They're tired of being targeted, ticketed, jailed and fined under the banner of New York City's Disorderly Conduct statute, and they're doing something about it-- launching a civil rights campaign..
Members of Picture the Homeless, a grassroots organization founded and led by homeless people, last week held a civil rights summit with other community groups to discuss how this "overly broad and ill-defined law" is used as a way of making money for the city. Meanwhile, the lives of people who can least afford it are disrupted as they accumulate arrest records and default warrants if they can't pay the $150 fine.
PTH members talk about their experiences and why they're involved in this campaign on video. It's not a slick production but bear with it and you will hear real people, obviously weary, who haven't had it easy, stand up for themselves and each other.
The Indypendent has coverage of this forum, at at PTH's blog, the administrator says, "We appreciate the Center for Constitutional Rights for hosting -- and much appreciate the participation of George Bethos of NYC AIDS Housing Network / VOCAL NY Users Union, Lalit Clarkson of Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and the courageous Juanita Young of the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality and Parents Against Police Brutality. Within PTH, we thank Maria and Salaam for running the show, and Carlos for his always-blazing poetry." Photo: Picture the Homeless members
We're all hoping for better in 2009, but we won't get it without a lot of hard work. Picture the Homeless is one of the hardest-working homeless organizations in the country!
They've just redesigned their site including their blog-- check it out. There's also links to their photostream at Flickr (where this picture is from) and a YouTube channel.
I will tell you that this past year, I have seen increasing communication and solidarity among homeless and anti-poverty led organizations around the country. It's a movement, folks!
I've been thinking a lot about Springfield's homeless and what they are facing this winter-- and knowing their ranks will grow with people who simply couldn't have pictured themselves homeless a year ago.
So sometime "picture the homeless" means picture yourself homeless.
My stringbean friend was over visiting tonight. He was out canning to get some money in his pocket. but is actually very happy to have a room in somebody else's apartment right now tonight-- paying $270 a month.
"How much will you make?"
"If I can stay out there, I can make 50, maybe 60 bucks. It's cold but after a while you don't feel it. So I can pretty much cover my rent.with canning and some yard work for people. Did you know Kentucky Fried Chicken just laid off 170 people?"
"No, I didn't know that," I said, thinking I was going to have to find out more, thinking about the email I had from my boss today wondering if she thought i might be able to work out of my home so we could give up our office and save money.. Glad to have a home.
This Tuesday the homeless-led organization Picture the Homeless will be holding a sleep-out protest on the streets of Harlem.
From their press release:
WE NEED YOU. Meet us at the State Office Building, 163 West 125th Street (corner of 125 and Adam Clayton Powell) at 4PM. Dress warm and bring sleeping bags and blankets if possible.
We will also be handing out our first annual BIG TURKEY AWARDS, to elected and appointed officials whose actions (or inaction) lead to the perpetuation of poverty.
ALSO! We are excited that the musical group Heroes Of The Dancefloor has chosen Picture the Homeless as one of two organizations to receive all proceeds from the release of their latest album, "Torch." Check out the press release, as well as the group's website and MySpace page!
Got an email today from Picture the Homeless, a New York organization by and for homeless people. They've been extremely frustrated with Mayor Bloomberg's tactics in implementing his Five Year Plan to End Homelessness.
Four years of the mayor's five year plan have passed. The chart above is from the city's own records: black being the projected figures and red the actual figures.
Picture the Homeless believes Mayor Bloomberg has not been accountable to the homeless community; therefore, they plan to put him on trial before a jury of his homeless peers. The trial will be held Tuesday, June 24, at St. Bartholomew's Church, Park Avenue at 51st St., in the Chapel from 1 to 3:30.
At 3:30, a march to deliver the sentence will begin.
If you're in or near New York, go and support Picture the Homeless.
Six months into an October commitment by NYC Mayor Bloomberg to meet with homeless-led Picture the Homeless, the mayor's still stonewalling, sending his deputy mayor to meet in his stead.
Meanwhile, the organization of homeless people is moving ahead with plans to mark the fourth year of Bloomberg's failed Five Year Plan to End Homelessness on June 24th with a town hall hearing for homeless people. Stay tuned.
Four years into Mayor Bloomberg's five year plan to end homelessness in New York City, more people than ever spent time in a shelter last year, according to the ninth annual "State of the Homeless" report issued by the Coalition for the Homeless last month..
102,187 people spent time in a New York City shelter last year, a 5.8% increase over 2006.
"For the second year in a row, more families sought shelter (up by 10.7%) while fewer families were moved into permanent housing (down 6.9%), " the report said. The Bloomberg administration's refusal to issue Section 8 vouchers and access to public housing for homeless families is contributing to the increase in homelessness.
In addition, stringent standards for shelter eligibility implemented last year denied shelter to dozens of families, two-thirds of whom were actually eligible for shelter even under those standards.
Single homelessness has seen a decline for the second year in a row, but the Coalition marks the decrease as a result of single people being placed in illegal boarding house, some of which are later shut down by the city, putting people back in the shelter again.
Picture the Homeless, a NYC organization founded by and run by for homeless people, is asking its allies to hold open the date June 24, 2008, the official fourth anniversary of the five year plan.
"Picture the Homeless is not going to sit back as the anniversary approaches and do nothing to commemorate its failure," according to the Rental Subsidies Committee. Stay tuned.
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