Dear John,
I hope you and your family are well and safe during this difficult time. Unfortunately, our unhoused neighbors face great peril.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has exacerbated the hardships and dangers that those experiencing homelessness endure on a daily basis.
Now more than ever, it is imperative that we use our expertise and resources to protect our unhoused neighbors, but we can’t do this without you.
Men, women, and children who have no place to call home, lack even the most basic ways to protect themselves – sinks for handwashing, restrooms for hygiene and sanitation, and clean water. In addition to housing, many are going without access to food and healthcare. People who are forced to live outside in tents or cars risk being arrested or having their cars confiscated. Homeless children without internet access and computers are being denied their education rights.
At the Law Center, we are fighting for aid and upholding the basic rights and dignity of our vulnerable neighbors.
Our policy recommendations call for specific actions to protect the human rights of housing and healthcare for people experiencing homelessness – recommendations that were replicated in large part by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We have also created tools and are mobilizing with local advocates to stop police from sweeping encampments and seizing the critical and personal property of people living outside.
Working in coalition with others, we secured $4 billion in federal stimulus funding for local service providers to aid people in their communities with emergency shelter, housing and rental assistance, as well as moratoria on evictions and foreclosures.
In the past few weeks alone, we’ve won victories in places including New Orleans, California, and New York, where our recommendations are in effect and people experiencing homelessness are being housed in hotels and motels. But there is much more to do. We hope that you will stand in solidarity with us to ensure the rights for our unhoused neighbors are acknowledged and protected.
We truly could not do this work without our partners and friends like you! If you are in a position to help, please donate today to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Any amount will truly
make a difference in transforming the lives of people experiencing homelessness in America!
Sincerely,
Maria Foscarinis
Founder & Executive Director
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