Homeless

Homelessness

San Francisco's Voter-Approved Tax to Aid the Homeless Could Face Litigation

In California, 60 percent of a public vote isn't usually enough to approve a new tax.

November 8, 2018 - Associated Press

Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos Announces $2 Billion Fund to Support Homeless Services

After the company he founded fought off a tax to fund homeless and affordable housing funds in Seattle earlier this year, Jeff Bezos has announced a new $2 billion fund that will fund homeless services, among other efforts.

September 13, 2018 - GeekWire

Homeless and Police

Court: It's Cruel and Unusual Punishment to Ban Homeless From Sleeping on Streets

A 2009 law that banned sleeping in public spaces has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.

September 6, 2018 - AP via Idaho Statesman

Homeless Shelter

Modular Housing for the Homeless

The Seattle region will try to save costs and speed construction on three new pilot projects by using modular construction to house homeless.

August 23, 2018 - KUOW

Public Toilet

San Francisco Taking a Proactive Approach to Poop

The problem of feces in the public realm is rampant in San Francisco, so the city is launching a new "Poop Patrol."

August 19, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Southern California Coast

San Diego Called Out for Section 8 Housing Discrimination

San Diego was identified for its failure to enact a Section 8 housing discrimination ordinance in a recent American Bar Association article. Poverty law attorney Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi explains the situation.

July 25, 2018 - UrbDeZine

Washington D.C.

Behind-Schedule Shelters and Behind-the-Scenes Problems at D.C. Department of General Services

The Department of General Services, Washington D.C.'s department in charge of constructing homeless shelters, has seen rapid turnover and is reportedly struggling with low morale.

June 29, 2018 - Washington City Paper

Seattle Homeless

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million

It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

May 17, 2018 - Crosscut

Not in my back yard

Friday Funny: I'll Do Anything to Solve Homelessness, But I Won't Do That

A satirical post for McSweeney's about the typical approach to the country's growing number of homeless brought to mind a famous song by Meat Loaf.

May 11, 2018 - McSweeney's

Los Angeles Homeless

Homeless Shelters a Tough Sell With Neighborhood Activists

A plan to streamline approval of a wave of homeless facilities in the city of Los Angeles is running into an early snag with an emergency shelter proposed for a parking lot in the Koreatown neighborhood.

May 10, 2018 - Curbed LA

Homeless Cars

A Man's Truck Is His Palace?

In a move to grant further autonomy and rights to the homeless population of Seattle, a court found in favor of a man who argued his truck was his home and should not have been towed after he didn't move for 72 hours.

March 8, 2018 - The Seattle Times

For Rent

The 7 Myths of Rent Control

The public perception of rent control has been dominated by apartment owner-funded studies and messaging for decades, fostering misconceptions about it's impact, according to poverty law attorney Parisa Ijadi-Maghsoodi.

March 4, 2018 - UrbDeZine

Orange County to Remove 1,000 Homeless People From the Santa Ana River

Responding to local homeowners and politicians, Orange County will clear homeless encampments from a riverbed and stormwater channel under its control.

January 20, 2018 - KPCC

California

The State of San Francisco

One of the most astute observers of San Francisco provides a list of notable architecture project to locate the city amidst all its ongoing controversies and challenges.

January 9, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Encanto Park

Homeless Encampment Challenges Policy Makers in Phoenix

Phoenix, Arizona is struggling to deal with a growing homeless camp in a revitalizing area near the city's Downtown.

January 6, 2018 - AZ Central

Palmer Apartments

California Funds Housing Near Freeways Despite Air Pollution

A Los Angeles development for homeless vets could be great news for a city in desperate need of housing, but some worry that the apartments put vets in harm’s way.

December 27, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

Poverty in the Depression

No Place to Call Home: A Review of 'Homeless: Poverty and Place in Urban America'

In a history of the skid rows in American cities from the late 19th century until the urban renewal era of the 1960s, Ella Howard tells of the impoverished people who inhabited them and the policy choices that supported their existence.

December 13, 2017 - Linda Day

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Could Streamline Temporary Shelters, Permanent Supportive Housing

Los Angeles is exploring multiple angles for sheltering the 34,000 homeless living in the city. Urbanize LA takes a look at two of the city's most recent legislative efforts to develop more supportive housing.

December 5, 2017 - Urbanize LA

Oakland, California

A Radical Idea to Help the Homeless: Homeowners Should Open Their Doors

The mayor of Oakland is challenging homeowners to offer their extra rooms and in-law units to the homeless, with a target to create a modest 100 new permanent supportive housing units.

November 24, 2017 - East Bay Times

New York Apartments

New York Still Not Tracking Vacancies

Despite de Blasio's campaign promises, the city of New York still doesn't count vacant properties, a negligence that advocates for the homeless have been fighting for years.

November 18, 2017 - Next City

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Top Books

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.