NATION-WIDE MOBILIZATION TO END CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF HOMELESS

June 6, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

Lisa Davis- 202-714-4430

Mark Teegarden- 859-431-2134

NATION-WIDE MOBILIZATION TO END CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF HOMELESS



[Covington, KY] On Monday June 10th, advocates from throughout the nation will converge in Covington, Kentucky to march with locals demanding an end to civil rights violations against people experiencing homelessness. Advocates are coming from as far as Montana and New Hampshire; and among the areas organizing caravans are Washington, DC; Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, and Southern Kentucky. In cities as far as Jacksonville and San Diego, vigils are planned to support civil rights in Covington.

The demonstration will be the first of NCH's Rapid Response Mobilizations to address the nation-wide trend of criminalizing homelessness and poverty. Reestablishing the spirit of the civil rights movement, these National Mobilizations will occur in areas that perpetrate egregious violations of the civil rights of people experiencing homelessness. The demonstration will begin at 9 am, departing from Goebel's Park at 10 am and marching to City Hall, where local people experiencing homelessness will present the mayor with a list of demands that call on him to stop criminalizing homelessness and to instead address the root causes of homelessness in Covington.

On April 15, Covington Mayor "Butch" Callery called for workers to raze a camp along the Ohio River where 25 to 30 people experiencing homelessness were staying. The city workers came with backhoes and dump trucks while most of the riverside occupants were at work. They disposed of tents, blankets, prescription medication, personal items such as family photos, and even pet kittens. Presently, anyone found sleeping outside is now threatened with arrest.

According to the NCH report Illegal to be Homeless, there is no community in America with enough shelter beds to meet its needs, nor is there a community where a minimum-wage worker can afford market rate rent unless they work between 80 and 180 hours per week. Covington is no exception. The city has a long waiting list for its small supply of shelter beds and is desperately in need of more affordable housing. US Housing and Urban Development recently declared Northern KY one of the most "distressed" areas of the country. This situation paired with anti-sleeping ordinances and sweeps leave Covington's homeless with few alternatives to arrest.

A recent proposal for a privately and federally-funded Life Learning Center in Covington offered an opportunity for people experiencing homelessness, the working poor and others to access a few desperately needed services, such as job training, laundry facilities, and showers. Mayor Callery cast the deciding vote against the center being built.

"We will not stand idly by while these egregious acts are committed to people in economic crisis," said Donald Whitehead, formerly homeless and now Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, "The City of Covington must redirect their efforts towards working with the community to create permanent solutions to ending homelessness that include housing, health care, and living wage jobs."

"Giving police broad authority to disrupt the activities that sustain a person's fundamental right to exist raises serious constitutional concerns," said NCH's Civil Rights Organizer, Lisa Davis.

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Here are some links to articles that have been written about the situation in Covington and the June 10 action:

http://www.kypost.com/2002/jun/04/home060402.html

http://www.kypost.com/2002/jun/04/homesd060402.html

http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/05/21/loc_homeless_sue_over.html

http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/05/21/loc_samples.html


Organizations Sponsoring June 10th Demonstration for Civil Rights:


LA Coalition to End Homelessness; Los Angeles, CA

San Diego Coalition for the Homeless; San Diego, CA

SF Coalition on Homelessness; San Francisco, CA

The National Coalition for the Homeless; Washington, DC

Homes Not Jails; Washington, DC

Diocese of St. Augustine; Jacksonville, FL

Metro Atlanta Task-Force for the Homeless; Atlanta, GA

Iowa Coalition for Housing and Homelessness; Des Moines, IA

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless; Chicago, IL

Welcome House; Covington, KY

Mental Health Association; Covington, KY

Recovery Network of Northern Kentucky; Covington, KY

Housing and Homeless Coalition of Northern Kentucky; Covington, KY

Homeless Advocacy Group of Northern Kentucky; Covington, KY

Housing and Homeless State Coalition of Kentucky; Frankfurt, KY

Housing and Homeless Coalition of Louisville; Louisville, KY

Interfaith Ministries; Wichita, KS

Seeds of Peace; Missoula, MT

Picture the Homeless; New York, NY

Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati Drop Inn Center; Cincinnati, OH

Northeast Coalition for the Homeless; Cleveland, OH

La Fondita de Jesus; San Juan, PR

Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless; Providence, RI

Greater Memphis Interagency Council for the Homeless; Memphis, TN

House the Homeless; Austin, TX



Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco
468 Turk Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
415/346.3740-voice - 415/7755639-fax
coh [at] sf-homeless-coalition.org
http://www.sf-homeless-coalition.org