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By Ace Backwords onIn Dialogue with Rick Paulas
By Alastair Boone on In July, Rick Paulas generously donated hundreds of copies of his book, Eastern Span, for Street Spirit vendors to sell
How I Got Inside
By Andy Pope on When I was homeless in the San Francisco Bay Area, I relied to a large degree on the moral support of lifelong friends and family who were not. For one reason or another, it was not feasible for any of them to let me stay in their homes for any substantial length of time.
Landmark report seeks to redefine poverty
“We define poverty as a dollar amount, but if you make a dollar above that dollar amount are you still poor?” This was just one of the questions raised at St. Mary’s Center on April 18, when academics, activists, and advocates gathered to hear the findings of a new report called “Pushed to the Bottom.”
Changes suggested to Oakland’s encampment strategy
By Alastair Boone on 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
By Alastair Boone on 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.
Gentrification abroad: The destruction of a Roma village
By Sylvia Sawislak on As I walk through a Roma village in Istanbul, I see pink and yellow painted houses that are rusting, with open windows that have clothes hanging down the sides. There is trash everywhere I step. Ahead of me in the distance, I see tall buildings that are multicolored and modern. These are the apartment buildings that are replacing the Roma village. As Roma activist Sadi Cati shows me around, the Roma people living in the little houses look very unhappy while staring at me.
Twisted Image
By Ace Backwords onYouth-led Tiny House Village makes strides
By Julia Irwin on On Thursday, May 16, at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, the youth leaders of Youth Spirit Artworks unveiled what they believe is a solution to the East Bay’s affordability crisis: a 70 square foot Tiny House, featuring a skylight, several windows, two doors, solar-energy heated floors, and two brightly-painted murals along each length of its exterior.
Watching James Michaelson
By Jack Bragen on Creating multiple inconveniences was one of many strategies for interfering with James Michaelson’s inconvenient, daily activities. He was opening a can of tomatoes, and my prompt instructed me to speak into the microphone.