Alastair Boone is the Editor in Chief of Street Spirit.
Alastair Boone
COVID-19 in the homeless community: In Dialogue with Dr. Harrison Alter
At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, it seemed a given that the virus would ravage the homeless community—but this has not taken place. We spoke to Dr. Harrison Alter about why.
The fight to save People’s Park gains new momentum
UC Berkeley students have joined forces with the People’s Park Committee to oppose the housing UC Berkeley plans to build there.
The COVID-19 vaccine for the homeless community: What you need to know
Here are some common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine with answers from the county.
What’s that book Street Spirit vendors are selling?
In July 2019, Rick Paulas generously donated hundreds of copies of his book, Eastern Span, for Street Spirit vendors to sell along with their papers. Because of this success, he donated an additional 775 books for our vendors to sell in the coming months.
When will unhoused people get the COVID-19 vaccine?
As Bay Area healthcare workers started receiving the coronavirus vaccine at the end of December, unhoused people and their advocates are wondering when the vaccine will become available to the homeless community.
What’s that book Street Spirit vendors are selling?
The cover of Eastern Span. (Courtesy of Rick Paulas) Buy a copy of Eastern Span from a Street Spirit vendor
What’s that book Street Spirit vendors are selling?
In July 2019, Rick Paulas generously donated hundreds of copies of his book, Eastern Span, for Street Spirit vendors to sell along with their papers. That experiment was a success—some vendors earned hundreds of extra dollars during the months they were selling his novel. Because of this success, he donated an additional 775 books for our vendors to sell in the coming months.
Oakland passes ‘catastrophic’ new encampment policy
After a heated ten hour Council meeting and widespread protest, the Oakland City Council unanimously passed a new Encampment Management Policy (EMP) on October 20.
‘Landless Not Voiceless’: an exhibition by unhoused artists
“Landless Not Voiceless” is an exhibition currently on display at Pro Arts Gallery and Commons in Downtown Oakland being curated by the Cardboard & Concrete Unhoused Artists Collective—a new collective of homeless artists from Berkeley and Oakland.
Waking up outside under an orange sky
While he specter of climate change has already arrived for people who live outside, they also have far more pressing daily needs created by the conditions of their lives.
Housing activist Dominique Walker runs for Berkeley Rent Board
Moms 4 housing co-founder Dominique Walker is running for the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board. Street Spirit caught up with Walker to talk about how she transitioned from leading the renowned Moms 4 Housing movement to running for local office.
Who are unsheltered people voting for this November?
Street Spirit spoke to 107 unsheltered and marginally housed people about who they are planning to vote for in the November 3 presidential election.
Toxic air prompts Berkeley and Oakland to open temporary emergency respite centers
As the air quality climbed into the “very unhealthy” range on Friday, both Berkeley and Oakland opened clean air respite centers for unsheltered people and others who need a break from the toxic wildfire smoke. Here's what we know about where they are and how to utilize them.
M.H. First Oakland: an alternative to calling the police
Don’t call the cops on homeless people. This is a common refrain amongst advocates, and one that has grown louder over the past few months. But when you are witnessing someone in the midst of a mental health crisis, this is easier said than done. The Anti Police Terror Project has stepped up to change that.
Ken Jones: Cat owner, Street Spirit vendor, Berkeley staple
Ken Jones stands on the corner of Addison and Shattuck, waiting for people to exit a concert at the Freight and Salvage, or a play at the Berkeley Rep. In the cool evening light, he catches the eye of patrons spilling out of the theaters, flashing a broad smile at each person who looks up as he broadcasts his patter over the crowd.
Unsheltered leaders of 37 MLK demand to be housed in hotels
Some 30 people gathered outside Oakland’s Palms Motel on Friday to demand that the City of Oakland take immediate action to move more unsheltered people into hotel rooms.
Protestors hold die-in at SF Mayor London Breed’s house
On Thursday evening, protestors staged a die-in outside San Francisco Mayor London Breed's Lower Haight home. Organizers say the action was in protest of Breed's slow action to move unsheltered people into hotels.
Youth Spirit Artworks secures Oakland site for Youth Tiny House Village
Youth Spirit Artworks (YSA) is celebrating a long awaited accomplishment: After scouring the East Bay for a site for their Youth Tiny House Village, YSA has secured a site in East Oakland.
In Dialogue with Moms 4 Housing co-founder Dominique Walker
Street Spirit sat down with Dominique Walker to talk about her history as an organizer, and the future of the Moms 4 Housing movement.
Remembering Arthur Roper
Street Spirit vendor Arthur Roper died on Friday, January 24, of complications from a stroke. He was 83 years old.
The early days: a conversation with Street Spirit co-founder Sally Hindman
In 1995, Sally Hindman wanted to start a home- less advocacy newspaper in the East Bay. Street Sheet already existed in San Francisco, and she saw an opportunity in Berkeley and Oakland. She quickly enlisted Terry Messman to be the founding editor and together, they got to work.
East Bay advocates march
On a sunny Saturday in November, some 250 people gathered in Moss- wood Park to demand an end to un- just housing practices and housing for their homeless neighbors
Supporting your Homeless Neighbors this Holiday Season (and throughout the rest of the year)
Living outside is never easy, but the winter rain and cold create additional burdens for unhoused people. And while the
Derrick Hayes: Street Spirit vendor, community member
Walking down Franklin Street in Downtown Oakland you’ll see a larger than life mural of a man in a baseball cap. With gentle eyes and a wide smile, he looks east over the city, watching over the people passing by. Small businesses line Franklin Street to the left and right. Below the mural is a parking lot, and shiny office buildings tower above. In between lies the portrait of Derrick Hayes, a 59-year-old homeless resident of Oakland who has been selling Street Spirit for almost 20 years.
‘Where Do We Go?’
A movement is growing in Berkeley, where unhoused people are demanding answers.
In Dialogue with Rick Paulas
In July, Rick Paulas generously donated hundreds of copies of his book, Eastern Span, for Street Spirit vendors to sell
International issue
I never thought my work with Street Spirit would bring me to Hannover, Germany. But this summer, it did.
Changes suggested to Oakland’s encampment strategy
Sanctioning self-governed encampments. Providing storage options for unsheltered residents. Prohibiting evictions during extreme weather. These are just some of the changes that Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas is suggesting to the City of Oakland’s Encampment Management Policy.
Remembering William Barclay Caldeira
William Barclay Caldeira, a Berkeley resident known to many for his deep commitment to justice and equality, died on Sunday, May 19. He was 51 years old. Barclay Caldeira—who went by “300”—was homeless. On the day of his passing, a number of his friends and neighbors saw him sitting at a bus stop on Adeline Street near Ward Street, looking unwell.
The History of People’s Park
Street Spirit pulled this timeline from “People’s Park: Still Blooming”; Edited by Terri Compost. It has been lightly
People’s Park celebrates 50 years
“The first time I played here, there was no park here yet,” Stevie Barsotti, the frontman of a band called Dapper Shindig, said to a crowd who had gathered in People’s Park on April 13. “The third time was when we tore down the fence, and that was really fun!”
Harold Adler captures the spirit of early People’s Park
Harold Adler has photographed all kinds of characters. Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, he documented Telegraph Avenue hippies and gangs
Remembering Calvin Kelley
Kelley was shot at People’s Park in April—the first ever murder to occur in the Park. A memorial for Kelley
Berkeley says: ‘No parking’
Anti-homeless parking ban in Berkeley sparks outrage An RV in Berkeley with a bumper sticker that reads “home is where
Oakland bans camping around Lake Merritt
The City of Oakland has started enforcing a zero-tolerance camping ban around Lake Merritt.
South Berkeley’s Here There encampment celebrates two years
As the sun set on Friday, February 22, the residents of South Berkeley’s Here/There encampment had much to celebrate. They were commemorating the two-year anniversary of their encampment. On July 6, 2017, camp was founded by First They Came For The Homeless, a homeless-led political organizing group.
In Dialogue with Steve Gillman: the creator of South Berkeley’s ‘HERETHERE’ sculpture
Driving north down Adeline Street, you might notice an eight-foot-tall steel sculpture that reads “Here There” marking the border between
Who counts as homeless?
On January 30, I woke up before dawn to drive around East Oakland and count all the homeless people I could find. I was one of the 600 volunteers who participated in the 2019 Point-in-Time (PIT) homeless count for Alameda County, California. The PIT count is a nationwide effort to tally the number of unsheltered Americans living on the street on a single night in January.
East Oakland’s “Housing and Dignity Village” encampment evicted
It was December 6, and Oakland Police officers had stormed Housing and Dignity Village—a homeless encampment for women of color and their children in East Oakland—to evict the residents who lived there.
New UN report describes Bay Area homelessness as a humanitarian crisis
Last year, United Nations Special Rapporteur Lelani Farha made national headlines after telling the world that homelessness in the Bay Area was “cruel and inhumane.”
Homeless activists are resisting Oakland’s encampment sweeps
Many are fighting for dignity and fair housing as the city vows to clear all Lake Merritt encampments.
Oakland’s race for mayor
The top two candidates talk about housing, homelessness, and what they would like to change in the next four years.
Berkeley Emergency Storm Shelter finds a new location
The Veteran’s Memorial Building at 1931 Center Street (Alastair Boone) After closing the doors at its Ninth Street location on
Scooter: sailor, musician, dog person
In 2008, Scooter was working as a veterinary technician in Connecticut when a friend offered to fly him out to
Berkeley shelter closes
The closure of the largest homeless shelter in Berkeley leaves many with nowhere to go
Letter from the Editor
One October day in 1835, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison was hard at work publishing his anti-slavery newspaper, The Liberator, when