Items

• 
  2020-07-04

  The North Melbourne Public Housing Lockdown

  HIST30060: Just before the second lockdown in Melbourne I was told by my mum that my grandfather and step grandmother had been suddenly without warning placed into a sharp lockdown within the public housing they resided in. The confusion and anger was quickly shared by my family and extended family members, where was the consideration for some of the most vulnerable members of the community, who in some cases cannot speak english? Why were they subject to such harsh conditions whilst those in the wealthy inner east free to enjoy themselves despite their equally high rates of covid? This was noticed by me as well in the harsher treatment of those in the poorer, diverse suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne during some of the worst times of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-17

  Punawai Rest Stop For Homelessness

  KHON2 News Story on the Punawai Facility. The facility aims to help the community combat homelessness and aid those experiencing homelessness bringing hope to everyone.
• 
  2021-06-01

  SMhopes banners with Community Corp

  Graphic banners from submissions to #SMhopes on the Journal of the Plague Year website, in cooperation with the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, at 3031 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica, CA
• 
  2020-03-20

  How To Be a Resident Assistant During Covid-19

  This is a pdf of the resident assistant job description when St. Mary's University decided to go virtual. The described duties of the resident assistant showcase how St. Mary's Residence life was trying to serve students regardless of being off-campus. The job description really shows the sense of community that exists on campus and persevered virtually. As a freshman during Spring 2020, I along with many others, never expected to be sent home. I also never expected an institution to care so much about the well-being of its students especially when the whole world was in chaos at the time. However, as seen here, even student staff like resident assistants reached out and made themselves available to their peers. Resident assistants had 1:1 conversations with residents at home designed to check-in and share resources. Even the resident assistants themselves were required to have one-on-one meetings with their supervisors also to check-in. While student staff was trying to facilitate community and safety virtually, they too were being taken care of by residence life.
• 
  2020-08-16

  Dorm Life During A Pandemic

  Last year in the fall of 2020, while the pandemic was still raging on, I began my first year of college at Arizona State University. Like every college freshman, I was ecstatic and beyond ready for this next chapter in my life, even with COVID-19 taking control of the world. I was ready for new friends, fun experiences, and making connections. I kept this positive attitude even when we found out all classes had been moved to online, and all freshmen welcome events had been canceled. I told myself I would make the best of the situation, and considering I was living in the dorms, I would still feel a part of a community, make new friends, and have somewhat of a college experience. I was incredibly wrong. When I arrived at the dorms, it was brought to my attention that the dining halls were not to be used as a recreational area, and we had to take our food right back up to our dorm after getting it. There was a strict no guest policy. Campus was a ghost town. I ate, slept, and did school all from my small twin sized bed. All day, everyday. My roommate and I felt like our dorm had almost become a prison, and this started to seriously affect my mental health and general well being. Students were moving out of the dorms by the hundreds due to all the reasons I listed above, so the already empty and quiet hallways became emptier and quieter. The photo attached is one of myself the day I moved in, taken by my mom. I had no idea at the time how miserable I would become being completely isolated at one of the biggest universities in the country. If I had not joined greek life, my only friend from my freshman year would have been my roommate. Eventually, I was able to move out of the dorms to an apartment, and I immediately saw a change for the better within my life. Now, with life slowly returning back to normal, it is odd to think about how different life was just one year ago. I will never again take for granted the simple pleasures of sitting in a dining hall with my friends, or walking to class with hundreds of other students.
• 2020-03-20

  The city does sleep

  At the start of the pandemic, I was facing home insecurity and was living in a shelter for three months and special housing for 6 months. The city was the most empty I have ever seen it. Ive seen so many people, homeless people, because of the pandemic and it was devastating. It isolated people.
• 
  2020-11-11

  Holyoke Soldiers' Home Coalition Website

  The Holyoke Soldiers' Home coalition created this website in response to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It provides updates on the efforts to build a new facility, the motivation for constructing a new and larger facility, the need for more staffing, and the possibility of new programs.
• 
  2020-11-10

  "Those who died during COVID-19 outbreak at Holyoke Soldiers' Home honored with virtual tribute"

  This MassLive article reports on a coalition attempting to memorialize the veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, who had died throughout the pandemic, most of them as a result of contracting COVID-19.
• 
  2020-10-20

  "Bennett Walsh resigns as Holyoke Soldiers' Home superintendent; suit over firing dropped"

  This MassLive article reports on Holyoke Soldiers' Home superintendent Bennett Walsh's decision to drop a law suit after Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker had him fired in light of the facility's poor response to the pandemic.
• 
  2020-09-13

  "Plight of Holyoke Soldiers' Home residents, families becomes political flashpoint in state Senate race"

  This MassLive news article discusses how a state senate candidate was using the poor response to the pandemic at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home during his opponent's term in office to gain popularity for himself.
• 
  2020-06-25

  "Holyoke Soldiers' Home investigation: 6 takeaways from Mark Pearlstein report on coronavirus outbreak"

  This article comes from MassLive and reports on the major takeaways from a report that documents where the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, failed in its COVID-19 response.
• 
  2020-04-06

  "Coronavirus: Holyoke Soldiers Home residents struggle with relocation as one-third of residents infected with COVID-19

  This article produced by MassLive reports on the efforts to relocate residents from the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to Holyoke Medical Center in attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus after 76 of the 210 residents had already tested positive. The article also discusses the continued investigation into the COVID-19 situation at the home.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Infographic: 8 Big Ways Coronavirus Impacts Latinos

  This infographic and the accompanying articles discuss the disproportionate impact that coronavirus has on Latino communities.
• 
  2021-04

  COVID conditions for the homeless

  This is a news story about some of the solutions to homelessness that people are trying in Phoenix. The specific solution covered was tenting for homeless people as a way to provide more protection and layers during COVID. It's especially important that this was a solution done in Phoenix considering how hot it gets here. With tents being the main way to "help the homeless" during COVID it shows a continued general disregard for homeless people and their health and safety. The article goes on to discuss broader criticisms and issues people have taken with the COVID-19 response specifically for homeless populations. I wanted to include this source because it shows a general disregard for homeless populations especially in the face of a pandemic that they are the most vulnerable population for.
• 
  2021-04-17

  The Crisis in a Crisis

  This news article is about how COVID and homelessness have disproportionately affected families and especially black women. These are the two groups who are most likely to be benefitting from the rent moratorium right now. And as a result, they will be the groups most in danger of losing their housing once the moratorium expires. I wanted to include this story because it provides a perspective on homelessness that goes beyond people currently experiencing homelessness. People who are taking advantage of the moratorium are essentially on the verge of homelessness because they have no way to pay back that rent. This story highlights the fragile housing market and the economic situation that COVID placed many families under and the long-term economic consequences that come from this situation.
• 
  2019

  Homeless and Homes

  This article reports that they are over 17 million empty homes in the United States which greatly outnumbers the amount of homeless people in the country. The article then goes on to describe the location and other demographics of where these homes are. I wanted to include this article because it shows that we have the resources for people to not be homeless during the pandemic but there seems to be no incentive or interest in addressing this problem. The number of homes is so much greater and it could greatly mitigate some of the health and exposure issues homeless populations experience. This will allow me to show how homeless people are traditionally not even considered in resources.
• 
  2021-03-30

  Landlording During the Pandemic

  This article discusses how despite initial assumptions that landlords may have been harmed during the Coronavirus they have actually been seeing large profits. Understanding that landlords are still earning money and turning a profit. This idea is in direct violation of the narrative that these eviction moratoriums are harmful to landlords. I wanted to include this article because I think to understand homelessness you also have to understand property ownership and landlording. I'll use the article to provide examples about how the homelessness experienced during the pandemic was preventable and how the pandemic has been kinder to landlords than to homeless people.
• 
  2021-01-26

  The 2021 Social Justice Outlook

  NEW YEAR. NEW SOCIAL JUSTICE OUTLOOK. 2020 will be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide civil unrest spurred by killings of unarmed Black men and women by police officers. With a new president in office, what will social justice look like in 2021? Get your questions ready and join the conversation tonight at 7:30 p.m. on NBC 6 Voices with Jawan Strader on the NBC 6 Facebook and YouTube pages.
• 
  2021-03-01

  Homeless Vaccines

  This is a blog post about the current struggles states are having with getting homeless populations vaccinated. The article focuses on how shelters are the most common points of contacts for homeless populations to be reached.
• 
  2021-02-26

  CDC COVID Homelessness

  This is an article of the CDC FAQ on homeless as it relates specifically to COVID and the unique impacts that homeless populations are facing as a result of COVID.
• 
  2021-01-12

  Activists Give St. Paul Mayor List of Demands

  On Sunday, activists and community members hand-delivered a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's home signed by over 500 constituents and 25 local organizations demanding the city stop evicting people from encampments during inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is asking city officials to meet these requests: ➡️ Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues ➡️ Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic ➡️ Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing ➡️ Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium ➡️ Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center
• 
  2021-02-28

  CovidWhileBlack - A Twitter post about Housing Instability

  The twitter page CovidWhileBlack shared a story, which I have linked, titled "COVID-19 Exposes the Black Community's Long History of Housing Instability." The struggle to keep a roof over one's head had been even more difficult through this pandemic, but even more so for many Black people. This article describes the shocking statistics of the inequalities. With many people losing their jobs, and with only 47% of the Black US population owning their own homes, the pandemic had caused many Black Americans to face evictions. These are sad statistics showing the state of inequality against Black citizens, especially during this pandemic. Real change needs to be made.
• 
  2020-12-03

  Aging out of the Foster Care System During a Pandemic

  Deshala’s story is one that not only teaches us the struggles of being a foster child turning 21 and aging out of the system during a pandemic but is also a collection item that attempts to fill an archival silence and amplify the voice of a marginalized group. Her story exemplifies how this already anxiety inducing time in foster children’s lives was significantly intensified by the COVID19 pandemic. There are certain groups of people that many of us think of when we hear “marginalized group” but one most people don’t think of is foster children, especially those who are close to aging out. Kids in the foster system normally struggle to have their voices heard and are a group that experiences arguably the most emotional distress and inconsistency in their lives out of anyone in our country. This pandemic not only made them, kids who were about to age out of the system, more stressed and fearful for their future than ever but there was also hardly anything they could do about it either. The inclusion of this collection item is meant to spread and educate people on the strain that this pandemic has put on kids aging out of the foster care system. No one should ever have to worry about losing a safe and stable home, especially not during a global health crisis and Deshala’s story amplifies this issue and calls for action for others in similar situations due to the pandemic.
• 
  2020-11-09

  Elderly COVID-19 survivors with no home find warmth at Hyderabad hospital

  There are many older people who don't really have family connections in the world. It's interesting to see cases of people who were living in adult care facilities and contracted Covid. They end up in the hospital to be treated but then there is nowhere to send them after. It's interesting to see stories like this and I wonder how it will end for Ms. Nagendramma.
• 
  2020-10-24

  Defunct Shopping Centers Become Senior Housing Solution

  Due to economic hardships brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, many shopping centers and malls have seen their last shoppers. Many of these structures are now being repurposed for upscale, senior retirement living. The article observes that the over-65 population is “increasing by about 10,000 a day,” which makes such repurposing an inventive and useful idea. Wasik also writes that “the retail-to-housing transformation [has] been accelerated by the pandemic.”
• 
  09/20/2020

  Andrew Small Oral History, 2020/09/20

  This interview shares the early-on Covid-19 quarantine experience of Andrew Small, a second-year Asian studies major at Northeastern University. Andrew talks about where he was in the middle of March when universities started to shut down and send their students home, where he went, how quarantine and at-home learning affected his first year at Northeastern and touches upon what his reaction to how the state of Maine and how America responded to the pandemic. He also speaks briefly on how he thinks this will affect the future actions of Americans and what the pandemic has revealed about America. This interview was conducted as an assignment for HIST 1215: Origins of Today, instructed by Molly Nebiolo.
• 2020

  Low mortgage rates help home buyers as prices rise — if they can qualify

  This article tells a similar story of many that I have recently heard, the story of renters purchasing homes in order to take advantage of the low interest rates that were a result of the global pandemic. This article details that the estimate of about a 3% average interest rate will remain the same until the end of the year! Despite this, because of many Americans having less than reliable jobs through this pandemic era, banks are not giving out loans to just anyone, and it has been difficult to qualify for a home loan. Lower income households are still having difficult acquiring property, possibly even more difficulty than before the pandemic.
• 
  April 9, 2020

  “We’re Being Punished Again”: How People with Intellectual Disabilities are Experiencing the Pandemic

  An article by Jane Coaston describing the impact of COVID-19 on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from medical rationing in states such as Kansas, Alabama, and Washington, to the high risk of infection at group home facilities, to the concerns that some people have about accessing information and support during the pandemic. Changes such as being unable to visit family members or go out in the community have been difficult for some, and the article describes how the shift to working from home has been a challenge as ‘A lot of people with intellectual disabilities have never been adequately supported to use technology and to access it.’
• 
  March 16, 2020

  RIT cancels housing-03/16/2020

  RIT orders all students to leave RIT housing by April 5th. Students can apply for exemptions, especially international students. This has caused my friends to move home and consequently leaving me friendless.
• 
  2020-06-03

  "2020 Proposed ICDBG CARES Project"

  "Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Tonkawa Tribe is in need of temporary shelter for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 (quarantine), those who have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting test results and those who are homeless during this event."
• 
  2020-06-19

  Pandemic underscores a lack of affordable housing, homeless issues in B.C.

  News article discussing the issues around providing safe and equitable housing the homeless people of BC during the pandemic, from tent cities to block booked hotel rooms and the effect they have had on the homeless population and neighbours. "The B.C. government’s effort to get people off the street has meant profound changes for hundreds of people, including Mr. LeBlanc. The process has also resulted in anger and dismay from neighbourhood residents wondering whether the solution put together in response to a pandemic has resulted in new problems. The process has also underscored the dire shortage of affordable housing throughout the province, a problem that existed long before the pandemic and has become more visible as people are being urged to stay home even though some may not have that option."
• 
  2020-05-30

  Bad River Band of Chippewa Call for Community Feedback for Project to Purchase Tiny Homes Used as Self-Isolation Locations

  “The Bad River Tribe intends to apply for the HUD ICDBG-CARES Grant to further prepare, prevent for, and respond to COVID-19 in our community. The purpose of this notice is to seek and consider feedback/comments from the community prior to finalizing the project proposal which is due June 1, 2020. The proposed project will include purchasing tiny homes to serve as isolation locations since the Tribe has high rates of overcrowding in homes. By creating spaces for COVID-19 positive community members to stay, the risk of spreading to family members and the community will be lowered.” Geographic Location is Ashland, Wisconsin
• 
  2020-05-25

  Young reindeer herders will be provided with payments for the purchase of housing (Молодым оленеводам предоставят выплаты на покупку жилья)

  "Young reindeer herders in Yakutia received the right to social benefits for the purchase and construction of housing, the press service of the head and government of the republic said."
• 
  2020-05-08

  The Resilience and Resistance of the Nahuat Pipil Peoples of El Salvador

  "in most cases Indigenous Peoples find or create ways to continue their languages, their culture, spirituality, worldview, and to successfully achieve autonomy by standing up to the state. This is due to the existence of a system of communally held lands which permits them to put together a way of life."
• 
  2020-04-26

  Cobourg Beach Relief Base Camp

  A photograph taken while someone was walking their dog, of a cordoned off area of the park at Cobourg beach and the sign attached to the fencing. The sign reads "Relief Base Camp/ First Responders and Frontline Medical Staff/ CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC/ cobourg.ca/covid19" and the caption on the image reads "The waterfront trailer park is being used for frontline workers who need to isolate to keep their families safe (heart)"
• 
  2020-06-01

  City of Kingston - No Forced Evictions at Belle Park Petition

  Petition to halt the removal of a homeless encampment in a Kingston park. The eviction is not occurring entirely because of the pandemic but was moved up with the rationale of health concerns.
• 
  2020-05-07

  Flathead Reservation Offers Financial Relief Grants

  Grants offered for business assistance, housing, food programs, financial relief, public health programs, and local food production.
• 
  2020-05-24

  Indigenous families given new lease on life as pandemic opens up housing options

  This article relays an unexpected benefit to the pandemic. Because more people are staying put, putting off moving for work and school, among other reasons, there has been a downturn in the rental market. This has opened up better and more plentiful housing options for those struggling to find accommodations for large families when builders and landlords prefer smaller single or two bedroom units. Centres which aid women leaving abusive relationships and indigenous people (or both), such as the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, are finding this a particular boon, allowing them to clear their waiting lists/backlogs and find housing for clients previously in limbo.
• 
  2020-05-21

  An photograph on Reddit showing downtown LA.

  I've been interested in finding out how people are faring downtown Los Angeles, CA where there is a large homeless population. This image was shared on the r/losangeles subreddit of Reddit.com. It is striking to me because it shows how homeless are still out on the streets during the pandemic, making their rough situation even worse.
• 
  2020-03-26

  Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Chairman Explains Hardship Caused by Closures

  “Unlike state and local governments which predominately use tax dollars to operate, Native Sovereign Nations rely on revenue from business ventures to fund critical services and programs for their citizens including healthcare, housing, education, family services, financial support, elder care, police, courts and more. We have a 10-county service area and also provide medical care to other Native Americans that seek our services. Including our Four Winds Casino locations and Tribal Government, we one of the largest employers in Michiana employing over 3,000 people and we support hundreds of area and local businesses. Without revenue, we lose our ability to serve the individuals that rely on us for these important services as well as employment. Unfortunately, with our casinos closed indefinitely, we are forced to make some difficult decisions.” #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-05-02

  Tenants' Union Notice

  A posted notice about the creation of a Mac Properties Tenants' Union with list of demands.
• 
  2020-05-01

  View of Orleans Parish Prison During May Day Protest, New Orleans, LA

  A view of Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) from the May Day Protest. People inside of the prison waved to the procession as they honked their horns. One of the demands of the protest was to evacuate prisoners from OPP during COVID-19 to prevent them from being exposed to the virus. In observance of May Day, the international workers' rights holiday, New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance organized a socially-distanced protest that included bikes and cars. The protestors' demands included free healthcare and testing for hospitality workers, hazard pay and access to protective gear, housing as a human right, freeing incarcerated people, and unemployment assistance through the end of 2020.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Reflections on reflection

  Visiting my mother through the window at her assisted living facility.
• 
  2020-04-05

  Signs From Around: #4, Philadelphia, PA

  "Signs From Around: #4, Philadelphia, PA" is part of a series exploring the signage surrounding COVID-19 from different parts of the world. Residents of this building can quarantine knowing their building is in good hands. #FordhamUniversity #VART3030 #SignsFromAroundSeries Creat
• 
  2020-03-10

  Suffolk University to hold classes online, send home students for rest of semester due to coronavirus outbreak

  The Suffolk Journal, Suffolk University's student run newspaper, reports on Suffolk's decisions around campus during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-12

  Everything you need to know about classes, moving out of Suffolk’s residence halls and staying on campus

  The Suffolk Journal, Suffolk University's student run newspaper, reports on Suffolk's decisions around campus during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-15

  Students move out of Suffolk, Baker attempts to quell COVID-19 pandemic

  The Suffolk Journal, Suffolk University's student run newspaper, reports on Suffolk's decisions around campus during the pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-29

  Miller Hall to house homeless during COVID-19 pandemic

  The Suffolk Journal, Suffolk University's student run newspaper, reports on Suffolk's efforts to help the community during the pandemic
• 
  2020-04-06

  Yavapai-Apache Nation Tribal Council Ensures that No Tribal Citizen Loses Home During Pandemic

  Resolution passed to suspend evictions under housing programs managed by tribal housing to "avoid the risk of residents losing their homes in this difficult time." #IndigenousStories
• 
  2020-05-26

  A Day in the Life III

  This is my third entry, and I have found that people are beginning to not pay rent. The apartment complex have posted notes on the door's of people who have yet to pay, threatening to evict them. Sadly, I doubt this will amount to anything, as very few people are still here and so I wish them luck in evicting people who aren't even here, since they are threatening to actually evict people. It truly shows how much they care for us as their tenants when they shut down all of their services and leave rent prices the same, truly magnificent.