A Publication of the Coalition on Homelessness
by Jack Bragen
The media has taught Americans to associate “mentally ill” with “homeless,” and vice-versa. Politicians and authorities have brainwashed Americans to believe homelessness is caused by untreated mental disorders or a drug addiction. This is a sadly mistaken way of thinking, and it is promoted so that society can continue subjugating and otherwise mistreating those who are different.
But it is a half-truth. Some people are homeless and have a mental condition or drug addiction,
by Isidore Mika Székely Manes-Dragan
The Community Summit on Homelessness, held in September 2023, provided many ways to elevate the voices of the homeless community. The event was coordinated by the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee (SHOC) and its many supporters and allies. Representatives from the Sacramento and Oakland homeless communities came together to attend. One of the functions of the event was listening booths,
by Jordan Davis
On February 6, I was at the Board of Supervisors meeting, getting ready to make moderate supervisors wince with my acerbic comments once again, when I heard District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey introduce a hearing on permanent supportive housing (PSH). The hearing was to focus on security procedures and safety inside and outside such housing. He cited neighborhood concerns about conditions around these sites as a reason to schedule this hearing.
by Jack Bragen
Bullies love to instill and weaponize fear. A common tactic is malevolent sarcasm: They think it’s funny that they can harm us. Bullies will assume they can scare anyone. Many criminals rely on fear as a survival tool. This essay will discuss fear, and how Donald Trump and governments employ it.
Evolution gave human beings the capacity for fear. We are not alone in this.
by Freeway
A former resident of the Wood Street tent community, which the city of Oakland swept last year, muses about events surrounding the eviction.
We’re finishing up the park clean-up today. This event was quickly pulled together because some neighbors bonded together to try to demonize us, particularly the people in those condos across the street. They are in some glorified hate groups. They even complained about the sawdust from the wood art my husband creates!
By Christiane Rosenmuth
My name is Christiane. I’m married, still, and have three grown children. And this is one thing I’ve learned: leaving my husband was the only decision, the only right one that I could make to come into myself and finally, at just over 60, create a worthy life for myself.
I wanted to emigrate – to spend my twilight years in my husband’s home country, which had become my second home over the course of our 30 years together.
by Akir Jackson
Surviving in the tech-fueled wealth bubble of San Francisco on a poverty-level income is a constant battle. As rising costs of living continue to push out all but the elite, being poor here means struggling for the basic dignity and security that many take for granted.
With median rent for a one-bedroom apartment approaching $3,500, finding an affordable place to live on a limited budget is next to impossible.
In what has to be one of the dumbest, most desperate yet conniving pre-election moves this publication has seen in years, Mayor London Breed put an initiative on the March ballot that will dramatically drive up homelessness while wasting valuable public resources.
This brain fart has been labeled Proposition F. While the Mayor has failed in addressing the overdose crisis, with more people dying from accidental overdoses than ever, she has come up with a plan to cut those suspected of drug use off of welfare.
by Nathan Sheard
San Francisco voters have a lot to consider before the March 5 election. Voting No on Proposition E should be an easy choice for anyone who is concerned with addressing our city’s challenges, rather than benefiting from them. If passed, Prop. E would significantly weaken measures meant to protect the rights and safety of San Francisco residents and visitors. If Prop. E passes, it would strip accountability for the use of dubious surveillance tools,
by Jack Bragen
The social services systems in California punish success and punish efforts at raising one’s standard of living and personal security—at least, that’s how it seems in my case. Even if your earnings are literally tiny, Social Security, the IRS, county food assistance and Medicaid all insist they need to know, and insist they all get their share.
As hard as I work at my two to three little-paid writing gigs,
