March, 2007

Tent Cities Spread Across America

Poor People Gonna Rise Up!

BY MIKE RHODES

A panel of plaintiffs discussing their lawsuit against the City of Fresno with host/producer of the Homelessness Marathon, Jeremy Alderson. PHOTO/MIKE RHODES

Fresno, CA -- Homeless people and their allies came together in Fresno on February 20 and held elected officials accountable for the recent attacks against unhoused people in this community. The Homelessness Marathon, a broadcast that goes to over 100 radio stations throughout the country, was the scene for this poor people's assembly in downtown Fresno. The 14-hour event resembled a townhall meeting with an open mike where anyone could ask questions of city and county elected officials.

There were those in the crowd who described recent city action against the homeless as a scorched earth policy. That policy has included bulldozing homeless encampments, passing draconian ordinances to prevent homeless people from moving their possessions in shopping carts, an outdoor drunk tank for homeless people, and the frequent violation of their civil rights by the police. It was so bad in Fresno that a federal judge had to order the City of Fresno to uphold the U.S. constitution. A lawsuit against the city is pending.

Rebeca Rangel, speaking on the open mike, demanded to know why the City of Fresno took Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money that was intended for the homeless and gave it to the Fresno Police Department (FPD). Rangel said the city has received $8 million to address affordable housing issues and that most of that money has not reached the homeless or the poor in this community. The mayor and others on the panel defended their use of the money by saying that CDBG money can be used for many different things.

Over 100 homeless people and their allies attended this event, held on the lawn at the Mexican American Baptist Church in downtown Fresno. As people spoke, a video showing the destruction of homeless encampments by city workers, played continuously on a wall directly in front of the elected officials. Angry shouts from the crowd like "time to resign mayor" could be heard as the panel continued.

Jeremy Alderson, the producer of the Homelessness Marathon, asked the mayor if he would put trash bins and portable toilets up at the homeless encampments. Autry did not address the question, so Alderson demanded a yes or no answer. Autry said he did not want to condone illegal behavior and therefore would not support placing these facilities near homeless encampments.

On the Friday before the Homelessness Marathon the City of Fresno did an about-face on their policy of trash collection at homeless encampments. At the encampment located just South of Ventura on H street, the City of Fresno came with a garbage truck, bull dozer, and crew of sanitation workers. Instead of bulldozing the tents in the encampment, city workers carefully cleaned up an area where trash had collected. City of Fresno Public Information Officer Rhonda Jorn said the city was working with the homeless to clean up the area. No homeless peoples property was destroyed in the sweep, proving that the city can clean up these areas without massive destruction of homeless people's property.

The Homelessness Marathon was a great opportunity for the community to hold elected officials feet to the fire on this issue. With the threat of a lawsuit hanging over the City of Fresno, national exposure on the city's treatment of the homeless, and a change of policy in the way clean ups are conducted starting to take shape, now might be the time when poor and homeless people start to be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Mike Rhodes is editor of the Community Alliance newspaper. Email: MikeRhodes@Comcast.net

St. Petersburg Homeless Demand Housing

Rev. Bruce Wright addressing the crowd at the 11/24/06 homeless rally in St. Petersburg. PHOTO/CAROL SCHIFFLER

The following is excerpted from statements by the St. Petersburg, Florida Tent City of homeless people.

There are over 3,000 homeless people in St. Pete. Tent City offers a model to allow working homeless to maintain dignity, safety, and privacy as we work towards saving enough for our own apartment. For many of us it will take 6-12 weeks to make enough for first/last/security on an apartment, another $200-$400 for water and electric deposit, and then we need some furniture. Here are our suggestions for a solution:

1. Have the politicians and social service agencies spend time at tent city and learn from us.
2. Have the city provide three to five acres for a permanent tent city.
3. Recognize that we the homeless know what is best for us! We are homeless for many reasons, most of them economic. We should have full access at all meetings concerning the homeless both at City and County level. We should have equal participation and VOTING rights at these meetings where decisions about our lives are being discussed and implemented.
4. We request that the City Council, Mayor, and County Commissioners begin to seriously address the necessity for a living wage for all working people, and affordable housing for all.

For more information, contact Rev. Bruce Wright: 727-278-1547, st.petersburgtentcity@yahoo.com.