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Tent City 3 in Seattle, Washington RoofLESS radio Street Writing Workshops are offered by fellow houseless/formerly houseless povertyskolaz at POOR Magazine in schools, jail cells, shelter beds and wherever us poor peoples are... Watch the RoofLESS radio video reports on PoorNewsNetwork Cidnee   When CPS took Isaaiah and Abraham after fighting to keep us together When my mother helped auction of Matthew and Mary to the highest bidder How my mother FINALLY got rid of Abraham and is currently using his social security number and documents so she can get 3 bedroom here in Seattle (She has a 3 bedrooms in Texas) while Im homeless (6 months TX, 6  months Seattle) and Abraham is in a group home in Houston. —---------- Anitra Freeman I was about 19 when Mom woke me up in the middle of one night, to tell me, very seriously and urgently, how to tie the sheets together in a rope to lower the younger kids, then myself, out the window.  Then run to the neighbor’s house.  And call the police.  If Daddy killed her. Daddy never killed her.  Or even hit her.  Or hit any of us.  But mom had bipolar disorder, and got a lot of weird ideas sometimes.  One night she was throwing coffee cups at the walls because demons were coming through to kill her. That wasn’t when we became houseless.  But Mom’s problems, and Dad’s problems, meant we were always “housing insecure”, moved a lot and because we moved a lot, Mom + Dad’s problems, and mine, didn’t get diagnosed + addressed. Poverty is a whole web of things, most woven out of “nobody paying attention.”  The more problems you have, the farther you sink out of sight. —---------- Robert Coleman A few days ago, I spent about a whole day running around while sick just trying to get my prescription for my mental wellbeing. Hi my name is Robert and I am a Homeless man from a lot of different places.  Most recently  I’ve been in Washington to be with my Fiance.  I personally Have been Homeless for most of my adult life. —---------- Modus One day during my first week outside I was waking up in a park and hearing police yelling at me to find somewhere else to be.  Not knowing where best to go, I moved into a green belt with my tarp and tent.  I was lucky, I thought, I had a storage unit I could keep things for a while.  I set up a spot on a hillside, lots of wind but it was warm enough, glad to have met the challenge of the day. —---------- Joe Molloy I’m not sure how many days.  I started to keep track, initially.  But then it felt like one of those scenes in a prison movie.  Marking hashes on a wall.  In the movie, they speed up.  Cut To - months, years later.  There’s no cut.  Some of these days just drag without no plot.  It’s a countdown.  They know how long they’ll be there.  Counting up.  Counting Down.  I was just counting.  I came into this “radicalized”.  Helping, working, whatever I could do inside the “industry” of Homeless services.  I heard one of them say once - “I’m ready to Hire someone, but Not someone too “Radicalized”.  I said - I never met anyone like that.  I’ve only met folks trying to survive.  And folks that have learned the Truth.  No point in counting.  It’s not going anywhere. —---------- SIPILIANO PETERS HOMELESSNESS: I’M IN AND OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. DIVORCE:  I LEFT MY WIFE AND END-UP HOMELESS AND STAYED IN VARIOUS SHELTERS I WAS IN AND OUT OF HOMELESS CAUSE OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS  —------- Dut? 2025 MS Aug 25th 2023 was going to my worst and my best day all in one.  Going thru some stuff w/kids also it started 2 yrs Prior the day in speaking.  By the end of 8/25/2023 i realized i would have given up and leave Minnesota.  In a fleeing moment i knew in my heart it’s not safe here in MN>  so i had so much going good and left/lost all to never return to MN.  Middle brother/both both my kids (daughter + son) all want me dead or maybe worse.  Came to Seattle to relocate and start Fresh. Watching over my young siblings and baby brother 9-11 hours a day in the Safeway Cafe while our mom worked.   We weren’t allowed to stay at the shelter alone.  Knowing that w/o this shelter, we would freeze to Death in just a few hours.  Having to accept unacceptable shelter, and to know mom was doing unacceptable things to get us that shelter.  Having to help.  I was most thankful for having my cats back at the end of everything. I still wonder if it shortened their lives by years, after saying goodbye to them both. —---------- K I don’t have words for my give back. They’re lodged in my throat and I can’t see through the tears in my eyes. I can barely Breathe but I need to impart the fear and hope and poison that’s been churning in my body for months.  You have been hurt longer, and in different ways, but I feel safe and with family after your talk. Thank you, keep each other safe. —---------- ANONYMOUS I’ve been lucky to stay off the streets, only brushing up against the edge of the knife, kept warm & dry by friends and the generosity of strangers.  But since moving here the trauma has accumulated anyway, though ?-making friends with a lady who lived off Pac Ave with her brothers, finding out she passed away murdered by cold or overdose a few month after her brother, from hearsay- where’s her memorial?  How can we mourn when life is devalued live this. Fuck the city for sweeping and sweeping and the store avengers who torture those who merely ask to sit outside. —---------- Ellen Goetch It’s incredible to me how easily we as human beings forget that we are all in the same  boat as inhabitants of this earth and members of the human race.  The biggest differences that set us truly apart are nothing more than the ? trappings of wealth of the lack thereof, the backpack, which used to be the symbol of scholarship, self-betterment, and learning has now become a symbol of poverty and homeless and/or being “other”.  Every time I am in public in a mixed group of homeless and housed peoples, I became acutely aware of all the eyes scrutinizing ?  this essential luggage on my back that hold my few meager belongings that are important enough and sacred enough to be carried with me at all times.  There are so many times during any given day that I feel like I am some attraction in a zoo or circus show due to something as simple as having the convenience of carrying my home on my back.  My backpack is not the only homeless identifying characteristic though…another more embarrassing and shameful marker of my homelessness that I am confronted with multiple times a day is the smell of campfire on my clothing and self.  While I am with others who live outdoors and use campfire to keep warm I don’t recognize my “otherness”, however once I am surrounded by primarily housed folks, I can smell the musky,  sour smoke in my hair and clothes and feel the ? shame of my smell. —-------------------

Photo by Kelly Sikkema  on Unsplash RoofLESS radio Street Writing Workshops are offered by fellow houseless/formerly houseless povertyskolaz at POOR Magazine in schools, jail cells, shelter beds and wherever us poor peoples are... Anitra Freeman I became homeless because this society won’t bother to keep you alive if you aren’t of economic value.  I couldn’t work because of depression.   A home is the place you can be yourself.  If we unequivocally accept and love each other, we can be ourselves everywhere, and we will be at home anywhere. —----------------- Harriet Homelessness is instability, insecurity, Always wondering when the next shoe will drop. Uncertain where I’m waking up.  Constant super-vigilance, must be awake - aware who is around me, who is honest, who do I need to steer clear of.  No matter how I feel or think, Having to do what “others” tell me to do.  Being away from my children, my grandchildren.  Not having enough to pay raised rent, inured with no insurance.  Taking 10 years and a fractured body to finally be allowed to get legal I.D.  I existed enough to throw me in jail for “vagrancy” not enough to get a motel. Everything!  My dream is to build communities and help people heal.   —--------------------------- Joy Homelessness is not having stability or family and having to rely on the uncertainty of others’ genuine or disingenuous generosity whether relatives who think you overstay your welcome & ?  much or shelter on the streets or foster care, etc. How did I become homeless.  Do we consider foster care, juvy or group homes?  Then off & on since elementary school.  I was the “bad kid”.  Now, I was asked to leave as I overstayed my welcome.  Lots to say, little time. I just want a real community that doesn’t treat me less than.  A family I can call my own.  I want a relationship & off of having to rely on state/gov/non-profit assistance and have my independence back while having a real community with  me but one who doesn’t act fake around me as I hate being manipulated. —-------------- Margot Es dificil estar en la calle.  Hay mucho peligro y no quiere Dejan. El. Chel te ya que nos a dado mucho Siino-lumorauo.  En la calle —------------ While will whiskey is bad to bring to the hospital —-------------- I define this state as true misery.  The lack of a comfortable chair, where you can also put your feet after a long day, lamp for reading.  A bed where you can lay down, clean sheets that are your sheets, your quilt, your pillow.  A window you can look out, and adjust for air circulation and freshness.  A door that locks securely.  A closet where you can hang your clothes.  A painting, A photo A rug A mug A box of tea. A coat on a hook your books art supplies/fabric/sewing supplies.  Place of safety with family + friends. —-------- Damaris Milagros Lozada-Felix the  Now Amanda Anastasia Putri Seagal Rodriguez Arranging the tree on a Sunday of Women Empowerment and as I struggle and as I seen to battle…But determine I choose to have it arrange. Between the glue, the glitter, my finger with glue over it I still choose to have it between their message on style the silver, light pink,, medium pink or dark pink.  San Valentine’s will have it’s first first of expression of it’s color and truth!  However, my children remember me too with a thank without gift with a sorrow in the truth that in each year my absence.  Does not mean I don’t love you too.   So if reckless? Or not is a pretty tree too.  That In my absence remember me too for a second or two you mothers? Loves as a universe from the distance of two!  Amand Anastsia.  That’s what’s Happening The San Valentines Day from Homelessnes —--------- Homelessness to me is not having a stable living space that you can comfortably maintain.  I became homeless because of my (at the time) undiagnosed mental health and illness.  Because of my Bipolar disorder I was unable to maintain a job Having a home means progress to me.  On a happy note I have been accepted into a tiny home village. —---------------- Arden G Frankly, it’s in the name.  I got into an abusive relationship after my husband and child died, because I hated that I had not died + found someone who would hate me just as much.  He shot me, I ran, no one helped me. Home is a lack of fear when the end of the month comes.  You know you’re not going anywhere. Home is painting the walls without worrying about the deposit.  Home is quiet in the morning, a lock on the bathroom, shouting when I want, cooking for others. —--------

PeopleSkool at POORmagazine shared a crisis/empathy writing exercise with University of Washington students in a class titled "Homelessness" to reframe the dialogue from one of charity and othering to one of empathy and action. —---- While I haven’t faced a police harassment moment that I can think of at the top of my head, I’m always very alert and quite anxious around police because of the way I look.  I’m a brown middle eastern woman, wearing a hijab sometimes which can easily make me a target. —---- Um I think I’m going to ? about addiction. And my mother.  I can’t really ? or ? . I guess maybe the first day- I was 10 or something when I realize? This my mother had issues with substance and I don’t even know if I was to call it issues.  But I ? it was to forget ? when I was ? oh she’s wasted - I understand.  And it’s ? of ? her this everyday ? and she gets in a mood ? she ? when she is driving or high or -and she knows I hurt? And we’ve ? about it- I know why and I understand why but I ? —---- I’ve had the privilege of never facing eviction, police harassment, or sweeps.  However, as a first generation Vietnamese American, I always heard stories of my family’s experiences fleeing the war, (having to rebuild their whole lives) not knowing any English at all.  My mother + father both had large families (my dad having 6 siblings) who all had to squeeze into a small one-bed apartment, all sleeping on the floor.  Their experiences made me recognized the privilege of having a roof over my head + support to get a higher education. —----- I have never been faced directly with homelessness or loss in my life + I recognize this.  Growing up in San Francisco, I have visually seen homelessness.  I remember 4th grade my class and I had to walk to this elementary school downtown in the Tenderloin of S.F.  We had “reading buddies’ at the elementary school and would have a day every 2 weeks that we would spend reading + teaching English at this school.  On the walk there it was maybe 15-30 minutes and through the neighborhood of the tenderloin.  I had witnessed a lot of people who were unsheltered in this area + I remember feeling confused + uncertain as a young kid.  This is where my first true like interactions + witnesses of homeless in San Francisco began.  At this time, I had stereotypical understandings of homelessness + through uncertainty and lack of understanding, I felt scared.  I recognize this now + how I have a new perspective.  I hope people find new perspectives and narratives not the stereotypical + dismissed ones. —------ I have experienced getting an eviction notice During Covid.  My boyfriend lost his job and we started to struggle with just my income.  we thankfully had access to foodbanks and family that was able to help in some capacity.  I myself have not faced police harassment but I have seen it first had my boyfriend (Latino) had been pulled over for his car lights not being bright enough the police officer was very rude and nasty until he saw me a white girl.  He completely hanged his attitude.  As crisis I lost my mom to not death but drugs and ffter years she got clean then was in a DA relationship. I was lucky to have my dad who grew up in poverty and worked and id everything he could to provide for my brother and I. —------------ I come from a quiet street In Edmonds, a prominent Washington retirement town where poverty is barely visible if at all.  I attended a private K-8 school, and never even knew of the reality of poverty-everyone I knew was comfortable or at best hid their hardships from my eyes.  ? high school, I went to a public school and was exposed to a more accurate cross section of Edmond’s residents from a poverty/wealth standpoint.  Now in Seattle, I walk past unhoused people every day which has led me to become acutely aware of my positionality, and the discomfort that comes with it. —------------------------ I saw pictures of ICE parked outside the children’s hospital in my hometown in San Diego, implying the nation is prioritizing deporting sick and injured children in my community. —---------------- Earlier last year, we had an encampment in support for Gaza on university grounds.  During that time, there was a white supremacist who came to speak at another event, and rallied together people to harass, agitate, and try and oppress our encampment.  I held onto a shield mad of a trash can, and held the line to stop them from endangering our group and community standing in solidarity.  Whenever I look back to those moments what stings the most was how many people were there to hate. —----------- I was too young to remember much, however my siblings and mom tell me that mom struggled to find housing after leaving Mexico.  She was involved with partners who did not like her kids, were involved in drugs, imprisoned and would threaten to kick her out.  Thankfully, I do not remember much, other than moving a lot and sharing rooms with others. —------------- I’ve never experienced any of that directly, and I’m conscious of my privilege to have led a very sheltered life. I’ve been more confronted to homelessness since living on the west coast.  My last apartment my landlord wanted to sell and told me she had a buyer but needed me out in the next week.  I am lucky that I knew my rights and could stand up to her to keep my apartment according to my lease for at least 3 months.  She then called me every morning at 4 am and sent me heinous text and threatened to sue me.  As a 19 y/o it was hard to stand up to an adult. —--------------- My dad has been battling cancer for the last year.  He grew up in severe poverty and violence and seeing him deal with more trauma is so difficult.  However with Trump’s exec orders that limit and cut cancer research money, we see how Trump is attacking people’s health and ability to survive. He does not care about anyone unless they are a 1%-er. I would seek help from my family and/or friends.  Childcare is very expensive and food is an essential.  It would be hard to not take the job, but at the same time, not having money for rent would make life hard.  I would try to explore other options if I could not get help from family, but I also am unsure where I would start. —-------------------- I'm privileged enough to not have experienced eviction, police harassment, ICE, homelessness, etc.  But i have experienced loss, i lost my stepmother when i was 8  She was a true mother to me and she cared for me like i was her own.  I was in a year long state of apathy and couldn't properly grieve her.  I used to talk to her urn and pluck flowers from our garden to offer her every Sunday.  I thought about the video of the man who lost his mother’s ashes during a sweep, and i couldn’t help the sorrow i felt.  I cannot imagine losing something so personal and sentimental, in addition to grappling  with …living.  I must do my part.  This is not far, that was his FAMILY rendered dispensable. —-------------- Keyla Rivera When me and family arrived here the people that offered to shelter us would steal our food, and things, discourage/lie about opportunities and resources, disrespected our religion and would go through recycles our stuff without our permission. I don’t know, a possible solution I can think of is to get emergency funds from a non profit organization perhaps or ask my parents to stay with them or have them take care of the children for past those 15 hours. —--------------

RoofLESS radio Street-Writing Workshops are offered by fellow houseless/formerly houseless povertyskolaz at POOR Magazine in schools, jail cells, shelter beds and wherever us poor peoples are... Cody Ketterling Here I sit broken hearted Two years ago in March it started 5 years I shared a home and life   A perfect beauty I called my wife Still I left her without warning While she even kept my supper warming   Now forever lonely I shall weep  I’ll weep and weep til I can sleep Without the warmth I rarely rest   The night time is torture I confess I only deserve this shitty mess  shitty shitty messy messy and  forever misery misery misery I create my misery like a world class artist Here I sit broken hearted. A poem for Jordy Rose I hope peace has found you You deserve to have only Happiness I wish you the very best —---------- Dre Once living a life in a broken home not really sure if I should stay here (home) never having anything to myself.  All I have I gotta share which I hated, so as a kid I would give away almost everything that was gifted to me.  Alone I felt and then there death in the family more alone.  Streets ? I come not wanting to be by myself.  Family-self —----------- Alicia Rochelle ? My belongings were taken from me and I was attacked by DPW —-------------- Stephanie McKay My life was going so great at one point, everything I had been working on for thirty one years was coming to the goal line for my career, for my nephews and my nieces, my sisters and my brother, even for my mother and father as well as my step father, my step moms family, and well everyone was starting to really enjoy what they had ? ? into their lives, their existence.  Then suddenly one day my life went wow, what the hell just happened.  Unfortunately when your brain literally gets forced back together it may not always come back all in order, but fortunately character and personality always remain engraved? In all what we do and create, so if we just push forward, stay tough and strong willed and it isn’t worth the crisis. —-------- Ryan Minipin? One of the worst things I have lived through was when a total stranger walked up behind me cut the back of my neck from ear to ear w/ a knife.  It cut me down to the spinal cord and I nearly bled out and died.  It was so senseless and so traumatic.  I couldn’t believe I nearly lost my life like that. —---------- Charity I was with a woman for 5 years and when the pandemic hit she get a spinal infection and had an emergency surgery when she woke she was paralized from the neck down.  After she died I found out she was being torchered at the skilled nursing and rehabilitation center she was being cared for at.  They were hanging her upside down and starving her for water.  She didn’t want me to know because she thought it would make me mad.  I love you. —---------------- Wilbur The Event  that made me Homeless.   I HAD the SFPD kick in my front Door even though the keys were in the lock.  They then proceeded to kick in my bedroom door bathroom door and even my closet door (with no lock)  Every door they kicked in was unlocked, they then took my dog and let my cat out while arresting me all because they were at the wrong apartment.  Because they said they didn’t want me and I quote “they didn’t want me in their apartment? —------------------------ Gitani Minyena I find it uniquely ironic that I am having a tough time defining the word crisis ? etymology.  I am my own worst enemy accurately pinpoints my explanation of my own mind/adjust/change/and concept that criticism is accurate! —------------- Stanley Harris I started using drugs, and later got addicted to the street Life.  I dropped out of school and later got board with how I was living. —------------------ Joseph Moore I was in prison 4 six years and got a drug habit that i didn’t expect to became addicted.  I been trying to set on the right track it won’t happen tomorrow but it will soon. —--------- Kayla Lowry I asked a man for a light for my smoke.  Within that simple question he decided he and I were in love & in a relationship.  The next year and a half were a nightmare.  He beat me a total of 5 times and knocked out all of my teeth (I had perfect teeth before him). Put a gun to my head, bear-maced me, etc.  Somehow I survived and he is now doing life in prison 173 years to be exact. —---------------- Barry Gwen When I first started fentanyl it took alot of my friends lives from them and it really hurt me and it even made me overdose and die so it really is a curse. —---------------- Syme Harris My crisis began with my Divorce, the constant fighting and disrespect from my step kids caused my marriage to fall apart.  I left the situation with mixed feelings and lost my way.  I became homeless due to me not being able to focus. —------------------ Eve ? My worst crisis was losing my grandma and having to go to foster care.  I was young and didn’t really know how I was going to get over it.  Well, I never did. —------------------- Anthony Rumbaugh My biggest obstacle & Burden is getting my birth certificate to get my I.D. from out of state because this I qualified but didn’t get EDD $17,000 & also preventing me to get job housing, & Just Plain Carry ID which is the law. This has been my Biggest Struggle. —------------------ Don Llewellyn My worst crisis is the one I’m Dealing with presently.  I was coming Down there from  Chico. CA. when I was  Arrested for Possession.  They took my vehicle, and  made me Homeless with only the clothes I was wearing.  I’ve almost Died more times than I want to Remember As a result of this.  And It isn’t going to end until I win or lose my case. —------------------- Dre Walker A universal crisis is homelessness.  Broken homes addiction among other things such as incarceration and racism. One of my worst crisis is homelessness due to my addiction and my criminal lifestyle. —------------------- Jaron DeGray? One crisis that I had to deal with and still am dealing with is being homeless on the street by myself without family or friends.  I grew up working all my life, and housed.  Now going on six years i am still struggling with absolutely no help.  It’s even worst being on drugs but knowing and not forgetting where I came from.  I do see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I just tired of losing everything, including friends, but I will not give up so do hope to let everyone know hopefully in the future the worst of my story. —-------------------- Anna Torres The worst crisis I went through was watching my father kill himself via slicing his wrist.I went through a very difficult depression after were I myself became suicidal. —----------------------- Russell Hams, age 34 Crisis for me has been a sort of pressure cooker  Th pressure made me harder (more powerful) but the experience of it was intense.  I was in a physically abusive relationship with someone I had deep emotional connection to, and it had me mentally confused, but spiritually dauntless.  I wanted so badly to enjoy the glimpses of serenity and love I saw in my partner, but it was only an illusion.  I had to ultimately recognize that the serenity and security were products of my spiritual ? with mental and emotional congruence.  Only when I aligned in all 3 areas am I “happy” crisis can make or break a person.  It made me who I am now.  I am one philosopher ? —------------ Ken Schnaler One of My worst crisis was about 3 yrs ago when my Girl and me had a Pitbull Puppy that we rescued from a bad home  All was well until about 2 months in the dog got sick with Parvo.  Every vet wanted 3,000 dollars to help the dog.  I was never able to raise the money and the dog died.  It was the worst day of my life . —--------------------- Ruthie Section 8 Public Housing lost all my paperwork causing me to have to jump through hoops. —----------------- Javier Tanner My worst crisis was suffering on the job injury causing my job not to be able to accommodate my restriction and me not being able to pay my rent and becoming homeless eventually due to these events.  When up to this day I have been homeless with little help to be ? —----------- Cameron Hill The toughest crisis is the feeling that most of my peers are out to get me or is it not even a thing especially onez Ive helped in the past. Derrick My worst crisis was hurricane Katrina.  After losing everything we were determined to rebuild.  Nobody ever tell you that rebuilding would take so long.  10 years to get back to where we were, yet never to return home because home isn’t the same.  The homies who I’d visit on Thanksgiving to try their gumbo, they don’t live there anymore.  Neither does their grandparents. By 15 years, we were in the pandemic reacting again. —------------ WE HAD CAMPfiRE PROPERLY IN grounds Cuzin became flygirl —----------------- The worst crisis I experienced was financial issues.  Due to low poverty living I never gained credit growing up so therefore I was never accepted into a car loan, or to apply for a nice house.  Its an ongoing crisis in todays society. Is growing dramatically over the years. —----------------- My entire life crisis is I can’t adult.  The older I get, the less responsible & self reliant I feel.  I choose mental stability over financial stability because I don’t see a point in working myself to death to pay for an apartment or house I’ll never truly get to enjoy.  I chose to travel in my late twenties and found myself living so much more abundantly & free? Then I was living with roommates working.  The universe seemed to just take care of me one day @ a time.   But after a terrible miscarriage & another attempt of living a supposed “more stable” life.  I realized once again & more strikingly, I cannot adult.  My 30’s came, and I started to take action the best way I know how to..  In my thoughts some would call it procrastination, but in truth I don’t jump into action without much well thought out planning first - even if it means inaction, I prefer doing nothing over fixing costly mistakes.  Seeing the scale of the homeless crisis got me thinking over time to not only save myself, but to save the world, or at least make it a better one..because this 9-5 overtime, income taxed wage-slave existence and corporate servitude as it exists is on some level of hell.  We could be living in heaven now if we can create the alternatives and fight the unjust absurdities - even if it’s just calling them out and questioning everything.  Why are we paying rent on the planet we were born on?  Why are we forced to pay for a lifestyle we don’t want?  Clearly its illegal to just exist.  Let’s make better choices /options, in communities where we can just work on growing our own food & making meals for ourselves & loved ones instead of working @ restaurants we couldn’t afford or other pointless career opportunities.  My old life sucked so I quit it. So can you. —---------- The hardest part of Family loss/Domestic Violence life is making and staying connected to a support group.  My friends have become my family over time.  But is always a struggle around the holidays and seeing other w/family —------- There are three reasons I Became Homeless. 1st reason I moved from my mom house The 2nd reasons I Became homeless Is I lost my Job AND the third reason is I F the ? put me in Jail and f everything.  And there are the reasons I Lost my Home —-------

April 5 Tovaangar Land (Los Angeles) 2pm | Bernie's Coffee Shop, 6101 Wilshire Blvd April 12 Coast Miwok Land (San Rafael, Ca) 1pm | San Rafael Mission, 1104 5th Ave  April 26 Huchiun (Oakland, Ca) 3pm | EastSide Arts Alliance, 2277 International Blvd May 20 Yelamu (San Francisco) 6pm | City Lights Books, 261 Columbis Ave The UnTour Book chronicles their walks into occupied land and stolen resources in the US. Sites like occupied Lenape Territory aka Philadelphias’ main Line and the historic “Old Philadelphia” rife with examples of what tiny gray-garcia calls Klanmarks and ManUments, honoring the multitude of self-proclaimed “discoverers” such as Cristopher Columbus who in actuality perpetrated great harm on indigenous peoples both personally and historically or Clayton Duncan and other indigenous Pomo leaders work to unwash the lies about the Bloody Island  Massacre in so-called KelseyVille named after the murderer who perpetrated the genocide of hundreds of innocent indigenous women and children, or Priscilla Hunter, the Pomo Mama Tree Warrior and Protector of so many old growth trees from the violence of the Lumber Industry to the Resistance Marks of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods and Sean Monterrosa to name a few, killed by PoLice but honored in San Francisco in beautiful street-based murals of resistance to the warrior work of indigenous women creating their own Land Trust, and the story of indigenous women taking down the ManUmeant honoring a Spanish missionary who committed genocide on California Indians, to sites of BlackLand Return and resistance, all of this and so much more, reaching globally into Palestine, West Papua, Hawai’i and Kashmir.   “We find ourselves again at a crossroads, where we each need to choose a side AND when our Mother Earth and all living beings are under attack. The UnTour book gives us a guide to how we got here and Hope of finding our way back from the edge of destruction of our very souls.” Corrina Gould. KlanMarks, ManUMeants and Plakkks- UnTour Guide Across Occupied Turtle Island “KlanMarks” are my word for all the colonizer blight claiming sacred spaces and sacred stories and washing the truth of genocide off the stolen land— thousands of mis-named, occupied and stolen indigenous lands and sacred sites across Turtle Island, where the land-stealers, occupiers, genocidal perpetrators, aka colonizers are lifted up as heroes. The names of the murderers, the rapists, the robbers, the stealers, the re-writers, and the occupiers litter Turtle Island. But, in this book, there are also so many powerful acts of re-creating, redefining, LandBacking, and land-returning  stolen Mama Earth—from Palestine to Chief Siah’l (Seattle) on Turtle Island, from Bloody Island to Lisjan Land—so this UnTourBook is also meant to honor, pray, dream, and lift up the voices of resistance until all of the KlanMarks are gone and all the LiberationMarks replace them.  Tiny gray-garcia aka povertyskola - visionary and co-writer of the Untour Book Across Occupied Turtle Island El Libro de UnTour narra sus caminatas en tierras ocupadas y recursos robados en los Estados Unidos. Sitios como el Territorio Lenape ocupado, conocido como la Línea Principal de Filadelfia y la histórica “Vieja Filadelfia”, abundan en ejemplos de lo que tiny gray-garcía llama Klanmarks y ManUments (monumentos), honrando a la multitud de autoproclamados “descubridores” como Cristóbal Colón, que en realidad perpetró grandes daños a los pueblos indígenas tanto personal como históricamente, o Clayton Duncan y otros líderes indígenas Pomo trabajan para deslavar las mentiras sobre la masacre de la Isla Sangrienta en la llamada Kelseyville, que lleva el nombre del asesino que perpetró el genocidio de cientos de mujeres y niños indígenas inocentes, o Priscilla Hunter, el Pomo Mama Tree Warrior y Protector de tantos árboles viejos de crecimiento, desde la violencia de la industria maderera hasta las marcas de resistencia de Alex Nieto, Mario Woods y Sean Monterrosa, por nombrar algunos, asesinado por la policía, pero honrado en San Francisco en hermosos murales callejeros de resistencia al trabajo guerrero de mujeres indígenas que crean su propia tierra, y la historia de las mujeres indígenas derribando el monumento honrando a un misionero español que cometió genocidio contra los indios de California, a los sitios de retorno y resistencia de Tierra Negra, todo esto y mucho más, llegando globalmente a Palestina, Papúa Occidental, Hawai’i y Cachemira. “Nos encontramos de nuevo en una encrucijada, donde cada uno de nosotros necesita elegir un lado Y cuando nuestra Madre Tierra y todos los seres vivos están bajo ataque. El libro de UnTour nos da una guía de cómo llegamos aquí y la esperanza de encontrar nuestro camino de regreso desde el borde de la destrucción de nuestras propias almas”. Corrina Gould. KlanMarks, ManUMeants y Plakkks (Monumentos y Placas) - Guía de UnTour a través de la Isla de la Tortuga ocupada “KlanMarks” es mi palabra para toda la plaga colonizadora que reclama espacios sagrados e historias sagradas y lava la verdad del genocidio de las tierras robadas: Miles de tierras indígenas mal nombradas, ocupadas y robadas y sitios sagrados a través de la Isla Tortuga, donde los ladrones de tierras, ocupantes, perpetradores genocidas, también conocidos como colonizadores son levantados como héroes. Los nombres de los asesinos, los violadores, los ladrones, los reescritores, y los ocupantes ensucian Turtle Island. Pero, en este libro, también hay tantos actos poderosos de recreación, redefinición, LandBacking y devolución de tierras robadas Mama Tierra —desde Palestina hasta el Jefe Siah’l (Seattle) en la Isla Tortuga, desde la Isla Sangrienta hasta la Tierra Lisjan—Así que este libro de UnTour también está destinado a honrar, orar, soñar, y levantar las voces de resistencia hasta que todos los KlanMarks se hayan ido y todos los LiberationMarks los reemplacen. Tiny gray-garcia alias povertyskola, visionario y co-escritor del libro Untour a través de la ocupada Isla Tortuga Poster Text UnTour Book Release in So-called California // Lanzamiento del libro UnTour en la llamada California Save the dates // apartar las fechas Swipe for event details // Desliza el dedo para ver los detalles del evento More events tbd // Más eventos por confirmar Get updates // Obtener actualizaciones Buy books // comprar libros

Community Demands Justice at emergency press conference, speakout  and prayer ceremony    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Eli or Shawn O’Malley / Vallejo Homeless Union 516-510-5481  tiny gray-garcia, POOR Magazine/Homefulness,510-435-7500  What: Emergency  Press Conference/Prayer Ceremony and Speak-Out by Vallejo Homeless Union and POOR Magazine When: 5pm Tuesday, March 11th   Where: Vallejo City Hall     James Edward Oakley, a 58 year old  houseless, life-long resident of Vallejo was crushed to death by a bulldozer while a “sweep” was being conducted in an empty lot.  Houseless and formerly houseless organizers from The Vallejo Homeless Union and POOR Magazine are demanding answers and justice for James.  “They knew James was there when they ran that backho through that lot,”  said Shawn O’Malley, longtime friend of James and a currently houseless organizer with Vallejo Homeless Union, He continued, “First they kill him , then they try to kill his reputation.”  Shawn went on to explain that the media coming out about James is trying to portray James as a “criminal” to make it seem like his life didnt matter, which is more anti-poor, anti-Black violence always perpetrated against poor and houseless residents.  “Sweeps are literally killing houseless people from Shannon Marie Bigley in California to Cornelius Taylor in Georgia, and now James Edward Oakley, all run over by bulldozers in  “Sweeps” of their outdoor shelters.  As poor,  houseless, indigenous people we have our own healing, practical  solutions to homelessness, they do not include spending millions of tax dollars sweeping humans like we are trash,” said Tiny gray-garcia, formerly houseless, incarcerated povertyskola and co-founder of POOR Magazine Homefulness  Following the Grants Pass Vs Johnson Supreme Court Ruling that deemed houseless residents of the US no longer protected by the 8th amendment of the constitution state and city legislators, police and sheriffs enhanced their already violent "sweeps"  policy of houseless people by directing state agencies to dismantle homeless encampments on state land  Hundreds of houseless elders and disabled adults lives have become gravely endangered and have died in increasing numbers due to this state sponsored violence over the last several months that is being threatened to get worse under the new administration.. “200 years ago, before colonization there wasn’t even a concept of homelessness,” said Talking chief/spokesperson of the confederated villages of Lisjan/Ohlone and co-founder of the Sogorea Te Land Trust and Family Elders Council member of Homefulness.a homeless peoples solution to homelessness which  just welcomed their 23rd houseless family into rent-free forever housing. “He was a gentle giant kind of guy, if i needed a jump or something he’d be right there, many times actually, you could always count on him,” Shawn spoke through tears about his friend James.  The press conference and prayer ceremony will feature houseless residents of Vallejo and housed advocates and houseless/formerly houseless members of Homefulness and POOR Magazine/Mixed Collective and Where Do We Go For updates follow  @vallejohomelessunion  @poormagazine @mixedcollective

Saturday, March 8 Danzantes del Area de la Bahia se preparan a recibir otro Yancuic Xihuitl. Este año le damos la bienvenida a Matlactli Huan Yei (13 Calli). Todos bienvenidos. Los esperamos el Sábado 8 de Marzo, 2025 en 4730 Fleming Ave. Oakland (Tierra Ohlone) 9am. Invitando a todos los Calpullis,Danzantes ,Mitotianis de Los cuatro rumbos a celebrar el Majtlaktli Uan Yei/13 calli, aqui en su humilde casa en Oakland,California territorio Ohlone Nos unimos a cuidar nuestros Callis,Casas,Comunidades,Círculos,Teokallis en estos tiempos que estamos pasando como comunidades. Inviting all the Calpullis, Dancers, Mitotianis of the four directions to come and celébrate Majtlaktli Uan Yei/13 calli, here in our humble home in Oakland, California, Ohlone territory. We join to take care of our Callis, Houses, Communities, Circles, Teokallis in these times that we are going through as communities. Saturday March 8 at 9am 4730 Fleming Ave. Oakland. Fotografias por @shotszbybriana de Yancuic Xihuitl 12 Tecpatl.

By Jen Carlisle, formerly houseless poverty scholar Why is nothing ever simple? Say what you mean Mean what you say Because whether you do or not, Behaviors and actions Will always portray Your truth anyway... Why is nothing ever easy? Solve this riddle Read between those lines Because whether you do or not, You're expected to, No matter how backwards it makes you feel... I hate living in Opposite World, Where communication is preached But goes unpracticed, Where honesty is demanded And subsequently reprimanded, Where fingers are pointed While ownership is diminished, Where no good deed Ever goes unpunished... Why is everyone so afraid? Dehumanizing and Name-calling To avoid and shun Having to look at any shadows, Labeling those who do As mentally ill or damaged, All the while struggling To make sure nobody cracks The superficial facade Covering their own "shameful" And flawed human-ness... Go ahead... Keep pretending you're perfect... Keep judging those who admit they aren't... Keep hating anyone who is different from you... Keep doubling those standards. Why is nothing as it seems? Over-complicate And replicate, Encourage violence and Shame love, Teach obedience and conformity While disowning original And critical thought, And discourage all creativity... But never forget to say That the opposite is what you really want, Otherwise there might not be Enough dissonance to keep control. Why would I strive to fit into A mentally ill society Just to be labeled "normal," When all the while In my heart I would carry The burden of knowing That the opposite is true? Selling your soul Happens in fragments... With each passing day In this upside down world, Another piece of my authenticity Is chipped away. Some of you know exactly what I mean. Most will just shrug and let it happen, saying, "It is what it is," in apathetic acceptance As another piece breaks away.

From https://www.sfiaf.org/2025_poor_magazine Date(s) & Time(s) : Saturday May 10 Duration : 120 mins Venue: Monkey Brains Location: 933 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110 Ticket Information Early Bird: $20, Advance: $25, Door: $28 For the best deals, see multiple shows with a discount Festival Pass. Artist Information Facilitators: Tiny Gray-Garcia, Junebug Kealoha Production Details Houseless/Poor Mamas Build Homes with Poems/Po' Poets Project of POOR Magazine Po' Poets of POOR Magazine (poor, houseless, disabled, youth and elder poets in resistance) presents writing from street, shelter and community-based theatre/poetry workshops with poor and houseless mamas. Followed by a trailer screening of "Crushing Wheelchairs" (co-directed by Adrian Diamond and Muteado Silencio, cinematography by Green Diamond Projects) featuring poems from their poetry/theatre collection. Both the movie and poetry collection are focused on "Mamafesting" (Tiny gray-garcia) healing-housing called Homefulness (a homeless peoples' solution to homelessness currently housing 22 families in Oakland) in SF. Through cultural art, vision, prayer and poetry with 1st Nations spiritual guidance, Homefulness is coming to Yelamu (SF). Po' Poets of POOR Magazine (poor, houseless, disabled, youth and elder poets in resistance) presents writing from street, shelter and community-based theatre/poetry workshops with poor and houseless mamas. They will also show the trailer to new movie, "Crushing Wheelchairs" (co-directed by Adrian Diamond and Muteado Silencio, cinematography by Green Diamond Projects). Po Poets PRoject History or POOR MAgazine history Following street based, community and shelter workshops with poor and houseless mamas we will feature the trailer of the movie we created based on the lives of houseless San Franciscans and readings from the collection of poems focused on Mamafesting healing housing called Homefulness in SF. Artist Biographies: Tiny Gray-Garcia Following street based, community and shelter workshops with fellow poor and houseless survivors of the War ON the poor Mama Dee Garcia and Tiny, while houseless themselves on the streets of San Francisco and Oakland, along with other houseless poets and writers , created a publication called POOR Magazine- an intentionally glossy, art filled, magazine to hold their words, their palabra and their solutions. This innovative project grew into a poor and houseless/indigenous/disabled peoples movement of the same name and eventually expanded to include projects like the Po Poets Project, Street Newsroom, POOR Press, The Sliding Scale Cafe, FAMILY Project, Poor Peoples Radio/PNNKEXU, and PeopleSkool to name a few. Since 2011 they have implemented the dream of rent-free forever housing known as Homefulness and co-produced tiny's screenplay into the powerful play and movie Crushing WHeelchairs which is told thru poetry and HerStories and is based on the lives of houseless San Franciscan and Oakland residents. Junebug Kealoha Junebug was born and raised in San Francisco. She is the winner of the Mary Tallmountain Poetry award in the late 90’s and was published in the Poetic Voices of America and has had several publications since. She identifies as a “PO POET” aka “Welfare queen” aka “Gangsta Homemaker”. Junebug experienced chronic homelessness, hotel and shelter living as a child and young adult. She fell in love with Poetry at 9 years old as way to process her experiences and Junebug is a Mama in struggle who uses her poetry to advocate for social justice. Junebug is a certified Community Health Worker who wears many hats to serve the community. She is a member of the SF ECE Coalition as Chief of Outreach Parent Leader with Parent Voices SF. In addition, she is one of the co-founders of Decolonize Academy, is in the Theater of the POOR’s play and movie, “Crushing Wheelchairs” and is a HOMEFULNESS 4 advocate of POOR magazine. Junebug co-founded and co-facilitates a Peer Led Harm Reduction Support Group at SF Community Health Center. Junebug works on City Hope’s committee and started an Open Mic she co MCs in the Tenderloin to build a safe space for creative expression. Junebug is in the Social Justice Academy Fellowship at GLIDE and is a Community Navigator with END HEPC. Junebug believes in the power of art to tell our stories, our truth. Aunti Frances Moore Aunti Frances Moore is a Black disabled activist, elder, Black Panther and community leader from North Oakland/South Berkeley. She grew up in North Berkeley and has dedicated most of her time and care to her community. Aunti Frances used music for healing purposes while going through transition at a young age. She was honored to work alongside with courageous geniuses of the revolutions as a member of the Black Panthers. She continues on with the legacy of the Black Panther party using food as an organizing tool to fight against gentrification and displacement. In her work, she has touched the lives of many community members, housed and houseless, through her Self-help Hunger Program. She has helped transform Driver Plaza from a tiny patch of grass and cement to a fruiting edible garden and community hub. She is vital to the life of the neighborhood and is a memory-keeper and storyteller who preserves our history even as the city faces so many rapid changes. Frances is a brilliant actor and writer and has starred in Teatro de los Pobres productions since 2016. She is a founding member of Homefulness and the co-author of How to Not Call the PoLice ever and the Making of Aunti Volume 1 & 11 on poorpress.net .

(Street writing workshop at Huchiun Sanctuary (Greyhound Bus Station 2024) RoofLESS radio Street Writing Workshops are offered by fellow houseless/formerly houseless povertyskolaz at POOR Magazine in schools, jail cels, shelter beds and wherever us poor peoples are.. Watch the RoofLESS radio video reports on PoorNewsNetwork Jane Rae Despain I’m gonna be 61 here very soon.  So I’ve been Housed June 17, 2024, WOOPEY FUCKENDO IVE BEEN Homeless since 2015.  On Wood St. Being in Oakland “the town” I was Born in, From falling into a storm drain to being assaulted having staples in my scalp and stitches behind my left ear Behind Target in front of the TRucking company down to 26th and Wood St. to under I-80 In the Back of Wood St. Been Burned up and experienced lots of emotional pain, embarrassed, Treated like I’m some disease my situation being Homeless, has effected me a great deal from psychological Problems Physical Problems to affecting my spiritual Balance Housing is Just a word like Homeless Being with out that title to a House.  I worked with a independent contractor doing events i the greater bay area Last year I said Being Housed would only better my and my dogs well being  The different People given housing from Wood St. Been given mone RVs trailers community cabins In an effort to keeping people off the streets Ive Been doing the Best of my ability, Being here with most important thing thats ost important in my life is getting surgery for Wendzi.  From a simple neutor job turned into nightmare to where I had to report the veterinarian to the medical vet Board.  I took from 2020 to January 22, 2024 for his vet to ?.  tried hard for her malpractice Now I’m not able to do anything Because these providers of shitty housing has turned me backward and worsened my life again —--------------- I have had to be homeless for the past 15 years and this has been the worst crisis I’ve gone thru due to not having very little family support and not having there support and encouragement so my wife and I have been living in our vehicle until we came to SF where it was taken from us which we now live on the street.  My wife and I have been living in our car for the past ten years or so and we have been calling our home and every place we have been we are consistently messed with for sleeping in our home until we came to SF and the took our house away and now we are once again on the streets dealing with the problems of being homeless. (By Anonymous) —----------- Well my family pushed me and my girlfriend  ? out and bak to ? …..their wasn’t  enough cash to survive - me and girlfriend split up.  ..after…lives for the future.. James Losing my entire Family in under a year —--------- As a whole group or society or as a specific individual experience we have had to deal with.  I believe is the dissipation of the High archel type and the ? of the echelon Echelon based levels of the individualization of said participate Beigh, cold fourteen years, disillusioned, dying, indifferent and still out, I’m not crying not, Abut still feeling alone.  The incision is a cut. In words greater than I. ? said If the ? Is like the poet the scar, ? on countless bodies in which the fashioning of …we >>>>poor out our soul, those are ….later in life I think now if we are like the poet (by Anonymous) —------------- Eight years aog, before I actually embarked on the craziest scariest, most enlightening and profoundly beautiful journey of my life, I had been in the process of trying to find the conclusion of the most stressful and exhausting phase of my, at that point 3 decades on this earth…an epicly long 8 year bout with depression that had me so entrenched in daily agony that in a series of maladjusted attempts at coping: had crank myself suicidal worked my self,body and soul to a state of constant exhaustion and worry that manifested itself in countless teary eyed trips into work.?  My disappointment with how I was in the process of hawking? Off what i saw at the time as the ost potential … time of my life so far.  I had reached a point in my work where neither my pay or sense of purpose was great enough to justify for their …to advance my dying dream of being a chef.  I had burnt through multiple relationship trying to squeeze even the smallest drop of satisfaction to replace the crushing disenchantment with having pushed away or having been pushed away by the majority of my family.  I had some really good friends.  People I know I could still call to this day if the chips were down so to speak.  But when I finally decided-I would not live to see another birthday. If i continued the path I was on.  It was shortly after Jess had shown me footage of her at a protest in Asheville that me realize I could live some  of my deepest dreams someone who would be by my side as I searched and hopefully found the purpose I so deeply desired from life.  When she agreed and we left everything behind when I finally know how it felt to be ??  because I had everything I needed, yet nothing that I can't get and of today, and replaced tomorrow carefree because we knew we had one another and there was nothing that either of us would allow to jeopardize that Because of these lessons…that carefree strata that plucked me out of al the bullshit in my hed and dropped me into the now.  I had finally found gratitude. And that was more than anything, what I had lacked all along. by Anonymous —------ Veronica T (1) Housing trying to get my life together so I can Be with my kids and to hear their voice and it very hard for me —------------------- Brokin Cloud (Homefulness/POOR Magazine ) My worst instant of being in occupied America or the land of Huchin was when my mother inter the spirit world I was left with know living support everyone around me had became a human in the decietval state of my existence.  I can't trust anyone if the two legger.  The sprit world became the more real world to my … Know one could arise in my congisness unless you came to me from the spirit world.  iST NO second chance. NO more lies, might have and their way into my way of life. But in reality I, after this tragedy made my life more full - TRUE Direct, the past is mMORE complete than EVER AND AS life goes on the consequence of making a mistake is less possible because of the ONE way of being deceived is not possible. —---------- Kiyo Mills My Worst Financial Struggle  12/18/24 In 2020 I started getting sick from a medical condition called an abscess which is a tooth infection that causes poison to seep from one’s teeth.  When it first started getting me sick I thought it was the pills that I was addicted to.  But it wasn’t until I quit cold turkey for a year and a …change that I realized it wasn’t the pill because I kept on getting sick.  For the past few years I could not hold down a job because I would throw up on my way to work, at work and on my way home from work.  I wasn’t able to hold down any food or liquids.  For the past …. Years I’ve been trying to get the proper health care & dental care so that I can return back to working a job & being financially able to take care of my daughter. —-------------------- Nicholas Lindo 2. 4 years in prison in Texas 3.  mY father was in prison in for 12 years 4.  My father got released from prison, and then the cartel killed hi 5.  My father died Christmas day 6.  Then i got hooked on herion at the age of 22 7.  I lost my son at the age of 22 8.  The i ended up homeles for the next 4 years —----------------- Elijah Yelden 2.  I was wrongfully accused of Domestic Violence 3.  Where I was stip of my rights and children & wife where I lost everything and never could get a job with a felony on my record after my prison sentence  I came home to a empty place its been that way since.  10. Everyone having equal housing —---------- Chase Arevalo I thought i was all bad, but 5 years later its some of the best experiences I’ve ever had.  I’ve been homeless now for ½ decade, wasn’t sure what to expect, and as my hope for a normal life began to fade, a new family emerged who didn’t reject although I’d still like to get off the street, if I have to sell my sou I’d rather beat feet.  Y family out here are realer than those behind 4 walls who fear. —---------------- Jesse Curazo It was in the fall of 2014 my life changed forever up til then I had a …….I was a case worker for WA state. With a 2000 month mortgage and struggling to keep 6 children ……I have a settlement ThankU to Tiny garcia, Muteado Silencio and Israel Munoz for co-facilitating - Thanks to Momii Palapaz for typing ! POOR Magazine is a poor people-led movement of media, art, education and solutions by and for poor peoples everywhere

By Amber Lynn Whitson Recently, a group of very inspiring Berkeley youths held a rally and march in Downtown Berkeley, declaring their solidarity with Where Do We Go and the unhoused population. The following is my speech from that rally: My name is Amber. I am human. I was born in Santa Monica, CA. I did not move to California from some other state. I graduated high school at 15. I am not uneducated. When I was 16, I left Santa Monica with some friends, headed for Seattle. We made a pit stop here in Berkeley. I was once an adventurous teenager, as many of us are at some point. People here warned me about the Berkeley Vortex sucking me in. I laughed. I used to get bullied in school where I grew up. Here in Berkeley people were so open-minded and accepting of my enthusiastic and quirky nature. I've now been living here in the Berkeley and Albany area for 27 years. I am home, here. For nearly all of that time, I have been living on the streets, in one way or another. I am a survivor. (I have slept directly on the sidewalk, in abandoned buildings, parks, tents, cars, hotel rooms, doorways and carports of kind-hearted neighbors, in the courtyards of compassionate churches, under a bridge on UC campus...) I am resourceful. And, for about the past 10 years, I've been living in an RV. I don't just live in one, I also keep everyone else's running. Today, I stand before you not as a statistic or a stereotype, but as a human being—a person with a story, with dreams, and with dignity. I have been an activist and an advocate for many years. But, even those who fight for the fair treatment of others, sometimes need others to fight for them. When I was younger, I still had hopes of living in traditional housing (house, apartment, etc.) someday. At the time, that felt like what I was supposed to be aspiring towards. But as the years passed and I became more aware of the harsher realites of life, I began to see the world differently. I met friends who had lived indoors their whole lives who developed a health problem and could not afford their medical bills and rent and subsequently lost their housing. I saw the extreme inequalities in our society, and I experienced firsthand the struggles of living unhoused—struggles that are often made harder by judgment, misunderstanding, and even harassment and bullying at the hands of the police. All it takes is one "homeless ticket" for sleeping in public in Berkeley... The courthouse is in Oakland!... And, when you miss your court date because you can't get someone to watch your dog or your camp... Now you have a warrant for your arrest. Good luck getting out of the system while you are still homeless. Over time, I realized that for me, living in my RV is how I can live within my means and also maintain my independence and my dignity. The cost of living in this country is absolutely obscene. I own my RV, outright. I would happily pay for a space to park it off the street. But, there are no such places in Berkeley. And, if there were, they would almost certainly be out of my price range. So, I park on the street. But here’s the thing: living on the streets doesn’t make me less human. It doesn’t make any of us less human. Yet, too often, people who have never lived on the streets see us as something other—something to be feared, ostracized, marginalized and sometimes outright hated. People often fear what they don’t understand or can’t relate to. Stereotypes, and media portrayals along with societal biases and societal stigma dehumanize unhoused people, reinforcing stereotypes and dehumanizing unhoused people turning their struggles into something alien instead of relatable and distancing those wiho have never lived on the streets from seeing shared humanity. There is something called the leaf-blower effect. It's defined as "when you blow your problems onto someone else's sidewalk". And that is all that sweeps accomplish. That’s why what you’re doing here today is so important. This movement is about bridging a divide. It’s about seeing each other as people, not as problems. It’s about listening, understanding, and finding common ground. It's about holding the city that we ALL live in accountable to ALL OF US. Unhoused people don't pay property taxes. But, our government squeezes us for every last cent that they can, just like they do everyone else. And it’s about recognizing that everyone, no matter where they live, deserves respect, compassion, and dignity. Forced displacement is wrong, whether it be driving people from their homeland or running people out of the city that they call home because their economic status makes them undesirable in the eyes of the government. To the students here today: you are doing something extraordinary. You are choosing to see the humanity in people who are often looked upon as though we were a rat infestation or broken windows. Just another nuisance for citizens to complain about and for the City to abate in response. YOU are choosing to challenge stereotypes and build connections. And you are showing the world that change starts with small acts of kindness and courage. I want to thank you for seeing us—for seeing me—as a person. And I want to encourage you to keep going. Keep talking to people who live differently than you. Keep asking questions. Keep standing up for what’s right. Because when you treat people who live on the streets as human beings, you’re not just helping us—you’re helping to create a better, kinder, and more just society for everyone. And thank you for reminding us all that no matter where we live, we are all human, and we all deserve to be seen.

Mourning houseless babies in Detroit, Cornelius Taylor in Atlanta and anyone in Fremont  By tiny aka povertyskola, daughter of Dee, mama of Tiburcio  Bones seem to crumble Under mountains of wet wool    Hands Chapped, hard  Nothing makes you warm  Not even mamas arms  We looked at each other  Slits of eyes - tryin to lift up the eyelid ice   The vinyl seats slippery sharp  You ache from the inside Mountains of fabric and plastic lock u up Everything is old and wet… excerpt from homelesscold   I remember the first time i was homeless cold. I was in the back seat of one of me and mamas hoopties, we had just been evicted and had nowhere to go. The battery died  and slowly the air crept into ice. I felt this same terrifying cold when i heard the story of the two babies who died last week in Detroit from hypothermia while sleeping in a parking lot with their family.  Homeless cold isn’t i need a jacket or a scarf cold but more like freezing your blood as it travels thru your veins cold. Cold that seeps into your brain from your hands. Indescribable cold. Terrifying cold. I'm not sure how i made it out alive from that night. But I did and it was only the first of many nights. After that, it became normalized. Sometimes we had to sleep in doorways filled with layers of old pee. Sometimes huddling up in a bus shelter. Eventually that homeless cold became the trigger for a serious trauma response that i have to this day anytime the temperature drops.  "Every time I called they said they don't have a bed, they don't have family beds," said Tateona Williams, single mama of her 2 and 9 year old precious babies who died last Sunday of Hypothermia while sleeping in their van in a Detroit parking lot. Tateona was talking about her desperate pleas for help from Detroit's homeless solutions agency and even her children’s father who both told her they couldn't help.  These babies lives were stolen by the baked in disinterest, disdain and hate for our lives if we are poor/houseless as well as this sick krapitaLOST system that only ensures we have a home if we have enough money for the lie of rent, it doesn't matter if we are babies or elders.  We are already reduced to trash in society’s eyes.  When this grief hit i was already deeply grieving the story of Cornelius Taylor run over while sleeping in his tent in Atlanta in January, in one of these violent sweeps that CONtinue to rage across occupied Turtle Island, made worse since the Grants Pass Vs Johnson ruling that claimed we as houseless humans are officially not protected under the 14th amendment of the CONsitution, effectively saying we no longer are even seen as humans and therefore our lives, our cold, our heat, our sleep, our hunger, doesn't matter.  (Image of Tent City 3, Seattle) Which of course is why the settler town known as “Fremont” aka more occupied Ohlone land has just passed yet another anti-poor people LIEgislation making it illegal to “camp” which is just code for “be houseless” in their town and added an extra hate measure making it illegal for people to support houseless people with life-giving/life-saving food, supplies or medicine like sleeping bags, blankets, narcan, hygiene kits and hot meals. In other words, starving or freezing us to death if we make the deadly mistake of being houseless in Fremont. “They conduct sweeps in the snow, rain, sleet or hail, if a sweep is scheduled they proceed and don’t care if they leave us out in the elements with nothing,” said Marcus, one of the RoofLESS radio workshop participants on a recent UnTour we houseless folks at POOR Magazine made to the Pacific Northwest to help the fellow houseless warriors of so-called Olympia, Tacoma, Bellingham and Seattle build their own HomefulnessPNW  “Every day is a struggle when we live outside, many times we have almost poisoned ourselves by lighting a fire in our tent, just to stay warm,” said Kienard Ganes, a RoofLESSradio reporter and single father in so-called Tacoma who has been struggling with homelessness for 3 years in the freezing weather of that territory. He spoke while the snow flurries raced through the freezing air. This violent disinterest, hate and anti-poor people violence of sweeps, eviction, cold, heat, fires, r ain and snow exposure, lack of safe and warm beds, hate and poLice terror to us when we are outside is not new. Before Cornelius there was Shannon Marie Bigley, run over by a CAlTrans vehicle in Fresno. Luis Temaj burned alive for sleeping outside. Green Eyes, Mike Flo and Jessca “Queen” Mendez in Tovaangar (LA) Papa Bear, Tyrell Wilson, Steven Taylor, Mario Gonzales, Luis Gongora, killed by anti-poor people poLice Terror in the Bay Area.  This hate, like we see now in Encampment bans, sweeps and anti-helping LIEgislations both societal and personal, system wide and implicit in so many people and politricksters who “vote against us outside”  must be fought, must be organized against like so many movements are doing now, but it is also why us poor and houseless mamas and children and families and elders at POOR Magazine, Wood Street Commons, Aetna Street Solidarity, Reclaiming Our Homes, Share/Wheel and Homeless in Fresno work so hard to lift up our own self-determined solutions like Homefulness , Nickelsville, Wood Street Community and Tent City 3 &4 in Seattle.  We know that as evictions rise and more and more of us end up like Tateona’s and my family, we will lose more relatives to this hate and we cannot wait for people who have never experienced the violence of homelessness to save us. Support the GoFundMe of mama SisStar Tateona at this link so she can get housing for her and her other babies.  Support the building of Homefulness in Oakland, San Francisco, LA and the Pacific Northwest by donating to www.poormagazine.org/donate (make a note on your donation if you have a preference of which region’s Homefulness you want the resources to go to).