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Santa Cruz Homeless Death List for 2023: Follow-Up
Two public ceremonies were held December 21st where the names of the unhoused dead for the year (some of them) were read. My response was the attached flyer, reprinted in the Serf City Times, suggesting some obvious but likely to be ignored remedies to ward off the 2023 deaths list. Also attached is the Homeless Persons Health Project/County report.
THE ANNUAL VIRTUE-SIGNALING AND FUND-SOLICITING RITUAL
The Annual "We're So Sorry" assemblage of what some describe as "Poverty Pimps" filled the Veteran's hall to standing room only in memory of the early preventable deaths of unhoused folks with few names named and none of the responsible institutions held to account.
Colorful flags lining the wall of the Hall tactfully avoided giving the last names of the casualties of the harsh Santa Cruz social climate where police continue to act as if the protective Martin v.Boise decision ("no tickets without shelter") didn't exist.
Four hours later in the midst of its daily meal, Food Not Bombs, the remnants of the California Homeless Union, and a HUFF member or two, held its own "service" with no follow-up protest that might have provided token targeting of the overseers of the yearlong toxic scene here.
Even at this more grassroots memorial, the actual street names of those who died were not presented.
One obvious guilty party was the power City Manager Matt Huffaker and his backers both silent and squeaky on the Santa Cruz City Council. An obvious institution was the Housing Matters leadership at 150 Coral St., filling the Vet's Hall, with its food services cut off from the broader homeless community since 2015 and the Housing Now hoax perpetrated as a fund-raising tool by Phil Kramer over the last decade.
Guilty too were the prison-like Armory and Overlook "shelters", hastily set up to excuse the demolition of the Benchlands community without providing any real usable alternative for the majority of those there.
FURTHER RESEARCH AND DETAILS
The "Funding Matters" Memorial was held at 10 AM at the Vets Hall available at https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/1143m%20Estab%20Homeless%20Memorial%2012-21-22%20.MP3.
The Food-Not-Bombs/Homeless Union/HUFF Memorial was held at 2 PM outdoors at the town clock available at https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/42m%20Clock%20Memorial%2012-21-22%20.MP3
The Serf City Times reprinted the "Organize to Prevent Deaths Outside in 2023" (attached to this story) at https:// serf-city-times.constantcontactsites.com .
My commentary on the Memorials is available at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html (click on the December 25, 2022 show).
The Annual "We're So Sorry" assemblage of what some describe as "Poverty Pimps" filled the Veteran's hall to standing room only in memory of the early preventable deaths of unhoused folks with few names named and none of the responsible institutions held to account.
Colorful flags lining the wall of the Hall tactfully avoided giving the last names of the casualties of the harsh Santa Cruz social climate where police continue to act as if the protective Martin v.Boise decision ("no tickets without shelter") didn't exist.
Four hours later in the midst of its daily meal, Food Not Bombs, the remnants of the California Homeless Union, and a HUFF member or two, held its own "service" with no follow-up protest that might have provided token targeting of the overseers of the yearlong toxic scene here.
Even at this more grassroots memorial, the actual street names of those who died were not presented.
One obvious guilty party was the power City Manager Matt Huffaker and his backers both silent and squeaky on the Santa Cruz City Council. An obvious institution was the Housing Matters leadership at 150 Coral St., filling the Vet's Hall, with its food services cut off from the broader homeless community since 2015 and the Housing Now hoax perpetrated as a fund-raising tool by Phil Kramer over the last decade.
Guilty too were the prison-like Armory and Overlook "shelters", hastily set up to excuse the demolition of the Benchlands community without providing any real usable alternative for the majority of those there.
FURTHER RESEARCH AND DETAILS
The "Funding Matters" Memorial was held at 10 AM at the Vets Hall available at https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/1143m%20Estab%20Homeless%20Memorial%2012-21-22%20.MP3.
The Food-Not-Bombs/Homeless Union/HUFF Memorial was held at 2 PM outdoors at the town clock available at https://www1.huffsantacruz.org/lost/42m%20Clock%20Memorial%2012-21-22%20.MP3
The Serf City Times reprinted the "Organize to Prevent Deaths Outside in 2023" (attached to this story) at https:// serf-city-times.constantcontactsites.com .
My commentary on the Memorials is available at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html (click on the December 25, 2022 show).
For more information:
http://www.huffsantacruz.org
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The "Rest in Peace" listing of names was contributed by Keith McHenry--likely from the Homeless Person's Health Project.
The flyer "Organize to Prevent Deaths Outside in 2023" was mine as is all the commentary in the body of the article.
All the other attachments were given out at the Service Providers Vet Hall memorial and are the product of " the County of Santa Cruz/Health Services Agency/Homeless Persons health Project.
The flyer "Organize to Prevent Deaths Outside in 2023" was mine as is all the commentary in the body of the article.
All the other attachments were given out at the Service Providers Vet Hall memorial and are the product of " the County of Santa Cruz/Health Services Agency/Homeless Persons health Project.
For more information:
http://www.huffsantacruz.org
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