Where's my Stuff?

Legislation is introduced after a five year struggle by advocates to give 24 hour notice to homeless folks before seizing and discarding their belongings.

Clive Whistle, PoorNewsNetwork
Tuesday, July 10, 2001;

Clive is a staff writer for POOR Magazine and a member of POOR’s writer facilitation project, which aims to give voice to very low and no income adults and youth desiring to be heard within the media about issues of race and class oppression.

“WAKE-UP..WAKE-UP!!!” Their voices were knives with serrated edges – pummeling through my battered skull.

“Hey Buddy- ya gotta move”- all I saw was four boots, for several seconds I thought I had been attacked by four talking boots- but then I looked further out of my cardboard cave towards the voices and discovered the boots origin – two police officers – writing in their small brown bendable notebooks –about me! - chronicling my hard life in two or three words of short hand- “ African-American….late 40’s…. Homeless…obstructing sidewalk-substance – alcohol-possible 647j and f violation…and so on….

It had taken almost six hours out of my day yesterday to find what I thought was a safe place – safe, of course is relative when you are homeless – it means maybe the cops won’t see you – maybe – you will get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep- maybe you will get an hour or two alone – maybe….

I resigned to move – feeling a little nauseous – but unwilling to appear “uncooperative” I dragged my body forward and began to collect my stu………oh shit.!!…. “Where’s my stuff?” – I looked around – all of my things- my just-cleaned blankets (which I had spent $14.00 of quarters on at the laundromat the day before)….my little radio and my new batteries – but most terrifying of all – my BACKPACK –with my meds, were gone!!! “Officer- where’s my stuff?

“Well. (Department of Public Works).DPW was here before us – - I guess you’ll have to check with them”

Before screaming, crying, hauling off and slugging the officer- landing me in county jail for longer than I care to think about – I blinked back desperate tears and stumbled down the street with my last remaining belonging – a torn and soiled sweatshirt….

I knew this drill - it would take approximately three hours and change I didn’t have to take the bus to the DPW yard which is located across town – at which point DPW people would act like they had no inkling of what I was talking about when I would describe my… out of the way – under the bridge… location where they had “seized” my stuff while I slept …and the description of my worn-out army-issued backpack.

But worse than anything else, was the loss of my meds- it had take me seven weeks of constant calling back and forth to my health provider while they waited for approval of my prescription under medi-cal- another three days after they got approval to reach me who had gone on a “self-medicated” alcohol binge and couldn’t be found and another five hour wait in my health providers office to actually get the meds- I could not go through this again- I could not….

The Civil Rights workgroup of the Coalition on Homelessness has worked for five years with the Board of Supervisors- (the current administration and the past) – Department of Public Works, Rec and Park – the Police department and so on to get a new policy implemented- that gives homeless folks like me a 24 hour notice on our belongings before they take all of our stuff – a hearing was finally held Tuesday July 3rd 2001 – five years, several hundred broke-down souls, and thousands of pounds of precious belongings later – this measure was debated with Supervisors Gonzalez, Ammiano, and Hall in the Rules committee- before it is taken to the full board.

“My office has worked extensively with advocates on the drafting of this legislation and we are very happy to have it before us today as a proposal” Board Supervisor Tom Ammiano introduced the legislation before the committee

“This legislation is extremely important to protect the civil and human rights of homeless folks in San Francisco, Mara Radar from the Coalition on Homelessness began the heated testimony

“1-5% of the people who have their belongings picked up by us come to reclaim it at our yard” Edwin Lee from the Department of Public Works responded to a question by Supervisor Hall on how many people actually retrieved their belongings from DPW. “We are willing to work with the city in regards to improving the current situation” Mr. Lee concluded

“I am opposed to this legislation because it will lead to the increase the theft of shopping carts” Lieutenant Bruce from the San Francisco Police Department voiced his one sentence opposition and then leaned back in his chair- keeping his eyes fixed on the three supervisors.

“I hear you officer, because I am opposed to the theft of shopping carts but I don’t think this legislation even speaks about that – this legislation only speaks to the issue of personal property – and I believe that people’s right to their own personal property should be protected” Supervisor Hall responded nervously to the Lieutenent’s recalcitrant statement.

“ I understand that the legislation in fact mentions the belongings in a shopping cart or something like that, so I believe after reading the legislation that it would in fact promote the theft of shopping carts..” Luitenent Bruce’s’ statements elicited several logical arguments by Matt Gonzalez, Ammiano and Ms Radar on why that was not the case – Supervisor Hall became increasingly nervous and more unsure until the Lieutenant excused himself from the proceedings saying, “Excuse me, I have to go, I have another engagement”

After his departure there was supportive testimony by Sup. Ammiano and Sup. Gonzalez as well as members of the community who advocate for the civil and human rights of homeless folks, as well as several homeless and formerly homeless folks who have lost their stuff over and over again…

“Please try to understand the position of someone who is suffering from mental illness, physical pain and homelessness and has spent several weeks trying to get there meds and then loses it because it is disposed of. Please try to understand how horrible that is for a human being” Mary Kate Connor from Caduceus spoke as one of the advocates with words that described how I feel now and if this legislation does not pass will feel again and again and….

The Personal Property and Storage Container Removal and Storage Ordinance was recommended by the Rules Committee with a 2 to 1 vote and sent on to the full board for approval.