HUFF will be serving food and coffee at 9:30 AM in front of the Main library Tuesday March 31st to continue gathering reports of the abusive ticketing of homeless people trying to sleep at night. We will also be monitoring the activities of abusive First Alarm personnel, such as “Big John”–a beefy guy who reportedly has elevated harassing homeless people in the library to a regular practice if not a sadistic art.
Parks and Rec Czarina Dannettee Shoemaker told me at a P & R “public input” session on how to address parks in the general plan that she would not be able to support a permit for homeless people camping in the parks–as sought by activist Phil Posner for his Camp of Last Resort in spite of the hundreds of acres of open space available, particularly in the Pogonip. Previous reports by writer and politico Steve Pleich had indicated she “hasn’t said ‘no'”.
Please pass on any reports of stay-away orders issued since mid-February of this year, particularly those for longer than one day as well as abusive behavior by First Alarm security guards. We are also urging people to file claims against the City every time they get a Sleeping Ban, Blanket Ban, or camping citation. Pleich and lawyer Judi Bari intend to apply for a restraining order against the law on April 20th.
Right 2 Rest supporters of legislation at the state level will be going to hearings in state legislative committees this month. Contact HUFF for more information.
(KGO) – Officials say that a homeless woman was injured after getting run over by a CHP tractor that was working to clear out a homeless encampment in San Jose.
The CHP reports that a loader-tractor was clearing a homeless encampment on Story Road at about 10 a.m. today when the accident occurred. The loader was tearing down a tent when someone warned the operator that there was a person still inside the tent.
Officials say the woman suffered minor injuries, and she was treated at the scene.
Four Months after the Closure of the “Jungle”:
STILL NO PLACE TO GO FOR SILICON VALLEY’S HOMELESS
Sponsored by CHAM and H.O.M.E.L.E.S.S., a group of homeless people,
advocates, and people of faith will gather at the former site of the
“Jungle” homeless encampment at 12 noon on Cesar Chavez Day, Tuesday
March 31.
We will speak out about the injury of a homeless woman last Friday while
Caltrans was bulldozing her tent in a “clean-up” near Story Road.
Thousands of Silicon Valley’s homeless still have no place to lay their
heads tonight, almost four months after the Jungle was destroyed by the
City of San Jose on December 4. In fact, the situation will get worse on
Wednesday, when the County winter shelter program discharges an
additional estimated 270 homeless out onto the streets.
People who were evicted from the Jungle have moved and been
displaced over and over with no end in sight. Some moved to the
Walmart parking lot, then Roberts Road, then south of Tully, then to
Phelan at the railroad tracks, then to north of Tully, then to Monterey
Highway, then to Almaden Road, and they are still moving.
When questioned by the Board of Supervisors on March 24, County
officials stated that there are some 5300-5400 homeless for whom there
is no housing or shelter available. When asked for their plan to address
this situation, they responded, “There is no proposal at this time.”
Having no proposal to house or shelter the homeless is not acceptable in
the richest area in the world. A five-year plan is not acceptable, because
people have no place to go right now. They are persecuted with endless
nightmare evictions, harassment, criminalization, and frequent seizure of
their personal belongings.
Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to organizing for justice for the poor, and
San Jose’s homeless and their allies are building a movement for the
same cause.
We call for an immediate commitment by elected officials to affordable
housing for the homeless and for all people in need in Silicon Valley.
While housing is being built, we call for establishment of legal
campgrounds with appropriate sanitary facilities and trash disposal.
Finally, we call on the state legislature to enact SB 608, the “Right to Rest
Law”, that would outlaw discrimination against homeless people in public
places.
JOIN US AT 12 NOON TUESDAY, MARCH 31
PLACE: THE FORMER “JUNGLE” ENCAMPMENT, SENTER & STORY ROAD, SAN JOSE
Please allow time for parking on Twelfth Street, near Kelley Park, or at
Walmart.