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Dramatic insurance spikes threaten to put homeless housing providers out of business

Nov 28, 2024
The rise in premiums has less to do with the threat of extreme weather and more to do with the very nature of the business: providing housing for people exiting homelessness.
Insurance costs are threatening many supportive housing projects.
Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

California governor pushes for homeless crackdown in wake of Supreme Court decision

Ann Oliva of the National Alliance to End Homelessness says Gov. Gavin Newsom's policy of clearing encampments could make things worse.
"Our elected leaders need to commit to long-term solutions, because this problem wasn't created overnight and it's not going to be solved overnight," said Ann Oliva of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

SCOTUS weighs policy on policing homeless people amid a national housing shortage

Apr 22, 2024
The justices will debate if enforcing a public camping ban in Grants Pass, Oregon, violated the Eighth Amendment.
Communities are grappling with how to address record-high homelessness across the country.
John Moore/Getty Images

Why it's gotten more expensive to house people experiencing homelessness

Apr 22, 2024
Higher interest rates and insurance costs make building low-income and supportive housing more costly —  especially in California, home to 28% of the U.S. homeless population.
The costs of constructing housing for the unhoused are being hammered by higher interest rates.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Safe parking programs are difficult to fund, but sorely needed

Jan 25, 2024
Lawmakers will unveil bipartisan legislation on Thursday that would give federal dollars to overnight parking programs for people living in their vehicles.
A man prepares to sleep in a Safe Parking LA location in 2019. On Thursday, new legislation will be announced that would put federal dollars toward safe parking programs nationwide.
Kyle Grillot/AFP via Getty Images

Houston has bucked the trend in homelessness. Can it afford to keep it up?

Jan 8, 2024
The city has been lauded for getting people into homes. But higher housing costs and expiring funding may put programs in jeopardy.
Houston's homelessness response network helped Derrick Escobedo find permanent housing — his first home ever.
Elizabeth Trovall/Marketplace

What we can learn from U.S. cities where homelessness is trending downward

Towns making progress, an overwhelmed system, affordable housing — here’s what to expect ahead of new federal data on homelessness.
"What the data tells us over and over again is that homelessness rates are driven primarily by the housing market," said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

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What should Ireland do with its budget surplus?

Oct 9, 2023
Ireland has a budget surplus of $10.9 billion, which has been driven by soaring corporate tax revenue from tech and pharmaceutical companies.
Above, a boarded-up property is pictured in Dublin. Some Irish residents see housing as a key area where a surplus in tax revenue could be put to use.
Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

San Francisco's mayor challenges the public perception of her city

San Francisco's empty office buildings and fleeing retailers have been in the news. London Breed challenges that narrative.
Increasing housing production, Mayor London Breed says, is one of her main focuses. She also says San Francisco has to get creative with how to repurpose vacant office space.
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The economics of homelessness

In this Marketplace special, we’re taking a look at how the debt ceiling drama further restricts us from addressing big issues like homelessness.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images