Amerikka's Un-American Housing Policy

by tiny/PNN

Red like a river of blood - co-mingling with a dark bruise blue flattened against glaring, headlight white… so much white..in the houses.. on the curbs.. spilling out of trucks, draped over horses and sailing through the air. It was 4th of July in the richest country in the World. The air was filled with popcorn, barbecue sauce, marching music, horse hair and the sounds of hundreds of families facing eviction.

"No Justice No peace.. don't throw families in the streets!!" So we walked in a 4th of July parade in Alameda California; mothers and fathers and their children relying on section 8 to be homeful in this inflated housing market, tenant organizers from Campaign For Renters Rights, union folks in solidarity with the cause to keep families housed locally and nationally, and babies… so many babies leading our chants for economic and human rights. We marched down the main street of Alameda, the test case for bush's new homeless policy, i.e., how to MAKE thousands of families enrolled in HUD's section 8 program homeless in less than 100 days. We marched to the faint tune of God Bless Amerikka.. we marched into the beautiful morning sun alongside Biffs Carpet Cleaners, Emma's pastry, Old School Cowboys of all colors, and Large red trucks rolling in honor of other poor folks who had valiantly fought and died for the myth of Amerikka.

"My family and I have been part of this community for over 10 years, and now we are being told to get out", Pamela, a tall African Descendent woman with a brilliant smile spoke to me while our group waited for our contingent in the parade to gather, "HUD suddenly says it has no money, what do they mean there is no money, how did that happen? Pamela continued, " and I don't want folks to get the wrong idea, We( section 8 families) are not bad people, most of us work like everyone else, we just don't make enough money to cover rent and expenses" As she said this I shook my head in agreement and also scolded her for feeling the need to apoligize. Of course we all worked. As a very low-income mother ( and section 8 recipient) I had been working since 6:00am Sunday morning just getting my child fed and clothed and out here to Alameda to re-port and sup-port on this very urgent protest. But why did all of us poor Amerikkans still feel the need to make excuses for the fact that we needed help to not be homeless. Why did we still feel oppressed by the myth of the"hand-out" I guess the Bushfools could rest easy, their shame game was still in full effect.

"Alameda is and was a good community, I have also lived here for ten years as a single parent raising my children" Charles, another section 8 tenant from the Alameda building that housed most of the Section 8 tenants facing eviction joined our conversation breaking down the issue of so-called "patriotism"

" I am a patriot and I love America and the fact that they even have a Section 8 program but by the same token it is NOT American what they are trying to do to us, kicking us out of our homes, putting us in the streets - to a third world status, come on… America is too rich to be doing this to people."

Readers of PNN and The SF Bayview will know that less than 30 days ago over 264 families in Alameda received eviction notices from the Section 8 rental subsidy program of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Bush Administration's new appointee Alphonso Jackson who believes that "poverty is a state of mind". As of last week after vigorous media organizing and protesting by tenants and advocates, the Alameda Housing Authority rescinded 105 of those eviction notices. We are marching in this flag drenched 4th of July Parade today for the other hundred 159 folks.

"I'm a union person I am here in solidarity with the section 8 tenants facing eviction I am not here to be a patriot, I don't believe in that garbage, cause as far as I am concerned what they're doing to section 8 tenants is the same as cutting health care, cutting jobs and wages for working class people and torturing poor people in Iraq, so all working class folks need to come together to fight corporate America and fight global capitalism, John Ryman, expelled member of the Carpenters Union explained why he would join in the parade today.

As we marched, honking and chanting and handing out over 3000 flyers, the people of Alameda either looked confused, looked the other way or cheered us on and although it is a primarily white community there are a lot of poor folks and a healthy smattering of folks of color and although the parade had the requisite ROTC contingent and way too much military mess it also had a very strong contingent of Black Cowboys and other cultural groups who supported us with cheers and waves.

" I am here in solidarity with my brothers and sisters on Section 8, I am not a section 8 tenant, I live in public Housing, but I'm here cause there is strength in numbers and when they gentrify us they don't gentrify a portion of our community.. they gentrify us all… Mahassin, a powerful mother and fighter, stood with her daughter zuniMoon at the mouth of the parade where several of the organizers gave flyers to the parade marchers. Mahassin ended with the statement that should inspire us all to action, "I hope that if and when I get hit with HUD's gentrification policies people will be supporting me, cause that's the only way we can all fight back."