Search the site...

SOL DE MEDIANOCHE
  • MARCH 2023
  • FEBRUARY 2023
  • JANUARY 2023
  • DECEMBER 2022
  • NOVEMBER 2022
  • OCTOBER 2022
  • SEPTEMBER 2022
  • AUGUST 2022
  • JULY 2022
  • JUNE 2022
  • MAY 2022
  • APRIL 2022
  • MARCH 2022
  • FEBRUARY 2022
  • JANUARY 2022
  • DECEMBER 2021
  • NOVEMBER 2021
  • OCTOBER 2021
  • SEPTEMBER 2021
  • AUGUST 2021
  • JULY 2021
  • JUNE 2021
  • MAY 2021
  • APRIL 2021
  • MARCH 2021
  • FEBRUARY 2021
  • JANUARY 2021
  • DECEMBER 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2020
  • Advertise with us!
  • OCTOBER 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2020
  • AUGUST 2020
  • JULY 2020
  • JUNE 2020
  • MAY 2020
  • MAR - APR 2020
  • JAN - FEB 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2019
  • SEPTEMBER 2019
  • JULY 2019
  • MAY 2019
  • MARCH 2019
  • FEBRUARY 2019
  • NOVEMBER 2018
  • SEPTEMBER 2018
    • Yes on Salmon
    • Become a citizen
  • JUNE 2018
  • APRIL 2018
  • FEBRUARY 2018
  • DECEMBER 2017
  • SEPTEMBER 2017
  • JULY 2017
  • MAY 2017
  • Spring 2017 - No. 5
  • Winter 2016 - No. 4
  • Fall 2016 - No. 3
  • Summer 2016 - No. 2
  • Spring 2016 - No. 1
  • Contact
  • MARCH 2023
  • FEBRUARY 2023
  • JANUARY 2023
  • DECEMBER 2022
  • NOVEMBER 2022
  • OCTOBER 2022
  • SEPTEMBER 2022
  • AUGUST 2022
  • JULY 2022
  • JUNE 2022
  • MAY 2022
  • APRIL 2022
  • MARCH 2022
  • FEBRUARY 2022
  • JANUARY 2022
  • DECEMBER 2021
  • NOVEMBER 2021
  • OCTOBER 2021
  • SEPTEMBER 2021
  • AUGUST 2021
  • JULY 2021
  • JUNE 2021
  • MAY 2021
  • APRIL 2021
  • MARCH 2021
  • FEBRUARY 2021
  • JANUARY 2021
  • DECEMBER 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2020
  • Advertise with us!
  • OCTOBER 2020
  • SEPTEMBER 2020
  • AUGUST 2020
  • JULY 2020
  • JUNE 2020
  • MAY 2020
  • MAR - APR 2020
  • JAN - FEB 2020
  • NOVEMBER 2019
  • SEPTEMBER 2019
  • JULY 2019
  • MAY 2019
  • MARCH 2019
  • FEBRUARY 2019
  • NOVEMBER 2018
  • SEPTEMBER 2018
    • Yes on Salmon
    • Become a citizen
  • JUNE 2018
  • APRIL 2018
  • FEBRUARY 2018
  • DECEMBER 2017
  • SEPTEMBER 2017
  • JULY 2017
  • MAY 2017
  • Spring 2017 - No. 5
  • Winter 2016 - No. 4
  • Fall 2016 - No. 3
  • Summer 2016 - No. 2
  • Spring 2016 - No. 1
  • Contact

A Homeless Bill of Rights
​
BY DANA DARDIS
​

Picture

I am one of several advocates who originally organized a civil disobedience protest in July in opposition to the Dunleavy budget cuts and what that meant to the homeless population in Anchorage.  From that protest, a movement was born, Camp Done-leavy, which then became Camp Here: Occupy to Overcome Homelessness. In addition, the focus then grew to include not only the state budget cuts but also the municipality of Anchorage and the growing hostility from the Berkowitz administration towards individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
 
On July 20, possibly 50 plus police cars showed up to the Valley of the Moon park where the campers settled after three arduous moves in one day from the Park Strip--each time being chased out by APD.   Anchorage has a history of ineffective and cruel policies towards individuals experiencing homelessness. 

Although the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) argued and won that individuals experiencing homelessness have the same rights as everyone else and camp raids violate property rights, many individuals still lose vital personal items and identification or have them confiscated in the current abatement process. Replacing those items is costly and navigating through complicated bureaucracy is dehumanizing. Without ID people are prevented from accessing necessary services, employment, and permanent housing. Continual abatements actively disrupt the efforts of people to transition out of homelessness.

Years of research and advocacy around the criminalization of homelessness and increasing violence committed against people experiencing homelessness has shown that added protections are needed to preserve their civil rights. Camp abatement policies remain cruel and traumatizing as individuals who are experiencing homelessness are relentlessly forced to migrate throughout the city.

Camp abatement ordinances are not meaningful solutions. Instead, they create a vicious cycle that harms people. Nothing is accomplished except the illusion of a solution that temporarily appeases the housed community and business owners.

In response, individuals who are experiencing homelessness are working with other community members to adopt a Homeless Bill of Rights and a Right to Rest Act. These rights insist that individuals experiencing homelessness are protected against segregation, granted privacy, guaranteed opportunity to vote and to feel safe in their community, provided with broad access to shelter including permanent encampments, social services, legal counsel and quality education for children of homeless families.
​

People need protection and time to help engage productively with solutions. As a society, we have a moral imperative to protect the civil and human rights of every American. The time is now to adopt a Homeless Bill of Rights and a Right to Rest Act. 
Justina Beagnyam is a Tri-Chair/Organizer for the Poor People’s Campaign and social justice advocate.
Dana Dardis is an Anchorage resident, Advocate, and Small Business Owner.
Rev. Jacob Poindexter, Sr. Minister, First Congregational Church of Anchorage.
Picture
Picture

PROUDLY POWERED BY SOL DE MEDIANOCHE NEWS, LLC.
Sol de Medianoche is a monthly publication of the Latino community in Anchorage, Alaska