distrbing statistic/news
according to this report, 42% of homeless youth are gay or lesbian, because when they came out, their parents kicked them out. and when they went to shelters, they were harassed.
in other sad news:
about two months ago, a group of south florida activists built a shantytown on an empty lot in liberty city, miami. the lot used to have public housing built on it, but the building was unsafe, and so the government tore it down, displacing its residents, and never building anything else in its place. So the activists built a small village on the site, out of plywood and spray paint and furniture collected from curbs. their legal grounds were a miami law that said the police cannot disrupt or displace homeless people who are simply eating, living, and constructing make-shift shelters on public property. obviously, they were using this law in an...unconventional way. the village grew to about 40 homeless people. there is a sense of community, and the local neighborhood do what they could to help. the village has a functioning kitchen, and plenty of donated food.
today the city of miami will tear it down.
here's press coverage of the village.
in other sad news:
about two months ago, a group of south florida activists built a shantytown on an empty lot in liberty city, miami. the lot used to have public housing built on it, but the building was unsafe, and so the government tore it down, displacing its residents, and never building anything else in its place. So the activists built a small village on the site, out of plywood and spray paint and furniture collected from curbs. their legal grounds were a miami law that said the police cannot disrupt or displace homeless people who are simply eating, living, and constructing make-shift shelters on public property. obviously, they were using this law in an...unconventional way. the village grew to about 40 homeless people. there is a sense of community, and the local neighborhood do what they could to help. the village has a functioning kitchen, and plenty of donated food.
today the city of miami will tear it down.
here's press coverage of the village.