A group of unhoused and housed organizers and advocates launched ‘sanctuary spaces’ across the West Coast earlier today, calling on local governments to stop sweeping homeless encampments.
Dozens of people gathered outside of San Francisco City Hall, calling for an end to the aggressive sweeps of unhoused people that have ramped up across the state since the Supreme Court ruling in Grants Pass. v Johnson.
“ We're seeing increased removals and terror without providing any resources whatsoever.”
This is Andrea Henson, the executive director and legal counsel for “Where do we go?” an East Bay nonprofit and homeless advocacy group. She says the protests are also meant to create a “sanctuary space.”
“For unhoused folks to come, to protest, to express their freedom of speech rights, their freedom of association rights. And to be together in solidarity with the housed and unhoused together.”
Organizers are also offering alternatives: They want local governments to invest in solutions like the Homefulness Project, and Wood Street Community Commons. These community-led, non-profit housing models have had success getting people permanently housed in the East Bay.
“ This is not just a dream we're doing it. It was built by poor and houseless people. We're offering that to Yelamu.”
That’s Tiny Gray-Garcia, organizer and co-founder of Poor Magazine. She says she’s hopeful that when Daniel Lurie takes office as San Francisco’s new mayor, he’ll be willing to work with formerly unhoused folks, like herself, to come up with real solutions to our homelessness crisis.
Lurie has experience dealing with homelessness. He’s the founder of Tipping Point, a non-profit focused on eliminating poverty and chronic homelessness. However, it’s not clear what his policies will be as mayor.
