'Defiant' Nun Arrested After Cop Showdown

Homeless population up 15% in year

(NEWSER) - The sound of waves crashing, spectacular views, white sand between your toes: Such is life for the hundreds of homeless flocking to Hawaii's shores, where the medical and dental care is free, and hey, you're not under a bridge in Detroit in January. With the homeless population up 15% over last year at a cost of $35,000 a head—and worries that tents on the beach will drive away tourists—the state is resorting to buying them one-way tickets to their home state. More»

Woman, father were behind ordinances that forced abusers under bridge

(NEWSER) - The homeless sex offenders who live under Miami’s infamous Julia Tuttle Causeway aren't quick to thank two of their most diligent advocates for working on their behalf. “They know who we are, and don’t like us very much,” says Lauren Book-Lim. Book-Lim was sexually abused by her nanny from age 11 through age 17, and her lobbyist father, Ron Book, helped push through the ordinances that forced many of these men from their homes. More»

Rising culinary star left posh restaurant for rescue mission

(NEWSER) - At California’s Bay Area Rescue Mission, the homeless dine on grilled artichokes with garlic sherry vinaigrette or vegetable soup with creme fraiche, thanks to the culinary talents of Tim Hammack. The chef left a renowned French bistro to cook at the rescue mission. “I was cooking for very wealthy people and people of means,” he tells NPR. “But I just had a passion for people who didn’t have means.” More»

Squeezed shelters, recession prompt local government tolerance

(NEWSER) - With room tight in homeless shelters, municipalities across the US are allowing tent cities to stand—after years spent breaking up homeless clusters, the Wall Street Journal reports. In some areas, the encampments are even supplied with basic services like portable toilets and medical care. “There is no place to put them,” says a Nashville homeless official of the dwellers, especially when cities are trying to cut budgets. More»

(NEWSER) - New York City has quietly taken a new approach to combat homelessness—since 2007, the Bloomberg administration has bought more than 550 families one-way tickets out of town. Social workers help the homeless to find relatives who may take them in, and some have been flown as far as France or South Africa. The city spends $500,000 annually on the program, and none of the aided families have returned to shelters, reports the New York Times. More»