Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons

For those who celebrate the traditional Western World Christmas, did you receive a desired gift this past Wednesday? What did you do to enjoy such a fortunate outcome? Requested the gift verbally or through prayer? Used mind power to materialize it? Produced the gift yourself or shopped and
purchased it? Not to worry, the key point is that you received what you desired!

On the other hand, should we not give just a little more consideration to the foregoing questions and outcome? Should we consider the scenario in light of our (Black America’s) plight in the good ole US of A? BlackEconomics.org is just one of a multitude of sources that beat the drum incessantly on economic inequality and that analyze reasons for it. At the same time, recognize that some of the most powerful voices against economic inequality and the most prolific scholarly researchers of the
topic have little-to-no experience suffering the vagaries of economic inequality. Besides, many scholars benefit tremendously from the persistence of conditions about which they expound.

We will not venture here to examine the thought about what is required to know a topic completely. And while we value the admonition to “study the ant,” a wise one will know that no matter how much we accrue in “ant knowledge,” we will never fully comprehend the nature of ants. However, it is very worthwhile to consider the “Why” and “How” of getting what we want. We will undertake these one-word questions below, but we invite you to introduce yourself to, or refamiliarize yourself with, our June 2023 commentary entitled, “We Get What We Accept.”

A salient portion of the just-mentioned commentary relates:

Until we (Black Americans) comprehend fully that we must first reject completely acceptance of {the status quo} our unrightful place (at the bottom) in the US society, decide what and where we want to be inside or outside of the US society, and then move systematically, determinedly, and expeditiously to reach our rightful place, then we will continue to get what we have gotten. While truthful and consistent with our intent, the statement is presumptive and fails to ask or answer a very pertinent question: “Why do we accept the status quo?” Given the title of the current commentary, the inferred answer to the latter question is that we accept the status quo because it is what we desire—what we want. “Really?” You ask. “Yes really!” We respond.

Returning to the beginning of the June 2023 commentary, Ye was, and is, correct. We have choices. In fact, as we reminded colleagues recently, we have no choice but to make choices. The creation, if anything, reflects duality in its oneness: A twoness; male and female; right and left; up and down;
hot and cold; etc. Therefore, we confront choices everywhere we turn.

When considering the case of Black America’s unfavorable position “at the bottom” of the socioeconomic hierarchy, recognition of being at the bottom is coupled with recognition of the possibility of being at the top or elsewhere in the hierarchy.

This commentary is to remind us that it was, and is, our choice to be at the bottom (individually or on average—collectively). If we really, really despise the status quo, then we have intellects that can enable us to engineer an alternate outcome. The latter statement is not to convey the warmed-over
spit labeled “bootstrap economics.” A wise guardian advised us often years ago: “Everybody ain’t able.” That is, every individual is not capable of rising (bootstrapping themselves up) alone. Rather,
Black Americans must confess that we, too, not just the “White man,” may speak—intentionally or unintentionally—with a “forked tongue.”

We may ruminate and pontificate vociferously about being at the bottom, but we must want to remain there. On a sweltering day, it can be pleasant in the shade at the foot of an old oak tree with wide
branches. It can be comfortable to the point of motivating the suppression of ideas about working and suffering in the heat of a blistering mid-day sun to lift ourselves from the bottom of the socioeconomic hierarchy. And there is the thought that sacrifices required to capture materialism should not be made because materialism is not “the best answer for resolving very important mystery-of-life questions.” Yet, if we accede to the latter notion, then why proclaim that we desire a different outcome—i.e., to not be at the bottom?

Returning to the outset of this commentary and recalling the questions that we posed and the answers that surfaced in your mind in response, we certainly know how to get what we want. In combination, we can deploy the spoken word (vibrations from our heart), the power of the mind, and brute force effort (violent aggression if necessary) to get what we want.

We (Black Americans) should discontinue our self-deceit. If we did not know before, we know now. We get what we accept, and we know how to get what we want (by any means necessary) if we really want it. Now we add a correlated postulate: “We accept what we want!”

Hence, we are all charged now with informing new and coming generations of these life realities no matter the starting point in the socioeconomic hierarchy. We should teach them the truth and help prepare them to tackle life and to make wise choices about what they really want. We should not be
surprised when they surpass our expectations in getting and accepting what they want by any means necessary somewhere in this world.

Dr. Brooks Robinson is the founder of the Black Economics.org website.

The post “We Get What We Want!”: Will Black Americans Continue To Accept Being At The Bottom Of American Society? appeared first on Black Star News.

Shereen Bobrowsky, the disabled Yonkers woman, a senior, who claims there’s an ongoing attempt to wrongfully foreclose on her property-and to harass and intimidate her-wants to know why Judge Paul I. Marx, who’s presiding over the case hasn’t sanctioned the opposing party for violating deadlines set by the court for delivery of documents.

Separately, after reviewing some of the documents that are on the docket in the State Supreme Court, Westchester County, White Plains, New York, in light of past reports about compromised records in various court jurisdictions, in New York and elsewhere, this reporter is curious as to why there were no decisions and orders of the many motions Ms. Bobrowsky entered that requested important items such as “the accounting” and the Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA).

Ms. Bobrowsky, who is in her 70s, also believes a campaign to intimidate her has escalated and now become dangerous. Recently, after a short drive from her home, she realized she had a flat front tire. When she got out to inspect the flat, she discovered that a nail had been stuck into the tire.

“It’s one thing to send someone to snoop around my property or to steal my garbage,” Ms. Bobrowsky says, describing past incidents. “But to start puncturing my tire, knowing that I have to drive down a steep slope as soon as I leave my property, that’s something else,” she says.

Ms. Bobrowsky was sued by US Bank Trust National Association, Not In Its Individual Capacity But Solely As Owner Trustee for REO Trust 2017-RPL1, in the New York State Supreme Court, Westchester County, White Plains, New York.

This is a second article by Black Star News covering her ordeal, which she says keeps her awake at night and leaves her sick with a migraine headache, sometimes for days.

Ms. Bobrowsky says she has not missed a single mortgage payment since January 2003, and she has her records as proof. Yet, she is facing what she calls a third “wrongful, fraudulent, and illegal foreclosure” lawsuit. The first two-one in 2016 and the second in 2020-were both voluntarily discontinued by the bank, for no reason except to stall, causing her harm, Ms. Bobrowsky says. “In December, governor Hochul signed a bill into law called the foreclosure abuse prevention act that’s meant to prevent the type of abuse I’m enduring,” she says.

Ms. Bobrowsky previously complained of harassment by a man who comes to her home monthly to “inspect” the property, purportedly for the mortgage servicer (Nationstar dba Mr. Cooper), who Ms. Bobrowsky believes is behind the three lawsuits based on the same allegations. The man, whose identity she does not know, has taken her picture occasionally and one time even peered into her home from the window, she says.

Max Saglimbeni, an associate with Knuckles Komosinki & Manfro, LLP., the firm representing the plaintiff, didn’t respond to an earlier e-mail message from Black Star News asking him if the unidentified man works for his client. Ms. Bobrowsky said the man has not shown up since the first Black Star News article.

Also, Mr. Saglimbeni’s firm billed Ms. Bobrowsky $30,000 in legal fees for the work that they say they’ve done for their client. Mr. Saglimbeni didn’t respond to an earlier e-mail message by Black Star News inquiring about the bill and whether Judge Marx was aware of it.

Then recently, on two separate occasions, Ms. Bobrowsky’s green garbage bags disappeared. She suspects whoever stole them is fishing for evidence and she filed a police report after the first incident. “Now I put my dog’s pooh-pooh on top of the bag,” she says.

However, the tire incident suggests that whomever is trying to intimidate her is getting desperate, Ms. Bobrowsky says. One recent morning, accompanied by her 85-year-old cousin, the two were driving downhill to head to the farmers’ market when she realized she had a flat. After discovering the nail, she took her vehicle to a nearby repair shop.

Ms. Bobrowsky is confident justice will prevail if the court goes by the evidence alone. Yet, she’s troubled, she says, by the fact that Judge Marx didn’t sanction the plaintiff, through Saglimbeni, after they failed to deliver to her all the documents by the deadline as instructed by the court.

At an Aug. 21, 2024 hearing covered by Black Star News reporter Colin Benjamin, Judge Marx had directed Saglimbeni to produce the following documents to Ms. Bobrowsky by Sept. 30, 2024: her complete payment history; a copy of the promissory note and of all assignments and the attached allonges; a copy of the mortgage; a copy of all default notices, including the 90 day notice prior to initiating foreclosure as required by New York law; a copy of the affidavit of service, and; any documents that Saglimbeni intended to use for the summary judgment motion he told the judge that he intended to file.

The Sept. 30 deadline came and went, and the plaintiff hadn’t produced all the documents as directed by Judge Marx, including the critical complete payment history, and the promissory note and all assignments and the attached allonges, Ms. Bobrowsky says.

Yet, the court still allowed Saglimbeni to file a summary judgment motion which Ms. Bobrowsky was required to respond to-and did-by Dec. 20. “I’m the only one who’s supposed to play by the rules?” Ms. Bobrowsky says. “I’m also very concerned that the court has not provided any written decision and orders on my motions requesting the vital accounting, as well as the pooling and servicing agreement. This deprives me of my right to appeal.”

Judge Marx didn’t respond to questions about these two purported orders.

Ms. Bobrowsky also noticed what she called two “strange” orders on the court docket. The purported orders are attributed to Judge Marx. One is stamped on the upper right corner of a letter that Ms. Bobrowsky submitted to the court, and; the second one is stamped on the lower right hand of the letter. The first order, bearing a signature attributed to Judge Marx, stated, in part, “…the court accept’s plaintiff’s counsel’s representation in his letter dated 11/12/24 that the full payment history has been provided and that the Note and Allonges have been made available to the defendant…”

“This is nonsense. Why would I be requesting for the full payment history if they were provided,” Ms. Bobrowsky says. “Just like I said last time, I may be old and appear slow at times, but I’m no fool. I wonder how many other vulnerable homeowners are treated this way.”

“Instead of taking plaintiff’s word, ex parte, that plaintiff complied, Judge Marx should hold a hearing so both sides can be questioned and have the plaintiff produce the documents in open court,” Ms. Bobrowsky says. “I am being egregiously prejudiced by the withholding of documents with no sanctions against plaintiff. I have been requesting various documents for over one year now to no avail while discovery and depositions are also being withheld.”

“I demand sanctions for plaintiff’s failing to disclose the documents I have been requesting for over a year. But I also request the court to allow for full discovery for which I am entitled. I initially had an attorney but the court allowed him to be relieved as counsel over my objections. Now, all my requests seem to be for naught in this third foreclosure action that is based on clear fraud,” Ms. Bobrowsky adds.

The second order, on the lower right portion of Ms. Bobrowsky’s letter, also bearing a signature attributed to Judge Marx, stated: “The court apologizes. The documents which were to be delivered for in camera inspection, were in fact, delivered, timely, but through oversight, have not yet been reviewed.”

This was in reference to the un-redacted Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA), which Ms. Bobrowsky has been denied a copy, she says. The version Saglimbeni sent her is so redacted that it’s illegible, she said. Ms. Bobrowsky was informed previously that the court also hadn’t received an un-redacted copy; yet the purported order attributed to Judge Marx claimed a copy was indeed submitted.

“By saying I’m not entitled to an un-redacted Pooling and Servicing Agreement is akin to saying I’m not entitled to a defense. Plaintiff, and the court, are also refusing to supply the name of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, which is on the SEC website, but cannot be looked up without a name,” Ms. Bobrowsky says.

Ms. Bobrowsky says Judge Marx is wrongfully denying her access to Pooling And Servicing Agreement (PSA).

A second document that Ms. Bobrowsky discovered on the docket, a “Court Notice,” dated Nov. 13, 2024 stated in part: “The court has reviewed the Pooling And Servicing Agreement (“the Agreement”) which was submitted by Plaintiff’s counsel, as directed. Defendant’s request for an unredacted for an unredacted copy of the agreement is denied.” Ms. Bobrowsky states that since this was not a decision and order but merely a Court Notice, she cannot appeal the denial.

“I don’t know whom and what to believe anymore,” Ms. Bobrowsky says.

Judge Marx did not respond to an e-mail message from Black Star News seeking confirmation that the purported ex parte orders were authentic and that the two signatures belong to him. The judge also didn’t respond to a question seeking confirmation that he did in fact receive and review an un-redacted copy the PSA, and a question as to why Ms. Bobrowsky can’t be provided with a copy.

The questions sent to Judge Marx were also copied to New York State Attorney General Letitia James, Yonkers Police Commissioner, Christopher Sapienza, the plaintiff’s lawyer Saglimbeni, and Judge Anne E. Minihan, the District Administrative Judge.

“Your e-mail is received,” Judge Minihan’s office responded, confirming receipt of the copied questions.

As reported in the earlier Black Star News article, the plaintiff also failed to provide the complete payments history when directed on Dec. 21, 2023, to be supplied within three weeks to do so by court attorney referee, Sheila Gabay, when the matter was in settlement conference, Ms. Bobrowsky says.

Ms. Bobrowsky previously alleged that the signature attributed to Ms. Theresa Barrett, as the person who signed and notarized that she witnessed Ms. Tamara Sulea execute an assignment of mortgage on September 6, 2019 is “a forgery”-an allegation which has since been confirmed by the authorities in Los Angeles, Ca., where Ms. Barrett’s notary oath is kept, Ms. Bobrowsky says.

What’s more, Ms. Bobrowsky claims, the purported assignment of mortgage filed in the Westchester County Clerk’s office is also fraudulent. The document states that it was executed on Nov. 6, 2019, which is two months after Notary Public Ms. Barnett’s signature-the same signature Ms. Bobrowsky claims was forged.

Mr. Saglimbeni also didn’t respond to questions about this allegation. “I’m perplexed as to why the Westchester County Clerk Timothy Idoni has not referred the filing of a false instrument for investigation by the District Attorney or the Attorney General,” Ms. Bobrowsky says. “When a fraud is brought to the head of the county clerk, they have a duty to maintain the laws in its government entity. Filing a false document is a misdemeanor, but when it affects a deed, it is a felony.”

If you’ve been the victim of an illegal or wrongful foreclosure and have documentation please reach the reporter at mallimadi@gmail.com

The post Elderly Yonkers Homeowner In Alleged “Wrongful Foreclosure” Questions Why Judge Marx Won’t Sanction Plaintiff for Violations appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: United Nations

2024 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of a UN commitment to protect children from being recruited as soldiers. However, armed groups have increased the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was hailed as a historic agreement when it was adopted by world leaders in 1989, and it has inspired governments to pass laws protecting children from violence and exploitation. Around a decade later, a protocol prohibiting the recruitment and use as soldiers of all children under 18 years of age was adopted. To date, it has been ratified by 173 countries.

Instead of ending the practice, armed groups have increased recruitment and use of children for armed conflict purposes, from Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the Lake Chad basin, Mozambique, the Sahel, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Haiti.

Most of the impacted children were abducted and forcibly recruited. Most of these children are girls who have suffered rape and sexual violence, and have been bought, sold and trafficked.

On Tuesday, the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, declared that the increase in the use of military force by governments and regimes has wreaked havoc on children, in situations such as Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza; Sudan; Lebanon; Myanmar and Ukraine.

“The cries of these children echo across conflict zones, but far too often, the world remains silent,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba.

“Their pain is a stain on our collective conscience. We must do better—because every moment we delay, another child becomes just another number in the long list of conflict related casualties and violations in the children and armed conflict reports.”

Ms. Gamba called for the granting of safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to children, the implementation of international laws, the elimination of wide impact explosives in populated areas, the prohibition of the military use of schools, and the prohibition and elimination of anti-personnel landmines.

“As we move into 2025, let us choose compassion over indifference and peace over war’” added the senior UN official. “Together, we can rewrite the stories of these children—not with fear and loss, but with healing and hope”.

The post United Nations: Recruitment Of Child Soldiers Is On The Rise, Despite Global Commitments appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: Body-Cam\Office of New York Attorney General

The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) today condemned the brutal killing of Robert Brooks, who was beaten to death by a group of corrections officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in upstate New York. LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement:

“The Legal Defense Fund condemns the sadistic and violent killing of Robert Brooks in the strongest terms possible. The video released of Brooks’ final moments is gut-wrenching and horrifying. The group of corrections officers in the video beat and terrorized a human being who was shackled, restrained, and showed no signs of provocation. The officers in the video, who are at times seen smiling in apparent enjoyment of the brutal ordeal, displayed unimaginable cruelty and a callous disregard for human life. They should be brought to justice and fully held to account.

“This horrific attack is not an isolated incident – it reflects a broader, systemic failure to protect the dignity, humanity, and safety of human beings behind bars. It also is a stark reminder of the grievous harms of mass incarceration, which has disproportionately devastated the lives of countless Black families and communities. The failure to protect incarcerated people’s basic rights, combined with corrections officers seemingly unfettered discretion with little to no oversight, too often creates an environment that facilitates rampant human rights violations and unspeakable crimes like those suffered by Robert Brooks. LDF applauds the New York Attorney General for her office’s swift investigation of this heinous crime. Let this painfully dehumanizing video serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need to replace what is an unquestionably barbaric carceral system with a public safety framework that serves and protects us all. We must also work to immediately improve the conditions and safety of the almost two million people who are held in our jails and prisons – the largest incarcerated population in the world.”

Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights law organization. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. 

The post Legal Defense Fund Condemns “Sadistic And Violent Killing Of Robert Brooks” By New York Prison Officials appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: YouTube Screenshots

Sub-Saharan African countries are set to continue ramping up renewable energy generation in 2025, as part of a trend the International Energy Agency forecasts will see almost 90 gigawatts of new renewable capacity being added to the region by 2030.

The IEA notes that keeping up with the pace of renewables expansion will also require African nations to announce enhanced ambitions in 2025. South Africa is the continent’s leader in renewable energy expansion, accounting for 40% of the projected capacity, mainly through solar power generation.

Hydropower projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Angola are set to contribute a combined output of 13 gigawatts by 2030, while solar PV installations in Nigeria and Kenya will account for 17 gigawatts. The IEA said challenges in realizing these projections will include “policy uncertainty” and “high offtaker risks,” plus low grid availability and reliability.

— Muchira Gachenge

The post Sub-Sahara Growing Renewable Energy Capacity appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons

How should we remember the late Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States? Pundits will argue over his domestic policy, especially his economic record, which wasn’t great – inflation, interest rates, and unemployment all shot up on his watch between 1977 and 1981.

Others will debate his foreign policy record – which featured major wins for him like the Camp David and the Panama Canal peace treaties, but also major losses like the Iranian hostage crisis.

But it’s what Carter said after he left office that will stick with me, because not only was he perhaps the most beloved ex-president, but he also wasn’t afraid to speak some blunt truths to the American people.

Here are the most surprising Jimmy Carter quotes you may not have heard before – and probably won’t get mentioned in most of his obituaries.

1. Let’s start with 2015. When the now-late president said, “I think the American superpower goal should be to be the champion of peace,” only to later follow it with the assertion that “we are the most warlike country on earth.” Carter also pointed out that the US had been at peace for only 16 of its then 242 years as a nation, four of which were on his watch.
2. Regarding the invasion of Iraq, already in 2004, Carter told The Independent newspaper in the UK “there was no reason for us to become involved in Iraq recently. That was a war based on lies and misinterpretations from London and from Washington.”
3. In 2006, he doubled down on that statement, calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down, and saying that he and Vice President Dick Cheney quote, “deliberately misled the American people about the danger in Iraq.”…

Subscribe to Zeteo to unlock the rest.

The post Important Jimmy Carter Quotes You Won’t See In Most Mainstream Media Obits appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: Body-Cam\Office of New York Attorney General

The December 12th Movement released the following alert announcing a press conference for Monday, December 30th to address the beating death of Robert L. Brooks, on December 10, 2024, by New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) officers at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Marcy, Oneida County.

“As the Black community comes together to celebrate “Nia” (Purpose), on the fifth day of Kwanzaa, we are outraged, but not surprised, at the cold-blooded murder of Robert Brooks by NYS corrections officers (New York governor orders firing of 14 prison workers after fatal attack on inmate|New York| The Guardian).

“On Monday, December 30th at 11:am, the December 12th Movement, community leaders and elected officials are holding a press conference at the office of NYS Governor Kathy Hochul, 633 Third Avenue.”

The post December 12th Movement Holding Monday Press Conference To Address “Cold-Blooded Murder Of Robert Brooks By NYS Corrections Officers” At Governor Hochul’s City Office appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: Body-Cam\Office of New York Attorney General

Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement in wake of footage released this afternoon that shows correction officers fatally beating inmate Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Utica, New York.

Brooks, 43, had been serving a 12-year sentence since 2017 at the facility when he was beaten by several officers on December 9th. He died a day later of what the local medical examiner called “asphyxia due to compression of the neck.”

Governor Hochul subsequently ordered the firing of 14 officers at the facility, and Brooks’ death is now being investigated by four agencies including the New York Attorney General’s Office, which released the footage on Friday. 

“The footage of Robert Brooks’ death is as horrifying as what we saw when George Floyd, Tyre Nichols, and countless other Black men and women have been killed by law enforcement. These officers clearly thought they were within their right to hit Brooks in the stomach with the heel of a boot, level punches at his face or torso, and throw him around like a ragdoll—all with his hands behind his back. They were wrong. It is disturbing that some of them had the sense to smile and smirk while a human being was forced against a wall by three officers just a few feet away. Their actions in this tape not only justify their firing but should merit appropriate criminal charges. 

I and the National Action Network want to thank New York State’s leaders for their swift action to address this heinous murder. Governor Hochul’s decision to rightfully fire the 14 officials involved has been followed up with transparency by Attorney General James. This is a signal to the rest of the nation that leaders have a sworn duty to respond to unspeakable acts such as these for the sake of those murdered and their families. My hope is that the criminal justice system will see this case through and ensure justice for Robert Brooks and his loved ones.” 

About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

The post Sharpton On Killing Of Black Man By New York Corrections Officers: “Footage Of Robert Brooks’ Death Is…Horrifying” appeared first on Black Star News.

Photos: Operation Better Days\Wikimedia Commons

December 27, 2024 — Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Friday released its 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) Part 1 to Congress, revealing an 18.1 percent increase in homelessness across the nation. The report, compiled from data gathered at a point in time in January 2024, underscores the growing urgency of the homelessness crisis, driven by a combination of longstanding affordable housing shortages, rising inflation, discrimination, and insufficient social safety nets to address the rising demand for support. Marginalized people, including people of color, continue to be over-represented in the data released today.

The biggest driver of the crisis is the widespread lack of affordable housing. In 2024, median rent was 18 percent higher than it was in 2020, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates there is a shortage of 7.3 million units of affordable and available rental homes in the country.

One of the most harrowing data points from the report is that family homelessness rose by 39.4 percent. This is unacceptable and continues to demonstrate that the needs of the most vulnerable are not being met. This crisis drives people into homelessness every day in America and makes the work to rehouse them far more difficult.

While the data presents a challenging outlook, it demonstrates that success is possible when the federal government prioritizes evidence-based solutions and funds these resources to scale.

“The answer to ending homelessness is ensuring everyone has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Our leaders must immediately expand the resources to rehouse people without homes and assist the rapidly growing number of people who cannot afford skyrocketing rents,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “This record-setting increase in homelessness should sound the alarm for federal, state, and local lawmakers to advance evidence-based solutions to this crisis.”

One notable example is the reduction in veteran homelessness. From January 2023 to January 2024, veteran homelessness dropped by 7.6 percent, with unsheltered veteran homelessness seeing a 10.7 percent decrease. This marks the continuation of a successful federal strategy that has reduced veteran homelessness by more than 55 percent since 2010, making it one of the most significant achievements in the fight to end homelessness in America.

The success in reducing veteran homelessness is proof further investments must be made to have enough resources to help all populations.

“The reduction in veteran homelessness offers us a clear roadmap for addressing homelessness on a larger scale,” said Oliva. “With bipartisan support, adequate funding, and smart policy solutions, we can replicate this success and reduce homelessness nationwide. Federal investments are critical in tackling the country’s housing affordability crisis and ensuring that every American has access to safe, stable housing.”

Federal intervention is needed to ensure that this crisis does not worsen. Key findings from the HUD 2024 AHAR report reveal several systemic challenges that may impact rising homelessness.

• Housing Affordability: The country continues to face a severe shortage of affordable housing, exacerbated by inadequate federal intervention. Without comprehensive systems to prevent homelessness and transition individuals into permanent housing, many Americans remain trapped in the cycle of homelessness.
• Insufficient Social Safety Nets: Federal programs like the Housing Choice Voucher program (also known as Section 8) are underfunded, currently able to assist only one in four eligible households. As pandemic-era rental assistance programs expire, many households are left without critical resources to maintain housing stability.
• Lack of Preventive Systems: Too few systems are in place to identify people at imminent risk of homelessness and intervene before they become unhoused. The systems that serve people at imminent risk of homelessness, including housing, healthcare, criminal justice, and education, often fail to coordinate and provide timely support to prevent loss of housing.
• Racial Disparities: Homelessness continues to disproportionately impact people of color and marginalized communities, due to both historic and modern discrimination in housing, employment, wages, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

Despite challenges, these key strategies to combat homelessness are working in several communities that reported reductions:

• Expanded Shelter and Services: Communities are making strides in expanding shelter capacity, though services remain underfunded and difficult to access for many.
• Innovative Funding Models: Successful communities are leveraging state and local funds to supplement federal resources and support new approaches to homelessness prevention and housing stability. They are also creatively leveraging Medicaid funds to pay for housing services.
• Collaborative Efforts: Partnerships with a range of sectors, from landlords to local courts, are proving effective in addressing homelessness at multiple levels. Effective partnerships with Public Housing Authorities are creating particularly strong opportunities to utilize targeted vouchers and rapidly rehouse people.
• Diversion: Innovative diversion models are helping people at imminent risk of homelessness secure the resources they need to stay housed and avoid ever having to enter homelessness systems in the first place.

HUD’s 2024 AHAR Part 1 report serves as a stark reminder of the need for continued, targeted action. The federal government has an essential role in providing the resources needed to reduce homelessness and address the underlying housing affordability crisis. With sustained investment and collaboration, the country can make significant progress in ensuring that all individuals and families have a place to call home.

The Alliance will continue to release further analysis of the AHAR Part 1 in the coming weeks.

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest information: https://endhomelessness.org/

About the National Alliance to End Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, non-partisan, organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.

The post HUD Homeless Report: American Homelessness Increased In 2024 By 18.1 Percent appeared first on Black Star News.

Throughout 2024, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat remained focused on supporting efforts to deepen regional integration and improve the welfare of the Region’s citizens.

Under the decisive leadership of the Conference of Heads of Government, we advanced many of the Region’s key priorities. Food and nutrition security was boosted through the 25 by 2025 initiative; there were efforts to improve air and maritime transportation in the Region and advance implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and initiatives to stem the worrying issue of crime and violence.

We continued to take advantage of opportunities in regional and international fora to advocate for decisive climate action by the international community to keep temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. We also called for urgent attention to honour commitments made to provide climate financing. The Bridgetown Initiative and implementation of the multilaterally agreed Multidimensional Vulnerability Index remain critical to ensuring that CARICOM Small Island and Low-lying Coastal Developing States (SIDS) receive the resources needed to increase and sustain resilience.

Great effort was expended throughout the year by CARICOM leaders and the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) towards the resumption of functional governance and security in Haiti, by ensuring Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solutions to the ongoing crises. Regrettably, the growing insecurity caused by gang violence remains a serious threat to the aspirations and hopes of the people of Haiti, as many thousands of persons continue to be displaced, and are victims of violence and food insecurity.

In July, the record-breaking Hurricane Beryl severely impacted agriculture, fisheries, communications and transportation in several countries of the Region. However, in the true spirit of Community, our Member States and Regional Institutions rallied to support each other.

The signing of the CARICOM-African Union Memorandum of Understanding in the latter half of the year will promote the strengthening of economic, cultural, political and fraternal relationships between CARICOM and Africa, which will also be bolstered by the increased opportunities for trade, investment and tourism between CARICOM and Africa.

We acknowledge the strong participation of our Member States, International Development Partners, the private sector, labour organisations, the diaspora, and civil society in initiatives to strengthen the pillars of our integration movement. In this regard, for their sterling contribution to the Region, two Community stalwarts, Sir Clive Lloyd and the Honourable Roderick Rainford, were awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community, the Region’s highest honour, at the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government.

As the Region seeks to consolidate integration in the year ahead, we look forward to continued collaboration with our stakeholders and partners, including the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors and CARICOM Youth Ambassadors, as well as the guidance of the Bureau of the Conference, which will comprise Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica effective 1 January 2025.

My sincere thanks to all the staff of the Secretariat at our Georgetown Headquarters and our offices in Barbados and Jamaica, for their unswerving dedication to the work of the Community.

I wish for all peace, success and prosperity in 2025 and safety during the Season’s festivities.

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