Homelessness, Harry Britt and Housing Winter...

by Lani Kent/PoorNewsNetwork

We were in front of City Hall and the early February sunshine took off our jackets and scarves. News anchors squinted into the sun that seemed to come from the East and West and North and South. It was a beautiful day to be on the street celebrating the merging of ideas, and the merging of voices. On Monday, February 4, San Francisco's Coalition on Homelessness joined forces with New York City's Picture the Homeless to announce "Housing Winter." This national action is designed to spotlight the national affordable housing crisis and provide positive solutions for it. Tired debates about quality of life will not take center stage in this movement. Organizers urge the swift passage of the federal National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Legislation, which will create 1.5 million new housing units over the next ten years. Grassroot organizations across the country support "Housing Winter" and will hold several events to demonstrate their determination to get this legislation passed.

"You can't just put a Band-Aid on homelessness," said Emily Gibbons of Picture the Homeless NYC, "so instead they have just thrown salt in the wound of our homeless existence." Her words were large and shiny, each syllable a statement in itself. Her salty wounds are fresh from New York City's successful campaign to drive homeless people off the streets and into shelters. Her East Coast organization, led by a passionately vocal Anthony Williams, was founded through the voices of homeless people. The principle of the organization is to recognize that resources to end homelessness do exist, and that those resources can only be found by listening to those that are homeless. Bright, shining homeless voices are necessary to educate the public and mobilize the political will.

These voices found an ally in the political will of progressive San Franciscan, Harry Britt. Two hours before the announcement of "Housing Winter", this District 13 Assembly Member candidate held a press conference that addressed housing rights in California. Britt recognizes and firmly supports the idea of creating permanent affordable housing. Like the Coalition on Homelessness, Britt advocates for California land trust acts and supports limited equity co-ops. A land trust is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that acquires and holds land, or interests in the land, which the community wants to protect. This land cannot be sold for profit, and therefore stays affordable to the community the land trust is created to serve. Britt supports this because it is an effective way to make housing affordable to everyone, not just investors and realtors. He also wants to repeal the Ellis Act to prevent eviction for profit, giving authority to local communities to stop uncontrolled commercial development. In addition, Britt wants to repeal Costa-Hawkins to give the ability to pass effective rent control back to local communities . Britt's agenda has much in common with the wishes of many homeless, poor, and low-income folks trying to live in San Francisco.

As "Housing Winter" builds steam, activists will try to convince local politicians to adopt the values and principles already held by Britt. "I want people to know that housing is an emergency, as in a crisis," explained Britt after the press conference, "We need to address the housing needs of the people who need housing." Concerned citizen Tommi Avicolli Mecca expanded on this idea further when he added, "We need to stop giving money to suburban sprawl. Let's give money to create housing, not to create parking." Besides the large group of San Francisco residents there to show support, Britt held stage with an impressive political crowd including Supervisors Tom Ammiano, Chris Daly and Jake McGoldrick. "I want someone with his kind of vision and grit in Sacramento," said Supervisor Ammiano. His vision and grit will find an ally in many San Franciscans, as the energy from the press conference held momentum well into the afternoon and the announcement of "Housing Winter". Locals stood around and discussed Britt's campaign promises as the Coalition on Homelessness and Picture the Homeless NYC spoke golden words into curious cameras. Although Britt was not present, his words came out of each and every advocate holding stage. "Everybody has a right to a roof." "Homelessness is not a crime, it's just a situation, a situation we can change." James Tracy of Coalition on Homelessness summed up the voices when he said, "It is time to improve everyone's quality of life through ambitious housing construction programs that create living wage jobs." The voices started to melt into one and it seemed that there was a single movement of voice made up of various tones and various politics. Last Monday brought out this bright and shining voice, and it stood strong under the sun's large spotlight and squinted back at the cameras.

For more information on events pertaining to "Housing Winter", go to www.nationalhomeless.org.