On November 3, the Law Center and Goodwin Procter LLP co-hosted a luncheon and panel discussion on the changing face of homelessness.  The event, attended by attorneys, academics, and other engaged citizens, was an opportunity to learn more about the Law Center and featured a frank conversation about why family homelessness has increased by 20 percent since 2007 and what can be done about it.

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos moderated the panel, which included: Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the Law Center; Dr. Kim Hopper, Columbia University professor and author of Reckoning with Homelessness; and Danae Vachata, a formerly homeless student who will begin medical school in fall 2012.

The discussion demonstrated how the homelessness crisis has steadily been getting worse over the last thirty years.  It is receiving greater attention now because middle class families who had never been homeless before are finding themselves on the street, in shelters, or doubled-up with relatives.

Foscarinis and Hopper both made a simple point: the causes of homelessness are sundry and complex, but the solutions are not.  There are proven methods for addressing this crisis at the federal government's disposal, but the funding has to be there.  The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) prevented or resolved homelessness for more than one million Americans, but its $1.5 billion was not sufficient to address the unprecedented need.

while the school refused her pleas for assistance, Danae contacted the Law Center.  With her persistence and the Law Center's advocacy, the school finally conceded its decision was wrong and reinstated her financial aid.  Stephanopoulos remarked on her incredible spirit and the importance of advocates like the Law Center.

With poverty at record levels and as many as 3.5 million people homeless each year, a report released by the Law Center on Tuesday shows that more and more cities are making it illegal to be homeless.  Criminalizing Crisis analyzes local policies in 234 cities and demonstrates the startling trend toward criminalizing basic acts necessary for homeless persons' survival, including eating and sleeping in public.

Of the 234 cities surveyed, the report shows that:

• 40 percent prohibit sleeping in public places;
• 33 percent prohibit sitting/lying in public places;
• 56 percent prohibit loitering in public places; and
• 53 percent prohibit begging in public places.

Among the 188 cities reviewed for both this report and the Law Center's 2009 report, major trends include the following:

• 7 percent increase in prohibitions on begging or panhandling;
• 7 percent increase in prohibitions on sleeping; and
• 10 percent increase in prohibitions on loitering.

Law Center Executive Director Maria Foscarinis said, "It's unconscionable to punish homeless people for their misfortune, but it's also irrational fiscal policy, as this report illustrates."

According to Criminalizing Crisis, supportive housing and shelter are much more cost-effective than applying the criminal justice system to homelessness.  Cost studies in 13 cities and states reveal that, on average, cities spend $87 per day to jail a person, compared to $28 per day for shelter.  A Utah study shows that the annual cost for providing a homeless person supportive housing is $6,100, compared to $35,000 to jail them in a state prison.

The report also documents constructive alternatives to criminalization that some cities are using to address homelessness, and includes a comprehensive advocacy manual for advocates and homeless persons to grade the severity of criminalization laws in their cities and pursue constructive alternatives that address the root causes of homelessness and protect the rights and dignity of all people.

The Law Center will host a free webinar on the report on Tuesday, November 29 at 2 p.m. EST. To register, click here. 

To read the full report, click here.

Since 2009, when the Law Center helped pass the federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act, renters living in foreclosed properties have been guaranteed the right to at least 90-days notice before a new owner can ask them to leave.  Renters with written leases are generally allowed to remain in their homes for even longer.  PTFA protects every American, but also allows for additional protections at the state and local levels.  To date, almost half the states in the country have created policies that supplement PTFA.

The Law Center is working to bring clarity to this sometimes confusing legal landscape.  Today, it released a series of state-specific fact sheets to inform tenants of additional rights they may have beyond those in PTFA.  These one-page guides are designed for residents of New York, Connecticut, Oregon, Minnesota, and Illinois.  They provide basic legal information, as well as legal aid contacts who can provide advice and counsel to individual tenants.

While it is not entirely clear when the bill will come to the Senate floor for consideration, the Law Center hopes to see a vote by the end of the year.  To date, the House has not entertained similar legislation.  It appears that the preferred House approach will be a series of smaller bills, as opposed to the larger legislation being moved through the Senate.

The Senate contains a number of improvements to the existing law, including:

• Requiring state dispute resolution procedures to take into account the educational best interest of homeless children and homeless unaccompanied youth.
• Ensuring that parents, guardians, or unaccompanied youth who have exhausted local dispute procedures are able to appeal to the State Educational Agency, and are enrolled in school and receiving transportation pending final resolution of the dispute.
• Mandating that states ensure homeless children have access to public preschool programs. 
• Requiring homeless liaisons to ensure that unaccompanied homeless youth are enrolled in school, and protecting school districts from liability for his or her enrollment.

As part of the Law Center's ongoing advocacy to protect the rights of homeless voters, it is conducting its 2011 Barriers to Voting Survey for services providers, advocates, and persons who are currently or formerly homeless.  The results of the survey will be published in the Law Center's forthcoming voting rights report.   

The survey, which will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, can be found here.  Please feel free to invite others to participate by forwarding the link.

To thank participants, the Law Center will be raffling off several $25 Amazon gift certificates among participants who complete the survey by December 1 or December 15.