Clearing encampments isn’t a solution. When I was in Parliament, I spoke out—50% of homeless women live with a disability. They can’t just be pushed aside. Municipalities are facing this crisis alone. The Federal government must step up with real support and housing solutions. #HousingIsAHumanRight #DisabilityJustice

https://tricitiesdispatch.com/3030-gordon-campers-order/

Today in Jesus fucking Christ I hope your house burns to the ground:

The housed residents around this encampment apparently came up with a suggestion to CUT DOWN ALL THE TREES in this park so that the unhoused people had no shade and would have to leave.

Up early doing #CommunityDefence which doesn't involve arson.

Edited because voice-text and too tired to proofread. Expect some very specific ranting later today.

We’re in a housing crisis—and Labor and the Liberals still want prices to keep climbing. Who benefits from that? The Greens are fighting to bring rents and house prices down, because housing should be for people, not profit. #remah4moreton #housingisahumanright #australiangreens #costofliving

Tomorrow I will be attending (and hopefully speaking at) a special city council meeting in my town to address the public’s concerns about the recent death (ahem, not accidental) of an unhoused neighbor, James Oakley, who was crushed to death by a backhoe in one of their encampment sweeps. I am bracing myself for the what-about-ism bullshit comments and arguments I will undoubtedly hear from some of the City’s residents. I don’t know what else to be said other than that everyone deserves to live under a roof. Period. Everyone. Yes everyone.

Wish me luck.

New server, new #Introduction
Greetings! I am a resident of the Pacific Northwest, USA. Currently surviving the mess in the US as best I can, so I occasionally drop an F-bomb. Sorry, not sorry.

Doing encampment support really drives home just how much those who have the least share the most.

Probably shouldn't be eating cake pops for breakfast, but what the hell.

politicians will donate individualistically to help a former politician to move out of a homeless shelter, but they won't change the system that forces so many people into homelessness in the first place: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/berardinetti-gofundme-unhoused-former-politician-1.7422991

Couldn't have asked for a lovelier day to do some winterizing at an encampment.

Today's project:
Fire deflector.

The heat from fire pits is mostly lost because it goes straight up. A simple combination of threaded rods, nuts, and a pizza pan can make a world of difference to those relying on it to LITERALLY STAY ALIVE.

FUCK I HATE CAPITALISM.

This cost me about $22 and 15 minutes with a friend, not $299.

Some days really just take it out of you.

Been trying to get a replacement tent for someone who lost it all in a fire, only to find out that the person has second snd third degree burns and won't be there tonight as a result.

I really wish the right people (in this context) would spend 5 fucking minutes pondering the shitshow that is society and how precarious it is for MOST OF US.

Honestly.
So much of this could be fixed if only people weren't walking around with blinders on 24/7.

I wish I knew how to get people to give up their core need to only "allow" things to be "fixed" as long as nothing actually changes.

Urgh.

I promised fun video of tonight's cop nonsense, but something infinitely more pressing came up.

The last tiny house in Toronto has been stolen by City workers.

That's right.
The first deep cold snap of the year and the City's out there stealing people's shelters.

More to come.

So, in other news, I had fun putting together some "radical" stickers for one of my friends. Some were part of a pack from @RadicalGraffiti (thanks for the timely shipping), some were ones I had already, and the "Not Today Satan -- Well when?" sticker was from @blockforest . Thanks to everyone who suggested ideas!

#Massachusetts recently changed its guaranteed shelter law to no longer guarantee shelter.
Now, individual communities are following up on that by criminalizing not having a place to live: https://whdh.com/news/brockton-city-council-approves-encampment-crackdown/
This starts out as a NIMBY problem, until more and more cities and towns do it, at which point homeless people literally have nowhere to go except a prison or a cemetery.
#housingIsAHumanRight #homelessness #capitalism #politics #USPol #MAPoli

Edit: It's up to 13 now. Add Guelph.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-big-city-mayors-notwithstanding-clause-encampments-1.7370210

Mayors of Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Chatham-Kent, Clarington, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, St. Catherines, Sudbury, and Windsor ask Ford to use the notwithstanding clause to criminalize being on house so that they can "regulate and prohibit encampments" sending residents to jail for repeated "trespass".

We are seriously going to have to start eating these motherfuckers soon.

No job, can't drink the water, and there's a tree on your roof? Rent is still due!? These landlords are off their gourds!

On Saturday, we're inviting you to carve a pumpkin, connect with neighbors, and raise much needed money for disaster rent relief. For this event, Firestorm is partnering with the folks at Grace Covenant to direct funds to some of our most vulnerable neighbors. (Sure, the anarchists and the church folks teaming up for a Halloween event sounds like the setup to a joke, but we've seen the great work they're doing and we've got a long history of collaborating with people who are into the version of Jesus that loved sex workers and flipped tables.)

Carving tools and hot apple cider will be provided to all participants and no one will be turned away for lack of funds! If you're feeling laid-back, we'll have some jack-o'-lantern templates for you to try on. If you're feeling ambitious, join the competition for the best gourd and maybe you'll walk away with a $100 gift card to our bookshop!

Tell your friends! Costumes encouraged! Full event details can be found at https://firestorm.coop/events/3289-these-landlords-are-off-their-gourds-pumpkin-carving-benefit.html

#RentRelief #HousingIsAHumanRight #PumpkinCarvingContest #PumpkinCarvingParty #HalloweenParty #HurricaneHeleneRelief #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

This is an example of why building more homes is not the answer, if you just let speculators and billionaires buy them up, and let them sit empty.

We do not need to let developers at the greenbelt. We don't even need more condos in downtown Toronto.

We need to stop people from fucking hoarding housing.

https://press.coop/@latimes/113209877610669270

I was worried that I would not have enough supply of donations to start out the table tomorrow with as we wait for more people to drop stuff off.

I just got finished sorting the early donations. See the video.

Tomorrow.
Wednesday, September 25
Doctor's Parkette
(College and Brunswick)
5-7 PM

Part of the Community Food Distro event.

If you need warm gear, stop by.
There's some gorgeous hand-knit items in addition to donated, gently used clothing and necessities.

https://kolektiva.social/system/media_attachments/files/113/188/199/261/064/171/original/4b740e2557c09b8d.png

Housing prices in countries under the sway of #neoliberalism have been rising far faster than incomes, in part because they allow corporations to snap up properties to #rent and they allow the wealthy to hoard #housing and leave it unused to inflate demand.
#HousingIsAHumanRight