The Observer offers a look through the eyes of advocates and community members working directly with Black homeless people and exploring how to provide solutions.
Housing and Homeslessness
Compared to its population, Gilroy has the highest homelessness rate per capita of any city in the region, but resources are sorely lacking.
Malachi, raised by his grandmother after a troubled childhood, now advocates for foster youth. Kinship care and family-first approaches are helping reform child welfare systems.
For kids in state custody like Brie Lamarche, New Hampshire’s strained foster care system can lead to placements thousands of miles from home.
Public records show that more than 700 homeless people are arrested each month on a variety of charges that are, a county official said, often tied to homelessness itself, even when they’re not directly related to camping.
An investigation into the cost of jailing homeless people in Sacramento exposes contradictions in how agencies respond to homelessness.
Dozens of homeless families face evictions due to a controversial city policy that limits family shelter stays to 90 days.
“This is a safe haven for ladies,” said Ms. Angie, senior resident manager of the Downtown Women’s Center, while speaking to journalists taking part in 2025 California Health Equity Fellowship last week.
Funded by a city grant, nine unhoused families at Everett Middle School receive a guaranteed monthly income of $1,000 — part of an experimental program aimed at helping families escape homelessness. This financial aid, the school hopes, will help improve students' mental health and academic performance.