Fw: A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
William Tinker (wtinker@fcgnetworks.net)
Thu, 18 Nov 1999 12:10:53 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: William Tinker <wtinker@fcgnetworks.net>
To: <thearn@thewestgategazette.com>; <jshaheen@shaheen.org>;
<bernard.streeter@hitchcock.org>; Lilly Cote <lili@worldpath.net>;
<cbass@hr.house.gov>; <mailbox@gregg.senate.gov>
Cc: Grassroots Media Network <gnn@grassrootsnews.org>; William Tinker
<wtinker@fcgnetworks.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 5:28 PM
Subject: Fw: A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
> 11-17-99
> To All It Concerns:
> Please listen to and hear the message,it is possible we could resolve a
> huge socialogical issue and enrich our own by helping someone less
fortunate
> then ourselves,it would be nice if the politicians would come up with the
> fianances to enable the homeless to run their own programs...
> The following could work with some vision any where if applied and
funded!
> Thanks for all your attention! "A Brother In Strife And Peace"
> Bill Tinker
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: William Tinker <wtinker@fcgnetworks.net>
> To: <NHHouseDems@juno.com>; <k_brown@wmur.com>; <news@seacoastonline.com>;
> <news@cmonitor.com>; <news@keenesentinel.com>; <reformer@sover.net>
> Cc: Thomas Cagle <nh-adapt@juno.com>; <HPN@aspin.asu.edu>;
> <homelessworld@egroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 1999 12:46 PM
> Subject: Fw: A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
>
>
> > 11-17-99
> > To All It Concerns:
> > Please find a plan,to end homelessness,it could be utilized in any
state
> or
> > city,but I have recently learned that there is no Homeless Coalition for
> New
> > Hampshire because of a lack of money?
> > I am curious as to how can the state have 9 million extra dollars
kicking
> > around that has not been used to help any body,as of yet and would
really
> > appreciate some kind of excuse for allowing people to die on the street
> > rather than renovate some buildings,that the state owns or towns and
give
> a
> > place to get out of the elements,and a hot meal once in a while....???
> > At any rate I enclose a plan to end homelessness in our life time,and
> these
> > persons did not get paid to do this work,but it is a reality check for
> > people who don,t believe that there is and all ways will be a culture of
> > haves and have nots untill we learn to re educate our selves one and all
> > that abuse comes in all forms and from all departments,I hope I have
been
> > some ones consciense today,and I voted democrate last two elections
too,I
> > question my sanity now,can you change my mind?
> > Respectfully yours,
> > William Tinker&Linda Morgan
> > 25 Granite Street
> > Nothfield,N.H. 03276-1640
> > 1-603-286-2492
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: ch@nce <coh@sfo.com>
> > To: <wtinker@fcgnetworks.net>
> > Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 10:40 PM
> > Subject: A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
> >
> >
> > > Bill, you inspire me. Peace, ch@nce
> > >
> > > **********************************************************************
> > > ***********************
> > >
> > > A PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS IN SAN FRANCISCO
> > >
> > > Compiled by Homeless and Poor People in San Francisco
> > >
> > > HOMELESS PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
> > > October 27, 1999
> > > Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco
> > >
> > >
> > > WE THE HOMELESS PEOPLE
> > > ratify the following action plan to end of homelessness on this
> > > twenty-seventh of October, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety Nine.
> > >
> > > Introduction
> > >
> > > San Francisco has failed to solve the problem of homelessness.
> > > While the number of homeless individuals and families in San Francisco
> > > and across the U.S. has continued to rise at an alarming rate, we have
> > > witnessed an alarming increase in police-based responses to the
presence
> > > of homeless people in public spaces. But homelessness is an economic
> > > issue, not a nuisance issue.
> > >
> > > There has been precious little public discussion of the reality that
> > > homelessness, like most other social problems, can, in fact, be
> > > alleviated. The Coalition on Homelessness submits the following Plan
> > > For Action to all concerned residents of the City and County of San
> > > Francisco, and urge all who are concerned about the homeless problem
to
> > > take action for change.
> > >
> > >
> > > Guiding Principles
> > >
> > > o We must ensure that homeless people can actively participate in
> > > the development and implementation of programs and policies that
> > > directly or indirectly impact homeless people.
> > >
> > > o The City must stop sinking money into temporary Band-Aid
> > > solutions.
> > >
> > > o The City must stop creating and continuing policies that
> > > criminalize people for life sustaining acts that they must do in
public
> > > because they are homeless.
> > >
> > > o The City must ensure that all services in San Francisco must be
> > > provided with dignity, respect and equality.
> > >
> > > o The City and its Departments must provide honest, accurate and
> > > timely information about policies and decision making.
> > >
> > > o Services should be culturally appropriate and competent for the
> > > populations being served.
> > >
> > >
> > > Action Steps
> > >
> > > Housing
> > >
> > > The City must have a commitment to provide dignified, decent housing
to
> > > meet the needs of homeless and very low-income people in San
Francisco.
> > > Central to this commitment is the responsibility to develop new
funding
> > > sources dedicated to the creation of truly affordable housing.
> > >
> > > 1. Create a Housing Trust Fund from general fund money that is
> > > dedicated to the creation of low income housing.
> > >
> > > 2. All new housing should be developed, maintained and operated by
> > > homeless people paid a living wage and available for all homeless San
> > > Franciscans regardless of background.
> > >
> > > o For those who need it, mental health and substance use services
> > > would be offered.
> > >
> > > o Housing created should serve all those who are homeless individuals
> > > including unmarried couples, alternative families, youth, seniors, and
> > > people with disabilities.
> > >
> > > o Housing created should have kitchen facilities and adequate
> > > bathroom/shower facilities.
> > >
> > > o Low income housing must make accommodations for people's pets.
> > >
> > > o Substance use should not be a barrier to housing.
> > >
> > > 3. Create housing subsidies for families and individuals to ensure
> > > that a shorter waiting list for Section 8, and other housing programs
> > > exists.
> > >
> > > 4. Pass legislation that mandates that 20% of all surplus public
> > > lands be dedicated to housing homeless people.
> > >
> > > 5. Change HUD regulation to give currently homeless families and
> > > individuals priority to get into public housing.
> > >
> > > 6. Make existing housing available at the Presidio for homeless
> > > people.
> > >
> > > 7. Pass the Public Housing Protection Act that would provide one to
> > > one replacement of all HUD housing units demolished by the federal
> > > government, ensures financial accountability, and guarantees the
rights
> > > of people to return to housing.
> > >
> > > 8. Expand funding a citywide eviction prevention which combines legal
> > > services with grants for back payment of rent.
> > >
> > > 9. Hotels must not be allowed to force people to move after 27 days
> > > to avoid their gaining tenant rights. All other loopholes allowing
> > > landlords to evict low income tenants should be closed.
> > >
> > > 10. Implement "vacancy control" so landlords will not be allowed to
> > > raise the rent when a tenant moves out.
> > >
> > > 11. Utilize housing that is in tax default and has code violations
> > > for homeless families and individuals.
> > >
> > > 12. Ensure that housing affordable to extremely and very low-income
> > > people will conform to health and building standards by holding
funding
> > > contingent on buildings meeting health and safety codes.
> > >
> > > 13. Hotels should be restricted from charging residents for
> > > non-overnight visitors. One piece of ID should be sufficient for
> > > visitors.
> > >
> > > 14. Change laws to make squatting legal.
> > >
> > > 15. Refuse to let police or Sheriff evict tenants under new
> > > non-citizenship clause of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility
> > > Act.
> > >
> > > 16. Ban HUD from sharing information with the INS.
> > >
> > >
> > > Economic Justice
> > >
> > > People must have adequate access to humane employment, and economic
> > > opportunities in order to acquire and maintain housing.
> > >
> > > 1. Actively support a living wage bill in San Francisco that will
> > > allow working families and individuals to be self-sufficient.
> > >
> > > 2. Ensure full implementation of First Source Legislation which
> > > requires businesses that contract with the city to hire homeless
people
> > > and public assistance recipients, as well as have training programs
that
> > > lead people into jobs.
> > >
> > > 3. Establish citywide jobs program, making 200 full-time and 100
> > > part-time jobs available to workfare workers at prevailing wages for a
> > > period of 2 years.
> > >
> > > 4. Award workfare workers the rights of other union employees,
> > > including paying prevailing wages, work place protections and allow
for
> > > other benefits.
> > >
> > > 5. Provide more language and training programs for all individuals
> > > with more appropriate schedules that allow for those that work or have
> > > children to attend.
> > >
> > > 6. Provide training and opportunities in alternative economies where
> > > documentation is not a barrier to employment. This includes the
> > > creation of more day labor and casual labor opportunities where you
are
> > > hired if you show up and you are paid at the end of the day. Workers
> > > should also be provided with worker rights training.
> > >
> > > 7. Provide job retention services to ensure that there are necessary
> > > support services for homeless people placed in jobs.
> > >
> > > 8. Make quality, affordable childcare available to working parents
> > > and those in search of work.
> > >
> > > 9. Make welfare treat recipients with respect: keep recipients
> > > informed of their status, reduce paperwork, and provide ongoing,
> > > adequate training for workers.
> > >
> > > 10. Expedite reciprocity agreement with adjoining counties that allow
> > > families forced to leave San Francisco to continue their training,
> > > education, childcare and other welfare related programs in San
Francisco
> > > while they receive their benefits in their new county of residence.
> > >
> > > 11. All welfare recipients should receive an annual cost of living
> > > increase.
> > >
> > > 12. Voluntary money management program should be available for those
> > > who seek it.
> > >
> > > 13. Reform the PAES program to include voluntary job placement. and
> > > provision of decent housing for no more than 30% of monthly income.
> > > Department of Human Services should not stipulate where PAES
recipients
> > > look for employment.
> > >
> > > 14. Provide more employment opportunities that do not discriminate
> > > based on criminal convictions, legal status and lack of official
> > > identification.
> > >
> > > 15. The City should apply for State and Federal grants to create
> > > jobs that pay a living wage.
> > >
> > > 16. Places need to be established for homeless people to put their
> > > pets and belongings while they are working, as well as availability of
> > > appropriate work and interview clothing.
> > >
> > > 17. Service providers and businesses should have apprenticeship
> > > programs for homeless people to enter the industry.
> > >
> > > 18. All services, including shelters, job training, education, and
> > > health care must be accessible to employed individuals needs.
> > >
> > >
> > > Health Care
> > >
> > > Health care must be made accessible and available to all, focused on
> > > quality, appropriate to the needs of patients or clients, integrated
in
> > > its approach, convenient in its location and compassionate in its
> > > application.
> > >
> > > 1. Commit to full funding of treatment on demand to build a community
> > > based treatment system that fully serves the diversity of San
Francisco.
> > >
> > > o This must include bilingual and culturally appropriate substance
> > > use treatment.
> > >
> > > o Access should also include twenty-four hour services such as detox,
> > > and include facilities for youth.
> > >
> > > o Minors should be able to access to all treatment (including
> > > methadone) without parental consent or fear of legal trouble.
> > >
> > > o Aftercare for people who go through residential or outpatient drug
> > > treatment to help them adjust to life on the outsides.
> > >
> > > o Harm reduction principles should be integrated into all treatment
> > > programs.
> > >
> > > 2. Rebuild the mental health care system to address both the acute
> > > and chronic mental health care needs of homeless San Franciscans,
> > > including culturally appropriate and bilingual mental health care.
This
> > > includes the expansion of all levels of treatment including expansion
of
> > > residential treatment programs, both in number and length of stay.
> > > Mental health treatment should be voluntary and not require
> > > incarceration in order to access treatment.
> > >
> > > 3. Guaranteed access and clientele's choice to the latest medication
> > > and therapy including holistic therapy.
> > >
> > > 4. The City must make all efforts to make health care facilities
> > > welcome and available to homeless people. This means having well
> > > trained staff, as well as not prohibiting homeless people from being
on
> > > clinic properties after hours.
> > >
> > > 5. Increase availability of mobile medical vans to increase access to
> > > health care to people who are unable to access the clinics and
> > > hospitals.
> > >
> > > 6. Provide bilingual and culturally sensitive programs for women that
> > > come from domestic violence.
> > >
> > > 7. Bathrooms should be accessible 24 hours throughout the City.
> > >
> > > 8. Ensure that individuals who are hospitalized during their stay
> > > at a shelter do not lose their bed space.
> > >
> > >
> > > Civil and Human Rights
> > >
> > > The human and civil rights of all people must be respected, regardless
> > > of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or economic
status.
> > > People forced to live on the streets and in shelters should not face
> > > additional discrimination as a result
> > >
> > > 1. Always separate the criminal justice system from service providers
> > > and the provision of benefits.
> > >
> > > 2. Take affirmative steps to end hate crimes directed against
> > > homeless and very poor people.
> > >
> > > 3. Prohibit all private taxation "benefit zones," (Business
> > > Improvement Districts) that privatize public spaces and act to further
> > > criminalize homelessness through the use of private security forces.
> > >
> > > 4. All social service staff should be well trained and safeguard the
> > > privacy and property rights of homeless people.
> > >
> > > 5. All homeless people should be treated with respect, equality and
> > > without discrimination regardless of race, ethnicity, religion,
> > > disability, housing and economic status, substance use, nature of
> > > employment, age, immigration status, gender, gender preference, or
> > > sexual orientation.
> > >
> > > 6. Embrace equal access to public spaces for homeless and non
> > > homeless people, including the elimination of architectural barriers
to
> > > people being in such public places.
> > >
> > > 7. Ban all laws, and enforcement of laws that in practice target
> > > homeless people for their status of being homeless.
> > >
> > > 8. Implement a comprehensive independent grievance process for all
> > > city social services and treatment programs.
> > >
> > > 9. Provide twenty four hour notice before removing homeless people's
> > > unattended property, and stop the confiscation of any property that is
> > > attended.
> > >
> > > 10. All programs must comply with applicable local, state and
> > > federal disability rights laws protecting the rights of persons with
> > > disabilities and insuring access to government benefits and services.
> > >
> > > 11. Programs that provide shelter, housing and treatment services to
> > > families shall not require that families separate as a condition of
> > > obtaining these resources. This includes alternative families and
> > > unmarried couples.
> > >
> > > 12. Ensure that community oversight bodies, including Local Homeless
> > > Coordinating Board, are empowered in full, work to receive direct
input
> > > from people using the services, and ensure both quality services and
> > > financial accountability.
> > >
> > > 13. Ensure Shelter Monitoring Committee is fully empowered in all
> > > city funded shelters to monitor shelters, and receive direct input
from
> > > homeless people staying in shelters, as well as front line staff.
> > >
> > > Conclusion
> > >
> > > In a City which is rapidly losing affordable housing, the above
> > > steps should be viewed as steps toward proactively addressing
> > > homelessness. So long as public discourse on the problem of
> > > homelessness remains centered around "Quality of Life," and is not
> > > explicitly linked to the lack of affordable housing, subsidized health
> > > care, economic equity, and civil rights for the City's indigent
> > > residents, the problem will continue to grow.
> > >
> > > It is has been said that so long as one person is hungry, none can
> > > eat in peace. It should also be said that as long as one person is
> > > homeless, none can sleep in peace. It is in the spirit of this truth
> > > that we must not complacently accept that people are sleeping on the
> > > streets in San Francisco. With hard work, we can end homelessness
once
> > > and for all.
> > >
> > > We urge all people concerned about the future of San Francisco to
> > > earnestly evaluate this Plan. And then to Act upon it.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ***A note on how this document was put together:
> > >
> > > This document was based on input received from over 250 homeless
people
> > > at twenty-six different meetings taking place around the city during
the
> > > months of June, July, and August. The sites where input was gathered
> > > include: United Nations Plaza, Collingwood Park, Cesar Chavez Street,
> > > Dolores Street Community Services, Golden Gate Park, Multi-Service
> > > Center North shelter, Multi-Service Center South shelter, Hamilton
> > > Family Shelter, Vehicularly Housed Residential Association, St.
> > > Anthony's Women's shelter, Lutheran Church, St. Anthony's Poverello
> > > Room, A Women's Place, Mission Rock, A Man's Place, The Sanctuary
> > > Shelter, Lutheran Church, Hospitality House, United Nations Plaza,
> > > Collingwood Park, Cesar Chavez Street, Dolores Street Community
> > > Services, Golden Gate Park, Washington Square Park, Haight Ashbury
Youth
> > > Outreach, and McMillan Drop-In Center.
> > > Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco
> > > 468 Turk St.
> > > San Francisco, CA 94102
> > > vox: (415) 346.3740
> > > Fax: (415) 775.5639
> > > coh@sfo.com
> > > http://www.sfo.com/~coh
> > >
> >
> >
>