• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
WRAP

WRAP

Western Regional Advocacy Project

  • Donate Now
  • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • 40 Years of Fighting
    • History
    • Mission
    • Strategy
    • Members
    • Board / Staff
  • Campaigns
    • Business Improvement Districts
    • House Keys Not Sweeps
    • Homeless Bill of Rights
    • Oregon Right To Rest
    • Without Housing
    • Street Outreach
  • Organizing Tools
    • Without Housing Organizing Toolkit
    • Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign Manual
    • WRAP Organizers Manual
    • WRAP Artwork
  • Resources
    • Pipe Dreams and Picket Fences Report
    • Art in Action Power Point Slide Show
    • Hobos to Street People
    • House Keys Book
    • Political Education
    • Legal Research
  • Media
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Hobos to Street People Art Show
    • Street Newspapers
    • Sweeps Gallery Videos
    • Videos
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Monthly Sustainer
    • Volunteer
    • Support WRAP
    • WRAP Newsletters & Updates Sign Up

For Immediate Release – Thursday, March 24th, 2016 SB 876 and The Fight for Poor People’s Civil Rights is Back with a New Hearing Scheduled in Sacramento

March 25, 2016 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

For Immediate Release – Thursday, March 24th, 2016
SB 876 and The Fight for Poor People’s Civil Rights is Back with a New Hearing Scheduled in Sacramento
Press Contacts:
Paul Boden, Western Regional Advocacy Project, pboden@wraphome.org. 415-430-7358
Lisa Marie Alatorre, SF Coalition on Homelessness, lmalatorre@cohsf.org. 510-982-9275
Eric Ares, Los Angeles Community Action Network, erica@cangress.org. 213-458-3909

SACRAMENTO – Community organizers from the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), a coalition of 9 core organizations and over 175 allied organizations, move legislation written by and for poor and homeless people for the third year. SB 876 demands an end to discriminatory policing practices that criminalize homeless people for sitting, resting, sleeping, lying and eating in public when they have nowhere else to do so. On Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 SB 876 will have its first hearing in the Senate Housing and Transportation Committee.

According to Senator Liu, “this bill is intended to ensure equal rights for the homeless.  It’s time to address poverty, mental health, and the plight of the homeless head-on as a social issue and not a criminal issue.  Citing the homeless for simply resting in a public space creates a criminal record that can lead to rejection for jobs, education loans, and housing and further block their pathway out of poverty,” she added.

The Western Regional Advocacy Project has been gaining momentum over the past 3 years, running similar legislation in both Oregon and Colorado state legislatures. While the demands of decriminalizing rest are humble, if this legislation passes the effects for poor and homeless people would be monumental. However, with 73 cities, 3 counties and 3 towns declaring opposition to this legislation it is clear that local jurisdictions want to maintain their ability to harass criminalize and disappear poor and homeless people from public space. Despite the fact that on average 70% of these cities, counties and towns homeless populations are unsheltered meaning that they would need to engage their life-sustaining activities in public.

This hearing also comes at a time when federal governmental organizations like the Department of Justice (DOJ), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.N. are beginning to look closely at the practice of criminalizing homelessness. The U.N. recently released a report which called criminalizing homelessness as “cruel and unusual punishment” mirrored by the DOJ’s claim that criminalization is “unconstitutional.”

“We know that when SB 876 passes that tens of thousands of homeless people’s lives will change exponentially. Without the barrier of fines, court dates, bench warrants, and jail time for engaging in life-sustaining activities, homeless people can actually search for opportunities to exit homelessness” said Lisa Marie Alatorre of SF Coalition on Homelessness. “This bill is also about more than just protecting homeless people from discriminatory policing, it is about demanding the right for poor and homeless people to exist”
###

Filed Under: #right2rest, Civil & Human Rights, Local Government, Press Releases, State Campaigns, State Government, WRAP in the News

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Footer

Instagram Feed

Nationally, evictions from public housing have sur Nationally, evictions from public housing have surged since late 2021, when the federal government lifted an eviction moratorium put in place to protect renters during the pandemic, according to Peter Hepburn, associate director of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab.  https://conta.cc/3WJco9B
WRAP members and allies always tell us the vital i WRAP members and allies always tell us the vital importance of feeling connected to each other- sharing stories from our own communities, learning from past campaigns, and having artwork that we can share (and wear!) that affirms the life-saving message that we are in this together - we are not alone! 
https://conta.cc/3Wfb5Pw
Join the Coalition On Homelessness San Francisco T Join the Coalition On Homelessness San Francisco Thursday May 11 at 12 noon steps of City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
We are thrilled to announce that yesterday the fin We are thrilled to announce that yesterday the final two Aloft residents, Juilo and Alberto who we asked for the community’s support in advocating for, got a commitment from the State for housing vouchers and the City agreed to bridge them in a hotel like everyone else!! This means that NO Aloft resident was kicked to the shelters or streets due to the closure!! This is a huge testament to what is possible when everyone comes together toward a housing goal and puts their resources toward housing! 
https://conta.cc/3LYOumD
Instagram post 17977559687207330 Instagram post 17977559687207330
Of course, in a time when the poor people are demo Of course, in a time when the poor people are demonized for being poor and homeless people are increasingly seen more as something to fear rather than human beings, it’s unfortunately not all that surprising.
https://conta.cc/3HxZpkV
https://conta.cc/3HwGcQq
We are thrilled to announce that yesterday the fin We are thrilled to announce that yesterday the final two Aloft residents, Juilo and Alberto who we asked for the community’s support in advocating for, got a commitment from the State for housing vouchers and the City agreed to bridge them in a hotel like everyone else!! This means that NO Aloft resident was kicked to the shelters or streets due to the closure!! This is a huge testament to what is possible when everyone comes together toward a housing goal and puts their resources toward housing! 
https://conta.cc/3HsVsOn
Unhoused people are most often prosecuted for "cri Unhoused people are most often prosecuted for "crimes of survival," like sitting, lying down, or sleeping in public space. In order to protect people from discriminatory enforcement of laws that were created deny people their right to exist where they happen to live The Right To Rest Act was created in 2015 and is still being fought for today!!!! 
The Right 2 Rest Act did not meet the threshold to be voted out of committee this term, but this informational hearing will ensure legislators know this bill is necessary to protect our human rights to public space! 
https://conta.cc/3KSclTn
Join us to discuss the specifics of the Right to R Join us to discuss the specifics of the Right to Rest Act, HB3501:  What it is, why we need it and how we make it happen in Oregon.  https://conta.cc/3ZOeMvA
WRAP Round Up & Job Announcement. Hello amazing en WRAP Round Up & Job Announcement.
Hello amazing endorsers and coalition members! First off, thank you for all of your enduring support for the Right to Rest Act. This legislative session is confusing and convoluted, and your faith in the positive impact of this bill makes the struggle worth it. 

We face numerous obstacles such as a delayed bill number and committee assignment, as well as losing a couple co-sponsors from 2021. However, Rep. Chaichi (Chief Sponsor) and Rep. Pham (Co-Sponsor) continue to move this bill forward and advocate on our behalf. 
https://conta.cc/3zl8SHO
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Facebook Icon

Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
Link thumbnail

And the hits (sweeps) just keep on coming!!!

web-extract.constantcontact.com

Nationally, evictions from public housing have surged since late 2021, when the federal government lifted an eviction moratorium put in plac...
4 days ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 3
  • Shares: 4
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Twitter Icon

Twitter Feed

Unable to load Tweets

Follow

YouTube icon

Youtube Code

Our Channel

Copyright © 2023 Western Regional Advocacy Project WRAP · Log in