Today on Sojourner Truth, we continue our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, focusing on how homeless and unsheltered people are organizing to survive.
Millions of people across the United States are now at risk of becoming homeless because of the crisis and its economic impact. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over 550,000 people experience homelessness on a single night. California has the biggest homeless population in the country, with 129,000 experiencing homelessness on a single night. Many of those are women, children and people of color. Campaigners for homeless rights, however, point out that these figures are likely low estimates, since they leave out dorm-less college students, people who are living in their cars, people who are temporarily staying with friends or family, and the housing insecure.
In Los Angeles, there are at least 60,000 homeless people on the streets every night. Homeless encampments are springing up in every city across the United States. Nearly 140 million people in the United States live at or close to the poverty line, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. Women and children represent 73 percent of poor people in the United States, with a majority of them being Black and Brown.
On Thursday, April 2, the National Union of the Homeless hosted a national online press call and teach-in entitled, Homeless, Not Helpless. The teach-in was dedicated to shedding light on how homeless and unsheltered communities are responding to the coronavirus crisis and how grassroots organizations fighting poverty can help. It was streamed online by the Peoples Forum NYC.
Speakers included: Crystal Sanchez of the Sacramento Homeless Union; Patrick Braswell of the Rochester Homeless Union; Alicia Kuhl of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union; Anthony Prince, National Legal Counsel for the Homeless Union; the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, joint coordinator of the national Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; Savina Martin with the Massachusetts Homeless Union; Katherine Bryant from Science for the People; and Keith McHenry with Food Not Bombs.
The event was moderated by Robert Aguirre, who was the leader of the largest homeless encampment in the United States at one time (referred to as The Jungle in San Jose, California) as well as Kristin Colangelo, who is the national organizational secretary for the Homeless Union. Today, you will hear exclusive audio from this national online press call and teach in as part of our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus and homelessness.
