835 Turk Dilemma Raises Questions

by Contributing Author

by Jordan Wasilewski

In May, Mission Local broke the story that 835 Turk St., a new permanent supportive housing complex that I vocally supported in early 2022 will have to undergo extensive repairs which will require tenants to (supposedly) temporarily move out. The article, which has been the only to cover this story so far, focused heavily on how tenants rightfully distrust the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) to ensure  a just transition and a right of return once the building’s rehab is completed.

… READ MORE

Share this:

Garth Mullins on New Memoir ‘Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs’

by Contributing Author

by Amy Romer

Garth Mullins has spent years telling other people’s stories — amplifying voices of drug users through his award-winning podcast Crackdown and organizing with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU). Now, he’s turned the lens on himself.

His memoir, Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs, is not a victory lap or redemption tale; it’s something rarer: a grounded,

… READ MORE

Share this:

Surviving as an Older, Disabled Adult: The Struggle is Real

by Contributing Author

by Jack Bragen

Living with a mental illness can sometimes be a no-win scenario.

If you fail to take your medication or if you fail to follow other rules, you are subject to being thrown out on the street from your housing because you are considered a troublemaker. 

If, on the other hand, you’re taking your medication and you’re doing all of the things you are expected to do,

… READ MORE

Share this:

In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cashless

by Contributing Author

by Justice

Cashless society can be harmful to low-income and homeless people. It makes basic needs more inaccessible, increases surveillance and gives government and private companies more control over people. As society moves in an increasingly technologically dependent direction, people are relying on cashless payments for convenience and ease. But this current wave of invisible currency, which stands in the shadow as the pandemic’s primary use, becomes a gaping hole when it comes to homeless and low-income people of the city.

… READ MORE

Share this:

Homeless-related Arrests, Citations Soared in These California Cities After Supreme Court Case

by Contributing Author

by Marisa Kendall/ CalMatters

In major cities and more rural areas, arrests and citations rose in the months following last summer’s Supreme Court decision. In some places, officials insist the events are unrelated.

Homeless residents of some of California’s biggest cities increasingly are facing criminal penalties for the actions they take to survive on the street, according to a first-of-its-kind CalMatters analysis of data throughout the state.

… READ MORE

Share this: