December 17, 2008
Thanks to Sullivan & Cromwell!

NLCHP would like to thank Sullivan & Cromwell LLP for its generous donation in honor of its new associates and summer associates that will join the firm in 2009.

December 16, 2008
NLCHP Commends HUD Secretary Appointment

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) commends President-Elect Obama's nomination of NYC Housing Commissioner Shaun Donovan for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary.

November 25, 2008
Advocates Propose Strategy to Obama Administration
Groups Call on President-Elect to Prioritize Ending Homelessness

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) and over a dozen other national homelessness advocacy groups called upon President-Elect Barack Obama to take steps immediately upon becoming President to address the urgent crisis of homelessness in the United States.

November 21, 2008
Informal Visit from UN on Adequate Housing
Special Rapporteur Visits

NLCHP, together with partner, the National Economic & Social Rights Initiative (NESRI), hosted the new UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Raquel Rolnik for an informal visit to New York City and San Francisco in late October. An official visit is planned for early 2009.

November 18, 2008
Four Honored at 10th Annual McKinney-Vento Awards

NLCHP honored Richard E. Schaden, US Rep. Judy Biggert, Hogan & Hartson, and Tonya Bullock at its November 6th event, overlooking the US Capitol.

November 18, 2008
Children's Art on Display

If you're in the DC area, you can check out submissions from NLCHP's Annual Homeless and Low-Income Children's Art Contest at the Arlington Arts Center from November 18 - 29. Don't miss this wonderful display!

October 17, 2008
Laura Evans to Serve as Mistress of Ceremonies
2008 McKinney-Vento Awards

Laura Evans, co-anchor of Fox 5 News at 5pm, is scheduled to serve as Mistress of Ceremonies at NLCHP's McKinney-Vento Awards on November 6, 2008.

October 15, 2008
Court Victory in Orlando Food-Sharing Case

On September 26, 2008 a federal district court judge found that an Orlando law restricting sharing food in public parks violated the rights of two groups who share food with homeless individuals.

October 15, 2008
Sheriff Doing the Right Thing
NLCHP Commends Cook County Sheriff Dart

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty commends Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart for not enforcing eviction orders against renters of foreclosed property - when they had no notice of the foreclosure, no time and no resources to stave off homelessness.

October 06, 2008
Victory for Hawaii's Homeless Children
Back to School

In October 2007, Lawyers for Equal Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the law firm of Alston, Hunt, Floyd & Ing, with technical assistance from NLCHP, filed a class action lawsuit, Kaleuati v. Tonda, on behalf of all homeless children in Hawaii seeking to ensure access to education. The recent settlement in this case protects the education rights of homeless children.

October 03, 2008
NLCHP Launches Street Lawyer WIKI Site
A WIKI to End and Prevent Homelessness

This month, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), along with 20 other national and local partners, is proud to officially launch its new WIKI, entitled Street Lawyer: Legal Tools for Economic Justice, an online resource tool that will support the efforts of advocates, attorneys, policy makers and homeless people working to end and prevent homelessness.

October 01, 2008
A Vote for the Homeless
A Letter to the Editor of the New York Times

As more families are forced to leave their homes and move to shelters, they become less likely to easily exercise their right to vote, although they have a major stake in the political process.

September 29, 2008
Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week
September 21-27, 2008

Dozens of service providers and advocates around the country will be holding voter registration events to help ensure homeless persons' voices are heard this election year. Over 50 groups in almost 20 states will be hosting voter education and registration events during National Homeless & Low Income Voter Registration Week from September 21 through September 27.

September 18, 2008
2008 McKinney-Vento Award Winners Announced!
Join us to honor them on November 6, 2008!

Visit our events site for more information or to sponsor the event!

September 15, 2008
Audio Training: The Human Right to Housing
October 6, 2008

NLCHP will celebrate the annual UN World Habitat Day by hosting a training session about housing and human rights on October 6, from 2-3pm EDT.

September 08, 2008
Homelessness Awareness Breakfast at the DNC
Maria Foscarinis in Attendance

NLCHP Executive Director, Maria Foscarinis, joined the Mayor of Denver to discuss proven, practical solutions for ending homelessness in America.

August 28, 2008
Audio Training: Education Rights
Protecting Homeless and Transitional Students' Education Rights

On Wednesday, September 10, we will share information on the McKinney-Vento Act, which allows homeless and transitional students to stay enrolled in schools even as their home situation changes. We will also discuss applicability of the law to early childhood (HeadStart) and special education (IDEA), as well as implications for higher education.

August 25, 2008
2008 Voting Rights Report Released

With the assistance of the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) just released its third report on protecting and promoting voting rights for homeless persons.

August 06, 2008
NLCHP Receives Grant from the US Human Rights Fund

A special thanks to the US Human Rights Fund! NLCHP has received a $100,000 program grant over two years from the US Human Rights Fund. This grant will support our work training and supporting advocates and attorneys working to end and prevent homelessness, educating policy makers, and increasing public awareness of the human right to housing.

July 18, 2008
"Five Fundamentals Campaign" Launched
A Challenge to Candidates for Public Office to Pledge to End Homelessness

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, together with the National Coalition for the Homeless, the National AIDS Housing Coalition, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Center on Family Homelessness, and the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness, is launching a campaign to ask candidates for all levels of public office to endorse the Five Fundamentals to Prevent and End Homelessness.

July 17, 2008
Inviting Submissions for Children's Art Contest
For the 2008 McKinney-Vento Awards

NLCHP is seeking submissions from homeless or low-income children and youth for its annual artwork contest!

July 16, 2008
Calls Needed Now on McKinney-Vento Reauthorization

Action Alert! Please call members of the House Financial Services Committee and ask them to work to enact HUD McKinney reauthorization this year.

July 08, 2008
Audio Training: Voting Rights

This audio training takes place on July 8, 2008 at 2:00pm as a webinar.

June 30, 2008
Maria Foscarinis Elected Vice-Chair of USHRN

NLCHP Executive Director, Maria Foscarinis, is pleased to be taking on the role of Vice-Chair of the US Human Rights Network Board of Directors (USHRN). Maria has served on the Board since 2004. The USHRN builds organizational capacity and skills at the grassroots level to help advocates utilize human rights framework and build a human rights movement in the US.

June 30, 2008
Victory for VOCA and VAWA!

The Senate CJS (Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies) Appropriations Committee passed a $15 million dollar increase to VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) funding and increased the VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) cap by $45 million, which will enable states to fund significantly more services.

June 18, 2008
Audio Training: Federal Housing Law and Survivors

This Audio Training took place on June 18. Materials from the training are available here.

June 12, 2008
Fresno Homeless Residents Win Settlement
City Destroyed Personal Property

$2 Million Judgment for Unlawful Seizure Unprecedented FRESNO United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger gave preliminary approval today to a $2.35 million dollar class-action settlement between a class of hundreds of homeless Fresno residents and the City of Fresno and the California Department of Transportation. The court had already determined that Fresno's practice of immediately seizing and destroying the personal possessions of homeless residents violates the constitutional right of every person to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The homeless plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Kincaid v. Fresno, were represented by a team of attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU-NC), the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR) and the law firm of Heller Ehrman LLP. In 2006, NLCHP filed an affidavit in the Fresno case, providing protocols that ensure homeless persons' rights are properly respected and that connect homeless persons with outreach workers and services. NLCHP applauds Judge Wanger's decision.

June 12, 2008
U.N. Special Rapporteur Visits
Maps America, Noting Dramatic Link between Race and Poverty

After a three-week tour of the U.S. with a number of stops with housing and homelessness advocates coordinated by NLCHP, U.N. Special Rapporteur, Mr. Doudou Diène stated that he had witnessed the resegregation of America. He commented that he could visibly see two maps of the U.S.: "The map of social and economic marginalization is tightly coinciding with the ethnic map. The communities most marginalized socially, economically and politically are the historically discriminated minorities." He concluded that this disturbing trend calls for immediate rectification.

May 29, 2008
Fresno Court Decision Protects Homeless Persons

On Monday, May 12, U.S. District Judge Oliver W. Wanger ruled that Fresno, Calif. had violated the rights of homeless persons through their policy of "cleaning up" tent cities and destroying personal belongings.

May 26, 2008
National Advocates Lay Out Agenda

A coalition of national advocates for homelessness issues has developed a Consensus Statement on Five Fundamentals that must be included in public policy in order to address homelessness in the United States. This document will be used in advocacy for the upcoming election cycle.

May 14, 2008
The Indiana Voting Law
Supreme Court Decision Disenfranchises Many Homeless Voters

On Monday, April 28, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in William Crawford et al. v. Marion County Election Board et al., and Indiana Democratic Party et al. v. Todd Rokita, Indiana Secretary of State et al. that could severely burden homeless persons' right to vote.

May 02, 2008
Violent Crimes Against Homeless People on the Rise
Advocates fault lack of affordable housing, public attitudes

Washington, DC, April 29, 2008 - Today the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) released the 2007 numbers on the epidemic of hate crimes and violent attacks against homeless Americans. The numbers are part of a new report entitled Hate, Violence, And Death on Main Street USA, 2007.

April 29, 2008
ERC Report Ties Domestic Violence to Homelessness
The Equal Rights Center Releases New Report Tying Domestic Violence to Homelessness

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 22, 2008 - Today the Equal Rights Center (ERC), a non-profit civil rights organization, released a critical new report that sheds light on the discrimination that survivors of domestic violence face when searching for housing in the District of Columbia.

April 16, 2008
NLCHP's 2008 Policy Priorities

Homelessness is a national crisis, and solving it requires a national response.

April 16, 2008
Suit Against Anti-Feeding Ordinance Moves Forward

On March 31, a lawsuit challenging an anti-food-sharing law in Orlando, Fla. took another step forward when a federal district court denied in part the City of Orlando's motion for summary judgment.

April 02, 2008
NLCHP Calls on HUD to Protect Violence Victims
Failure to Enforce VAWA 2005 Leads to Evictions

WASHINGTON, DC March 12, 2008 - Today, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) called on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ensure adequate protection for victims of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. NLCHP criticized HUD's failure to enforce the law to protect victims in public housing from evictions due to the violence against them.

March 12, 2008
UN: U.S. Racial Discrimination Must Be Remedied
Post-Katrina Housing Rights Violations Also Cited

WASHINGTON, DC, March 7, 2008 -- Today in Geneva, Switzerland, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issued its Concluding Observations charging the U.S. to do more to remedy the effects of racial discrimination in housing and other areas.

March 11, 2008
UN Reviews US on Racial Discrimination in Housing
Check out our video updates!

This week, NLCHP human rights staff attorney Eric Tars is in Geneva, Switzerland for the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). NLCHP has submitted testimony to the committee on the disparate racial impact of homelessness in the United States.

February 20, 2008
President's Budget Slashes Homeless Funding
2009 Proposed Budget Includes Cuts to Range of Programs

President Bush this week released his Budget Request for the Fiscal Year 2009. The budget proposes significant cuts for many of the larger social safety net programs. Homeless programs fared slightly better, but proposed increases to homeless programs would be offset by larger cuts to other homeless or social safety net programs.

February 06, 2008
Congress Passes Fiscal Year 2008 Funding Bill

Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill this week providing funding for Fiscal Year 2008 for federal agencies. Programs for homeless persons will receive level funding or small increases under the bill.

December 20, 2007
U.S. in Violation of the Right to Housing
New Report to U.N. Describes Racially Discriminatory Impact of U.S. Housing Policy

African-Americans make up 12% of Americans but represent over 50% of homeless people. On December 10, International Human Rights Day, NLCHP and a coalition of over 50 organizations charged the U.S. with systemic discrimination against racial minorities by denying equal access to adequate housing.

December 10, 2007
Cities Cracking Down on Groups Feeding Hungry
New Report Details Policies Penalizing Groups Feeding Homeless People; Offers Alternatives

NLCHP and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) are releasing a new report on November 15, 2007 entitled Feeding Intolerance: Prohibitions on Sharing Food with People Experiencing Homelessness. The report details how local governments across the country are restricting groups that share food with poor and homeless people and offers examples of more constructive alternatives to these counterproductive laws.

November 06, 2007
Human Rights Forum Wrap-up
Participants in five locations trade strategies, plan next steps

On November 5, over 200 advocates gathered in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, New Orleans, and Washington, DC for NLCHP's annual National Forum on the Human Right to Housing. The conference connected housing and human rights advocates, activists, lawyers, and service providers in each city via video-conference to discuss housing rights violations and the strategies employed by participants to advocate on behalf of homeless and poor Americans.

October 24, 2007
Housing Rights are Human Rights
NLCHP Hosts Nationwide Videoconference

NLCHP will host a National Forum on the Human Right to Housing on Monday, November 5 that will link 5 locations across the nation via videoconference. There will be training locations in Washington, DC; Chicago; New Orleans; Minneapolis; and Los Angeles.

October 05, 2007
Awards Ceremony to Recognize Advocates
2007 Honorees Include U.S. Senator Jack Reed and Others

NLCHP is proud to announce the honorees for its 2007 McKinney-Vento Awards. U.S. Senator Jack Reed will receive the organization's Stewart B. McKinney Award. Both Etan Thomas, of the Washington Wizards, and Judge Jay Zainey, a U.S. District Court Judge, will receive the Bruce F. Vento Award. The law firm Covington & Burling LLP will receive the Pro Bono Counsel Award and the Personal Achievement Award will go to Rickie Slaughter, a formerly homeless Vietnam veteran.

October 04, 2007
Congress Hears Testimony on New Legislation
NLCHP Executive Director Testifies before Congressional Committee

October 04, 2007 - It has been more than 20 years since the first and only federal aid legislation aimed at addressing homelessness was passed by Congress, and on Thursday, October 4, NLCHP and other advocates testified at a Congressional hearing on legislation to reauthorize the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

September 13, 2007
New Appointment to ABA Commission
NLCHP Program Director Appointed to Commission on Homelessness and Poverty

This summer, Tulin Ozdeger, NLCHP Civil Rights Director, was appointed to the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. The 13-members of the commission are typically appointed for a one-year term, and then reappointed for up to three years.

September 13, 2007
Learn How to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence
Improving Housing and School Stability for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Children

NLCHP is conducting a training entitled, "Improving Housing and School Stability for Domestic Violence Survivors and Their Children" at two locations in Virginia later this month. The training is designed to assist service providers, advocates, and attorneys who help families affected by domestic violence.

August 02, 2007
NLCHP Policy Director Receives Leadership Award

Laurel Weir, NLCHP Policy Director and an advocate for the rights of homeless people, accepted the Bill Emerson Award for Excellence in Leadership on July 24, 2007 in Washington, D.C.

July 23, 2007
U.S. House Recognizes McKinney-Vento Act
Resolution Celebrates 20 Years of the Act and Calls on Congress to Do More

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the need for Congress to do more to address homelessness. The resolution (H.Res. 561) was introduced by Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

July 11, 2007
America's Homeless People Are Under Attack
Congressional Briefing on Hate Crimes Against Homeless People

On July 10, homeless advocates briefed Congressional staff on the growing trend of violence committed against homeless people. Over the past eight years there have been 614 recorded violent acts against homeless individuals in 200 cities across the country.

July 02, 2007
New Toolkit for Homeless Nonprofits
Learn How to Obtain Free Property for Your Organization

Each year, the federal government disposes of vacant buildings and land it no longer needs. NLCHP created a toolkit called "Utilizing the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act" to help nonprofits learn how to obtain surplus military property at no cost.

June 22, 2007
McKinney Act Radio Interview
Interview with Maria Foscarinis on WBAI Radio

On June 21, NLCHP Executive Director Maria Foscarinis was interviewed on WBAI radio in New York City about the 20th Anniversary of the McKinney Act.

June 07, 2007
Food-Sharing Bans Shock U.N. High Commissioner
NLCHP Cites Ordinances Passed in Dallas, Las Vegas, and Orlando

On June 7, NLCHP Executive Director Maria Foscarinis gave testimony at an invitation only briefing on human rights issues in the U.S. with the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights. The entire U.N. delegation was shocked to learn about U.S. cities prohibiting or restricting charitable organizations and individuals from sharing food with homeless people.

June 07, 2007
Minneapolis Looks to Further Restrict Panhandling
City Looking to Sweep Homeless People Away from "Popular" Areas

On June 6, the city of Minneapolis held a public hearing on further restricting panhandling. The new rules would restrict panhandling in popular locations and limit it to daylight hours only.

May 16, 2007
Let Us Know What You Think!
Feedback on the New NLCHP Website

Unveiling a new website is exciting, but we need to hear from you to really know if it's working.

May 16, 2007
Support the Federal Housing Financial Reform Act!
Call Your Representative Today!

A critical piece of legislation is coming to the floor of the House of Representatives this week. H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Financial Reform Act of 2007, will be debated and voted on May 17 and 18.