Category: homeless

Why Santa Monica Is at the Verge of Losing Its Iconic Appeal | John Alley

“Residents are seeing homeless in the alleys, [there’s] dumpster fires, they’re cooking drugs, cooking meth … Individuals are defecating, shooting up heroin … It’s a matter of will from the city.” Siyamak sits down with John Alley, real estate owner and co founder of The Santa Monica Coalition. Today, Mr. Alley explains why this coalition exists and…


Former San Francisco County Supervisor Issues Warning on City Becoming Detroit | Tony Hall

“San Francisco was a glorious city. What made it was its culture, its people. They were benevolent, they were fun-loving, and all that’s gone. If they don’t take bold approaches to correct their problems, San Francisco will be just like Detroit in the ’60s and ’70s.” Siyamak sits down with Tony Hall, a former San…


New South Wales to Pour $55 Million Into Accommodation for Homeless People

New South Wales (NSW) is investing over $55 million (US$36 million) a year in hotel rooms for homeless people as rent increases are skyrocketing in Australia’s most populous state. Housing Minister Rose Jackson said the number of people in temporary accommodation, a place where homeless people get a shower and shelter, has surged in recent…


California’s Homelessness Can be Fixed by Changing These 2 Policies: District Attorney

California continues to pour billions of dollars into addressing the state’s burgeoning homeless population, but that won’t solve the problem, according to the district attorney for El Dorado County, located east of Sacramento. The state’s drug and crime policies are mostly to blame, District Attorney Vern Pierson told California Insider in “Why Homelessness is California…


San Francisco’s Homeless

Commentary Living on the streets is a crime. A violation of law. To force citizens to react, or worse, not react to the plight of their fellow man, and pretend not to notice, ultimately may force everyone to leave. This includes those born and raised in San Francisco, and this author. It’s not okay for…


San Diego City Council Bans Homeless Encampments

A controversial homeless encampment ban, which would prohibit unhoused people from camping in public spaces to protect public health and safety, narrowly passed on a 5 to 4 vote after nearly 10 hours of discussion between San Diego City councilors during a special meeting June 13. According to the ordinance, such a ban near schools,…


Census Data Suggests Homeless Population Shrinking, Says StatCan

Canada’s homeless population is shrinking compared to previous estimates—at least for those living in shelters, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada. In a paper released on June 16, Statistics Canada reported that the census count of people living in shelters in 2021 was less than half the number it was in 2016. “The…


Candidates Clash Over Homeless Encampments in Toronto

Seven of Toronto’s mayoralty candidates clashed over how to deal with homeless encampments, during a debate hosted by CP24 on June 15. And one of the fiercest clashes came between Olivia Chow and Anthony Furey. Furey, a journalist, vowed he would put families first in his drive to get rid of the encampments. “I am…


Portland City Council Approves Daytime Camping Ban

The Portland City Council passed an ordinance on June 7 to ban camping during daylight hours amid struggles to address a homelessness that Mayor Ted Wheeler has called a “human catastrophe.“ Passed by a 3–1 vote, the new ordinance prohibits camping between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. in many public spaces throughout the city, including…


Grand Jury Report Claims Orange County Could Have 30,000 Homeless Children

A recent report by the Orange County Grand Jury estimates there could be as many as 23,000—or even more than 30,000 according to some of its sources—homeless youth in the Southern California county, a far cry from the 700 estimated by the county in 2022. The jury decided to conduct their study because they felt the…