July 2021A
Right to Housing:
a Civil Rights Newsletter
Racial Equity
The National Coalition for the Homeless kicked off the Bring America Home Now Campaign on June 17, 2021. The campaign has a website at www.bringamericahomenow.org which will soon be populated with policies, model legislation, success stories, and testimonials from politicians and those who overcame homelessness. What makes this campaign different from other housing/homeless campaigns is that there is a focus on civil rights, racial equity and voting rights. These issues do not usually appear on equal footing with housing, education, health care and income issues, but NCH has always believed that the inability to find or afford housing is a civil rights issue. We have always found that systemic racism in the housing sector and in the emergency response to homelessness is behind the disproportionate minority representation in the unhoused population and the fact that African Americans spend a longer period of time without housing compared to other racial groups.
Sweeps of Those Outside
With the restrictions imposed by the pandemic being lifted, we are seeing more and more cities engaged in sweeps. They are calling it safety inspections, clean ups, compassionate assistance, and many other euphemisms but in the end they are forced displacement of a population already struggling. The worst is in Venice Beach/Los Angeles California which has enlisted the Los Angeles Sheriff to offer housing choices to the unhoused with their gun and handcuffs ready if the person refuses. There was a plan to turn a parking lot into a shelter that was cancelled and tensions are rising.
Time Place and Manner Restrictions
Setback: Los Angeles City Council is debating making it easier for the city to enforce the anti-camping ordinance and to expand the scope of that law.
Victory: The Ft Lauderdale anti-panhandling law was overturned in June 2021. This is consistent with federal court decisions which are forcing cities to withdraw their panhandling restrictions across the US on free speech grounds. This decision is worth reading because the judge put a lot of time into explaining his reasoning.
Voting Rights
The US Supreme Court allowed the State of Arizona to limit access to the ballot box on the last day of their term. 17 states have passed restrictions on voting and the Voting Rights acts in Washington are stuck in the US Senate. The Brennan Center does the best job of tracking state legislation around voting. Legislations will be in the home districts this summer, please urge them to pass SB1 to protect voting in America. There was good news in that the US Justice Dept. will be suing states that pass legislation to restrict voting to protected classes.
Hate Crimes
There is very little discussion about how dangerous it is being homeless in America. There is so much violence, robberies, and harassment of those who live outside without the security of a front door. Mark Horvath of Invisible People reported that in his discussions with woman living on Skid Row Los Angeles that since the pandemic dangers are decreasing the number of rapes of women is increasing. He reported on a list of dangerous people that the women pass around on Skid Row.
Ft. Lauderdale FL: Joseph Darrigo, a panhandler who used clever signs to raise money, was found shot to death on June 20th. Police still do not have any leads and are seeking tips from the public on his death.
Victories
The Eviction moratorium was extended one month, and the Supreme Court allowed the CDC to continue that moratorium. There is still rental assistance funds to keep families in housing. California is proposing paying the back rent of every low income tenant in the state. We hope that this trend expands to other states.
Spotlight on a Struggling Community
Tickets began being issued in Austin Texas around sleeping outside esp. in tents. NCH is working with local advocates to stop the criminalization efforts. We have regularly reported on the issues in Sacramento California and now the Mayor is proposing a strange strategy to force people into housing. He is proposing a civil penalty if the person refuses the housing. This seems to mean that they will probate people who refuse to go to shelter or other housing.
We Remember...
We remember those living rough in the Northwest during this incredible heat. Both Washington and Oregon are reporting daily records for high temperatures and many dying because of the inability to find relief.
We also need to remember all those fragile people who sought shelter and died because of Covid. The Los Angeles Times reported on one hotel in which a number of people experiencing homelessness died, but many communities have reported similar issues.
Action Alert --
Check out the Bring America Home Now campaign website and let us know what policy solutions would most quickly end homelessness in America. What national policies in education, housing, health care, civil rights, racial equity, and income would have the greatest impact on reducing poverty and provide housing justice to the broadest population?
Other Civil Rights updates
- We asked that Governors not repeal extended federal unemployment. Obviously, our advocacy failed with 24 Governors ending unemployment early. So half of the country will get to keep the additional federal unemployment while the other half will be cut off. The New York Times has completed a look at the results in Missouri after extended unemployment ended and found that people are not returning to work as was hoped.
NCH misses Michael Stoops watching over our meetings and only rarely adding his input.
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 third month or so, but this month we will post a second newsletter that will go only to Civil Rights leaders or those who have requested a copy of the Civil Rights 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.
Goals of the Civil Rights Committee
Moratorium on Police Sweeps. A Justice Department issued federal ban on police sweeps of homeless encampments or squatters without court overseen eviction proceedings during the pandemic.
NCH supports an Executive Order on an Eviction Moratorium which was extended until June 2021.
Social Workers in Place of Police Officers. While the sweeps moratorium is in place, law enforcement would be told to implement a new policing model in which every jurisdiction would dispatch social workers to deal with calls regarding people experiencing homelessness instead of law enforcement.
Panhandling Laws Dismissed. Partner with the National advocates to ask the Justice Department to issue guidance to the local jurisdictions that panhandling is protected speech, and local communities need to stop enforcing unconstitutional laws.
You Don’t Need a Home to Vote. NCH supports the national John Lewis Voting Rights Act legislation and will work to see it passed into law. Other concepts in voting that make it easier for people experiencing homelessness is registration deadlines and early voting beginning so that a homeless individual can do both at the same time. Finally with regard to voting, either identification is free in the United States or cannot be required to vote.
Hate Crimes Collection of Data. The Justice Department needs to mandate that bias crimes against members of a protected class be collected by every local jurisdiction and reported in a timely manner to the Federal database. Congress should expand the definition of protected classes to include those without a safe secure place to sleep as well as lesbian, gay, transgender, and questioning individuals.
Investigating Police Violence. NCH will ask the Justice Department to mandate that officer involved shootings must be investigated by the state police and not the law enforcement from a local area.
National Coalition for the Homeless, 2201 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
Don't like these emails? Unsubscribe
|
