A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
As San Francisco considers arming its police force with Tasers for the fifth time, we explore the history of the electronic control weapon and how it’s worked out for other cities.
On September 28, a person in Oakland was shocked with a Taser after allegedly trying to flee a car crash scene, but died in police custody after the weapon was used and then taken to the hospital. There are a lot of questions surrounding the incident,
Hurricanes Irma and Harvey delivered a devastating one-two punch to Texas and Florida, forcing millions to evacuate and leaving thousands displaced. Now, as emergency responders try to help hurricane victims cope with the aftermath of the storm, previously homeless residents are taking a particularly hard hit.
In Florida, as officials rushed to open emergency shelters for those forced from their homes by Irma, some residents who had been homeless before the hurricane were forced to wear bright yellow bracelets to mark their status.
The City continues to expand parking restrictions that have a detrimental impact on people who reside in their vehicles.
On Tuesday September 19, 2017 the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors and Parking Authority Commission’s had yet another parking restriction on the agenda that would displace more people who live in their vehicles. The board told MTA representatives that they are no longer willing to take requests for more “Oversize Vehicle” restrictions until the City develops alternatives,
It is difficult enough as it is to find stable housing as a single person experiencing homelessness in San Francisco; to be a family in a housing crisis can mean facing a different set of challenges on top of everything else. According to the San Francisco Department of Human Services only six short-term shelters and three extended housing programs exist as a resource for the over 1,000 homeless families with more than 3,000 children within the city.
Mikey: The point of this mini-comic is to spread awareness about Harm Reduction, to explain what it is, and to tell people about some of the kinds of programs related to it that are(or could be)in S.F. Things have regressed in the U.S. in terms of drug policy and attitudes(back to the dark ages) since Trump has become president. In this mini-comic, we compare and contrast harm reduction to the war on drugs.
On April 20, 2017, the City of San Francisco was awarded a $5.9 million, 26-month grant from the state Board of State and Community Corrections. This grant will support the implementation of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD SF) program. Based on a model developed in Seattle, LEAD SF is an innovative pre-booking diversion program that will refer repeat, low-level drug offenders, at their earliest contact with law enforcement, to community-based health and social services as an alternative to jail and prosecution.
Ishmael Pearson is a 33 year old San Francisco native and a vendor for the Street Sheet. He currently lives in section 8 housing in the Tenderloin, not far from our office. He’s lived there for about five years. Before finding a home in the Tenderloin however, he was homeless. Suffering from schizophrenia for many years, Ishmael found it difficult to sustain permanent housing. At this point, his two main sources of income are his SSI disability and the money he makes selling the Street Sheet.
According to a recent Yale University study of worldwide homelessness, the “continuation of homelessness, especially among the wealthy countries, reflects denial and the lack of political will to address poverty and many other issues.” This is especially true for the United States, where the problem of homelessness is surrounded by social myths and stigma. Common sense dictates that without a clear understanding of the problem, it is impossible to find a way to resolving it.
Sirens flaring
the public stills in motion
eyes glaring
behind the sun shades
to hide the deep emotion
and to peek at the commotion
I stay focused
believing in only one God
I rather bite the bullet than spare the rod
you forgot, so I let you be forgotten
just because one apple was spoiled
don’t mean the remnant is rotten
it doesn’t mean its not slavery
because there is no need to pick cotton
I hold the honor of the Father with high regard
and man don`t got a heaven for us
words to the disheartened
they can never stop what has started
and what a great crowd of witnesses
to the dearly departed
those gruesomely martyred
see you at the crossroads
As a homeless person living on the streets, I have encountered my fair share of shelters here in San Francisco. I’ve also been to two of the Navigation Centers as well. I was at the Navigation Center on Mission, and currently I’m at the Navigation Center on South Van Ness. I’m about to give you a direct outlook into the South Van Ness Navigation Center, that’s where the Good vs. the Bad come into play.
