Welcome Home: The Rise of Tent Cities in the United States
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT
On Tuesday, May 22, the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty will be hosting a free webinar previewing its upcoming report, "Welcome Home: The Rise of Tent Cities in the United States."
With homelessness and poverty at record levels, there have been increasing reports of homeless encampments emerging in virtually every state in the country.
The response of municipalities has varied. Some have shut down camps, often arresting residents and destroying their property. Others have regularized the camps, allowing residents to build more permanent structures in place of tents. And some, commendably, have chosen to address the underlying issue -- lack of housing -- by helping residents access supportive housing.
The Law Center has partnered with the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School to produce a report examining the issue of tent cities in domestic, comparative, and international law. The report includes case studies of representative tent cities, with the goal of shedding light on why the camps exist, sharing stories of their residents, and demonstrating common ways communities have responded to the trend. The report also identifies the major human rights implications of forced evictions and offers best practices for municipalities.
Presenters will include Law Center staff and volunteers and students from the Lowenstein Clinic at Yale.
To register for the webinar, click here .