from a journalistic wing counter to that of the media mogul-ruled. (Won't see this kind of reportage in SF Chronicle or Examiner).
Reprinted from _Street Sheet: a Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco_
What Does It Mean to Be Homeless With Your Children in San Francisco?
by Jackie Henderson
It means bureacracy. A family attempting to find a hotel or a shelter in San Francisco goes through Connecting Point, the centralized intake point into the family shelter system, only to find out there is nothing available. I have watched the attitudes of the powers that be, and they don't care about where these homeless families will sleep. San Francisco had a $101 million surplus this year and could not even fund a $75,000 eviction prevention program, when over the last two months we have seen a drastic increase in homeless families.
Though Family Rights and Dignity is not a service provider, we are forced to address the situations of these poor families directly by finding them emergency shelter or hotel rooms. Even though we try very hard, we still have to turn some families away. We always make sure there was shelter available, instead of saying: "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do for you." In talking to many families, one issue comes up frequently: affordable housing. The average family, one parent with two kids, receives $565 a month from CalWorks. The average two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $1800. There is no way to get out of the shelters because families cannot afford to live here.
To end this struggle for poor families, the City needs to increas both its access to emergency hotel vouchers and the number of emergency shelter beds in the city, as well as increase access to permanent housing--and not just tell people there is no room for them.
Community Kitchens: Creating Solidarity in San Francisco
by Miguel Carrera
The idea for community kitchens arose from the effects of the social system on immigrants and the homeless.
As a consequence of the constant oppresive lashes of the system, the shortage of employment, the federal cuts of welfare reform, racist attacks and discrimintation against Latinos who came to the United States in search of an improvement in their living conditions, Housing Not Borders organized community kitchens.
Community kitchens are a solution and alternative for the Latino families affected, to provide a free space for the right of expression and the participation of mothers and families. The idea of the project is to educate and raise awareness of various politcal and social issues, so that women learn to defend themselves and need not depend on the addictive and manipulative system. Housing Not Borders always supports the entire Latino immigrant and homeless community, defending their civil and human rights with the participation of that same community as its base, and in partnership with the Coalition on Homelessness of San Francisco.
We at Housing Not Borders have the belief that one kitchen is sufficient to support over 6,000 low-income mothers affected by the federal cuts. We do, however, understand the importance of breaking the borders in order to open more kitchens in San Francisco. With the group of mothers and their great enthusiasm for the political kitchen, each one individually proposes to continue building her base, and with the passing of time, breaking the oppressive cycle to open more kitchens in the future.
How do we maintain this kitchen? We receive the food from restaurants and stores in the Mission District. The Casa Lucas Hacienda, with great kindness, donates fresh produce. La Cumbre Taqueria, located on 16th and Valencia streets, has donated prepared food for almost a year. We are very thankful for all of the support that is being offered to our community. And we greatly appreciate the participation of the families and their children.
The following words of one of the leaders, a mother, describes with so much courage and sentiment her life as an immigrant, her integrity, and and (sic) dedication to this organization:
"My name is Martiza Hernandez and I came to the United States in 1993 through Tijuana. For the first six months, I lived with my sister in Los Angeles. I was unfamiliar with the city. I only seldom went to church on Sundays. I also enrolled in an English-language school, known as Garfield, in L.A. I helped my sister take care of her children as a compensation for food and housing, and as a consequence, didn't attend my English classes regularly.
"At times, my brother-in-law would complain that they were providing me food, and he clearly demanded, 'Work and bring money to this household or leave.' So I decided to come to San Francisco, with only the used clothing I was wearing, searching for my cousin. To survive, I thought I could take care of my relatives' children in exchange for food and housing. Unfortunately, I didn't find a clear orientation, work or any other helpful services. Remembering I had a friend in San Francisco, I called her in search of a job. At first, I (sic) it was hard. I walked a lot, tolerating hunger and much contempt.
"Finally, after much searching, I met a man who told me about Housing Not Borders. I spoke to them, and they received me with open arms and helped me find the right direction. I have been participating with Housing Not Borders for the past four years. Through this project of the Coalition on Homelessness in San Francisco, I have learned about my rights, and my life has improved considerably. I am married, have a daughter and I have overcome my lack of English. Soon, I hope to find a good job and return to help my mother in Nicaragua. My message to Spanish-speaking women and men: COME TO HOUSING NOT BORDERS."
Proposed Alcohol Ban Targets Homeless People
by Rebecca Delany
Ahh, summer in San Francisco. A time of bone-chilling fog, foolishly dressed tourists, and zero tolerance for the City's homeless population. It is no surprise that concern for poor people dissipates when there are no holidays to bring out the goodwill that typifies winter months, but this summer has proven unseasonably hostile towards homeless people in San Francisco. From a dramatic increase in the number of Matrix citations issued, to blatantly prejudiced legislative measures, the City's effort to criminalize homeless people has increased dramatically.
The first month of summer saw an astounding increase in the amount of so-called "Quality of Life" citations given to homeless persons, which criminalize activities people are forced to do in public because they live on the street, such as sleeping. The total number of all such citations issued this May was 955. In June, just one month later, there were 2,365 citations issued. This explosion represents an increase of over 247%! Perhaps most significantly, this number is higher than any month during which Mayor Frank Jordan, initaitor of the Matrix program, presided.
Though issuance of these citations routinely increases in summer months because the City wishes to eradicate the unpleasant appearance of homeless people for seasonal visitors, it is particularly disturbing this summer because it seems to have contributed to a hostile and distorted view of the reality of homelessness in San Francisco. The increase in citation numbers is often misconstrued as an increase in criminal activity, rather than the selective harassment of homeless persons. This attitude in turn sets the stage for more oppressive measures to regulate and harass homeless people in San Francisco.
Illustrating this point is the fact that on July 16, 1998, the Recreation and Park Commision ("Rec and Park" [the new policing wing of "Rec and Park"? - Alec]) unanimously passed a proposal to ban the consumption of alcohol in 13 public parks, including Civic Center Plaza, Union Square Park, and the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park. This ordinance is actually a revision of Park Code Section 4.10 which already prohibits the consumption of alcohol in any building, children's playground, swimming pool, or restroom in any City park. If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the consumption of alcohol in all areas of these parks would be illegal without a permit.
In effect, this means that people who live in certain neighborhoods must secure a permit each time they want to socialize in the park with alcohol, while persons who live in other neighborhoods do not. Securing a permit is often an expensive and time-consuming process, and is intended to be prohibitive for low-income and homeless San Franciscans who with to enjoy an alcoholic beverages in the park. Not surprisingly, almost all of the 13 parks are either in low-income neighborhoods, or are known to be frequented by homeless persons.
While abuse of alcohol in public is quite certainly a public concern, the City already has public drunkeness laws that adequately address the problem. The proposed ordinance ignores the fact that there are already laws in place to deal with disorderly conduct associated with alcohol consumption in public, and instead targets low-income neighborhoods and areas known to be frequented by homeless individuals. Rather than seeking solutions for substance abuse, the root of the problem and the impetus for the revised ordinance, the new policy merely gives the Police Department one more tool to criminalize an already vulnerable population.
In addition to banning alcohol in certain parks, the proposed ordinance delegates the authority to add new parks to the ordinance to the Department of Rec and Park. In other words, Rec and Park would not have to go to the Board of Supervisors to ban alcohol in any park in the future--the decision to make drinking allowable only by permit would be the sole discretion of the Rec and Park Commission.
The decision to ban alcohol in San Francisco's parks is not one that Rec and Park and the Police should be able to make for us. As it stands, there has been very little publicity about this proposed ordinance, and hence very little input from the public at large. The next step, and the most important, is a hearing in front of the Board of Supervisors. There will be an opportunity for public comment, and all are encouraged to attend and let Rec and Park know that the proposed ordinance is not only a short-sighted solution to a comples problem, but also an assault on the rights of all San Franciscans. Please contact the Civil Rights Legal Division of the Coalition on Homelessness, at 415-346-3740, for more information about the proposed ordinance and the upcoming hearing, or call the supervisors directly. For the phone numbers of individual supervisors, call the Clerk's office at 415-554-5184.
______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com