User:Vprakash97/sandbox


 * Peer Review Note: Please review the sections titled "Homeless Bill of Rights" and "Homelessness in Berkeley"! The first article is for my sector (housing) and the second is for my area (Berkeley). I wasn't sure how to make all my changes obvious, because a lot of it is simply restructuring and organizing articles, but hopefully you will be able to get a sense of what I envision the pages to look like after I'm done working on them. Thanks!

= Homeless Bill of Rights = ** Peer Review Note: Created Overview section, updated Current Legislation section, created Pending Legislation section (planning to add more)**

Overview
The Homeless Bill of Rights (also Homeless Person's Bill of Rights and Acts of Living bill) refers to legislation protecting the civil and human rights of homeless people. These laws affirm that homeless people have equal rights to medical care, free speech, free movement, voting, opportunities for employment, and privacy. Legislation of this type is currently being debated at the state level in the United States. It has become law in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Illinois, and is under consideration by several other U.S. states.

While different states have slightly different wording and objectives in their Bills, most proposed legislation seeks to protect these central rights for all unhoused individuals: This type of legislation is groundbreaking because it asserts that having a permanent and valid address is not a requisite for retaining basic rights. Many cities around the United States attempt to shift the problem of housing insecurity outside their jurisdiction by criminalizing homelessness. The criminalization of homelessness creates a vicious cycle of citations, fines, imprisonment, and reduced employability that further increases the difficulty of securing stable housing. States that implement a Homeless Bill of Rights protect individuals' rights to exist in public spaces, thus requiring that cities attempt to directly address the issue rather than forcing homeless populations to simply move to different cities.
 * The right to use public spaces without fear of discrimination or harassment by law enforcement
 * The right to vote
 * The right to non-obstructively seek shelter, social services, legal aid, and education
 * The right to privacy of property in public spaces
 * The right to feel safe

Controversy over Legislation Affecting the Homeless
At issue in homeless bills of rights are local codes that outlaw loitering, vagrancy, sitting or lying on the sidewalk, begging, eating in public, and other behaviors. These codes disproportionately affect homeless people.

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty concludes its report on the "criminalization of homelessness" with an exhortation to change the laws: "Laws that criminalize visible homelessness are immoral and offend our basic human instincts. They are contrary to the fundamental religious and political principals from which the American people seek guidance, and their existence demonstrates that we have fallen vastly short of our religious and foundational aspirations." Business interests, represented by the California Chamber of Commerce, have called Assemblymember Tom Ammiano's Homeless Person's Bill of Rights a "job killer" which would create "costly and unreasonable mandates on employers." Some municipalities and local politicians also oppose the laws, which impose state authority to overturn local regulations. San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener commented: "Our local laws against forming encampments, passing out and blocking sidewalks, and otherwise monopolizing public spaces would be wiped off the books. Think we have a street behavior problem now? Just wait until this passes." The Los Angeles Times suggested in an editorial that the Homeless Bill of Rights does not go far enough unless accompanied by economic resources allocated to provide housing. Joel John Roberts, CEO of People Assisting the Homeless, argued similarly that the Homeless Bill of Rights may be toothless and even enabling. Roberts writes: "There needs to be a balance between criminalizing homelessness with ordinances that persecute people who are forced to live on the street, and giving those same people the right to do whatever they want without any consequences.... A more powerful Bill of Rights for people who are homeless, however, would consist of one simple right: the right to housing."

Current Legislation in the United States
The idea of a "Homeless Bill of Rights" has been discussed periodically in the U.S., and was presented formally by a group of New York City ministers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 1992. City Councilperson Peter Vallone introduced several versions of such a Bill in 1998, despite strong opposition from Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Puerto Rico and some states have passed laws adding homeless people to their lists of groups protected against hate crimes.

Rhode Island
Rhode Island was the first state in the U.S. to pass a "Homeless Bill of Rights". John Joyce, who was homeless for a period in his life, is responsible for the initial introduction of the bill. The Rhode Island law, S-2052, was ratified in the state of Rhode Island on June 21, 2012 and signed into law by Governor Lincoln Chafee on June 27. It amends the Rhode Island Fair Housing Act with wording intended to protect the rights of homeless people and prevent discrimination against them. It is the first U.S. state-level law designed to protect the rights of homeless people.

The well-established Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless (and a newer subgroup called Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project) collaborated with the more radical Occupy Providence group to lobby successfully for the Bill. The law does not guarantee positive rights such as housing or food, and some homeless advocates are concerned that it does not go far enough to protect the rights of unhoused individuals.

Connecticut
On June 5, 2013 the Connecticut Assembly passed a Homeless Bill of Rights (SB 896) with seven protections similar to those passed in Rhode Island. After it was signed by Governor Dan Malloy, the bill took effect on October 1, 2013. The Connecticut law represents a significant step in homeless rights legislation due to its first section, which includes freedom from police harassment.

Laws in cities throughout Connecticut prohibit a person without a bed from sleeping on a park bench, ban someone without a place to be during the day from standing in a public plaza, and restrict the ability of a person without access to food to ask for money to buy something to eat. The Homeless Bill of Rights proposed in this state does not address the right to panhandle, but it has opened up avenues for further discussion on this topic.

Illinois
Illinois is third U. S. state to adopt a homeless bill of rights. The measure, SB 1210, was passed in May 2013 by the Illnois General Assembly and immediately went into effect after being signed by Governor Pat Quinn on August 22 of that year. The Illinois implementation of the Homeless Bill of Rights was significant because it included the ability to maintain employment as a right that unhoused individuals could claim. Many people struggling with homelessness also face employment discrimination, which makes it more difficult for them to attain financial and housing security.

California
State Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) introduced a Homeless Person's Bill of Rights to the California Assembly in December 2012. In May 2013, the Appropriations Committee postponed debate until January 2014. Assemblymember Ammiano said in a statement that his bill was suspended largely because of the costs of setting up new infrastructure and enforcing the new rules. A report by the Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee estimates that setting up hygiene centers across the state would cost $216 million, with ongoing operating costs of $81 million annually. The report also estimates that setting up facilities for annual law enforcement reports would cost $8.2 million, with ongoing operating costs of $4.1 million annually. Without providing estimates, the report notes that other costs, some potentially significant, include those associated with the right to counsel conferred to the homeless for defending against infractions, and those associated with defending against lawsuits brought against cities by the homeless alleging violations of rights conveyed under the bill.

California's Homeless Bill of Rights(Right2Rest Act), SB 608, was introduced by Senator Carol Liu (D) in February 2015. The ”Right to Rest Act,” would, among other things, protect the rights of homeless people to move freely, rest, eat, perform religious observations in public space as well as protect their right to occupy a legally parked motor vehicle. Also refer to UC Berkeley's Policy Advocacy Clinic Presents: California’s New Vagrancy Laws a New Report on the Growing Criminalzation of Homeless People in California.

A vote was not rendered during the 2015 process in the Housing and Transportation Committee and was asked to come back for a vote in the next California legislation session with amendments in order to get the necessary votes and pass to the next house.

20th Century
In the 60s, the street people of Telegraph Avenue were often young adventurers testing the frontiers of the countercultural experience. People’s Park, created in 1969, served as a centerpoint for such counterculture. The Park eventually became a haven for “small-time drug dealers, street people, and the homeless”. It has been recognized as a refuge for homeless people since its founding, even as elsewhere in Berkeley, the City has actively removed squatters and homeless people from the streets (sometimes housing them in a disused city landfill).

The 1980s marked the start of modern homelessness as it is discussed today, caused by changing social and economic policies rather than individual choice. The early 80’s were marked by significant budget cuts to programs and services designed to support low-income individuals. The low-to-moderate-income housing budget program controlled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was particularly scaled down; Between 1978 and 1983, its funding decreased by 77%. The deinstitutionalization of individuals with mental health concerns may have also contributed to the rise of homelessness in this time period. Large-scale deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill in the last quarter of the 20th century coincided with growth in the number of public shelters and increased visibility of the homeless, leading to the perceived relationship between homelessness and mental illness Organizations, such as Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS), were established in this same time period to respond to the needs of mentally ill individuals being released to the streets by state hospital closures.

21st Century
The 2017 Homeless Point-In-Time (PIT) count released by the City of Berkeley estimates that around 970 people experience homelessness in the city on any given night. Over 60% of the homeless population were reported to be unsheltered, meaning that they were living in places unintended for habitation such as cars and on the streets. The report showed that 40% of unhoused individuals had least one disabling condition that prevented them from working or securing permanent housing. Over 97% of homeless respondents expressed interest in "independent, affordable rental housing, or housing with support", demonstrating that their lack of housing did not stem from personal choice but rather economic and financial insecurity. In 2015, rent in Alameda County increased by 25% while the average household income only grew by 5%. This disparity not only contributes to the growing homeless population in Berkeley, but also presents an increased need for more affordable housing in the greater East Bay.

With the political activism of the UC, Berkeley has historically been vocal about the housing crisis that affects students and locals alike. An example of these efforts to create and maintain space for those who cannot fight for themselves lies in the movement to preserve People's Park as a place for the homeless population to call its own instead of destroying it to make room for more student housing in the area. The efforts made by the community to create and maintain space for the homeless population in Berkeley did not stop there. With the history of homelessness and lack of affordable housing, there has been masses of organizations opening up with the sole mission to help this vulnerable population with not only housing assistance, but other symptoms that derive from homelessness. These organizations have stemmed from church groups, non-profits, even the UC. One of the many UC Berkeley student run programs that focuses on assisting the homeless is Suitcase Clinic. Suitcase Clinic was created in the late 1980s by undergraduate and graduate level students who wanted to provide direct services to those who were affected by the broken record of the housing crisis in Berkeley. Services provided by students have altered over the years to cater to the homeless population needs, which have included not only professional medical and dental support, but also health education, foot-washing, child care, and a hot meal.

Despite the high demand for housing, new housing units must abide by "rental control" laws, which tend to favor those who can afford and are willing to pay the high rent. This marginalizes those at a lower income level and increases their risk of becoming homeless due to an inability to access affordable housing.

Food/Nutrition

 * Berkeley Food Pantry: https://www.berkeleyfoodpantry.org/
 * Open to all Berkeley and Albany residents in need of emergency groceries
 * Open 2-4 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1600 Sacramento St.
 * East Bay Food Not Bombs: http://ebfnb.org
 * Serves free meals in Berkeley and Oakland
 * Offer food at 3pm every Monday through Friday at People's Park (Telegraph Avenue intersection)

Medical Services

 * Berkeley Free Clinic: http://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org
 * Offers limited medical care, STD/STI testing, vision service referrals, and counseling
 * Services available on varying days and times at 2339 Durant Avenue
 * The Suitcase Clinic: http://www.suitcaseclinic.org
 * Offers limited medical care at drop-in clinics

Housing

 * Alameda County Social Services Agency: https://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/index.cfm
 * Housing Choices for Alameda County: http://edenir.org
 * Housing and Community Service Department (City of Berkeley): https://www.cityofberkeley.info/DepartmentHome.aspx?id=8428

Women

 * Women's Daytime Drop-In Center: https://womensdropin.org
 * Offers free services to any homeless woman and her children
 * Open 8am - 4pm Monday through Friday at 2218 Acton St.
 * Berkeley Food and Housing Project: Dwight Way Women's Shelter
 * Located at 2140 Dwight Way

Veterans

 * Operation Dignity: https://operationdignity.org/

Youth

 * Youth Engagement, Advocacy, and Housing (YEAH!) Shelter: http://www.yeah-berkeley.org
 * Operates a year-round shelter that serves adults between the ages of 18 to 24
 * Doors open at 8pm at Lutheran Church of the Cross, located at 1744 University Ave

Other Resources

 * Berkeley Public Library: https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/home
 * Suitcase Clinic (Youth/LGBTQIA+, General, Womxn's): http://www.suitcaseclinic.org


 * Berkeley Food and Housing Project: The Hub
 * Building Opportunity for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) https://self-sufficiency.org/

= Summarizing and Synthesizing (3/6) =

No Right to Rest - Criminalizing Homelessness in Colorado

 * Published by Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL)
 * The Colorado Right to Rest Act - Legislative Declaration
 * Cites causes of homelessness as:
 * Economic insecurity
 * Not enough safe and affordable housing
 * Struggle to be gainfully employed
 * Decreased social safety net
 * Proposes the following laws to protect the rights of unhoused individuals (taken directly from the Act, not paraphrased)
 * A person experiencing homelessness is permitted to use public space in the same manner as any other person experiencing homelessness is permitted to use public space in the same manner as any other person without discrimination based on housing status. Every person in the state shall have the following basic human and civil rights, which may be exercised without being subject to criminal or civil sanctions or harassment by law enforcement, public or private security personnel, or district agents:
 * (f)  The right to use and move freely in public spaces without discrimination or time limitations that discriminate based on housing status;
 * (g)  The right to rest in public spaces and protect oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner;
 * (h)  The right to eat, share, accept, or give food in any public space where food is not prohibited;
 * (i)  The right to occupy a motor vehicle, provided that the vehicle is legally parked on public property or parked on private property with the permission of the property owner; and
 * (j)  The right to a reasonable expectation of privacy on one’s personal property in public spaces to the same extent as personal property in a private residence or other private place.

California Right to Rest Act (2018)
IDK HOW TO CITE THIS: http://wraphome.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/R2R-CA-Legislation-01.05.2018-1.pdf
 * Asserts that the State of California is going through a housing crisis
 * There are now more people dealing with housing insecurity than ever before
 * Housing insecurity is not inevitable, it is the product of political and social decisions
 * Proposes the following laws to protect the rights of unhoused individuals (taken directly from the Act, not paraphrased)
 * (a) Discrimination based on housing status is prohibited;
 * (b) Every person shall have the following rights in public space without being subject to criminal or civil penalties or harassment by law enforcement, public or private security personnel, or any agents of any public-private partnership established under any municipal or county law:
 * (1) The right to rest in a non-obstructive manner;
 * (2) The right to shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner;
 * (3) The right to eat, share, accept, or give food in any public space where food is not prohibited;
 * (4) The right to occupy a motor vehicle or recreational vehicle, provided that the vehicle or recreational vehicle is legally parked on public property or parked on private property with the permission of the property owner; and,
 * (5) The right to a reasonable expectation privacy in one’s personal property.

= Summarizing and Synthesizing (2/27) =

Food/Nutrition

 * Berkeley Food Pantry: https://www.berkeleyfoodpantry.org/
 * Open to all Berkeley and Albany residents in need of emergency groceries
 * Open 2-4 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1600 Sacramento St.
 * East Bay Food Not Bombs: http://ebfnb.org
 * Serves free meals in Berkeley and Oakland
 * Offer food at 3pm every Monday through Friday at People's Park (Telegraph Avenue intersection)

Medical Services

 * Berkeley Free Clinic: http://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org
 * Offers limited medical care, STD/STI testing, vision service referrals, and counseling
 * Services available on varying days and times at 2339 Durant Avenue

Housing

 * Alameda County Social Services Agency: https://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/index.cfm
 * Housing Choices for Alameda County: http://edenir.org
 * Housing and Community Service Department (City of Berkeley): https://www.cityofberkeley.info/DepartmentHome.aspx?id=8428
 * Section 8 Housing?

Women

 * Women's Daytime Drop-In Center: https://womensdropin.org
 * Offers free services to any homeless woman and her children
 * Open 8am - 4pm Monday through Friday at 2218 Acton St.
 * Berkeley Food and Housing Project: Dwight Way Women's Shelter
 * Located at 2140 Dwight Way
 * Resources specific for trans women?

Veterans

 * Operation Dignity: https://operationdignity.org/

Youth

 * Youth Engagement, Advocacy, and Housing (YEAH!) Shelter: http://www.yeah-berkeley.org
 * Operates a year-round shelter that serves adults between the ages of 18 to 24
 * Doors open at 8pm at Lutheran Church of the Cross, located at 1744 University Ave
 * Are there resources specific for children?

Other Resources

 * Berkeley Public Library: https://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/home
 * Goodwill (Salvation Army):
 * Suitcase Clinic (Youth/LGBTQIA+, General, Women's)


 * Berkeley Food and Housing Project
 * Building Opportunity for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) https://self-sufficiency.org/

Beginning Bibliography
Area (Berkeley) : Homelessness in Berkeley

The Alameda County Social Services Agency is a good link to put in the resources section. After some digging, I found that the Alameda County links actually redirects you to a different site, called "Housing Choices for Alameda County" that seems more applicable to helping individuals currently struggling with housing.

The Youth Engagement, Advocacy, and Housing (YEAH!) program has a shelter and additional support services for homeless youth within the ages of 18-25 in Berkeley. They have had some struggles with funding in the past year, but are finally back to normal capacity. Suitcase Clinic has partnered with YEAH! in the past, so I trust that their services are quality.

East Bay Food Not Bombs is an organization that serves free, volunteer-cooked meals to whoever needs them in Berkeley and Oakland. They serve food Monday through Friday every afternoon in People's Park, and are a valuable resource for individuals who are unhoused.

Sector (Housing) : Homeless Bill of Rights

The National Coalition for the Homeless is an organization dedicated to the national implementation of a Homeless Bill of Rights. Their website is an excellent resource because it provides updated information on where/when such legislation has been passed, and has external links to reports and articles focusing on this topic.

"A Homeless Bill of Rights (Revolution)" is an article written by Sara Lankin at the Seattle University of Law. It focuses the efforts to implement a Homeless Bill of Rights in 9 different US States and Puerto Rico, and examines these initiatives from a social justice and legal perspective. I think it would be a really useful addition to the Wikipedia project because it has information on all the states of interest rather than just California.

Sector (Housing) : Affordable Housing

"Affordable Housing Policies: An Overview" is a scholarly article written by Anastasia Kluging at Cornell University. It is really useful because it attempts to define what exactly affordable housing is (What kind? For who?) and focuses on such initiatives in San Francisco, Austin, and and New York. Although the Wikipedia article on this topic is already too heavily skewed toward information in the Global North, I think the way this article breaks down affordable housing frameworks and policies in the US is still really valuable to me, since I don't know what has already been accomplished in this field.

Affordable Housing News is an organization that publishes scholarly journals focusing on affordable housing policies, mostly focusing on those in the United States. I'm not sure how useful this will be since I am trying to stay away from making the Wikipedia article more skewed towards the Global North, but perhaps I will find some mention of policies in other countries. Area (Berkeley): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley,_California#Homelessness_in_Berkeley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Park_(Berkeley)

Sector (Housing): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeless_Bill_of_Rights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordable_housing#United_States