Tag: homelessness

Democrat Rep. Maxwell Frost: Homeless ‘Should Not Be Forced to Work in Exchange for a Bed’

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) believes homeless people should have legal immunity and not be “forced to work in exchange for a bed.”

Maxwell made his statement during a press conference Wednesday when he introduced the No Homeless Detention Centers Act.

“Right now there’s a growing effort in this country to treat homelessness like a crime instead of what it is: a housing crisis. Homelessness is a housing issue. Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous grants passed decision, states and cities have been given even more room to criminalize people for sleeping outside, and we are seeing politicians and right-wing organizations push laws that ticket people, arrest people, sweep encampments, and force people into detention-like facilities,” he said.

Frost continued:

And it’s not just right-wing organizations, it’s democratic cities as well that are pursuing handcuffs instead of housing. That does not end homelessness. It just makes being homeless a crime. That’s why today I’m proud to introduce the No Homeless Detention Centers Act. This bill draws a line in the sand if you are receiving federal housing dollars, those dollars should be for helping people to get housed and not locking them away. You should not be forced to work in exchange for a bed.

You should not be punished for sleeping, resting, eating, drinking, or protecting yourself from the elements. And you should never have to choose between being arrested and sleeping outside. Because we know why people are ending up on the streets. The rent is too damn high, housing is too expensive, and wages have not kept up.

Attendees standing behind Frost during the press conference held signs that read “Housing Is a Human Right.”

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OUTRAGEOUS: California Election Fraudster Exposed by James O’Keefe AVOIDS PRISON After Paying Skid Row Homeless to Register to Vote — Gets Just 18 Months’ Probation

A California election fraudster exposed by James O’Keefe’s undercover journalists walked away from federal court Monday without spending a single day behind bars.

Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, also known as “Anika,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi to just 18 months of probation and 120 hours of community service after pleading guilty to one felony count of paying another person to register to vote in a federal election that carries up to five years behind bars, the New York Post reported.

That’s it. No prison time for illegally paying vulnerable homeless people to register to vote and sign election petitions in deep-blue California.

She took a plea, cooperated, and the sentence collapsed. Prosecutors had already agreed not to pile on additional charges tied to the same operation.

According to her plea agreement, Armstrong spent roughly 20 years as a paid “petition circulator,” collecting signatures to qualify initiatives, referendums, and recalls for the California ballot. Coordinators paid her per registered-voter signature. That is the whole racket. More registered names, more money.

Prosecutors say she treated Skid Row like a factory floor: a dense cluster of desperate people who would sign almost anything for two or three dollars, a cigarette, or a phone cord.

When signatures started getting rejected because the signers were not registered to vote, she “fixed” the problem. Starting no later than 2025, she hauled stacks of voter-registration forms from the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters down to Skid Row and paid people to register first, then sign.

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Calif.: L.A. councilmember pushes vote to remove anti-camping zones

A Los Angeles City Council member pushed to remove 12 specific anti-camping zones in his district, leading to a vote that lifts restrictions in areas such as certain freeway underpasses, overpasses and parks.

The City Council voted 10-3 on Tuesday in favor of lifting anti-camping restrictions at more than a dozen parks and public spaces in Hollywood, Silver Lake and surrounding neighborhoods to offer space for homeless people to camp more permanently.

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez — representing District 13 — proposed the move earlier this month, arguing that after law enforcement sweeps homeless people out of one neighborhood without offering permanent housing, individuals simply move to a neighboring block or return shortly after.

The designated anti-camping areas had been in place for five years under Section 41.18 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC), which makes it illegal to “obstruct a street, sidewalk, or other public right-of-way,” including by sitting, lying, or sleeping as well as placing personal property in these areas.

“Displacing our neighbors from block to block, or in many cases, from district to district, doesn’t help them find housing,” Soto-Martínez said at the City Council meeting Tuesday. “In fact, in most cases, it makes it much harder for us to help them, because they lose their belongings, they get fined, and many times, they are arrested.”

Opponents argued that removing the anti-camping zones will affect homeowners and residents, emphasizing safety concerns for parks or other public places designated for children and families.

Councilwomen Traci Park, Imelda Padilla and Monica Rodriguez cast the sole dissenting votes to maintain the anti-camping restrictions.

“If you don’t want those protections in your district, that’s a decision you can make and explain to your constituents,” said Park, addressing Soto-Martínez. “But I’ve seen what happens when we abandon our public spaces.”

“We have spent billions on homeless housing and services, and our constituents have been incredibly generous,” Park continued. “They have every right to expect something in return.”

Padilla said the homelessness crisis has affected working-class homeowners in her district, emphasizing that they have a right to feel safe and secure in the communities they worked so hard to call home.

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Nearly Half Of NYC Homeless Deaths Due To Drugs Or Alcohol: Study

Nearly half of all deaths among New York City’s homeless population in the most recent fiscal year were connected to drug use or alcohol abuse, according to a new city report.

Of the 634 people experiencing homelessness who died between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, 285 lost their lives to drug addiction, overdoses, or alcoholism. The figures come from the annual mortality report jointly issued by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Social Services/Homeless Services.

Drug-related causes alone accounted for 251 deaths, or 40 percent of the total – still the leading cause of death among this population. Alcohol misuse or dependence contributed another 34 deaths (5 percent). Together, substance-related deaths made up roughly 45 percent of the total, the NY Post reports.

The report covers deaths that occurred in temporary shelters, on the streets, in the subway system, in abandoned buildings, and in other locations. Fifty-two percent of those who died were classified as unsheltered; 48 percent were living in a homeless facility at the time of death. Most (58 percent) died in a hospital. Among unsheltered individuals, 22 percent died outdoors.

Other leading causes of death included heart disease (78 deaths, 12 percent), accidents excluding drug overdoses (60 deaths, 9 percent), and cancer (23 deaths, 4 percent). Additional figures included 18 suicides, 15 deaths from hypothermia or cold exposure, 15 subway-related accidents, 14 motor-vehicle accidents, and 11 homicides. A small number of deaths involved toxic substances, heat exposure, or falls. In ten cases, the manner of death could not be determined.

The overall number of deaths declined nearly 18 percent from the previous year, when 770 people experiencing homelessness died. Drug-related deaths specifically fell 28 percent, from 348 in fiscal year 2024 to 251 in fiscal year 2025. Despite the drop, substance use remained the dominant cause of mortality, consistent with both citywide and national patterns.

City officials noted that the true toll is likely higher. Thousands of migrants housed in temporary facilities operated by other agencies during the border crisis were not fully included in the data-matching process, meaning some deaths may have gone uncounted as homeless fatalities.

The report is the 20th in the annual series required by law. Authors said the data help identify pressing health risks for a highly vulnerable population that faces elevated rates of poorly controlled physical and mental health conditions, compounded by poverty, housing instability, and other social stressors.

As of early August 2026, the city’s shelter system housed roughly 83,200 people – down from a peak above 100,000 during the height of the migrant influx. The city has extended a $1.86 billion contract to continue using commercial hotels as emergency shelter for the next three years.

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OH PLEASE: Karen Bass Tries to Blame Trump for Rising Number of Homeless in Los Angeles

As the Gateway Pundit reported earlier this week, the number of homeless people in the city of Los Angeles is rising, despite billions of dollars being spent to supposedly ‘fix’ the problem.

And because Democrats can never, ever take responsibility for problems that they created or made worse, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is blaming Trump for the rise in homelessness.

It’s so ridiculous. She probably doesn’t even believe this herself.

RedState reports:

LA Mayor Karen Bass Blames Trump When Confronted on Growing Homeless Problem

The homeless crisis is worsening in California. And the Democrats who run the state there have a familiar excuse for why their state is in a constant state of decline. It’s all Trump’s fault.

Homelessness in Los Angeles grew by about 3.4 percent over the last year. A survey conducted the previous year found about 44,000 people living on the streets, and 72,000 people across L.A. County.

L.A. Mayor Bass recently blamed the president for exacerbating the homeless problem.

“The Trump Administration has driven up the cost of gas, groceries and rent, pushing more families to the edge, and slashed critical safety net funding,” Bass said in a statement.

Bass pointed to cuts in federal housing assistance by about half last year, which cost the city around $70 million.

“For two years straight, we drove down homelessness by historic margins, but as expected, last year our efforts ultimately couldn’t keep up with policies and funding cuts at the federal and state levels that pushed more people onto the streets,” the mayor claimed.

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REPORT: The Number of Homeless People in Los Angeles is RISING Despite Billions in Spending

New data has revealed that the number of homeless people in the city of Los Angele has gone up over the last year, despite the fact that the city and state have spent billions upon billions of dollars trying to ‘fix’ the problem.

Now that Spencer Pratt is out of the running for mayor, the next mayor will either be incumbent Karen Bass or communist upstart Nithya Raman, which means this situation will probably get even worse.

At what point do the people of Los Angeles, the law abiding taxpayers finally say that they have had enough?

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Homelessness has increased in L.A., dealing fresh setback to Mayor Karen Bass

The number of people living on the street, both in the city of Los Angeles and across much of Los Angeles County, is up compared to the previous year, dealing a fresh blow to Mayor Karen Bass as she runs for reelection.

L.A.’s unsheltered homeless population — those living outdoors or in their vehicles — went up by 7.9% after two consecutive years of decreases, according to two people familiar with the numbers presented by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in closed-door briefings.

Overall homelessness, which includes those living in shelters and other temporary facilities, increased by 3.4% compared to the previous year, those sources said.

Both asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to publicly discuss LAHSA’s presentation, which focused on this year’s annual point-in-time count conducted in January.

The numbers represent a significant setback for Bass, who is seeking a second term in the Nov. 3 election and has made the fight against homelessness a central part of her agenda, touting her administration’s progress in moving people indoors.

Bass, in a statement, attributed the increases to an array of issues, including funding cuts by the state and federal governments. She described a lack of adequate county services, such as mental health and substance counseling, as a contributor to the crisis.

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Inside Montreal’s homeless hellscape

Tents, discarded belongings and makeshift camps are becoming increasingly common as governments spend billions on social programs while many vulnerable Canadians remain without stable housing or treatment.

Several homeless individuals in Montreal recently spoke with Rebel News about how addiction, rising rents, incarceration and personal choices pushed them onto the streets.

“I had a place to live, but I didn’t do what I needed to do. It cost me everything,” a person experiencing homelessness explained. Another said drug use contributed to his homelessness, but was not the only cause. “It contributed, yes. Of course. But it wasn’t the only reason.”

The interviews also revealed why some residents refuse to stay in shelters, despite the dangers of sleeping outdoors. “Because we don’t want anything to do with shelters,” one man said, citing schedules for meals, showers and curfews. “I’m 57 years old, you’re not going to tell me what to do.”

Others described theft, unsafe conditions and workers they claimed were not trained to handle overdoses. One resident said he lost “between $20,000 and $30,000 worth of belongings” over two years at a shelter.

Drug use remains visible throughout the encampments. One interviewee admitted: “I use a bit of cannabis and a bit of speed,” while another acknowledged using hard drugs and said he could remain awake for days.

Rebel News also questioned people about ‘harm-reduction’ policies. Asked whether providing free drugs helps, one replied: “No. Honestly, no.”

With winter approaching, many say they will remain outdoors. “We’re always afraid of winter,” one resident said. “Otherwise, we’ll reinforce the tents.”

The testimony paints a grim picture of a system struggling to move people from survival toward recovery, stability and reintegration.

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Zohran Mamdani’s New York City Includes a 12-Block-Long Homeless Encampment in Manhattan

New York City appears to be on the verge of replicating Los Angeles by establishing its own crime-ridden skid row in the form of a 12-block-long homeless encampment that continues to grow on Manhattan’s West Side.

Those who live, work and visit nearby are telling at least one news outlet that the city is failing to address the tents, trash and reported illegal activity in the alarming stretch of vagrant dwellings between the Intrepid Museum and the Jacob Javitz Center.

“I think it’s embarrassing,” said Joan G., a woman who asked for anonymity told Fox News Digital near the encampment.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, meanwhile, told reporters he’d do something about the mess but failed to give a timeline, the New York Post reported this week.

“This site has been noticed and it will be cleared,” the mayor said. “As with any site once we notice there is seven days until the point of clearing. Each of those seven days is characterized by outreach from city workers looking to connect those who are present with services, whether it be services at a shelter, medical services, or supportive services beyond that.”

He did not say when the seven-day waiting period kicks in, according to the Post report.

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Calif.: Bass faces mockery after arguing L.A.’s homeless population uses illicit drugs ‘to stay awake for protection’

Los Angeles Democrat Mayor Karen Bass is facing public backlash following controversial remarks regarding methamphetamine (meth) and drug use among the city’s homeless population.

Critics have quickly labeled the comments as an avoidance of the severe substance abuse epidemic fueling the local homelessness crisis. In a recent public discussion regarding the ongoing street crisis, Bass (D-Calif.) bizarrely argued that individuals sleeping on the L.A. streets do not initially use substances out of pure addiction, but rather, turn to illegal stimulants out of “fear” for their personal safety.

During the remarks, Mayor Bass claimed further that a large portion of street-level drug use stems from a survival mechanism rather than standard recreational abuse. Speaking on the city’s encampments, Bass declared that homeless individuals often “use drugs to stay awake for protection” on the city’s streets.

According to Bass’s representatives, who have since come out in support of her message, the mayor’s statement was meant to “highlight the high rates of violence and victimization” experienced by people living in outdoor encampments.

Nonetheless, the framing immediately prompted sharp rebukes from political opponents, community groups and local business owners who argue that the Democrat administration is heavily downplaying the destructive grip of heavy narcotics like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The political fallout also comes amid a highly contentious mayoral race, where candidates are clashing over the visible reality of open-air drug markets and encampments across “the City of Angels.” Opponents have seized on the mayor’s rhetoric, pointing out that such explanations clearly ignore the criminal infrastructure behind the city’s meth epidemic.

During a recent primary debate, then-mayoral challenger Spencer Pratt directly challenged the city’s current approach to street outreach and voluntary services. Expressing deep skepticism over the concept that those living on streets are simply seeking safety, Pratt asserted, “These people do not want a bed. They want fentanyl or supermeth.”

While the mayor’s administration frequently champions initiatives like Inside Safe — which focuses on moving individuals from street encampments into temporary hotel rooms — many residents argue that the underlying crises of mental illness and severe drug addiction remain largely unaddressed on the ground.

As the city continues to navigate record expenditures, Bass’s comments have amplified demands for a major policy shift that prioritizes strict law enforcement alongside medical detoxification rather than a permissive view of illicit drug consumption.

Meanwhile, many volunteers and outreach workers on the ground argue that a substantial segment of the street population has abandoned traditional societal expectations entirely.

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Los Angeles Spent $60 Million on Nithya Raman Plan to Get Homeless People Off the Street – It Has Housed THREE UNITS

Nithya Raman, the Democratic Socialist (communist) running for mayor of Los Angeles, is also a member of the LA City Council, who chairs their special council on homelessness.

Last year, the city enacted a plan that was championed by Raman, which was intended to get homeless people off the streets and into apartments.

Despite carrying out the plan, which cost $60 million, only three units have been housed as a result.

Los Angeles residents can look forward to more of this kind of success in the future, no matter who wins the current race for mayor, Raman or incumbent Karen Bass.

The New York Post reports:

LA blew $60M on homeless ‘fix’ — it housed just three units

Just three out of a promised 2,000 apartments have been used to relocate the homeless in Nithya Raman’s failed $60 million project to get people off the streets.

Councilmember Raman, the chair of the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, introduced the Time Limited Subsidy program back in September as a cheaper alternative to Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe Program — meant to get homeless people into an established residence.

Raman’s plan was to lease and move homeless people into 2,000 apartments and subsidize their rent, rather than pay for them to stay in motels or shelters.

However, nearly a year after that plan was launched — with $62.6 million in taxpayer funds behind it — only three apartments are occupied.

The City Council first approved investing in the subsidy model last September as part of its strategy for complying with a court settlement with the Los Angeles Alliance for Human Rights.

Four months later, on January 28, the council approved resources for a redesigned program targeting 2,000 households…

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