Changing Laws, Changing Lives October 2021   Dear friends,   This is a momentus time on Capitol Hill, as members of Congress negotiate the Build Back Better infrastructure bill. Though the bill will provide much-needed funding across various sectors, funding to housing justice programs is under threat.   The Law Center, as a member of the National Coalition for Housing Justice, urges Congress to enact historic investments in the country’s affordable housing infrastructure, including $90 billion to expand rental assistance to 1 million more households, $80 billion to preserve public housing for more than 2.5 million residents, and $37 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build, preserve and rehabilitate 330,000 apartments affordable to the lowest-income people.    The vote to approve the Build Back Better plan is fast approaching, but there is still time to advocate for the highest funding appropriation for housing and homelessness programs.    The fight is not over yet - members of Congress have submitted letters stating the need to prioritize ending homelessness and investing in housing, and former Housing and Urban Development staff members released this letter calling for investments in equitable housing. Additionally, advocates are calling to ensure that whatever funds are approved will be directed to those with the greatest needs, and to those who society has harmed the most.    Contact your members of Congress to insist on keeping housing solutions part of the Build Back Better Act, and to help ensure that Housing is Infrastructure.    Sincerely,    The Staff of the National Homelessness Law Center     Housing Not Handcuffs Quarterly Convening   Last week, the Housing Not Handcuffs Campaign hosted its virtual quarterly convening, with nearly 100 campaign endorsers in attendance. This convening provides a space for campaign endorsers to come together to discuss what is happening in their communities and share strategies that are - or are not - working in their localities.    If you were unable to join, a recording of the convening - including the Zoom chat - is available. The next quarterly convening is scheduled for Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 11 PT / 2 ET, and will be hosted on Zoom.    To receive notices of these convenings, please endorse the campaign today!   Los Angeles Continues to Threaten Fourth Amendment Rights of Unhoused Residents   In Garcia v. City of Los Angeles, a city-wide ordinance has been challenged as unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. Though the Ninth Circuit Court struck down the law, the city is appealing to have the case heard again en banc.    As part of the City’s response to the homelessness crisis, Los Angeles enacted an ordinance that strictly limits the storage of personal property in public areas. Under this ordinance, the city, without notice, may remove and may discard any “Bulky Items” (generally any item too large to fit into a 60-gallon container). Local residents, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and KTown For All have fought against this law, challenging it on Fourth Amendment grounds.   When personal property - including important documents, medications, and sentimental belongings - are taken and destroyed, unhoused residents experience undue harm and trauma, and lose items necessary for securing employment and housing. The Law Center has submitted Amicus briefs, and continues to monitor the case. News from the Law Center    The Law Center Welcomes New Equal Justice Works Fellow, Alex Matak As the Law Center’s Equal Justice Works Fellow, Alex will help launch the House Keys Not Sweeps Legal Defense Clinic project (LDCs) a partnership with the Western Regional Advocacy Project and the Law Center. Alex’s fellowship is funded by Buckley, LLP.   Alex is a graduate of the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, where she served as a Graduate Fellow and Sorenson Fellow. She was also part of Moot Court, the Race and Social Justice Orientation Steering Committee, Outlaws, and the Race, Privilege, and Diversity Committee. Alex also organized with fellow students, legal practitioners, and community organizers to develop CUNY Law’s first course focused on the decriminalization of homelessness, to be launched in January 2022.   Along with a summer working with the Law Center and WRAP, Alex has also interned at the Center for Constitutional Rights, Community Justice Collective (Toronto, Canada), and Brooklyn Legal Service’s LGTBQ/HIV advocacy unit. Before law school, Alex helped lead the largest student strike in North America, to ensure access to higher education for all in her home country of Canada.   The Law Center Welcomes Networks and Events VISTA, Amie Rodriguez Anna Marie “Amie” Rodriguez serves as the Law Center’s Program Network and Events Vista. Amie is a recent college graduate with extensive experience in event planning, research, writing, and community organization. While attending Virginia Commonwealth University, Amie was heavily involved in student leadership and research assistantships. She was especially thankful for the opportunity to work with diverse and historically underserved populations in Richmond, Virginia during her time as a patient interviewer for a public health research project. Through this experience, she grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of legal support for patients. Thus, her former interest in pursuing medicine evolved into her current pursuit of a career at the intersection of law, policy, and advocacy.   As a proud Filipina American, she is committed to empowering BIPOC communities in more ways than one. Currently, Amie is writing a Filipino-American coming-of-age novel (and is always looking for beta readers). In her free time, she enjoys helping her family maintain a small farm in southeast Virginia.   Relive the 2021 McKinney-Vento Awards! Did you miss the 23rd annual McKinney-Vento Awards? You can still honor leaders in the fight to end and prevent homelessness!   A recording of the event is now available on both YouTube and Facebook. We hope you will join us in celebrating inspiring honorees and listening to the beautiful voices of the LA CAN Freedom Singers!   Thank you to our 2021 McKinney-Vento Awards sponsors!     Law Center in the Media   For updates on the Law Center in the News, see here!     Changing Laws. Changing Lives. The National Homelessness Law Center (formerly the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty) is the only national organization dedicated solely to using the power of the law to end and prevent homelessness. With the support of a large network of pro bono lawyers, we address the immediate and long-term needs of people who are homeless or at risk through outreach and training, advocacy, impact litigation, and public education. www.homelesslaw.org      ;