[Hpn] CITY DENIES REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY PERMIT FOR HOMELESS CAMP
Lucinda Houston
lucy@efn.org
Sun, 7 Jan 2001 12:42:03 -0800
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I considered not sending it, unclescam, because of some silly rules I =
keep hearing about speaking positive and no negative reporting. I write =
out of my feeling and my perception of reality. I have a unique =
perception that comes right from below and at the very bottom and I =
recall vividly the despair and fear I felt being there. I recall each =
thing that helped me and promoted me, my spirits, my hope, my faith, my =
"Just for today" well being and safety. I remember the things that =
helped trip me and bring me lower and had a negative and destructive =
impact on my frail being. (When you're down there and are void of means =
of helping yourself.. it is very real and scary.. nowhere to get it, but =
make do, make do, and pray for each day).
I would say I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but I have sincerely wished =
it on somebody. I wished it on my caseworker at the time, and still do =
with no retraction whatsoever, because I wanted her to know the real =
horror, fear and torture of living in this situation. She gave me so =
little, and smiled as I watched my life go down the drain, losing my =
credit (my good credit), taking my minor daughter immediately off our =
medical card after Family Shelter kicked my baby out at age 13, making =
her a very homeless teen in a city in which we had no relatives or =
safety nets whatsoever making her truly a product of the streets on her =
complete own, with strangers for mercy. She created hospital and =
ambulance bills to meet her medical needs. They kicked her out on the =
streets for acting/talking badly. She was acting out.. acting like a =
bad girl, defiant. Something that could have been dealt with in my =
compassionate, real world of people in a much more creative way. In my =
honest opinion, that was a very horrible, destructive way of dealing =
with that situation. It was inhuman. In ruins.
You can call it bitterness, or you can call it awareness, reality. It =
feels like bitterness, but I know it was oh, so real.
-----Original Message-----
From: unclescam <unclescam@buskers.org>
To: Lucinda Houston <lucy@efn.org>
Date: Sunday, January 07, 2001 11:52 AM
Subject: Re: [Hpn] CITY DENIES REQUEST FOR TEMPORARY PERMIT FOR =
HOMELESS CAMP
seems that your argument needs a lawyer. are you in court over this =
equal protection deal. it certainly seems you've made the class issue =
clear.=20
Lucinda Houston wrote:=20
``we felt that=20
we simply could not approve housing that fails to meet our most=20
minimal housing standards'' Rick Krochalis, director of the=20
city's Department of Design I think the person who stated this is =
not in touch with reality and/or is knowingly stating that he'd rather =
the homeless camping population and would-be campers scatter and fare =
the best way possible, without the stability and relative safety of an =
organized campsite.I think he'd better revoke the license of any county =
campgrounds in his area as being unsafe and less than minimum in =
standard for sleeping and temporary shelter, otherwise it might seem as =
if he is discriminating against the homeless population and causing them =
to suffer whereas he has no problem with "middle class" camping for =
families and individuals as being acceptable. His disparaging comments =
clearly indicate that his regard for humans in the state of homelessness =
is low and that he feels the homeless are inferior as humans and not =
deserving of the luxury of an organized campground. I guess the =
homeless have no voice as humans because of this regard (money talks, =
moneyless is an invitation for abuse and slights because you are only =
sub-human and stripped of honor and dignity without it).So, the bottom =
line is "So, we'll fail you, even if this is what you think you want and =
what would make you comfortable and more organized. we would rather you =
have less than the least in standard. That is our statement, our =
regard, and our concern for you".
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I considered not sending it, unclescam, because of =
some silly=20
rules I keep hearing about speaking positive and no negative =
reporting. I=20
write out of my feeling and my perception of reality. I have a =
unique=20
perception that comes right from below and at the very bottom and I =
recall=20
vividly the despair and fear I felt being there. I recall each =
thing that=20
helped me and promoted me, my spirits, my hope, my faith, my "Just for =
today"=20
well being and safety. I remember the things that helped trip me =
and bring=20
me lower and had a negative and destructive impact on my frail =
being. =20
(When you're down there and are void of means of helping yourself.. it =
is very=20
real and scary.. nowhere to get it, but make do, make do, and pray for =
each=20
day).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I would say I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but I =
have=20
sincerely wished it on somebody. I wished it on my caseworker at =
the time,=20
and still do with no retraction whatsoever, because I wanted her to know =
the=20
real horror, fear and torture of living in this situation. She =
gave me so=20
little, and smiled as I watched my life go down the drain, losing my =
credit (my=20
good credit), taking my minor daughter immediately off our medical =
card=20
after Family Shelter kicked my baby out at age 13, making her a very =
homeless=20
teen in a city in which we had no relatives or safety nets whatsoever =
making her=20
truly a product of the streets on her complete own, with strangers for=20
mercy. She created hospital and ambulance bills to meet her =
medical=20
needs. They kicked her out on the streets for acting/talking =
badly. =20
She was acting out.. acting like a bad girl, defiant. Something =
that could=20
have been dealt with in my compassionate, real world of people in a much =
more=20
creative way. In my honest opinion, that was a very horrible, =
destructive=20
way of dealing with that situation. It was inhuman. In=20
ruins.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>You can call it bitterness, or you can call it =
awareness,=20
reality. It feels like bitterness, but I know it was oh, so=20
real.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>-----Original =
Message-----</B><BR><B>From:=20
</B>unclescam <<A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:unclescam@buskers.org">unclescam@buskers.org</A>><BR><B=
>To:=20
</B>Lucinda Houston <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:lucy@efn.org">lucy@efn.org</A>><BR><B>Date: =
</B>Sunday,=20
January 07, 2001 11:52 AM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: [Hpn] CITY DENIES =
REQUEST FOR=20
TEMPORARY PERMIT FOR HOMELESS CAMP<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>seems that your =
argument needs a lawyer. are you in court over this equal protection =
deal. it=20
certainly seems you've made the class issue clear.=20
<P>Lucinda Houston wrote:=20
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3D"CITE"> <FONT size=3D-1>``we felt that</FONT> =
<BR><FONT=20
size=3D-1>we simply could not approve housing that fails to meet our =
most</FONT> <BR><FONT size=3D-1>minimal housing =
standards''</FONT> <FONT=20
size=3D-1>Rick Krochalis, director of the</FONT> <BR><FONT =
size=3D-1>city's=20
Department of Design</FONT> <FONT size=3D-1>I think the person =
who stated=20
this is not in touch with reality and/or is knowingly stating that =
he'd=20
rather the homeless camping population and would-be campers scatter =
and fare=20
the best way possible, without the stability and relative safety of =
an=20
organized campsite.</FONT><FONT size=3D-1>I think he'd better revoke =
the=20
license of any county campgrounds in his area as being unsafe and =
less than=20
minimum in standard for sleeping and temporary shelter, otherwise it =
might=20
seem as if he is discriminating against the homeless population and =
causing=20
them to suffer whereas he has no problem with "middle class" camping =
for=20
families and individuals as being acceptable. His disparaging =
comments=20
clearly indicate that his regard for humans in the state of =
homelessness is=20
low and that he feels the homeless are inferior as humans and not =
deserving=20
of the luxury of an organized campground. I guess the homeless =
have no=20
voice as humans because of this regard (money talks, moneyless is an =
invitation for abuse and slights because you are only sub-human and =
stripped=20
of honor and dignity without it).</FONT><FONT size=3D-1>So, the =
bottom line is=20
"So, we'll fail you, even if this is what you think you want and =
what would=20
make you comfortable and more organized. we would rather you =
have less=20
than the least in standard. That is our statement, our regard, =
and our=20
concern for you".</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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