Official Statements from the Bridge Beyond Team
Bridge Beyond statement on Supreme Court case regarding homelessness
Press Contact:
Meera Garg- Advocacy@bridgebeyond.org
Shirley Dong- Advocacy@bridgebeyond.org
Vinh Dang- Externalaffairs@bridgebeyond.org
Pittsburgh, PA- Yet another cold winter front arrives and homelessness, housing instability, and lack of shelter remain major concerns in the US. On Friday, January 12th, 2024, while Code Blues and Winter Advisories were issued across major cities, the US Supreme Court announced it would review the legal case of Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, OR , marking the first major case related to homelessness to be heard by the Supreme Court since the 1980s.
Individuals experiencing homelessness across the country are facing issues of forced displacement, criminalization, and risk to the latest COVID-19 surge. Now, with the Supreme Court hearing the case of Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, OR, individuals experiencing homelessness are at further risk of being criminalized if the court rules in favor of Grants Pass. However, if the courts rule in favor of Johnson, this would establish a precedent in favor of protecting the humanity of individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability. In addition, it would emphasize the importance of affordable and permanent housing in addressing the needs of our most vulnerable populations.
A similar case, Martin v. Boise, was heard by lower courts that ruled in favor of individuals experiencing homelessness stating that , “...cities cannot enforce anti-camping ordinances if they do not have enough homeless shelter beds available for their homeless population.” Bridge Beyond is in full support of a housing first approach to addressing the issues and challenges facing those experiencing homelessness. No one should be criminalized for not having access to shelter or housing. Bridge Beyond encourages our audience and volunteers to visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness and sign up to take action against the criminalization of homelessness.
To read the more about the Johnson v Grant Pass, OR visit this link.
To learn more about the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC) visit this link.
To support Bridge Beyond visit us here.
Bridge Beyond Applauds work to Secure Medicaid Coverage For Street Medicine
Press Contact:
Meera Garg- Advocacy@bridgebeyond.org
Shirley Dong- Advocacy@bridgebeyond.org
Mei Smyers- Vicechair@bridgebeyond.org
Vinh Dang- Externalaffairs@bridgebeyond.org
Pittsburgh, PA- Bridge Beyond is excited to share that Street Medicine is now a coverable service under Medicaid effective October 1st, 2023. Thanks to efforts and support from the Street Medicine Institute, Pennsylvania State Representative Dan Frankel, his staff, and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh.
Bridge Beyond is proud to have contributed to these efforts by bringing the importance of street medicine to Representative Dan Frankel’s team. The new Point of Service Code (POS 27) was set into effect by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As established by CMS, POS 27, “Outreach Site/Street,” describes a “non-permanent location on the street or found environment, not described by any other POS code, where health professionals provide preventive, screening, diagnostic, and/or treatment services to unsheltered homeless individuals.” While these services are now reimbursable, it is important to note that Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) can choose not to implement POS27 until January 2nd, 2024. It is imperative that we continue to ensure that these guidelines are followed at every level of care.
In addition, we hope that others across the country will actively take part in advocacy efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals experiencing homelessness. Bridge Beyond will continue to implement changes to ensure that health accessibility and equity for underserved communities are at the forefront of our work. In particular, we hope to expand Presumptive Eligibility (PE) for temporary Medical Assistance coverage for individuals experiencing homelessness who are admitted to hospitals. PE currently is only available to pregnant women, children, parents/caretakers, and foster children.
Bridge Beyond fully believes that POS 27 is a step in the right direction in improving access to care to individuals experiencing homelessness. While more work still needs to be done, we also want to acknowledge the work by Bridge Beyond’s Advocacy team led by Meera Garg, Shirley Dong and supported by Devika Diwan, Hari Acharya, and Vinh Dang. Their work in speaking to Pennsylvania State Representatives about the importance of Street Medicine and a comprehensive change in legislation to support individuals experiencing homelessness was crucial to this new code. In addition, we’d also like to thank Dr. Jim Withers and Brett Feldman from the Street Medicine Institute for their guidance and support in this work.
To read the official statement from the PA Department of Human Services visit this link.
To learn more about the Street Medicine Institute visit this link.
To support Bridge Beyond visit us here.
Bridge Beyond’s response to the senseless death of Jordan Neely
May 25th, 2023
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Press Contact:
Mei Smyers - vicechair@bridgebeyond.org
Vinh Dang- ExternalAffairs@bridgebeyond.org
CW: Violence, Death
On Monday, May 1st, 2023 at approximately 2:30 pm, Jordan Neely was killed on the floor of a New York City subway. Jordan was 30 years old when his life was taken. He was yelling and had thrown his coat on the ground when several people decided to restrain him. Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old Marine, held Jordan in a chokehold, killing Jordan on the subway floor. In the days since this senseless violence, various political figures have taken advantage of the situation for political gain.
We at Bridge Beyond condemn the actions of Daniel Penny and the actions of political figures who seek to polarize the public by politicizing the death of Jordan Neely. We see Penny’s actions as a deadly result of the negative stigma against people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder. Similarly, Neely’s death is a result of the failure of the New York City public system to address the needs of its homeless population. Neely had been recorded countless times as an individual at risk to himself and others by various Street Outreach organizations citing mental health disorders (Bowman, NPR 2023). Unhoused individuals are more likely to be victims of violence than they are to be perpetrators. Unfortunately, murders of people experiencing homelessness have been increasing every year (Schmid, The Nation, 2023). Due to ignorance, the public’s perceptions of endangerment can surpass a rational sense of danger. Likewise, politicians polarizing the situation and painting Penny as a “Good Samaritan” only antagonizes the growing political divide amongst the Left and Right. The death of Jordan Neely should not be used for political gain but should instead be a moment of reflection on society and the systemic failure of public institutions on how we can support individuals experiencing homelessness.
We encourage members of the public to seek local resources related to mental health assistance and awareness for individuals experiencing homelessness. Now more than ever, we need to educate ourselves on the experiences of those that are unhoused and recognize our privilege. Contextualizing what others might be going through will be crucial in becoming a more empathetic society. Jordan Neely’s actions in no way warranted physical intervention, especially the deadly force that Penny reacted with. Jordan Neely was a victim of an unempathetic society, a failing mental health system, a corrupt political system, and Daniel Penny.
Resources:
Brooklyn Intensive Mobile Treatment Team
Homeless Assistance Fund- Partnership for New York City
Sources:
https://time.com/6278041/jordan-neely-homeless-mental-illness-essay/
https://www.thenation.com/homeless-homicides-are-on-the-rise/
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/05/1174192713/jordan-neely-death-homeless-nyc
Remembering the effects of gun violence on individuals experiencing homelessness
June 25th, 2022
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Press Contact:
Diane Park - vicechair@bridgebeyond.org
Vinh Dang- ExternalAffairs@bridgebeyond.org
On Sunday, June 12th, 2022, the United States Senate announced a bipartisan framework for implementing strategies to curb gun violence in response to the over 250 mass shootings that have occurred in 2022, particularly in response to the shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, among others. Although this framework itself is not enough, it is a step in the right direction in getting federal action to address gun violence in this country.
Bridge Beyond fully supports the implementation of stricter gun safety laws to protect all members of society. Similarly, our organization wants to shed light on the intersection of gun violence and individuals experiencing homelessness. Both are high-priority public health issues that have historically been viewed as two separate and distinct problems. We must look at and address the overlap between the two injustices, to ensure the treatment of one does not reinforce the other. It is an unfortunate truth that when individuals live without housing, they are at a higher risk of experiencing some sort of violence. In addition, little data is available on individuals experiencing homelessness and gun violence, yet many news reports have highlighted the growing rate of homeless individuals being killed by guns. Of the data available, one study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that over 400 young adults experiencing homelessness were victims of gun violence across seven cities; Los Angeles, Denver, New York, Houston, Phoenix, St. Louis, and San Jose between 2016 and 2017 (Hsu et al, 2021).
Gun violence in the U.S can’t be viewed as a separate issue from homelessness and housing insecurity. The everyday victims of gun violence are members of these vulnerable populations, yet they are often forgotten and overlooked in the conversation. Economic and housing status is a contributing factor to homicide and should be treated as such when discussing violence in these communities.
We as members of Bridge Beyond recognize that our organization is not directly working to implement gun control strategies. However, we encourage those who support us to consider donating to or learning more about organizations working every day to put an end to gun violence :
Bridge Beyond Opposes Los Angeles Code 41.18
Press Contact:
Shannon Chand- PR@bridgebeyond.org
Vinh Dang- ExternalAffairs@bridgebeyond.org
August 2nd, 2021
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
On Wednesday July 28th, 2021, the Los Angeles (LA) City Council voted 13-2 in favor of passing Ordinance 41.18 which prevents individuals from camping or leaving personal belongings in public areas throughout the city such as, “overpasses, underpasses, freeway ramps, tunnels, bridges, pedestrian bridges, subways, washes, spreading grounds, or active railways.”
Bridge Beyond firmly opposes this decision by the LA City Council as it infringes on the rights of individuals experiencing homelessness. Although the LA City has “dedicated” $955 million dollars to help displaced individuals, they have enacted an ordinance that would effectively make homelessness illegal in the city. The LA City Council has also failed to provide adequate support for the projected displacement of individuals throughout LA, a city that can only shelter 39% of its houseless population, leaving the other 61% without a place to go. Supporters of this ordinance have quoted that it will, “help to establish passable sidewalks.” Those supporters have chosen the well being of a city's infrastructure and making “passable sidewalks,” over basic human rights.
Public Health researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have created a map showing how ordinance 41.18 will make over 40% of areas that houseless individuals could be using, off limits. When cities choose to enact draconian laws that target houseless individuals to “beautify” its city, they forget that they were the ones to place these individuals in this situation in the first place. Rising housing costs, gentrification, and a lack of supportive programs for houseless individuals shows that cities like LA are not willing to divert the proper resources or power to helping these individuals.
With the end of the eviction moratorium, cities across the U.S. will see a large increase in displaced individuals. Should other cities adopt ordinances similar to the LA City Council, houseless individuals will become more at risk to incarceration, exposure to the Delta Variant, vulnerability to rises in heat waves, and more. Cities across the U.S. need to take steps and work with local organizers to better support individuals experiencing homelessness.
We as members of Bridge Beyond recognize that we are not affecting change in LA communities at this time. However, we encourage those who support us to consider donating to organizations located in LA working to help those experiencing homelessness listed below:
Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN)