May 2021a
Right to Housing:
a Civil Rights Newsletter
Racial Equity
We are interested in your opinion for how to rebuild the homeless social safety net without all of the racist structures of the past? The lack of oversight, the lack of involvement by those experiencing homelessness, the lack of minority representation among the leadership of the social services are all an issue. What do you think are solutions--email us at [email protected]. Do we establish quotas based on the minority make up of the homeless population in a jurisdiction or apply mandates to programs with historically poor records of involvement by those with lived experience?
Interactions with Police: Law Enforcement Violence
Willie Barber who police identified as homeless was savagely beaten on video inside a Miami grocery store by a police officer for the alleged crime of stealing some chicken. Bystanders posted the video and commented on the lack of humanity by the officer. Will the grocery store, Publix, apologize for employing the officer who went to such extremes to arrest a potential shoplifter? This does call attention to the need for stronger police oversight and rooting out violent and racist officers from law enforcement. NCH will be asking Publix to make a statement condemning the actions of the police officer and committing to a change.
Time, Place, Manner Restrictions
The citizens of the City of Austin are currently voting on Proposition B that would ban camping in the jurisdiction. This is contrary to Centers for Disease Control guidelines to not conduct sweeps during the pandemic. Faith leaders have come out in opposition to this ballot initiative. The Governor and businesses have poured money into the campaign. The State is also moving forward on a law outlawing camping on public lands.
San Francisco police responded to 65,000 calls about people experiencing homelessness in one year. In a policy change led by people who have stayed on the streets, the city is attempting to reroute those calls to a Compassionate Alternative Response Team to address the human service needs of the population. This could be a model for other communities.
Body cam photo from a Cleveland Police officer fired in 2021 for immediately using his stun gun on a man who lived in a shelter among other offenses.
Voting Rights
There are now 47 state legislatures working to restrict voting in the United States. It is impossible for any national group to attempt to challenge all these laws. They range from shortening or eliminating early voting to increasing the requirements for identification or even forcing people to have a witness sign an absentee ballot. They accept long lines to vote and then outlaw handing out food. These laws are in response to an insignificant level of fraud in the 2020 election. These laws target lower income voters in an effort to discourage voting in the United States. We need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR 1) to counter all these horrible restrictions on voting.
Hate Crimes
There is a disturbing rise in attacks on Americans of Asian descent, and some of those attacks have been by homeless individuals as we begin to come out of the pandemic shut downs. NCH wants to express our condolences to those who are victims of violence based on hate. We need to rethink and overhaul the mental health crisis outreach in the United States.
Victories
HUD Restored the rights of trans homeless individuals to use the shelter of the sex in which they identify along with other LGBTQ rights. We need Congress to pass these rights into law so that no future HUD Secretary can withdraw these basic human rights. Pass the Equality Act!
Also, the appointment and Senate approval of Vanita Gupta as the #3 in the US Justice Dept is a huge victory for Civil Rights in the United States. Congrats to Ms. Gupta--you have a big job in front of you.
Spotlight on a Struggling Community
Skid Row Los Angeles is the largest group of displaced households in the United States. It is dangerous, depressing and quite a contrast to their neighbors in the Fashion District, Inglewood, or Hollywood. A recent court decision could force the City and County to house all these individuals in the next few months. Here is a copy of the injunction by Judge David O. Carter. It is actually a good read by the Judge and not confined to just the traditional legal arguments. Both the City and County have asked that the order be put on hold while they appeal to the District Court. Local activists want to assure that the residents of Skid Row are offered housing and not pushed into overcrowded and dangerous shelters.
We Remember...
Image from Street Roots street newspaper in Portland
The National Coalition for the Homeless is calling on Todd Jones, CEO of Publix, to terminate the employment of Miami police officer and Publix security guard, Alexander Garcia Contreras, who was caught on video at your Miami Publix supermarket beating a homeless man, Willie Barber for the alleged crime of stealing a sandwich. For more details and the contact information to reach out to Publix go to the bottom of this email.
Other Civil Rights updates
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The City of Detroit is "temporarily" relocating groups of homeless people to renovate the downtown Hart Plaza.
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The City of Sacramento has seen two homeless people found hanging from a tree in the last 7 months. Both were ruled a suicide. Activists are seeking an independent investigation.
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We have distributed 2.3 million masks over the last 4 months as part of Ford Motor Company Mask distribution program #FinishStong.
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NCH supports the effort for the thousands of people who experience homeless in DC to be able to elect their federal leadership who may be work to reduce poverty.
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Can a homeless liaison within the Police Department ever work? The Portland liaison only lasted a year, and many are frustrated with the inability to reform law enforcement.
- We need a national homeless bill of rights that sets a minimum standard for shelters that involve people with lived experience providing oversight.
- The Oregon Right to Rest hearing was withdrawn and the hearing was a sham. Activists are organizing for a work around.
- When is the phrase "No Section 8" going to be outlawed as a form of discrimination in the United States?
Other Updates on the NCH Website
- We give details on how to help those without housing to get the Covid Relief funds they are entitled to here.
- We posted an action alert imploring cities not to go back to large congregate shelters after the pandemic here. They do not work for most people and have a troubled history.
- NCH provides a commentary on the release of the Annual Assessment by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the flawed numbers.
- We provided profiles of the new HUD Secretary Marica Fudge and the new Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
- NCH asks for reform of the New York City shelters in light of a scandal exposed by the NY Times with one of the shelter/housing providers. These recommendations can be replicated in any city in the country.
What can I do?
Take Action this month:
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Please call or e-mail Publix and ask them to terminate the police officer/security staff who savagely beat the person experiencing homelessness for the crime of allegedly stealing a sandwich See Below.
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Have you heard of any harassment by law enforcement of individuals without homes for minor bicycle infractions like not wearing a helmet or not having their bike's registered. Please contact us if you have seen a rise in ticketing or arresting homeless bicyclists.
Contact us
We have a monthly call for advocates at local coalitions who work on Civil Rights Issues. Contact us if you represent a Coalition of advocates who want to help protect the rights of those experiencing homelessness at [email protected].
This newsletter is going out to all members for the second month or so, but we are building a list of individual and organizational members who want to continue to receive this newsletter. If you want to stay on the Right to Housing Civil Right Newsletter please drop me an e-mail to continue to receive this information [email protected] or if you want to suggest content or information.
Action Alert: Contact Publix
Date: May 7, 2021
WHO: Todd Jones, CEO of Publix Supermarket Company
WHAT: Condemn the actions of Law Enforcement for beating a homeless man in your Miami Store
The National Coalition for the Homeless is calling on Todd Jones, CEO of Publix, to terminate the employment of Miami police officer and Publix security guard, Alexander Garcia Contreras, who was caught on video at your Miami Publix supermarket beating a homeless man, Willie Barber for the alleged crime of stealing a sandwich. We want the police officer fired from both Publix and from his day job in law enforcement and brought up on assault charges. No one is above the law and no one should act as judge, jury and executioner especially in a matter of a $5 chicken sandwich.
Publix officials have to be aware that because of the pandemic, there are lines of traffic waiting to get food in almost every city in America. So many have lost their jobs and much of their income that food insecurity is a huge issue right now. We can all agree that stealing is wrong, but it does not justify the disgusting display of violence released on that bystander video in the Miami Publix. We are aware from local activists that Publix is often the first group willing to give during a natural disaster and are the backbone in many communities of the anti-hunger programs, which makes it all the more surprising that they have yet to publicly condemn the actions of the officer and to end his employment after 16 days.
We are concerned that in the time of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Duante Wright that there was not better training around use of force in shoplifting cases. We are concerned with the Publix hiring and monitoring of its security personnel considering the seven use of force incidents by Officer Contreras over the last five years. We believe that corporations in South Florida might need to reconsider employing Miami Police Department in security positions if their officers are so quick to escalate a situation into a violent confrontation. NCH is asking the Publix CEO to condemn these actions, fire this officer and tell the public what actions they are taking to assure that this will not happen again. Will they offer training to their security personnel? Will they look into the history of the use of force by the police officers in their employment? Will they work to weed out racism from their security staff?
We are asking all of our members to call the Communications Department of Publix with this simple message to deliver to Todd Jones CEO
1. Fire the law enforcement officer in that Miami Publix who beat Mr. Barber.
2. Compensate Mr. Barber for his pain and suffering inflicted by this Publix security employee.
3. Implement an updated training message to all Publix employees that you will not tolerate a violent response to shoplifting, because it endangers the lives of customers and employees alike.
4. During the orientation process as well as on-going training modules that Publix will work to eliminate inherent bias and racist tendencies by all employees.
Please deliver the message to Maria Brous Director of Communications for Publix at 863-688-1188 ext 55339 or [email protected] and ask her to forward the message to Todd Jones. You can also contact them on their social media feeds: Twitter: @Publix or Facebook.
National Coalition for the Homeless, 2201 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
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