Lawyer 2 Lawyer : The Legal Issues Surrounding Homelessness

Legal Talk Network - Law News and Legal Topics

In cities across our nation, homelessness is an ongoing problem. According to the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, completed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development prior to COVID, roughly 580,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States on a single night in 2020. This represented the fourth consecutive year in which homelessness increased nationwide.

The severity of this problem has led to high profile conflicts on how to address the crisis. In April of this year, US federal judge David O. Carter issued a 110 page order necessitating the city and county of Los Angeles to find shelter for all unhoused residents of Skid Row, as well as requiring an audit of any spending related to the homeless. Alleging that Judge Carter's ruling is a violation of the separation of powers, the city and county appealed the matter to the 9th Circuit, who heard arguments this month.

So, how do we combat homelessness? And is enough being done by city officials? On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by professor Gary Blasi, from UCLA School of Law and Breanne Schuster, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, as they discuss the legal issues surrounding homelessness, separation of powers, current legislation, and what is being done to combat this nationwide problem.