Not in our backyard. That's what dozens of people said at a packed meeting Thursday night about the city's plan to put a homeless shelter smack in the middle of their wealthy neighborhood.

A lot of so-called “defensive design” is explicit and easy to spot, like sloped benches or anti-homeless spikes to prevent rough sleeping. But in some cases, the designs are more subtle, masquerading as aesthetic improvements or even other kinds of public infrastructure — sprinklers, for instance.

A council has said it will remove "anti-homeless" bars from benches after receiving "extensive feedback". Protestors including rapper Professor Green condemned the bars as "inhumane", "brutal" and "disgraceful". Bournemouth Borough Council said it had fitted the devices to stop people lying on the benches and preventing others from sitting down.

Homeless people with terminal illnesses who are “dying on doorsteps” will be offered an automatic right to housing under new plans going before Parliament. Former Cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey wants to tackle gaps in the law to make it easier for homeless people with cancer or long-term illnesses to get end of life care and stable housing. Under current laws, many people who are sleeping rough, living in hostels or staying on friends’ sofas are not automatically eligible for long-term housing if they are dubbed “intentionally homeless”...

The difference between the greed of the wealthy and the precariousness of American workers is painfully stark when looking at vacant homes. 2016 figures from ATTOM Data Solutions — which publishes comprehensive housing data — show that wealthy investors are buying up more and more real estate as a moneymaking venture while housing prices and homelessness continue to skyrocket across America.

Can you imagine a world in which a single plant can help addicted homeless women steer clear of hard drugs? Guess what? We’re living in it. The plant is medical cannabis, and according to a new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, it is helping keep homeless women away from lethal hard drugs such as crack, cocaine, crystal, speed, crank, glass, and ice.

A vending machine for the homeless has arrived: a 24/7 pit stop where people can access free food, clothing and other basic supplies.

The UN’s Philip Alston is an expert on deprivation – and he wants to know why 41m Americans are living in poverty. The Guardian joined him on a special two-week mission into the dark heart of the world’s richest nation.

The San Francisco branch the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has been ordered by the city to stop using a robot to patrol the sidewalks outside its office, the San Francisco Business Times reported Dec. 8. The robot, produced by Silicon Valley startup Knightscope, was used to ensure that homeless people didn’t set up camps outside of the nonprofit’s office. It autonomously patrols a set area using a combination of Lidar and other sensors, and can alert security services of potentially criminal activity.

A security robot has been put to work in San Francisco in an attempt to deter homeless people from forming tent cities along the sidewalks.

A church in upmarket Malibu has decided to stop providing free meals for those in need after claiming they were told by officials they were attracting too many homeless people. The United Methodist Church, one of many churches that provides food and help, has been offering free meals twice a week. But it said it was going to stop after being told the meal service was luring too many homeless people.

When University Unitarian Church leaders asked their congregation for thoughts on its $17 million renovation of their almost 60-year-old church in Ravenna, the response was mostly typical of a liberal Seattle church. Will it have all-gender bathrooms? Could it be solar-powered, with electric-car charging stations? Is the new sanctuary ceiling too high, contributing to a corporate, rather than spiritual, feeling?

On November 14, a successful business woman from New Haven thanked a homeless man, who returned a $10,000 check she had dropped in the street, by giving him money and entrance into her real estate school, free of charge. But, Wednesday morning, another surprise awaited the homeless man. The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce played hist to some true thanks giving.

A New Jersey woman who was helped by a homeless man after she ran out of gas on an interstate in Philadelphia has raised more than $60,000 for the good Samaritan. Kate McClure, 27, started the Gofundme.com campaign earlier this month after she said she ran out of gas on Interstate 95 and a homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., walked a few blocks and bought her some with his last $20.

As Orange County officials clear out homeless encampments along the Santa Ana River, they are making some unexpected discoveries. In one area, they found an underground bunker accessible from a wooden hatch camouflaged with dirt. In another, more than 1,000 bicycles tucked in a separate tunnel were found.

The median rent in the San Jose metro area is $3,500 a month, yet the median wage is $12 an hour in food service and $19 an hour in health care support, an amount that won’t even cover housing costs. The minimum annual salary needed to live comfortably in San Jose is $87,000,

Winter is approaching, and with it, all the difficult weather conditions that often apply. Because of that, one kindhearted Philadelphia man thought that he would have to temporarily give up his mission of giving free haircuts to the homeless—that is until one equally kindhearted stranger stepped in and gave him a relatively new barbershop. For free.

In a park in the middle of a leafy, bohemian neighborhood where homes list for close to $1 million, a tractor’s massive claw scooped up the refuse of the homeless - mattresses, tents, wooden frames, a wicker chair, an outdoor propane heater. Workers in masks and steel-shanked boots plucked used needles and mounds of waste from the underbrush.

Los Angeles is considering employing homeless people to clean litter and trash from streets, sidewalks and alleys. According to the City Council motion that would create a pilot program, the city receives an average of 200 requests per day through its 311 mobile app and website regarding dumping, debris and other trash-related nuisances, and trash also is consistently one of the three top reported issues to 311.

A man who gave his "favourite" £120 trainers to a barefoot homeless man says the act has inspired other good deeds after his story was shared around the world. Craig Wells ran out of a restaurant in Nottingham after seeing the homeless man, Mark, walk past wearing no shoes. He said Mark "started to cry and gave me the biggest hug" after the gift. Mr Wells shared a photo on Facebook to encourage other people to "pass it on" and help someone in need.