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National Day of Action for the Right to Exist

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The sit/lie law that Seattle passed in 1993 is nearly verbatim the same sit/lie law that San Francisco passed in 2010. The sit/lie law that San Francisco passed to use against homeless people is the same law that San Francisco police now use to harass Occupy protesters.

UC Berkeley Officials Desecrate People’s Park

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That University of California officials carried out their vandalism against People’s Park without once notifying any of the many volunteers who had worked on that project about their plans, although they themselves had required the volunteer activists to go by the letter of the book, was a rape.

Serial Killer Stalked Homeless Men in Orange County

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Evidently, the authorities place very little value on the lives of homeless people. Orange County offered the same paltry amount of reward money for the conviction of a serial killer of four homeless men as pet owners in the same affluent area offer for finding a lost dog or cat.

Keeping Promises, While Remaining Open to the Spirit

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My Moslem friends say “Insha’ Allah.” My Jewish and Christian friends say “God willing” or “If the Lord wills.” What is sacred and sagacious in these expressions is the admission that all of our plans and promises are subject to the unexplained, unsolicited and, at times, unwelcome veto of the Almighty.

Homeless Memorials in Seven New Hampshire Cities

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“This vigil is our way of strengthening ourselves and strengthening each other and reminding us that ending homelessness is our responsibility. We have to fight this fight. Every life we honor tonight was a blessing, a child born utterly innocent, who suffered a terrible loss of security and well-being.”

In Memory of All Who Died on Oakland’s Streets

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Oakland’s Homeless Memorial was held to honor the lives of those who have suffered hunger, pain, loneliness, and premature deaths outside on the sidewalks. The service was moving, healing, and also inspiring in its ability to remind us of the importance of staying committed to the cause of justice.

A Bell Tolls for Countless Deaths on Nameless Streets

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The bell tolled for 91 individuals who died on the streets last year in San Francisco, and it tolled for the uncounted thousands of homeless deaths around the nation. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty reported that homeless Americans die, on average, 30 years earlier than those with housing.

Surviving Uncaring Board and Care Homes

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I have experienced endless abuses in board and care homes, including substandard housing, lack of food and rigid rules that treat adults like children. Even the name “board and care” is a misnomer. All too often, the people who ran these homes couldn’t care less about their residents.

Corporate Con Games: Tax Holiday or Gigantic Scam?

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Congress already fell for this scam with a tax holiday passed in 2004. But companies didn’t create the jobs or investment they promised — layoffs actually increased. Instead, they boosted CEO pay, stock buybacks and shareholder dividends, and stockpiled even more money offshore to avoid taxes.

Berkeley May Sell Its Public Housing to a Billionaire

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At the same moment when thousands of families in public housing across the nation are living in substandard conditions or are at risk of becoming homeless, the Berkeley Housing Authority has entered into an agreement to sell the city’s occupied public housing units to a billionaire.

National Scandal of Using Jails as Psychiatric Wards

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The cruelty and medical neglect suffered by poor and homeless people who are incarcerated for being mentally ill is a national disgrace. It is unacceptable that the prison system has displaced the mental health system as the main institution for dealing with poor people with psychiatric disabilities.