Category: Life & Community

Adam Sennott Pictured: Representing shelter room sponsors Malden Masjed from left-Sister Khadijah, Laila, and Fatima For Muslim women, living in a homeless shelter comes with an added layer of difficulties. At times, they are unable to eat the food that is served due to religious restrictions and can’t remove their scarves when men are present since that would violate their religious beliefs. Malika MacDonald, national director of ICNA Relief USA's Shelter Network has worked with women who have been harassed and even attacked in public shelters for praying. And talking to male staff about their struggles can be “extremely uncomfortable,” MacDonald said. “Often times councilors will say to them ‘well, you know, doesn’t your religion oppress women? Doesn’t your religion call for this type of treatment of women?” MacDonald said. “It’s not very uplifting.” Over…

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty is offering a helping hand to municipal governments who want access thousands of free properties from the federal government to permanently house homeless people. The NLCHP launched it Public Property/Public Need toolkit Monday to help state and local governments and nonprofits organizations find and apply for property available under Title V of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the Law Center said in a press release. The program was started in 1987, and in December the government clarified that federal property can be used to permanently house homeless people. “The program provides eligible homeless service providers with a right of first refusal to properties no longer needed by the federal government – including warehouses, administrative buildings, and vacant land,” the Law Center said.…