HUFF Contact for Reports: There will be a rep to gather any street reports and check-in’s today at 1:30
UPDATES ON ONGOING ISSUES
- Retaining COVID-19 Campground Gains:
How to keep what the City/County have grudgingly given? The
City-acknowledged survival camps–both those across from Coral St. and
at the Benchlands, plus homeless-run ones around the City. Not to
mention portapotties,
wash stations, and trash cans appearing spottily here and there (but
not much in the Pogonip).
- Expanded Police Powers:
Reining
in “emergency” powers seized by Bernal, Mills, and City Department
Heads. Anticipating and preempting the return of the Mills/Condotti
Police Powers 8-point Repression program as well as the “improved”
Camping Ordinance slithering its way through the CACH committee.
- City Council
Doom Report: Yesterday’s City Council meeting saw reauthorization
and possible expansion of the “Ambassadors” (the rebranded “Hosts” of
olden days), rubberstamping of the Mills/Bernal removal of the Coral St.
campground and their rules for the Benchlands
encampment. As well as no substantive support for tenants. Beiers,
Cummings, and Brown voted in a block on some issues and made a few
comments, but took little strong action giving a “feel good” unanimous
illusion to the Council’s actions.
- Report on Local Motel Room Stats for the Vulnerable: Still no new word from Mayor “NoJustice” Justin Cummings (other than “tell it to the County workers”), county worker Jessica Scheider, and other local Project Roomkey fund fondlers.
- New Indefinite
Powers for Cops and the Deputized City Employees: Passed last
night without any stats showing the need for them. These included the
power (which the City already has) to reduce a misdemeanor to an
infraction. News that the City has given out more than
300 $400+ citations for COVID-19 violations with no stats on how many
were to folks outside.
- Resuming Direct Action
Protests: Corporate
and conservative “Lift the Shelter in Place & Open
the Public Beaches” protesters may be at Cowell’s Beach again 3-5 PM on
Friday May 29th. HUFFsters might consider a socially-distanced picket
line or honk in outside the residences of City and County officials to
demand immediate action to occupy and open
Motel rooms for vulnerable folks outside.
- Reports of
Vehicle Tows Are on the Rise: With rumored countersuits by the
ACLU and Anthony Prince’s Santa Cruz Homeless Union not happening here
(though some action reported in Sacramento).
- Support for Possible
City Action Against Food Not Bombs No
new hostile actions have been clearly signaled, but the temptation for
the City to use its “emergency powers” to further harass one of the few
food providers in the City must be vigilantly monitored.
- Reports from Other
Homeless Activists Elsewhere (Salinas, Berkeley, Marysville, Monterey) Go
to
http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html for the latest shows. Check
http://huffsantacruz.org/wordpress/ for the content of the shows.
- Researching
During the Lockdown–Tracking Those in Power: Who are our Key Powerbrokers in Santa Cruz:
Real
estate interests, the Canfield Company, the University, Swenson, et.
al.–let’s expose the facts and let them speak for themselves. Any
volunteers?
- Progress Reports on the 99%: on Encampments outside including San Lorenzo Park, Coral St., the Pogonip: What they need, how they’re faring, new contacts I’m gathering contacts. If you have ’em, phone me at 423-4833 or e-mail me at rnorse3@hotmail.com.
- Mills
Still Breaking His “Word” on Vehicle Harassment: Nothing
new here, but recent reports of vehicle harassment and seizure, not to
mention the officially-sanctioned vandalism of “tire chalking” continues
in spite of court prohibition in other states (see
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/716248823/court-says-using-chalk-on-tires-for-parking-enforcement-violates-constitution
).
- Coronavirus Copwatch: Reports on Police, Ranger, Security Thug, and Business Behavior Towards Those Outside The Coral St. sweep, constriction of the San Lorenzo Benchlands camp, lack of available drinking water, absence of portapotties and washing stations in the Felker St. area, as well as Mills’ illegal “move along” of street musicians and others—call it in, call it out
- Good Though Distant Source:
SF Coalition on Homelessness panel of medical experts demands testing now, and immediate movement of crowded shelter residents into individual
motel rooms. Still relevant is the press conference & discussion at https://www.facebook.com/CoalitionOnHomelessness/videos/2954977444559143/?
- SC Homeless Union Looking: …for blankets, tents, and other survival gear. Leave them at the Food Not Bombs meal (see below) or call Alicia at 431-7766. …for medical professionals working in respiratory therapy, nursing, other life-saving professions willing to write, e-mail, or call city, county, and state officials to open up the motel rooms.
- Food Not Bombs [FNB] meal and clothes distribution is still daily 1-6 PM at the parking lot next to the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union at Laurel & Front. Weekends the meal will be 4-6 PM. Food preppers wanted at Vet’s Hall weekends noon.
- Metro Bathrooms Still Closed?:
Yep. As reportedly are the parking garage bathrooms. Why?
- Rent strike reports?: FNB reports folks reporting illegal evictions continue. And vacant buildings remain vacant as the virus spreads. Distress grows while the banks and big boys get the bail-out’s with unemployment skyrocketing. Contact Tenant Sanctuary with reports of illegal evictions at (831)200-0740 . Go public by calling Free Radio at 423-4833.
- HUFF MAY BE ORGANIZING BY PHONE to support the demand for Motel rooms before the only option is quarantine areas. CONTACT US AT 831-423-4833 OR RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP OR WANT TO PROVIDE REPORTS.
- Frequent local updates
can still be found on Facebook under Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs,
Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates, Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz,
SCCCP (Santa Cruz and Central Coast Politics), Monterey County Homeless
Advocates, The Santa Cruz Community, (SF) Coalition on Homelessness.
More distant updates: homelesstimes.com,
http://homelessperspective.com,
https://wraphome.org/,
HISTORICAL REMINDERS from a HUFFster’s perspective
- Very
very few motel or hotel rooms are yet available for the 1000-2000
homeless outside who want and may need them to shelter more safely and
securely in spite of government directives and financial grants.
Funding exists, promises are made, promises are broken.
- The inadequate “normal” charitable activities of those working with churches, social services, etc. have been cut back or closed–many of the staff of these organizations are over 60 and particularly vulnerable to the corona virus.
- Normal
donations to those directly seeking survival money through “panhandling”
have been discouraged or criminalized under the new emergency regs,
enacted without public discussion or vote. Support those panhandling
on the medians and elsewhere.
- Public transportation options have been restricted or shut down, making access to what limited resources there are even more problematic.
- Mayor Cummings has still not issued no calls for an emergency Council meeting to pass elementary measures already done in other cities like a moratorium on rents.
- We must confront directly, clearly, persistently, loudly and immediately to secure the basic survival needs
of the community in the current crisis.
- Contact Food Not Bombs (575-770-3377), HUFF (831-423-4833), or the Santa Cruz Homeless Union (831-431-7766) if you wish to help.