• 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
    • 20 Years of Unhoused People Fighting for Dignity + Respect
    • 40 Years of Fighting
    • History
    • Mission
    • Strategy
    • Members
    • Board / Staff
  • Campaigns
    • Business Improvement Districts
    • House Keys Not Sweeps
      • TARGETED, BANISHED, DISPLACED & SWEPT
    • Legal Defense Clinics Project
    • Homeless Bill of Rights
    • 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

Housekeys Not Sweeps – Los Angeles – Most Current

Los Angeles 

A statement from the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition (DWAC) on Judge Carter’s injunction:

Judge Carter, in his preliminary injunction (LA Alliance v City of Los Angeles), details a number of the harms and injuries that Black people have suffered, how they’ve been set back and in some instances, who’s to blame. He discusses the impact of homelessness on women, lifts some experiences of Black women and provides examples of why shelters are dangerous and BAD for women.

Curiously, in his conclusion however, he prescribes a spectacular serving of the same paltry offerings that he earlier criticized. Forcing women, with what he hoped would be immediate effect, into inadequate shelter living. Why the preceding 90+ pages acknowledging the quicksand land of racial injustice? Was this just a wordy pacifier? A distraction for the gut punch looming in the ‘grand plan’ for DTLA’s Skid Row? A prime location inhabited by the Black people he says have been wronged for too long? And while protecting business community heavy plaintiffs from irreparable injury, an all too familiar trade-off appears: uproot the unhoused, at lightning speed into …shelters. Starting with women and children. Because, ladies first.

We are opposed to: anything less than an offer of PERMANENT, DIGNIFIED, AFFORDABLE [to those who have had everything snatched from them (land, rights, lives) who, as a result, have zero income] HOUSING. Any solutions must correct and repair the intentional and deliberate harms done to poor, Black communities.

Anything short of this is a slap in the face of racial justice; a continuation of structural racism and a blatant disregard to the need of unhoused Black women in Skid Row (who have suffered inconceivable trauma) to be safe and have equal access to healthy living. Who in fact, want not merely to survive but the opportunity to THRIVE.

Being unhoused, on the streets is not a choice. It doesn’t occur because “she made bad decisions”, “she’s an addict… got mental health issues… doesn’t want housing”. It occurs because of organized, widespread, racist legislative and judicial leanings which created an unjust reality that permeates EVERY institution in our society.

A set of rules exist, a practice understood and adopted by ALL government agencies that Black people mustn’t make it. So the disproportionate number of Black women you see on Skid Row, is not by fault or choice of the women, it’s by will and choice of those who run our cities – it’s intentional. Black women have been locked out of the housing market, rejected by the education system, suffer discrimination in employment, pursued by law enforcement, denied healthcare, experimented on, had their babies stolen…All agents of the system got the memo.  All operate with impunity, because protectors of the status quo will always find them to have acted reasonably and within their rule books.

Black people have suffered a rampant denial of EVERYTHING that you need to lead a healthy, prosperous, free life. This unimaginable violence takes its toll, it alters your DNA and leaves an imprint in your mind on your spirit, body and soul. The denial of being human (which Black people have been continuously denied, and remember, Skid Row is predominantly Black) is one of the deadliest, sustained, uninterrupted programs of terrorism in the US.

DWAC have undertaken numerous studies on the needs of unhoused women in Skid Row, who are, yes, overwhelmingly Black. At the top of all their needs is permanent, dignified, housing. Our reports illustrate anything less than that puts women at risk and ignores the structural causes and deliberate, violent, systemic operations that put women on the streets and keeps them there.

Women have given countless reasons as to why they feel unsafe, disrespected and unwelcome in shelters – it’s not permanent, it’s not theirs and they are treated like an unwanted criminal in these environments, many even losing the most precious of gifts in shelters – their babies. Our surveys have found that few women move from shelter to housing, so shelters do not help houseless women to find permanent housing.

ALL power yielders, who make decisions that affect our lives, don’t get to write about or give speeches on structural racism, segregation, redlining, racist policing …or proclaim that Black Lives Matter while their actions hold up and reinforce the systems they denounce.

We see past the trickery, naming something doesn’t equate to or establish a commitment to being against it. Actions specific to Skid Row offer no real help or remedy. If you talk about justice for Black people, you have to talk about repairing the harms. Inadequate housing and more policing do not repair harms. Shelters do not end homelessness. You cannot claim to end homelessness by forcing people to go to shelters. Instead, you are just moving people out of sight to satisfy business interests.

Women have been loud and clear about their experiences and their needs. If the Judge is truly committed to justice for women in Skid Row, he’ll push for what they recommend, not what business owners and gentrifiers want – which is to not see them; to have them taken away, and to make it illegal to come back.

Permanent housing. NOT displacement. NOT enforcement. NOT shelters.

We see the set up and we’re here for the fight. It’s OUR lives.

Footer

Instagram Feed

The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, and what we can do about it! We could write a whole article on the shit storm that has hit at the federal level and then reel off reactionary oppressive measures that local and state governments are imposing in response to the massive numbers of people they know damn well are going to be dying, suffering, hurting, living in the streets — and be mad as hell. https://conta.cc/4iWZe2j
Instagram post 18049351151095766 Instagram post 18049351151095766
Instagram post 18498041989022625 Instagram post 18498041989022625
Signs-on for a letter to support the SF Public Def Signs-on for a letter to support the SF Public Defender’s budget this year to address the systemic underfunding of our office compared to the rest of the criminal legal system, and to address the increasing high and unmanageable caseloads that our attorneys are facing. https://wraphome.org/2025/04/30/san-francisco-ca-sign-on-in-support-of-parity-for-the-sf-public-defenders-office/
Over the last few months, we’ve witnessed an ava Over the last few months, we’ve witnessed an avalanche of federal efforts to dismantle housing, healthcare, education, racial justice, environment, food assistance, and myriad other programs. Read More https://conta.cc/431XgJ2
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day thereafter!!! https://wraphome.org/2025/04/16/a-national-call-to-action-for-april-22nd-and-every-day-thereafter/
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day thereafter!!! https://wraphome.org/2025/04/16/a-national-call-to-action-for-april-22nd-and-every-day-thereafter/
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day - Communities across the country are gathering with teach in’s, art builds, Ice Cream, music and art to celebrate our creativity and intelligence and to band together learn from each other, make new friends and build power to fight back... thereafter!!! https://conta.cc/42hEo8T
“Since the city began increasing enforcement las “Since the city began increasing enforcement last summer, San Francisco police officers have made 756 illegal lodging arrests, which is more than the prior six years combined. Last month, the city recorded 119 such arrests — the highest of any month in the last seven years.”
CALL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSERS & VOLUNTEERS! H CALL FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSERS & VOLUNTEERS! 
Help us spread the word and come help out for the bay area wide teach in commemorating the Supreme Court hearings of the Johnson Vs Grants Pass case where the supreme courts ruled it is NOT cruel and unusual punishment to subject people to criminal penalties for sleeping outside if they have nowhere else to go. We must continue to come together and fight back against this historical tactic of displacing and criminalizing our people! 
WHAT: Teach in on how to build community power 
WHERE: Lake Merritt Amphitheater 
WHEN: Tuesday, April 22 
TIME : 1-4 pm 
RSVP form : https://bit.ly/422bayareateachin (Endorse and volunteer here!)
We ask endorsers to share our teach-in information to their networks and we will also add endorser logos to the flyers! 
Volunteer roles 
-Security 
-Sign in 
-Distribution of water & snacks 
-Pass out hand outs 
-Support for painting 
DM westernregionaladvocacyproject us or contact wrap@wraphome.org with any questions! 
#Grantspass #BayArea #SweepsKill
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Facebook Icon

Facebook Feed

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

Berkeley homeless encampment spurs neighborhood outrage: ‘Actual humanitarian crisis’

www.sfchronicle.com

An encampment at a Berkeley park has frustrated city residents. A sweep is planned, but there seem to be few options for housing the homeles...
1 day ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • likes 1
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Twitter Icon

Twitter Feed

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

YouTube icon

Youtube Code

Our Channel

Copyright © 2025 Western Regional Advocacy Project WRAP · Log in