end of 2026, representing roughly one-third of the system's capacity from January. The cuts also reduce day centers, street outreach teams, and eviction prevention funding, reversing previous expansions funded by a 2020 regional tax measure.
The January 2025 point-in-time count reveals that while the total number of homeless veterans dropped 1.2% to a record low of 32,495, half of U.S. states experienced increases. Mississippi saw the sharpest percentage jump at 88%, whereas California achieved the largest numerical decline with 624 fewer homeless veterans.
The California Post editorial board argues that Berkeley and other California cities must abandon laissez-faire homeless policies, which it characterizes as faux compassion enabling encampments. The piece contends that unchecked permissiveness and nonprofit profiteering have created health crises requiring decisive cleanup rather than continued tolerance.
CAMBA agreed to a legal settlement requiring it to assist tenants behind on rent before initiating eviction proceedings. The agreement protects over 2,000 supportive housing tenants, many formerly homeless with disabilities, from displacement following a class-action lawsuit by the Legal Aid Society alleging failures in providing financial and emergency aid assistance.
The Oregonian profiles Skyler Brocker-Knapp, Portland's former homeless services chief, detailing her five-year effort to expand shelter options despite political friction between city and county leaders. The article argues that her solution-focused approach helped foster crucial staff-level collaboration during a strained intergovernmental partnership.