Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Colorado Sees 90% Rise In Unhoused Population Since 2020
The Center Square: Homelessness Up By 90% Since 2020 In Colorado, According To Report
Colorado has seen the fourth highest percentage increase in homelessness in the U.S. since 2020, according to a new report. The report, by the free-enterprise Common Sense Institute, also called into question most of the state’s “housing first” approach, saying it “may not be the best approach to addressing this challenge.” (Draplin, 4/18)
VTDigger and Vermont Public: Plan Would Overhaul Vermont’s Response To Homelessness, Dissolving Statewide Motel Program
A bill that would fundamentally overhaul Vermont’s response to homelessness is making its way through the Statehouse. H.91 provides a potential off-ramp to the state’s mass use of motel rooms as a primary form of shelter – and could spell an end to the political battles over the voucher program that have become a yearly ritual. “We’ve become stuck in a cycle of using band-aids with no real path out of this crisis,” said Rep. Jubilee McGill, D-Bridport, to her colleagues on the House floor in early April. Building the housing the state needs to ease homelessness will take time, she said. “In the meantime, we must make responsible use of our resources to ensure our vulnerable neighbors can thrive.” (Berlin, 4/18)
Los Angeles Times: Lancaster Mayor's Fix For Homelessness: 'Free Fentanyl' And 'a Purge'
The mayor of Lancaster, Rex Parris, has ignited a controversy after musing during a council meeting that one approach to homelessness would be to “give them free fentanyl … all the fentanyl they want.” Parris, a larger-than-life trial lawyer, made the incendiary comments about the drug — responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths — during a February City Council meeting, in a retort to a resident who objected to his musings of congregating unhoused residents into an “encampment.” (Garrison, 4/20)
The New York Times: San Jose Considers Arresting Homeless People Who Refuse Housing
The mayor of the Silicon Valley city has proposed arresting people who don’t accept offers of shelter. It’s the latest sign of frustrations over tent encampments in California. (Karlamangla, 4/20)
The Washington Post: Trump Wants D.C.’s Homeless Out Of Sight. Experts Say That Doesn’t Help.
D.C. has cleared 21 homeless encampments this year and more are scheduled for later this month and May, city officials said this week. More than 40 people were living at those encampments and encouraged to move elsewhere, according to the city. The sweeps, which officials insist have always been part of their approach to homelessness, come as President Donald Trump repeatedly puts pressure on Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) to address D.C’s crime and cleanliness. In early March, Trump told Bowser that the city needed to remove encampments by the State Department and White House or that federal officials would be “forced to do it for her.” Later that month, Trump issued an executive order that included a directive for the National Park Service to remove all homeless encampments from federal land in the District. (Swenson, 4/19)
More health news from California and North Carolina —
KFF Health News: California Halts Medical Parole, Sends Several Critically Ill Patients Back To Prison
California has halted a court-ordered medical parole program, opting instead to send its most incapacitated prisoners back to state lockups or release them early. The unilateral termination is drawing protests from attorneys representing prisoners and the author of the state’s medical parole legislation, who say it unnecessarily puts this vulnerable population at risk. The move is the latest wrinkle in a long-running drive to free those deemed so ill that they are no longer a danger to society. (Thompson, 4/21)
North Carolina Health News: New Crisis Hub Provides Free Mental Health Services
It’s been a little less than a year since Alamance Behavioral Health Center opened its doors to the public to offer an array of mental health services ranging from a walk-in, urgent care setting for those in distress, to follow-up outpatient appointments for children and adults. This month, the final piece — a 16-bed inpatient facility — will begin accepting patients who can stay up to a week. (Knopf, 4/21)
