The Story of 300—Chapter One: Street Survival

by Vinay Pai

This excerpt from “The Eviction Machine” was originally published by our allies in Street Spirit. It tells the story of the life of the man known as 300, a life-long Berkeley resident who died in 2019 after being evicted from his home. 

I met 300 sleeping on a bench outside Au Coquelet Café on University Avenue one late night in the summer of 2013.

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Invisible: Black and Homeless in San Francisco

Black woman in African headwrap against a red, gold and green background

by Akir Jackson

To most people, I’m invisible. Just another nameless Black man blending into the urban background. People avoid making eye contact as they walk past me on the sidewalk. Pretend not to notice me shivering on the street corner. But if you look closely at the worn lines on my face, you’ll see the story of how I wound up here.

I’ve been homeless on and off for the past decade since losing my job as a machinist.

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Blackness and Homelessness Intersect in San Francisco

Black woman in African headwrap against a red, gold and green background

by Samel Leparan

The intersection of Blackness and homelessness in San Francisco is a history that can be told in several ways. To intersect means having at least one element in common. But what do blackness and homelessness have in common? Where do blackness and homelessness meet in San Francisco? 

Let’s dive directly into the most common views and well observed elements that directly or indirectly intersect blackness and homelessness in San Francisco.

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As California Evictions Boom, Whether Tenants Get Lawyers Depends on Where They Live

Black woman in African headwrap against a red, gold and green background

by Felicia Mello, CalMatters

San Francisco provides all tenants facing eviction access to an attorney. Across the Bay, in Contra Costa County, it’s a different story. Two tenants’ stories show the difference a lawyer can make.

After years of living on the streets and in single-room-occupancy hotels, the cozy studio apartment in San Francisco’s Japantown felt like a sanctuary to Corey Lafayette. He’d moved with no furniture,

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In the World of Homelessness, Many Are Punished for the Acts of the Few

by Jordan Davis

This year, I made a New Year’s resolution: No longer will I go on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Many of my peers have done so as well, since the rebranding has been accompanied by so much toxicity. X is starting to resemble an infamous website where trolls stalk transgender and autistic people.

If you have never been homeless without friends or family to house you,

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