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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 20 december 2022
U.S. homeless numbers stay about the same as before pandemic

By JANIE HAR and GEOFF to work across agencies,
MULVIHILL we’re going to break down
Associated Press silos, we’re going to lead
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — with equity, we are going
President Joe Biden’s ad- to talk about upstream pre-
ministration announced vention and work on those
Monday that it is ramping issues,” Oliva said.
up efforts to help house The federal plan highlights
people now sleeping on racial and other disparities
sidewalks and in tents and that have led to inequity in
cars as a new federal re- homelessness.
port confirms what’s obvi- It seeks to expand the sup-
ous to people in many cit- ply of affordable housing
ies: Homelessness is persist- and improve on ways to
ing despite increased local prevent people from be-
efforts. coming homeless in the first
The U.S. Department of place.
Housing and Urban Devel- Potential steps include
opment said that in feder- a campaign to encour-
ally required tallies taken age more landlords to ac-
across the country ear- cept government housing
lier this year, about 582,000 vouchers and encourage
people were counted as local governments to build
homeless a number that David Hernandez, a 62-year-old homeless man, crawls into his bed made with cardboard boxes more apartment complex-
misses some people and in Los Angeles, late Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. es that are affordable for
Associated Press

does not include those working families.
staying with friends or fam- lower that by 25% by 2025. Doors, which was the na- streamlined processes and The administration also an-
ily because they do not “My plan offers a roadmap tion’s first comprehensive strong policies. nounced a program to
have a place of their own. for not only getting people strategy seeking to prevent Homelessness among vet- have federal agencies
The figure was nearly the into housing but also ensur- and end homelessness. erans, for example, has work with local officials to
same as it was in a survey ing that they have access Ann Oliva, CEO of the plummeted as a result of reduce unsheltered home-
conducted in early 2020, to the support, services, National Alliance to End federal leadership, and the lessness in select cities that
just before the coronavirus and income that allow Homelessness and a former country has also made in- have not yet been named.
pandemic hit the nation them to thrive,” Biden said HUD executive who worked roads among youth, she Homelessness has become
hard. It was up by about in a statement. The 2022 All on the first roadmap, said said. a major political issue, es-
2,000 people an increase In strategy roadmap made the federal government “What they’re trying to do pecially in the nation’s big-
of less than 1%. public Monday follows a can influence local action here is to show, as a federal gest cities and on the West
The administration aims to 2010 effort called Opening with financial incentives, government, we are going Coast. q

FBI: Steep climb in teens targeted by online ‘sextortion’

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST 14 and 17, but kids as young can countries like Nigeria
Associated Press as 10 have been targeted. and the Ivory Coast. The
WASHINGTON (AP) — The The FBI said it was issuing suspects typically pose as
FBI sounded the alarm Mon- the national public safety kids of similar age, often us-
day about an explosive alert now since kids may be ing a girl’s profile picture.
increase in teenage boys spending more time online It happens often on large
being targeted online and as schools close for winter platforms like Instagram or
extorted for money after break. Facebook, but can also be
being tricked into sending There’s been a staggering on gaming or video chats,
sexually explicit pictures. tenfold increase in reports authorities said.
At least 3,000 children, since last year, and there The alert is meant to thrust
mostly teenage boys, are likely more victims who the issue into the public
have been victims of the never came forward, FBI of- spotlight, so kids can feel
schemes that are connect- ficials said. more comfortable com-
ed to more than a dozen Embarrassment and shame ing forward and adults
suicides this year, a scale can prevent them from can help them learn how An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb.
that U.S. authorities have asking for help. to spot fake identities and Associated Press
not seen before, Justice “Victims may feel like there reject anyone asking for ex-
Department officials said. is no way outit is up to all plicit images, said Assistant gations. “This is a growing crisis and
Many think they are chat- of us to reassure them that Attorney General Kenneth It isn’t clear whether feder- we’ve seen sextortion com-
ting online with kids around they are not in trouble, Polite of the Justice Depart- al prosecutors had brought pletely devastate children
their own age but are there is hope, and they are ment’s criminal division. any cases tied to the and families,” said Michelle
quickly manipulated into not alone,” said FBI Director The Department of Home- scams. DeLaune, CEO of the Na-
sending explicit pictures Christopher Wray in a state- land Security is also work- The tactics used by those tional Center for Missing
and then blackmailed for ment. ing to track fake accounts behind the fake accounts and Exploited Children.
money with threats to re- Many of the current wave back to their source, said are getting more aggres- “The best defense against
lease the images, the FBI of schemes are believed to Steve Francis, the act- sive, and cases have been this crime is to talk to your
said. be originating with scam- ing executive director of rising around the world, ad- children about what to do if
Most victims are between mers based in West Afri- Homeland Security Investi- vocates said. they’re targeted online.”q