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Houseless

Vancouver Gave Its Homeless $5,800

January 10, 2021 Lauren Kaljur, Reasons to be cheerful. ,
“It took me about a week to really sink in that this money was for me,” Ray recounts. “You know, $7,500 bucks is a fair bit to be giving to someone in my situation.”  Ray was among 50 people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, British Columbia selected in 2018 to receive a lump sum of cash deposited into their personal bank accounts — no strings attached. The gift (about USD$5,800) was part of a pilot project, the first of its kind, and the early results are so impressive that cities across Canada and the U.S. are looking to try it themselves.  For Ray, everything hit at once. After a 37-year-long career of heavy lifting in the warehouse and construction industries, his body was failing him.

Houseless Camp: ‘It’s A Sovereign Place’

November 15, 2020 Stewart Huntington, Indian Country Today. , , ,
Rapid City, SD - When Lakota activists set up a camp for homeless relatives in this Black Hills town last month, the police descended immediately and shut it down. The response? The activists quickly moved the encampment to trust land just outside of town.  Today the camp, built on traditional values and teachings, is flourishing. “They’re giving the people a chance to have somewhere to sleep and live like they used to a long time ago, like the ancestors, you know? ”

Unhoused Community Forms Tenants Union

November 13, 2020 Jenn Schreiter, Unicorn Riot. , , ,
Minneapolis, MN – A tenants union was formed this past weekend by unhoused community members who have been living at the Extended Stay America hotel in Bloomington, MN. After a deal for Hennepin County to purchase the building unexpectedly fell through, residents say they are standing up for their rights as tenants. Their lawyers are helping them argue that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s suspension of evictions during the pandemic protects people experiencing homelessness who had been housed in hotels as an emergency temporary measure.

Research Project Gave Homeless People $7,500 Each

October 8, 2020 Bridgette Watson, CBC.CA. , , ,
The results of a B.C. research project that gave thousands of dollars to homeless people are in and, according to one researcher, could challenge stereotypes about people "living on the margins." The New Leaf project is a joint study started in 2018 by Foundations for Social Change, a Vancouver-based charitable organization, and the University of British Columbia. After giving homeless Lower Mainland residents cash payments of $7,500, researchers checked on them over a year to see how they were faring.

Housing Activists Claim Victory In Fight For Community Land Trust

September 27, 2020 Philadelphia Housing Action. , , ,
On Friday, September 25, Philadelphia Housing Action and the City of Philadelphia reached a tentative agreement to resolve a months long standoff over the fate of two homeless protest encampments and 15 vacant city-owned homes occupied by mothers and children. The unprecedented agreement to give homeless activists 50 vacant, viable homes comes after many months of housing takeovers, protest encampments, eviction defense of the houses, barricaded and blockaded streets and mass mobilizations to defend the encampments.  

Peavey Park Sanctuary Homeless Camp Evicted

September 25, 2020 Unicorn Riot. , , ,
Minneapolis, MN – A long-dreaded eviction of the sanctuary camp at Peavey Park took place today just after 6:00 a.m., an hour before sunrise. Minneapolis Park Police, Minneapolis Police, and sheriff’s officers were all documented as having taken part in this morning’s sweep. The area around Peavey Park was cordoned off with caution tape while the clearing of the park took place. A social media account for supporters of the unhoused community, Twin Cities Encampment Responders, sent out an alert around 6:20 a.m. that park police were at Peavey.

Philadelphia To Temporarily Block Landlords From Enforcing Evictions

September 9, 2020 Ryan Briggs, WHYY. , , ,
Philadelphia court officials will announce a temporary stay on lockouts related to eviction orders Tuesday, PlanPhilly has learned. The move comes as landlord-tenant proceedings begin to ramp up at city courts after months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic and a statewide moratorium on evictions that ended on Aug. 31 despite calls to the Pennsylvania legislature to extend it from Gov. Tom Wolf. But while some restrictions remain in place, the Tuesday reopening of courtrooms means at least some eviction orders could — in theory — move forward.

New Month Brings Added Urgency To Minneapolis’ Housing Needs

September 3, 2020 Jenn Schreiter, Unicorn Riot. , , ,
Minneapolis, MN – Advocates for people without housing are meeting today outside of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board headquarters, hours after a sanctuary encampment in the Phillips area was cleared by police. They’re demanding immediate sanctuary for the Safe Haven Encampment (SHE), a sanctuary camp for women and children, along with “any other park who is asking for a consideration to exist.“ Two weeks ago, community members demanded that the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) amend Resolution 2020-267 to guarantee no evictions.

Houseless Resist Second Eviction Effort In Philadelphia

August 26, 2020 Marie Kelly, Workers.org. , , ,
An encampment of over 100 houseless people sits on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway here, steps away from the iconic art museum of “Rocky” movie fame and under the noses of the Philadelphia bourgeoisie. JTD camp is a self-declared autonomous and cop-free zone providing a safe environment at a time when the COVID pandemic is ravaging the city. A large “Black Lives Matter” banner hangs at the entrance. The James Talib Dean camp, named to honor an organizer who died shortly after it was established in June, is the latest in a series of camps set up by local activist groups.
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