Food Not Bombs [FNB] field worker Keith McHenry reported this morning (April 1st) that the City/County under the misleadership of City Manager Martin Bernal’s PR fluffer Susie O’Hara has still not forwarded the Permit that SCPD Chief Mills is repeatedly threatening closure of FNB over.  McHenry predicts the meal will move from its current swampy isolated spot in back of the Court building at 701 Ocean St. and/or in San Lorenzo Benchlands to a more centrally located accessible area downtown by noon today.
McHenry calls for food preppers and servers to help at the Vet’s Hall at noon today and in the days to come. 

No Motel vouchers have reportedly been given out by the City and County which, according to CACH activist Rafa Sonnenfeld are pondering, postulating, and preparing a Thursday response, which Sonnenfeld speculates is tied up in “financial considerations” of cost.  As the virus spreads. 

Meanwhile fenced off psuedo-triage centers around town (such as Lot 17 near the sports stadium), the parking lot next to the Calvary Episcopal (Red) Church, the area adjacent to Depot Park, the parking lot next to University Copy on Front St., and other such “holding pen” areas remain closed. 

Portapotties and washing stations are reportedly insufficiently cleaned and often lacking soap, toilet paper, and paper towels.   The only disability portapotty in the City is behind a locked fence at 1220 River St. next to a line of unused and inaccessible portapotties there.  The last time a disabled portapotty was publicly available was at Camp Phoenix last November, when it was paid for by FNB and the Santa Cruz Homeless Union before being hauled away by the police under a hastily fabricated “trespass” complaint.  HUFF IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS TO DO A DAILY CHECK AND REPORT IN ON THE VARIOUS PORTAPOTTIES AND PRIMITIVE GARAGE BATHROOMS (often lacking privacy) throughout the City.

Organizations across the country are calling for a Rent Strike to begin today.  McHenry reports folks are reporting illegal evictions are already occurring locally. 
HUFF WILL BE ORGANIZING BY PHONE TO PREPARE POSSIBLE PROTESTS DEMANDING IMMEDIATE FACILITY ACCESS (i.e. Motel rooms) before the only option  is quarantine areas.  CONTACT US AT 831-423-4833 IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP OR WANT TO PROVIDE REPORTS.
WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING WAYS TO DIRECTLY SUPPORT SAFE PROTESTS BY RENTERS, EMERGENCY WORKERS DEMANDING DECENT WORKING CONDITIONS, &, OF COURSE, FOLKS OUTSIDE DEMANDING BASIC HEALTH/HOUSING OPTIONS.  SUCH AS BY CAR PROTESTS AS IS BEING DONE IN OTHER CITIES. 

Street Spirit newspaper distribution operations are currently suspended, but the Berkeley vendor center is still reportedly  looking for ways to provide some interim support for vendors whose sales lifeline has been cut off.  When HUFF hears, we’ll let the few vendors we have down here know.
Frequent local updates can be found on Facebook under Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs, Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates, Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz,
The Union of the Homeless is slating a National Conference Call for tomorrow if anyone has issues they want me to bring up. 

The wandering HUFF coffee canister used to supply morning coffee to those outside which “walked away” last week has been recovered cowering in the Vet’s Building.