Hey People!

Fight Criminalization - Support WRAP this Spring!

WRAP is raising $10,000 in May and June to fight the criminalization of people who are houseless-can you help? Donate here today and look for a letter from WRAP in the mail soon-you can check out WRAP's 2018 goals for fighting criminalization. We can't do this without you-thank you for your generous support!

Rest, Not Arrest wins Best of Northwest Film Award

Rest, Not Arrest, a film about the Oregon Homeless Bill of Rights by Outside the Frame, a nonprofit, film education organization for homeless and marginalized youth.

The film won the Community Involvement/Empowerment/ Making a Difference award at a ceremony at OpenSignal in Portland, Oregon on April 28 as part of the Region's "Access the Future" summit held by the Alliance for Community Media NW Region. We'd like to thank the awesome young filmmakers, everyone working on the Right to Rest Act (more on the Right to Rest Act click here), and the Association for Community Media. (Watch the film click here).

Congratulations and thank you, Outside the Frame!

Join the Poor People's Campaign Monday, May 14th: A National Call for Moral Revival will launch 40 Days of Nonviolent Direct Action.

Martin Luther King was assassinated as he was planning the Poor People's Campaign. The work never ended and is back in force now as the Poor People's Campaign gets ready for 40 days of actions beginning on Monday, May 14th. This campaign continues to address the triple evils of racism, poverty, and militarism that King spoke so forcefully about, and adds the evil of ecological devastation.

There will be actions in Washington, DC and 40 state capitols every Monday and webinars on every Teaching Tuesday. Please consider getting involved if you are not already involved and sharing with your community, colleagues, networks.

For information at the national level contact [email protected]
At the state level-(yourstate)@poorpeoplescampaign.org
Find an event near you-https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/index.php/events/

Join us in Oregon or California on May 14 to ensure your elected leaders hear our message loud and clear.

We're building powerful organizing committees in states all across the country, including yours. Click on your state to join us as poor people, moral leaders and advocates build a revolution of values that will save our country's soul.

Find an event near you and RSVP today.

Some resources:
https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/index.php/poor-peoples-campaign-1968/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ph8IxbAYsU
Poor People's Campaign Study Materials - https://kairoscenter.org/study/
"Transforming Jericho Road": Rev. Dr. M. L. King Jr.'s Critique of Charity - https://kairoscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Wessel-McCoy-PPC-History-Intro.pdf

San Francisco may not be alone... Here we go again!

As we saw with Mayor's Feinstein, Agnos, Jordan, Brown and Lee before him, (acting, interim, political pawn) Farrell is using the power of his office to attack people in our community who have no home. He blames homeless people despite the fact that homelessness has been persistent and growing in every state and town throughout the U.S. since the early 1980's.

Feinstein matched her sweeps with a Hotline Hotel Program, Agnos with a plan and Multi-Service Centers, Jordan with Cops, Outreach Vans and more cops, Brown with - well, a call for Oaklands' heat seeking police helicopters and a "Homeless Czar" and Lee with creating a giant new city bureaucracy. All of these "programs" premised on the fact that once people are swept they will never ever appear on our streets again. A failed premise, since everyone knows they have nowhere to go, and people are becoming newly homeless each day as they lose their housing to real estate speculators. Farrell seems to be relying on a combination of Jordan, with Police and DPW being the lead city departments mixed in a the rhetoric of Trump.

"There is a service resistant population that just wants to be there, again this is the population the contributes to the crime, to the arson, to the rapes, to the additional public safety issues."- Farrell regarding homeless people in SF.
"When Mexico sends its people they are not sending the best..... they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists, and some, I assume, are good people."-Trump regarding people from Mexico.

Though Farrell left out Trump's disingenuous "some good people part" the intent of his language is the same. "These people" are evil, dangerous rapists and don't want all the wonderful things we have to offer. Jordan at one point claimed we were selling guns out of our shopping carts, so really the Trump, Farrell, Jordan comparison is plain to see.

Read Full Article >>>>>

It's that time again and I'm hoping to see you at our annual "Freedom Now" Awards and Celebration, which is shaping up to be a historic gathering. It's happening on June 16th 2018, from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at: 838 E. 6th Street, CA 90021-our permanent home!

"Freedom Now" is much more than the book we released in 2012, much more than our annual celebration, it's the idea that fuels our vision, strategies, and determination to win. Click HERE to view the sponsorship package.

Our 2018 Honorees will continue the tradition of bringing together the most powerful artists, social action academics, activists, and thought leaders to celebrate LA CAN's work. We will honor Professor Kelly Lytle Hernandez & UCLA Million Dollar Hoods Project; Artivist, Mike De La Rocha (Revolve Impact); internationally celebrated, political recording artist, Mandeep Sethi (SETI X); dynamic civil rights attorney, Shayla Myers (Legal Aid Foundation Los Angeles); educator, filmmaker and 'Father of Leimert Park' Ben Caldwell and, the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Read Los Angeles Community Action Network
(LACAN) Full Invitation Click Here >>>>>>

HUD Tenant Leaders Denounce Carson Housing Bill, Demand Trump "Cease and Desist" War Against the Poor

For release
Contact: Michael Kane 617-233-1885 [email protected]

Elected leaders of the national US tenants union today denounced the housing bill proposed April 25 by HUD Secretary Ben Carson as a vicious and cruel assault on the poorest of the poor.

"Carson's proposals will push millions of people from their homes. Carson's plan is not about moving people to work-its about needlessly cutting people from programs that enable them to find work," says Ed Lucas, 59, President of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT), Marine Corp vet and director of a neighborhood jobs center, who lives in a resident-owned, HUD-assisted building in Chicago. "Millions will be displaced if these deeply cruel proposals see the light of day. Congress should reject them out of hand."

NAHT affiliates in Boston, Atlanta, Spokane and other cities have held or are planning local actions to protest the Carson-Trump rent increase and bogus "work" requirements. Tenants, joined by the HUD employees union, delivered a giant "Cease and Desist" order to the Boston HUD office in March. A similar action is planned in Atlanta on May 1.

In line with Trump's 2019 budget proposals, Carson's bill proposes draconian rent increases for the 4.6 million American households who receive HUD rental assistance. The bill would raise rents for tenants below the age of 65 from 30 to 35% percent of gross income; at least triple "minimum rents" paid by the most destitute; and eliminate deductions that keep rents affordable for seniors and disabled people. Overall, rents would jump overnight an average of 32% for 4.6 million households - and an incredible 111% for HUD tenants in Puerto Rico! Close to a million low income children of the most destitute households would face homelessness, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Read Full Press Release Click Here >>>>>

Denver University Law Report Show Massive Increase in Criminalization of Homelessness in Colorado Cities

Debbie Brady of DHOL announces Denver University (DU) Professor Nantiya Ruan at Release Event

At least 80 people came to the release of the new Too High a Price 2 report on the criminalization of homelessness in Colorado today, May 7th at the Denver Homeless Out Loud offices to hear the findings, eat pizza, and/or get gear like sleeping bags and tarps to illegally use to sleep at night outside.

The new research report by DU Syrup College of Law shows a massive increase in criminalizing homelessness over the past two years since their first report came out.

You can read the full report Too High a Price 2 here https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3174780

Here are three of the key findings from the report:

The overall number of anti-homelessness ordinances has increased. Between Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder, there are at least thirty-seven ordinances that criminalize behaviors associated with people experiencing homelessness. Since Too High a Price was first released, Colorado Springs has added one new anti-homeless ordinance and Denver Law students found four additional ordinances in Denver.

Colorado Springs and Boulder have increased the number of citations issued under camping bans. In 2017, Boulder issued 376 citations under its camping ban ordinance. Of those 376 citations, an incredible 81.9% were issued to homeless individuals. Additionally, Colorado Springs increased its enforcement of its two camping bans by a staggering 545% over the span of three years.

Denvers use of move-on orders has skyrocketed at an alarming rate.
In 2016 alone, Denver law enforcement made contact with over 5,000 people in move-on encounters. Denver police increased its contact with homeless individuals through the use of street checks by 475% in the span of three years.

Read the full report click here >>>>>

Seattle University releases another series of kick ass research

Key Findings:
The reports identify common problems with existing laws and policies and offer effective, legally sound alternatives. Links to all current reports are included below.

One report offers the first statewide analysis of laws that restrict begging:

Begging restrictions are often illegal and can create more problems than they solve. The vast majority of Washington cities (86 percent) criminalize begging, and most of these laws (83 percent) can result in criminal charges. These laws can lead to serious collateral consequences that make it extremely difficult for already vulnerable people to access housing and employment. Read the full report.

Four of the reports are geared to the network of city officials, non-profit organizations and others working to alleviate homelessness:

Accessory dwellings have potential. Several cities around the country are experimenting with accessory dwellings -small units in residential backyards - to address housing shortages and homelessness crises. This guide analyzes innovative case studies in Colorado, Washington, California, and Oregon to provide lessons on structural design, project funding, screening and matching residents and hosts, potential legal liabilities, zoning regulations, and public relations considerations. Read the full report.

Authorized encampments can be effective interim solutions. Cities are also trying authorized encampments as temporary solutions, but implementation has been haphazard due to a dearth of practical guidance. This guide summarizes the challenges and opportunities posed by various encampment models along the West Coast. Read the full report.

Faith communities can be key partners. Faith-based organizations, such as churches, mosques and synagogues, are important providers of social services; they also enjoy special legal protections, allowing them to provide shelter even when prohibited by local law. This guide surveys successful practices and key considerations from faith communities in Washington and Colorado. Read the full report.

Safe parking is a must for people living in vehicles. Vehicle residents are a growing part of homeless populations. This guide examines case studies of successful safe parking programs in Washington and California that mitigate harm to vehicle residents and offer support that can lift people out of poverty and into stable, permanent housing. Read the full report.

The final report is a practical guide for homeless individuals and others who have been arrested:

Unhoused people who are arrested can be their own best advocate. Public defenders often are overworked and have little time to spend with clients; many defendants do not even receive one. But even represented unhoused defendants can help themselves with HRAP's first-of-its-kind guide to navigating court, which introduces common legal terms and timelines, and provides strategies for those experiencing homelessness to advocate for themselves. Read the full report.