A Story of the Unhoused: The Ms. Q&A with Author Roxanne Chester

How should you talk about unhoused people with children? Read them This is My Bag.

The children’s picture book looks at the day-to-day realities of diverse people—children and elderly, able-bodied and disabled and diverse in race—who are forced to carry their valuables with them because they lack a permanent residence.

The author, Roxanne Chester, spoke to Ms. reporter Eleanor J. Bader in late December, several weeks after the book was released.

Affordable Housing as a Human Right: Activist Diane Yentel on the U.S. Housing Crisis, Racial Justice and Democracy

Right now, low-income renters are facing rising inflation, skyrocketing rents, limited tenant protections and a shortage of affordable units. Predictably, this is leading to an increasing number of evictions and a spike in homelessness.

Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, sees housing and racial justice as inextricably linked. “We must ensure that low-income people can participate in democracy by removing the barriers to voting that make it difficult to cast a ballot.”

Trump Attacks on Fair Housing Will Hurt Marginalized Communities the Most

The Trump administration rolled back a HUD rule that allows potential victims of housing discrimination to challenge unjustified policies, practices or covert forms of discrimination that disproportionately harm them—the latest in a series of Trump administration assaults on civil rights.

The ACLU and our partners will continue to fight through litigation and advocacy to challenge these discriminatory new HUD rules and restore the critical housing protections that will ensure all people—including the most vulnerable and marginalized communities—have equal access to housing.