A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Keith McHenry
“This cause is a great cause and we’re tired of being treated like dirt. We’re not, we’re human beings. We bleed just like you and we’re good people. We need a safe place and this is a safe place right here.” – Deseire Quintero
Volunteers with Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs wait outside what had been a large homeless camp that welcomed visitors for over one half year.
Homeless People Demand Bathrooms — Berkeley, CA
A community meeting called by Council member Ben Bartlett was attended by nearly 100 members of the immediate area including the Lorin Business Association, Friends of Adeline and Le Conte Neighborhood Association. In visible attendance were about 15 members of First They Came For The Homeless (FTCFTH) including Co-Founder Mike Zint and former Berkeley Mayoral Candidate Mike Lee. This meeting was motivated by a few concerns articulated on Nextdoor.com about the intentional community created in South Berkeley by FTCFTH as part of a mobile protest tour,
New York City has seen a lot of action around the intersection of immigrant status and quality of life crimes. San Francisco should look at following their lead.
Mayor Bill DeBlasio, like our Mayor Lee, has made strong statements shield and stand with immigrants. Like San Francisco, New York is a sanctuary city . However, as many have noted, the real way to create a sanctuary is to halt to crackdowns on minor offenses—like lodging in public spaces—that make immigrants the subject of unnecessary arrests and can lead to deportations.
