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Tag: homeless encampments

  • Flushing out homeless encampments causes more harm than good, expert says – WTOP News

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    The order from President Donald Trump’s administration to clear out homeless encampments across D.C. might be causing more harm to those experiencing homelessness, according to one expert.

    The order from President Donald Trump’s administration to clear out homeless encampments across D.C. might be causing more harm to those experiencing homelessness, according to one expert.

    The National Alliance to End Homelessness said clearing the camps can backfire by disrupting access to critical services, destroying personal belongings and pushing people into more dangerous or hidden areas.

    Experts say the practice increases psychological stress, worsens health outcomes and can even raise the risk of death — all while failing to address the root causes of homelessness.

    “Simply moving people out of public sight doesn’t resolve homelessness,” Mary Frances Kenion, chief equity officer for the alliance, said. “They no longer have, not just their personal possessions, but they could have lost very important documentation … like an ID.”

    Kenion said the humane way to remove the camps is to first have a place for the individuals to go. Increasing the notice period for those living in an encampment, she said, is a good place to start.

    She cited an initiative in Dallas, Texas, as a good example of how a city was able to reduce the number of homeless individuals in a way that benefited the community.

    Suddenly dissolving a camp, she said, simply pushes people farther away from things they might need, such as access to health care, mental health services and food assistance.

    “Nobody wants to be isolated from their safety net, and that’s what displacement does,” Kenion said.

    Kenion also said it can destroy the relationship a homeless person may have developed with a caseworker. The practice can also erode trust between homeless individuals and authorities, she said.

    “Just sweeping folks from one part of a community to another is being done, but this isn’t new to us,” Kenion said.

    Under the Trump administration, Kenion said there has been a move to criminalize homelessness, and that homeless people are better served by counselors than law enforcement.

    She pointed to the state of Kentucky, which has enacted several laws to crack down on homeless people. But she said the problem there has only gotten worse.

    The NAEH and other organizations have coped with the tactic for decades. She said it’s much more expensive to a community to move encampments out instead of making the human capital investments in long-term solutions.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Alan Etter

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  • Gov. Newsom awards $131M to clear homeless encampments, including $18M for Sacramento

    Gov. Newsom awards $131M to clear homeless encampments, including $18M for Sacramento

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    Gov. Newsom awards $131M to clear homeless encampments, including $18M for Sacramento

    The “Encampment Resolution Funds” will give out more than $18 million to the city of Sacramento as part of the effort.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday the state will give 18 communities nearly $131 million in funding to clear homeless encampments while providing other options for shelter, care and support.The state’s “Encampment Resolution Funds” will give out more than $18 million to the city of Sacramento as part of the effort. Watch Newsom talk about the awards in the video above after 11 a.m. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said $12 million will be used in north Sacramento to “double the size” of a temporary housing pallet home site on Roseville Road. He also anticipated the other $6 million to be used to help about 100 people who are living in encampments “go straight to permanent housing.” That will involve offering those “who are ready” to receive 24 months of rental assistance. Newsom’s administration anticipates that the $130.7 million in funds and grants will “help 3,364 people who are living in encampments and permanently house 1,565 people.” As a condition for accepting the money, the municipalities must follow accountability and compliance measures, he said. Newsom said the “money does not materialize” unless the communities “provide ample evidence of the support they will provide to individuals who will be impacted and/or displaced by the removal of encampments. This application requires a housing-first mindset.”See the full list of recipients below. City of Antioch – $6,812,686 City of Berkeley – $5,395,637 City of Carlsbad – $2,994,225 City of Los Angeles – $11,351,281 City of Palm Springs – $5,106,731 City of Petaluma – $8,098,978 City of Redlands — $5,341,800 City of Richmond —- $9,336,746 City of Sacramento — $18,199,661 City of San Jose —- $4,821,083 City of Victorville — $6,365,070 City of Visalia —- $3,000,000 County of Contra Costa —- $5,708,516 County of Riverside — $12,612,779 County of San Bernardino — $11,000,000 City and County of San Francisco – $7,975,486 Humboldt County — Continuum of Care – $3,784,294Pasadena – Continuum of Care – $2,772,801″We want to be partners in this process,” Newsom said of addressing homelessness. “If you play by the rules that are established, we want to provide carrots, not just sticks.”This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday the state will give 18 communities nearly $131 million in funding to clear homeless encampments while providing other options for shelter, care and support.

    The state’s “Encampment Resolution Funds” will give out more than $18 million to the city of Sacramento as part of the effort.

    • Watch Newsom talk about the awards in the video above after 11 a.m.

    Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said $12 million will be used in north Sacramento to “double the size” of a temporary housing pallet home site on Roseville Road. He also anticipated the other $6 million to be used to help about 100 people who are living in encampments “go straight to permanent housing.” That will involve offering those “who are ready” to receive 24 months of rental assistance.

    Newsom’s administration anticipates that the $130.7 million in funds and grants will “help 3,364 people who are living in encampments and permanently house 1,565 people.”

    As a condition for accepting the money, the municipalities must follow accountability and compliance measures, he said.

    Newsom said the “money does not materialize” unless the communities “provide ample evidence of the support they will provide to individuals who will be impacted and/or displaced by the removal of encampments. This application requires a housing-first mindset.”

    See the full list of recipients below.

    • City of Antioch – $6,812,686
    • City of Berkeley – $5,395,637
    • City of Carlsbad – $2,994,225
    • City of Los Angeles – $11,351,281
    • City of Palm Springs – $5,106,731
    • City of Petaluma – $8,098,978
    • City of Redlands — $5,341,800
    • City of Richmond —- $9,336,746
    • City of Sacramento — $18,199,661
    • City of San Jose —- $4,821,083
    • City of Victorville — $6,365,070
    • City of Visalia —- $3,000,000
    • County of Contra Costa —- $5,708,516
    • County of Riverside — $12,612,779
    • County of San Bernardino — $11,000,000
    • City and County of San Francisco – $7,975,486
    • Humboldt County — Continuum of Care – $3,784,294
    • Pasadena – Continuum of Care – $2,772,801

    “We want to be partners in this process,” Newsom said of addressing homelessness. “If you play by the rules that are established, we want to provide carrots, not just sticks.”

    This story is developing. Stay with KCRA 3 for updates.

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  • Homeless encampments cleared in DC – WTOP News

    Homeless encampments cleared in DC – WTOP News

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    National Park Service and D.C. Department of Public Works employees dressed in hazmat suits flooded and cleared a homeless encampment at the corner of 20th and E Streets in Northwest, D.C., on Thursday morning.

    Volunteers and residents clear out the encampment site before city employees move in.
    (WTOP/Neal Augenstein )

    WTOP/Neal Augenstein

    encampment site
    Tents and belongings lay around the encampment site before D.C. Public Works and National Park Service employees cleared it.
    (WTOP/Neal Augenstein )

    WTOP/Neal Augenstein

    dumping tents into trash
    National Park Service and D.C. Public Works employees dump tents and belongings into a dumpster.
    (WTOP/Neal Augenstein )

    WTOP/Neal Augenstein

    City employees stand on the encampment site.
    (WTOP/Neal Augenstein )

    WTOP/Neal Augenstein

    National Park Service and D.C. Department of Public Works employees dressed in hazmat suits flooded and cleared a homeless encampment at the corner of 20th and E Streets in Northwest on Thursday morning.

    Pitchforks, rakes and shovels were used by the employees to remove tents and personal belongings from the park before loading them into garbage trucks.

    Volunteers from local advocacy groups including Miriam’s Kitchen, a non-profit organization aimed at ending homelessness, were at the encampment site Thursday morning to assist residents in gathering their belongings before the city employees moved in.

    Deputy Director Adam Rocap at Miriam’s Kitchen told WTOP: “It’s a closure that’s displacing up to 50 people.”

    This encampment was on both National Park Service and D.C. property. The city claims public safety concerns are a reason for removal, saying that clearing the site will protect people from assaults, rodents, fires and getting hit by vehicles.

    Rocap countered that the removal of the encampments won’t help, saying, “This doesn’t solve anything. People are just going to be on a tent on another patch of grass.”

    There was no outward tension between the residents and the employees, according to WTOP’s Neal Augenstein, who was on the scene.

    Six encampment sites on local and federal property will begin shutting down starting Thursday, according to NBC Washington:

    • San Martin Memorial Park
    • Rawlings/Wittman Parks
    • 26th and L streets NW
    • 20th/21st Street, E Street and Virginia Avenue
    • 25th Street and Virginia Avenue
    • 27th and K streets

    According to a statement released by Miriam’s Kitchen, the annual census showed a 14% increase in homelessness from 2023 to 2024.

    “Our community deserves better,” said Dana White, advocacy director at Miriam’s Kitchen in a statement. “With hundreds of housing vouchers sitting unused and no proposed investment in new vouchers from the mayor, we can’t excuse the lack of urgency. We demand that our leaders take immediate action to ensure these resources are deployed to provide stable housing for those who need it.”

    WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Ana Golden

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  • 900 Los Angeles homeless deaths in 2023- 23% lower than 2022

    900 Los Angeles homeless deaths in 2023- 23% lower than 2022

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    LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, the TransLatin@ Coalition commemorated a significant milestone as it marked the launch of its 15th Anniversary Campaign during a press conference held in Los Angeles. The event also served as a platform to unveil the organization’s 2023 Annual Report, shedding light on its journey, accomplishments, and ongoing commitments.

    Led by Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, the press conference highlighted the perilous situations faced by transgender and Latinx individuals in their home countries, where they often confront insurmountable violence.

    Salcedo emphasized the harsh reality that many flee to cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco seeking asylum, only to encounter further violence and danger, often leading to deportation and, tragically, sending them back to potential harm or death.

    A poignant moment of the event was the unveiling of a new logo commemorating the organization’s 15th anniversary, aptly dubbed their “quinceañera.” This symbolizes not only a milestone but also a renewed commitment to advocacy and support for the TransLatin@ community.

    In a groundbreaking announcement, Salcedo revealed plans for a $35 million state of the art multiservice and multipurpose space aimed at providing a safe and secure space for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. With $20 million already secured, this initiative underscores the organization’s dedication to addressing the pressing needs of the community.

    The TransLatin@ Coalition, founded in 2009 by a group of transgender and gender nonconforming immigrant women in Los Angeles, has evolved into a nationally recognized organization with a presence in 10 states across the U.S. It offers direct services to transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex individuals in Los Angeles, with a focus on empowering and improving the quality of life for its members.

    Since its inception, the organization has achieved numerous milestones, including the establishment of the Center for Violence Prevention and Transgender Wellness in 2015, the opening of the first-ever TransLatin@ office in 2016, and the launch of the #TransPolicyAgenda in 2019.

    The TransLatin@ Coalition’s advocacy efforts have also extended to legislative triumphs, such as the passage of AB2218 in 2020, which allocates grant funding for transgender wellness and equity programs, and supporting bills like AB1163 and AB 1487, aimed at advancing transgender rights.

    With the recent expansion to include the El Monte site and the opening of a new building on Sunset, the TransLatin@ Coalition continues to broaden its reach and impact, reaffirming its commitment to serving the community and creating inclusive spaces where history is made and celebrated.

    “Beautiful and amazing people, who are trans, gender non-conforming, or intersex, please know that you are beautiful and amazing and that you are valued. Do not feel alone. There is a whole movement that is fighting for you. Continue to assert your presence within the tapestry of our society. We love you, we see you, we thank you,” Salcedo told the Blade.

    As the organization looks ahead to the next 15 years and beyond, its mission to advocate for the specific needs of the TransLatin@ community remains steadfast, guided by values of altruism, respect, transparency, and collaboration.

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    Brody Levesque

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