|
|
|
|
|
In Our Words: Dolores Street Blog
We're blogging! Check back often to see what we're up to: New Entries Made Regularly!
|
|
|
SF CHRONICLE REACHES NEW LOW
FALSELY BLAMES HOMELESS
COALITION FOR FATAL OVERDOSE
- By Jennifer Friedenbach, Coalition on Homelessness
In an outlandish and brazenly dishonest article by Chuck
Nevius, columnist for the SF Chronicle, the Coalition on Homelessness citation
defense program is blamed for the overdose of James Hill, a man who passed away
recently in the San Francisco Library's Main Branch.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Last
week I made the mistake of reading one of C.W. Nevius's columns on homelessness in the
Chronicle. I was so outraged at the
column that I made a few calls to other Homeless Service Providers to vent. I
was planning to write to the Chronicle but dropped it, however today in the letters
to the Editor Someone else wrote a letter that shed some light on the
issue. So I hope it is ok to reprint his
letter on our blog. - Eric Quezada
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Preserving San Francisco’s Only 24-hour Drop-in Center
Update - Buster's
Place closed on Monday, March 31st without a complete, permanent
alternative in place. Instead, the city has decided to temporarily use 150 Otis
St. as a drop-in center that has less capacity and will only serve men. The
temporary drop-in center will be available from April 1st through
June 30th. By design, the City's transition plan left people without
a place to go on Monday night, and women with fewer options for shelter.
Somewhere in the city, people with nice, cushy,
leather-covered chairs have decided that chairs for people who are homeless
cost too much...
When people can't get a bed at our Dolores Street or other
shelters, sometimes they go to Buster's Place on Mission Street. Buster's Place
is the only 24-hour drop-in center in San Francisco. For many people, it is a
better alternative to being on the streets, and in some cases an alternative to
shelter. This is a critical service that should be preserved until an
alternative exists. A closure now will overwhelm other shelters and leave
dozens of people out in the cold.
The community has to fight (again) to provide homeless communities
a chair to sit in. Speak your mind on March 4, 2008, 3 pm, at 101 Grove Street,
Room 300 in San Francisco.
|
|
|
Standard of Care for Shelters Legislation
Update - The Standard
of Care legislation was approved by the Board of Supervisors and signed into
law by Mayor Newsom on Friday, March 28th. Changes are already under
way at Dolores Street shelters.
A year ago, I started attending workgroup meetings by the
Shelter Monitoring Committee to create a standard of care for shelters. On
February 20, 2008, the Standard of Care Legislation was introduced by Supervisor
Ammiano at the Budget and Finance Committee. We spoke strongly in favor of the
legislation, with only one public comment spoken not in favor of this
legislation.
It is a tough argument to make that San Francisco does not
have money to support the provision of basic supplies, training and support for
improving conditions. Other costly changes to the shelter system are being
discussed in the media. At the same time community-based programs are asked to
sacrifice unspent money from our budgets, to ameliorate the upcoming budget
deficit. We need these standards supported to make shelters a viable
alternative to living on the streets.
The hearing on the SOC Legislation will continue on March 5th
at 1 p.m., Legislative Chamber, City Hall, Room 250. We encourage our
readers and supporters to contact the Board of Supervisors in favor of this
legislation.
For more information contact the Shelter Monitoring
Committee, or the Coalition on
Homelessness.
|
|
|
Immigrant Legal & Education Network Update
We’ve been busy the last couple of months preparing for
workshops, festivals and presentations. We’ve wrapped up our series at CCSF
Downtown campus where we shared resources on what to do if you’re stopped by
Immigration Customs Enforcement (I.C.E), what services are available for
immigrants and one-on-one consultations with an immigration attorney.
Last weekend, rain or shine, we were out at the Chinese New
Year festival talking to folks about immigration issues and handing out lots of
brochures on: U-Visa, Tips on Traveling for immigrants and Deportation &
Detention. You can download all these brochures in Spanish, Chinese and English
on our website, http://www.sfimmigrantnetwork.org.
Next week we’re holding a workshop for families whose
relative has been detained by ICE and how you can prepare your family in case
of an emergency.
If your organization is interested in holding a workshop on
Know Your Rights, please feel free to call any of our organizations.
We’ve got more events coming up, so be sure to check out the
website to see what’s next!
|
|
|
|
|
