DBA Ambassadors Sweep People Away ‘Like Trash’

Block by Block "ambassadors" utilize a strange sweeping technique to harass people on the streets. I hope the Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission will request that Block by Block employees refrain from this kind of "beautification" activity. It demeans us as a community to have people treated like trash.

All Shook Up: How Human Beings Are Turned into Categories

When highly diverse individuals are lumped into a single category, the result is terribly misleading. In the composite picture in the minds of those who promote anti-homeless laws, many different sorts of people are merged into one. The ensuing discussions get shipwrecked because nobody is having the same discussion.

The Brave New World of Centralized Intake in Berkeley

One can’t help but notice that all this wrangling over intake forms, coordination, and “centralized intake” hasn’t managed to produce any additional low-income housing or shelter beds. Berkeley’s last low-income housing expenditures were about 15 years ago, and involved rehabbing some already existing low-income housing units.

The Questions About So-Called Affordable Housing

Many people already question whether so-called affordable housing projects in Oakland and the Bay Area are really affordable to most disabled persons receiving their income through SSI, or for retired persons receiving Social Security. It is evident that all too many are not truly affordable to low-income people.

Resistance to Police Violence and Racism

Although several deaths of young African American men at the hands of the police have received a great deal of publicity, hundreds more police-inflicted deaths have not been reported. Across the nation, police officers who have killed innocent African-American men are rarely punished by racially biased court systems.

Youth on the Street in Light of the Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court recognized dignity in all when it announced that LGBT couples have the right to marry. Let us hope that governments everywhere will someday address the issues of poverty in the same spirit. A disproportionate number of young people who end up on the streets identify as LGBT.

Arresting Hate Throughout Our Culture

The horrific attack targeted a church that has a long legacy in the struggle for African-American liberation and civil rights. Acknowledging the effects of generations of racism and violence is a first step. Taking concrete actions to transform our society to end racism and violence is the next.

An Anthem for Those Who Are Homeless

Sometimes at night, you recall who you once were. You were a kid and played with other kids. You had a mother and a father. You wanted to be a firefighter or an astronaut. You were loved. And in your darkest imaginings, you could never have seen yourself come to this place.

Airbnb Aggravates Housing Crisis in Berkeley

Berkeley homeowners have figured out that hitching a ride on Airbnb, although illegal, can make lots of money. People literally sleeping on the street cannot seem to move the hearts of City Council members, but homeowners looking to monetize their million-dollar asset seem to have no trouble getting through.

Stop the Anti-Poor Laws in Berkeley

The new anti-poor laws come to the Berkeley City Council on Tuesday, June 30. It is vitally important to come to the meeting and speak out against these unjust laws. We can stop them now, just as we stopped them in the 2012 election when Berkeley voters defeated a ridiculous anti-sitting law.

Vitally Needed Programs in South Berkeley Face Cuts

City officials intend to drastically cut funding for ten South Berkeley nonprofits serving homeless and other underserved people, including youth and people with mental health challenges. The City must either show respect and concern for its longtime residents, or else let the “market” drive out programs that serve our poorest citizens

Religious Leaders Say: "Do Not Criminalize Homeless People"

In an open letter to the Berkeley City Council, religious leaders say: “Do Not Criminalize Homeless People in Berkeley. We stand lovingly and firmly united in opposition to new proposed laws criminalizing homeless people. The new homeless laws violate our deep conviction to express compassion for all living beings.”