Community Organizing takes many forms! 📅Save these dates.
This issue is a WRAP up of events our friends and allies are hosting and we wanted to make sure everybody who can, has an opportunity to join up with kick ass local organizers. Building power with music, testimonials, movies, documentaries and community – Now that’s Organizing!!!
They can call it a sweep but still just banishment.
Everyone is familiar with a sweep. Be it by definition, by bearing witness to somebody being displaced or even coming across a familiar place and noticing people who used to live there just aren’t there anymore. Sweeps happen every day in our community yet despite new policies, rhetoric and media portrayals of sweeps; the underlying reality of what sweeps are and the impact they have on people’s lives stays the same.
Matters not what you do… do something!
Join us in a conversation between Paul (WRAP) & General Dogon from Los Angeles Community Action Network, who was one of WRAP’s founding members, in celebrating 21 years of fighting the criminalization of poverty!
Celebrate 21 Years of WRAP
WRAP is celebrating 21 years of fighting alongside poor & unhoused people! 🎉
As we usher in our 21st year, we celebrate all the work of our WRAP members in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana & Colorado!
Repression Breeds Resistance: Honoring Community Organizing
We must celebrate and honor that people remain steadfast in their commitment to organize as the US government has continued its mission of fascist dictatorial rule.
Join Us This MLK Weekend to Stand against Fascism and Injustice!
Find an event near you
Together We Resist
Together We Can Protect Our Communities
WRAP UP! Celebrate Community Resilience in December
Please see the important press release attached regarding a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in Oregon challenging the Trump administration’s use of expedited regulations to suppress…
Be Part of the Solution! Help Us Push Back against Harmful Policies & Unwise Governance
Together, We Can Make a Difference for Our Unhoused Neighbors.
Being human and being Real
Housing, fighting, building community, making art and honoring those who have moved on. It’s all about being Human and being Real
BREAKING NEWS! HAND Report on Criminalization in Denver
Discover the Truth Behind Denver’s Criminalization Tactics – Read Now!
Winter in America
Things to know about federal law enforcement activity in Portland, Chicago, Memphis
President Donald Trump announced he will send troops to Portland to protect the city, stating on social media that he is directing the Department of Defense to ‘provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland.
WRAP Street Outreach Training
Thank you for attending WRAP’s webinar: “A Street Outreach Training to Build Your Organizing” on July 22.
During the webinar, we provided a summary of the current status of the Sweeps Outreach. If you and/or your organization is interested in taking up the Sweeps Outreach as an initiative, WRAP is happy to meet with you and discuss in more detail the Sweeps Outreach and help set up local trainings if needed.
Community spirit and perspective and a cool organizing training
With sweeps and fascist policing/immigration tactics ramping up all over the country, we must make sure our initiatives to fight them are informed by, come from and are supported by the people who are directly impacted!!! Street outreach is how we do this!
Empower Communities: RSVP for Street Outreach Training!
Join WRAP on Tuesday, July 22 on zoom at 3pm PST | 4pm MT | 6pm ET for a training on the different methodologies, context and implementation of street outreach!
43 years since of “Temporary Emergency Shelters” and 1 year since Supreme Court decided “Let them eat cake” We will not disappear nor cease to exit!!!!
Stand with Us on June 28th together We Can Make a Difference! We will not disappear nor cease to exit!!!!
Join the Fight Against Houselessness Now! Stand Up for Houseless Families!
Children Taken From Parents because they are Houseless – The Next Level of Criminalization of Houselessness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Equal Rights for Every Neighbor Coalition Vehemently Condemns Newsom’s Call to Ban Encampments
Sacramento — In response to Governor Gavin Newsom urging California cities and counties to adopt an ordinance outlawing camping on public property, the Equal Rights for Every Neighbor Coalition issue
Press Advisory – For Immediate Release Simultaneous Protests in 14 Cities Respond to SCOTUS Anti-Homeless Case
Homeless-led groups organized through the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) are staging rallies, marches, protests, art demos, performances, and teach-ins on April 22, in fourteen cities and…
We Will Not Disappear or Cease To Exist
The Supreme Court of the United States announced that they would hear the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass. At its core, this case will decide whether cities are allowed to punish people for …
WRAP members statement on filing Amicus Brief to Supreme Court in the Grants Pass case. Hearing scheduled for April 22, 2024 Demonstrations planned across the country!!
San Francisco – An amicus brief was submitted today by Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) on behalf of nine homeless organizations challenging the appeal of the Grants Pass case.
Overcriminalization is on the raise, normalizing displacement and taking away public liberties under the guise of public safety isn’t a tool to end extreme poverty.
WRAP was created to expose and eliminate the root causes of civil and human rights abuses of people experiencing poverty and homelessness in our communities.
In the legislature, on the ballot. California once again looking to kill people and call it compassion
WRAP was created to expose and eliminate the root causes of civil and human rights abuses of people experiencing poverty and homelessness in our communities.
Maybe the answer is in the stars??????
“We do all these plans, and we never, ever have seen a plan from the government that actually addresses what created this shit in the first place—wiping out affordable housing.”
“A court that probably would have supported Dred Scott, is gonna consider the protections under our 8th Amendment – scary shit!”
The Supreme Court of the United States announced that they would hear the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass. At its core, this case will decide whether cities are allowed to punish people for …
PRESS RELEASE Regardless of SCOTUS decision on Grants Pass, Coalition on Homelessness v. City of San Francisco will remain active.
San Francisco, Calif. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will review a Ninth Circuit case that has received national attention, Johnson v. City of Grants Pass.
“New year, same fight! People continue to advance the work to advocate for justice and people’s livelihood !”
Thank you to all of our community who helped us to reach our $30,000 end of year goal – thank you for stretching and doing what you can.
Homelessness is a visible manifestation of a society that is lacking in justice.
Support the unhoused revolution and WRAP’s winter campaign!
Portland, OR. Stop the Sweeps PDX Protest – Nov 13th – 10:30 am
Please come help us speak out against the city’s dangerous and inhumane camping ban!
From Gaza, Italy, APEC and our communities here at home… Neoliberalism hurts us ALL
This year, San Francisco will host the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at the Moscone Center.
“We are ENTITLED to exist in our communities, whether you like it or not”
You might think these are all separate issues, but they are not. In a truly just society, public space is a “common space,” created for all people to enjoy.
Does the litany of laws forbidding camping, loitering, trespassing, blocking the sidewalk and panhandling make society safer?
The Legal Defense Clinics (LDC) Project aims to strengthen and support the growing movement to decriminalize homelessness by reimagining the relationship of legal work to organizing.
Police shootings on the rise and our community fights back!!!
Boise, ID. Video Shows Family Violently Arrested and Severely Injured for Living in Park, and more news from our members. Welcome to the WRAP-UP!
Voices from out West!
WRAP supports our core members by providing organizing tools and research for them to use in their anti-criminalization and housing campaigns as well as coordination to build a regional /national move
Access and organizing for all!And the hits (sweeps) just keep on coming!!!
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…
Access and organizing for all!
Help us raise $10,000 today for access to important WRAP resources for fighting for justice!
Nothing end’s homelessness like a home.
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
Oregon Right to Rest Hearing Canceled
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.
The Right to Rest Oregon
Sisters of the Road is not just an endorser of the Right to Rest Act, we are a co-creator of the bill. The Right to Rest Act is a product of extensive outreach by Sisters and fellow Western Regional Advocacy Project members asking our unhoused community: what are the most important issues you face?
Oregon Right to Rest Update, Hearing is scheduled!!!
Hearing is scheduled!!!
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!!!!
Oregon Right to Rest Town Hall Tonight
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. Use this link to sign up to be part of the live online discussion with Rep Chaichi and others;…
WRAP Round Up & Job Announcement
Oregon Right to Rest Act (HB3501) Update – 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 …
HAND’s Housing survey report
This full over 100 page report will be released on March 8th 2023 at The Unitarian Society building at 1400 Lafayette St, Denver CO. Doors open at 4:30pm, Presentation Starts at 5pm, Diner served at 6:30pm.
From East Coast to West Coast… Abolish BIDs!
What are Business Improvement Districts? Every day in US cities, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) violate the rights of homeless and poor people. BIDs use public funds to hire private security agencies who work in tandem with police…
The #Right2Rest Act is coming back to Oregon!!! ENDORSE TODAY!!
The criminalization of homelessness harms our entire community: public funds are
drained by “clean-up” initiatives that ultimately work to further entrench people into
poverty. This bill would ensure that all Oregonians have the right to exist in public
space. What does this bill do?
40 Years of Homelessness
Forty years ago, the federal government slashed affordable housing budgets of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), marking the beginning of the contemporary crisis of homelessness. It has become political fodder for local politicians to say they will end homelessness “in this city” with complete disregard for the fact that no one city created homelessness, and none will end it on their own.
Let’s all pitch in to Keep WRAP Strong into 2023 – Donations Matched!
Looking back over 40 years of organizing! We have been sharing words of insight and love from people we love about the vital role of WRAP in the struggle for the human right to housing and Paul’s commitment and organizing for justice over the past 40 years!
Read their powerful insights and words of love for Paul and WRAP here. As usual, WRAP is working hard writing and framing the last 40 years for the racist, classist, ableist devastation that it has wrought while uplifting the growing movements of resistance.
Donate to Honor Paul’s (40 years and counting!) Kick-Ass Organizing Work
One of the questions we asked people we love about this continuing forty-year process of addressing the root causes of homelessness in America was recognizing that our comrade Paul has also been fighting this neoliberal bullshit for forty years. In earlier emails people spoke about the importance of WRAP. Here is what some of our friends had to say about Paul’s role over the last forty years.
Oakland, CA. STOP THE SWEEPS PRESS CONFERENCE
Next Thursday, the 22nd, at 11am U.S. Court House 1301 Clay Oakland CA. 94612 we are having a press conference as the preliminary hearings begin and need all our allies to show up and call for justice!
Rad Lawyers and WRAP – Upending unjust laws and systems together!
A lot of work done addressing oppressions across the country takes place in courtrooms and legislative bodies. This work is not always successful due to the fact that the oppressors are the ones making the laws. But we know you can’t fight a system if you don’t know the ins and outs of how that system works. You do the research, you do the lawsuits, and legal representation, etc. There are overwhelming and awful processes where people can appeal the horrors being done to them – theoretically for due process. If you exhaust these it helps to say “see this is a systemic form of oppression – not just an isolated act of oppression.” To do all this you need to have radical lawyers.
Why WRAP is Essential in the Fight!
By bringing together some of the fiercest organizations fighting homelessness, WRAP has developed a unique structure that combines street outreach, movement building, direct action and policy work – all based in the input from those most affected. WRAP has the power of collective mobilization while remaining accountable to the realities of local communities. This gives us the strength, experience, and legitimacy to make ending homelessness a national priority.
40-years of fighting – plus, donations are being matched!
Forty years ago, the federal government slashed HUD’s & USDA’s affordable housing budgets, marking the beginning of the contemporary crisis in homelessness. I have committed the last four decades of my own life to building power in our communities and fighting for the human right to housing.
Fighting in the courts: Building community power in the streets
We cannot thank you all enough for purchasing tickets for our Housing is a Human Right Night at Dodger Stadium, whether you attended the game yourself or kicked your ticket(s) over to a community member. This event reminded us that **sharing joyful moments together** is critical to our movement over the long haul.
Justice & Care: Fall Vigil and Celebration of Community
Join the Street Books crew for food, solemnity and celebration. Write a love note to library patrons and librarians, pause for a vigil against the sweeps and finish the evening with dance and celebration.
Justice & Care: Fall Vigil and Celebration of Community
SB 1338, also known as “CARE Court,” passed on Wednesday August 31. The bill makes it easier to coerce people with mental health disabilities into treatment, and is targeted at the unhoused. The bill also contains a TBD plan to manifest the massive amount of resources that would be needed to treat so many new patients.
Statewide fight against Newsom’s “Care”-LESS Courts continues!
Thank you to everyone who signed the open letter to Governor Newsom urging him to reconsider his CARE Court proposal. There were over 500 signatories! Disability Rights California staff along with other disability and housing advocates hand delivered
(S)Care Court Hearing Tomorrow 8/3 Last Hearing before floor Vote
California. Wednesday August 3: Assembly Appropriations Hearing SB 1338 will be heard in Assembly Appropriations Committee on August 3. The hearing will begin at 9am and the Committee will likely take some remote testimony in opposition (me too’s).
