NOTES FROM NORSE: Because of the two Homeless Memorials on Thursday December 21st (10 AM at the Civic Auditorium, 4 PM at the Town Clock), HUFF will meet at the regular place—the Sub Rosa Cafe at 703 Pacific Ave. next to the Bike Church—on December 22nd at 11 AM-1 PM as usual (showing up at 10:45 a.m. is optional but gets extra credit!).
Robbie Powelson, Anthony Prince of the California Homeless Union, and the survival campers at Camp Integrity in San Rafael, the County seat of Marin County, just North of San Francisco, have been fighting successfully to defend a camp of 30-40 unhoused folks. See https://pacificsun.com/federal-judge-limits-san-rafael-homeless-camping, ordinance/ and/or https://www.poormagazine.org/post/camp-integrity-s-injunction-against-san-rafael-s-anti-camping-ordinance .
San Rafael homeless, like Santa Cruz’s unhoused folks, have been struggling in and out of court to retain the right to live without harassment.
Both cities have completely inadequate shelter. In Santa Cruz’s case in 1220 River St. tent city, the Armory/Lookout shelters, and the 115 Coral St. “Housing Matters” “shelters” seem primarily primarily a tool to evade the penalties of the 9th Circuit Court’s Martin v. Boise case. This decision in theory requires city’s to have actual accessible indoor shelter before they move to coerce those outside to move, destroy their shelter, and/or confiscate their belongings. New excuses to move on those in the community survival encampments in the large cities have included coerced mental health “help”, “public safety”, “environmental concerns”, and whatever the politicians can concoct at the moment to rationalize traditional police “whack-a-mole” behavior/.
HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) supports Camp Integrity and asks you to consider e-mailing the San Rafael City Council today before 5 PM, or following the meeting on Zoom perhaps to speak in support of those outside being threatened with removal.
From: Robbie .Powelson <robbiepowelson@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 10:15 AM
Subject: San Rafael City Council Convenes Special Meeting Today, Dec. 20, To Decide Whether Camp Integrity Residents Can Sleep on Wooden Pallets
For Immediate Release – December 20th 2023. The San Rafael City Council is convening a special meeting to decide whether to deprive two residents at Camp Integrity of the wood palettes under their tents. The meeting occurs today, December 20th at 5:00pm. We are inviting you and members of the news media to come out today to see the hearing. You can also log into the zoom link below.
The pallets are used by campers as platforms for their tents to keep their belongings off of the ground in order to keep the bottom of their tents dry and warm. The City of San Rafael claims that the pallets are fire hazards.
The City’s findings contradict a policy they had at the sanctioned encampment at the Service Support Area in 2021– where the city provided camp dwellers wood pallets to put their tents on after a major storm (See Marin IJ, https://www.marinij.com/2021/12/12/as-pandemic-worsens-san-rafael-sanctioned-camp-zone-eyed-for-the-future/)
The abatement orders against Bruce Gaylord and Brian Nelson are the first abatement actions taken against pallets in the City’s history. The orders came shortly after the campers, including plaintiff Brian Nelson, had a restraining order extended against the City blocking the planned destruction of Camp Integrity. The appellants have laid out their appeal in the attached letter sent to the city.
Contact persons:
Brian Nelson: 415-879-0766
Robbie Powelson: 415-847-7500
Zoom Link for 5:00 Today
In-Person:
San Rafael City Council Chambers
1400 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901
Watch online:
Watch on Zoom Webinar: https://tinyurl.com/ccsm-2023-12-20
Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/cityofsanrafael
Listen by phone: (669) 444-9171
ID: 846-6162-5441#
One Tap Mobile: +16694449171,,84661625441# US