My Christmas carol: a roof over my head for the holidays
By Vicky Batcher on After a period of homelessness, housing has allowed me to give my kids the kind of Christmas I used to have, Vicky writes.
Month: December 2022
Plan for ‘safe work zones’ around workers during encampment sweeps; entering it could lead to arrest
By Natalie Orenstein on Oakland officials say the tool is needed to protect workers from harassment, but some say it would criminalize unhoused people and supporters.
I hate smoking cigarettes but I can’t quit
By Jack Bragen on I must face this demon myself, Bragen writes.
Leaked texts reveal racism, anti-homelessness in BPD
By Berkeley Copwatch on The recently leaked text messages reveal unsurprising truths and create a unique opportunity for Berkeleyans to hold their police force accountable.
Poor in public: Socia, my RV neighbor
By Martha Cast on An excerpt from Martha Cast’s book, Poor in Public: a collection of essays about the people she met and experiences she had while homeless in Berkeley between the years of 2014 and 2015.
Tips for talking about housing and homelessness with friends, family, and peers this season
By Israel Bayer on Discussing unhoused people as individuals rather than a collective problem is a good place to start.
This year’s biggest strike is by 48,000 academic workers
By Kenzo Esquivel on UC Berkeley student workers are striking for better wages and benefits in the largest academic workers’ strike in U.S. history.
Staying warm and dry 101
By Ace Backwords on As the weather changes, some tips for staying warm and dry on the street.
Don’t look at the dying
By Julia Vinograd on Don’t look at the dying;you’ll only encourage them.The homeless, the hungry, the hurting,they’re not really thereand it’s not polite to
The failure of drug treatment in prisons
By Reginald Stephen on Though drug use leads some people to prison, many are never offered treatment for addiction once incarcerated, Stephen writes.
STREET SPIRIT EVENTS CALENDAR: DECEMBER
Resources and community events in the Bay Area for the month of December, all free unless otherwise specified.