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“Everyone Has the Rig Ht to a Stand Ard of Liv Ing

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“Everyone Has the Rig Ht to a Stand Ard of Liv Ing The Public i, a project of the Urbana-Cham- paign Independent Media Center, is an inde- pendent, collectively-run, community-orient- ed publication that provides a forum for topics underreported and voices underrepresented in the dominant media. All contributors to the paper are volunteers. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to submit articles or story ideas to the editorial collective. We prefer, but do not June/July 2009 necessarily restrict ourselves to, articles on issues of local impact written by authors with local ties. V9, #5 The opinions are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the IMC as a whole. EDITORS/FACILITATORS: “Everyone has the Glynn Davis right to a standard of Brian Dolinar davep living adequate for Belden Fields the health and well- Bob Illyes Paul Mueth being of himself and of Neil Parthun his family, including Niloofar Shambayati food, clothing, hous- The Public i ing and medical care Urbana-Champaign IMC and necessary social 202 South Broadway Urbana, IL, 61801 services, and the right 217-344-8820 to security in the www.ucimc.org event of unemploy- ment, sickness, disabili- ty, widowhood, old age or other lack of liveli- hood in circumstances SUSTAINING CONTRIBUTORS beyond his control.” Get Involved with the Public i The Public i wishes to express its deep appreciation to the following sustaining contrib- utors for their financial and material support: You don’t need a degree in journalism —Article 25, to be a citizen journalist. We are all World Harvest International Jerusalem Cafe experts in something, and we have the and Gourmet Foods 601 S. Wright St, Champaign; 398-9022 The United Nations ability to share our information and 519 E. University, Champaign The AFL-CIO of Champaign County Universal Declaration of knowledge with others. The Public i is SocialistForum: An Open Discussion and That’s Rentertainment always looking for writers and story Action Group, Meets 3rd Saturdays of the 516 E. John, Champaign; 384-0977 Human Rights ideas. We invite you to submit ideas or month, 3-5 pm, at IMC, Broadway & Elm. (U) AWARE, the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort proposals during our weekly meetings Campus Faculty Association (CFA) (Thursdays at 5:30pm at the UCIMC), Meetings every Sunday at 5pm at the IMC or to contact one of the editors. The Natural Gourmet Milo’s Resaurant 2225 S, Neil, Champaign; 355-6365 2870 S. Philo Road, Urbana; 344-8946 Progressive Asset Management, Graduate Employees' Organization Financial West Group (GEO) IFT/AFT 6300 Socially Responsible Investing 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, 344-8283 www.uigeo.org Statement By Affordable Low Autumn Glen A Veteran and Champaign’s Safe Haven Income Housing Evictions in Rantoul Afghanistan Tent Community Esther Patt If you or your organization would like to become a sustaining contributor to the Public i, Neil Parthun Margaret Fitzpatrick Page 1 or would like more information, please call 344-7265, or email [email protected]. Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 June/July 2009 V9, #5 Statement By Safe Haven Tent Community This document is a collective effort of the Safe Haven Tent ed, in part, in reaction to the inability of the county to Community and its supporters! supply enough resources to local shelters. A small tent community has formed in Champaign, SHTC provides a relative safety for the homeless. Liv- and with it, a growing constituency of support from the ing without shelter on the streets is a constant struggle. citizens of Champaign County. the Safe Haven Tent Com- Our homeless women and men risk their campsites, their munity (SHTC) arose in response to a practical need for a possessions, and their lives by being alone out on the livable solution to the housing crisis in the local area. streets. They are denied their dignity and respect by hav- The members of the group and their supporters aim to ing to hide in public spaces. Their campsites and living address the housing problem from the position of people spaces, once discovered, are often removed or destroyed. living in homelessness. This group has banded together However, camping in the city, as an alternative to being out of the need to provide respect, security, and wellbe- on the streets alone, is considered illegal. This creates a ing for each other. dilemma not only for the community at large, the city gov- SHTC attends the rally against state services budget The community began in a vacant lot adjacent to the ernment, and the service providers, but also for the people cuts Catholic Workers’ House’s back yard. The group organized who live in tents. Dismantling the SHTC, amounts to denial itself following a series of discussions among the members of safety and security to individuals because of their socio- of the provisional tent community, as well as the workers, economic status. People would still have to camp in the encounter with the Champaign Police Department. A net- committee members, and volunteers at the Catholic Work- city but would be alone and more vulnerable to hardships work of affinity and solidarity from the Champaign-Urbana ers’ House. The group is comprised of a handful of individ- and would have to negotiate with the city alone rather Community has become a key component of the SHTC’s uals who camp together out of friendship and concern for than collectively. Homeless people are citizens too and endeavors. There is a hope within the SHTC that support each other’s safety and well being. The SHTC provides a their safety needs to be protected. for the existence, continuation, and improvement of this safe, temporary community-oriented space for the people The Champaign County SHTC will continue to operate as project can be generated, not only from the Catholic Work- of this city on an abandoned piece of land. an autonomous decision-making body in order to refine a ers’ House, but also from efforts in the larger community of There are resources available to the homeless in Cham- sustainable living practice. The group’s members make deci- Champaign County. There are institutions, collectives, spe- paign County that deserve appreciation and recognition. sions as a collective in roundtable discussions and live by cial interest groups, and individuals working on the hous- However, some of the area shelters have lengthy waiting the bylaws following the precedence set by Dignity Village, ing issue in Champaign, whose involvement and assistance lists, some lack enough space to accommodate families, a sustained tent community based in Portland, Oregon. would make a difference to the vitality of the TC. and some, at times, are unsafe. The SHTC has been creat- The project has recently become public because of an Incident Report, submitted by SHTC on Monday, June 11th, 1:30pm On the night of June 8, 2009, Leigh Estabrook, a member simply asked, “Where can we go to sleep tonight?” Wanting to document the behavior of the officers, of St. Jude Catholic Workers House Steering Committee, Ignoring the presence of females in the group, the Jesse said to Chris, “Take this; it has a camera;” he got contacted the Residential Volunteers of the House to officer with the camera asked, “Why haven’t you his cell phone from his pocket and threw it to Chris who inform them that the Champaign Police were coming to tried the Times Center or Salvation Army?” neither of caught the phone. The other police officer said to his investigate the nature of complaints made by the neigh- which accepts women. There were several different partner, “Oh, did you see that? He threw that phone at bors about late-night disturbances. In response, Jesse responses to the question because each person had my head; that’s assault.” The officers became more Masengale, a homeless man staying at the SHTC, contact- their own particular reasons why they didn’t or were aggressive, taking out their batons as they put Jesse in ed the officer, who had previously called Leigh, to further unable to seek assistance from local shelters. Then an arm-bend using one of the batons. Jesse did not inquire into the situation. He was warned that the Cham- Jesse said, “Some of us don’t have that option.” The once resist the officers or show any force that would paign Police were going to stop by later that night. The officer ignored the conversation and began to film make such aggression necessary. Chris followed Jesse officer informed Jesse that his intention was to “make some of the personal belongings of another homeless and the police to record the actions of the officers who sure there was no loitering or camping on any of the man who was not part of the SHTC but had placed his kept telling Chris to get back and that he wasn’t properties adjacent to the Catholic Worker House (CWH).” belongings on the property east of the parking lot. allowed to follow them; they also threatened him with a Hoping that the Champaign Police Department would The officer in charge stepped on the CWH’s property ticket. One of the officers came towards Chris with his be willing to engage in an open and honest dialogue, and continued to film. Kenny Bishop and Chris Watson, baton ready to strike. After Jesse was in the patrol car, and maybe even lend a sympathetic ear to the situation, two residential volunteers, asked the officer why he was the baton-wielding officer apologized and clarified that SHTC decided it would speak with the officer and ask for proceeding onto the property and questioned his arro- following an officer too closely implied a threat.
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