Western Regional Advocacy Project

On November 19, Mayor Breed announced the “Love Our City Holiday Eco Blitz.” The Eco Blitz is a 24 hour a day, two month initiative to clean up the city for the holiday weekend between Black Friday and the end of the holiday shopping season.   However, an unfortunate side effect of these efforts we have seen repeatedly has been the sweeping of poor and unhoused people out of downtown San Francisco in the name of street cleanliness or “going green.” Breed announced her holiday theme alongside the cities’ most notorious conductors of sweeps: the Department of Public Works and the police department.

… READ MORE

by Shyhyene Brown

So imagine growing up in an abusive family, imagine struggling to fit in at school and at home, being bullied at school. Imagine being raped by the person you trusted to protect you. Just imagine running away from home to get away from the hurt and pain that you endured at home. And just imagine using drugs and alcohol at a young age to suppress the feelings of your past life.

… READ MORE

by Olivia Glowacki

A grandmother in our Housing Justice Work Group reported to us the death of her grandchild, who prematurely died in the womb, according to her doctor, most likely due to the mother’s stress of being homeless and on the streets. This news emerged in the midst of a three-year battle with the City of San Francisco to make pregnant people eligible for family homeless services. Prior to our recent win,

… READ MORE

by Quiver Watts

Tim J noticed a problem living in San Francisco: while the city has poured hundreds of millions into trying to solve the homeless problem, more action needed to be taken for those that are in need. He was a regular reader of Street Sheet, so he knew that this paper puts money directly into the pockets of those able to work for it, and he knew from talking to vendors that selling the paper made a huge impact on them.

… READ MORE

by Nellie Wong

July 18, 2015

Sells the Street Sheet from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm
In front of Books Inc on Van Ness Ave
Born in Algeria 77 years ago
Algerian father, Black American mother,
Sixth wife
But didn’t want to be
Sixth wife
Brought Eric at seven years to the United States.
Lived in New York, Kansas and Texas
Before arriving in San Francisco in 1989.

… READ MORE

Charles Davis sat down with Victor Floyd, Minister of Spiritual Care, and Joann Lee, Associate Pastor for Community Foundation at Calvary Presbyterian Church, a local church that has invited Charles to sell Street Sheets to their congregation every Sunday.

When asked why Calvary had decided to invite a vendor into the church, Floyd spoke of his connection with the paper, saying “I have followed the Street Sheet for 20 years, and it is the best thing ever written.

… READ MORE

A Brief Introduction

By Leslie Dreyer

If you see DPW, you see that truck, you know that something’s getting got. Yesterday they took my tent and tarp…  Why would you take someone’s shelter in the rainy season? That makes no sense to me. It’s cruel.

I really miss the altar they took. I’ve had that for six years and I’d gotten it the year after my ex-husband’s death.

… READ MORE

In all senses of the word, there has been a lot of movement from homeless people on the West Coast.

There have been move-along orders issued by cities to unsheltered people, as well as unhoused people moving to advocate for themselves. 

But they have a long, tough road ahead. San Francisco police and other city workers continue to seize the property of unhoused and unsheltered residents, as we’ve documented in the Stolen Belonging project.

… READ MORE

By Meghan “Roadkill” Johnson

Sweeps in San Francisco have been keeping many houseless residents cautious and afraid at the looming uncertainty, “Is today the day? Am I going to be targeted again?” We are seeing a hike in the number of women and queer folks slowly coming forward. Revisiting open wounds surrounding their traumatic encounters of sexual harassment and assault while on the streets and at the hands of the city. 

… READ MORE

Thief: The City of SF – DPW & SFPD

Interview with Angel Amador by the Stolen Belonging team, January 4, 2019, Soma District, San Francisco.

Angel Amador: My name’s Angel. I’ve been in San Francisco since 1998. I ran away from home at 15, and San Francisco was one of the first places on my things to do, places to go list. [The sweeps have been] an ongoing thing where they’ve taken my belongings over and over and over and over.

… READ MORE