Maria Foscarinis

Foreclosures and unemployment are pushing middle class and low-income Americans out of their homes, and emergency shelters and food pantries are seeing record increases in demand for their services. Yet some recent reports suggest that homelessness is not increasing significantly. This is due to both flaws...

According to recent reports, the economy is showing signs of recovery. But the impact of the recession, particularly on children, will be felt far into the future.

As the foreclosure crisis and continued unemployment push poverty to record levels , many Americans are sliding into homelessness. The Obama...

If corporations are people, does that mean that homeless people can be hotspots? BHH thinks they can. I beg to differ.

A marketing agency, BBH, hired homeless people to walk around carrying mobile Wi-Fi devices at a technology conference, promoting what it hoped would be an appealing idea:...

Last month marked twenty-four years since landmark federal homelessness legislation was signed into law. The Act, now known as the McKinney-Vento Act, was the first major federal legislation addressing homelessness. And while it remains critically important, it's time for a new approach.

Since the law was first enacted...

The public debate about the budget crisis is increasingly disconnected from any sense of priority or purpose.

An editorial in The Washington Post praises parts of the 2012 budget proposal put forth earlier this week by House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan, but worries that proposed cuts to...

Last week, the United States government filed its official response to the recommendations it received from the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of its first-ever comprehensive human rights review.

For advocates working to end homelessness here in the U.S., it was a landmark...

A report released yesterday confirmed startling increases in homelessness nationally. It's the second report to do so in the past month. These findings should come as a wake-up call to anyone who cares about the fundamental values on which our country is founded.

The report, "The State...

Last week, for the first time, the United States was reviewed by the United Nations Human Rights Council for its compliance with the entire range of human rights standards adopted by the world community. These include economic and social rights, and the Geneva review was a historic occasion for advocates...

Much of the discussion of this week's election results focuses on the quest for "bipartisanship." As an advocate for homeless people, I'd be happier with a focus on simple sanity.

As played out in recent policy debates in Washington, bipartisanship is simply compromise, deal making and meeting in the...

Since 1985, the first Monday of October has marked World Habitat Day. The United Nations created the designation as an occasion to reflect on the state of the world's cities and towns and on the right adequate shelter for all, and to "remind the world of its collective responsibility for...

The Census Bureau's new poverty data, released today, delivers a shocking statistic: One in seven Americans lived in poverty in 2009.

This number reflects a record increase in poverty over the previous year. In 2009, 14.3% of Americans were poor, up from 13.2% in 2008. This translates...

Earlier today, the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness released the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The plan is a result of tireless efforts by advocates, government officials, and concerned citizens across the country, and is an unprecedented step forward in the fight to right...

Late last week, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty joined other civil and human rights organizations in the Arizona boycott, pulling out of a major public interest law conference planned in Phoenix this week for which we had organized a panel.

The boycott was precipitated...

Four homeless children are headed back to school.

These four children and their parents became homeless last April when the father lost his job and the family was evicted from its home. The Interfaith Hospitality Network of Southwestern Pennsylvania stepped in to help. The Network arranges for homeless children...

Housing is a human right.

The declaration is simple. It seems intuitive, even.

It is recognized in a number of international agreements, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The United States has signed treaties recognizing the right to non-discrimination in housing.

But still, despite the nearly...

Human Rights Day--Here at Home
Maria Foscarinis
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

December 10 was Human Rights Day, a worldwide commemoration of basic principles of human dignity adopted by the world community. They are more relevant now than ever--yet too often forgotten or ignored. Consider...

Twenty two years ago I received shocking news: I had Hodgkin's disease, a cancer of the lymphatic system that affects primarily young people. At the age of 30 I began a long and to date successful effort to fight the disease and regain my health.

I was lucky: I...

The financial crisis goes beyond Wall Street and Main Street. Americans are literally being pushed out on to the street. This includes "Joey" a nine-year old homeless child. Joey's mother could not afford the rent, following a bout with cancer, mounting medical bills and unemployment. Without a permanent address, Joey's...