Berkeley Daily Planet: "We Are SO Not Mean to the Homeless"
You may recall this study that was released a couple weeks back by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty in which San Francisco was named the 7th meanest city to the homeless, and LA was named first. Well, you may have also noticed that our little liberal sister city to the east, Berkeley, came in 10th, and The Berkeley Daily Planet is having none of it! Reporter Riya Bhattacharjee spoke to a number of Berkeley's proud homeless and local homeless advocates, all of whom swear up and down that Berkeley is actually super awesome to its homeless and this ranking must be rigged!
Well, to be exact, the city seems relatively tolerant of its homeless, but they did pass a Public Commons for Everyone Initiative a few years back which allows for prosecution of people for things like public defecation, shouting, and blocking the sidewalk. Some argue that this unfairly targets the homeless, and that's what got them on the list. And according to several people Riya spoke to, a few things could probably be done to improve accommodations for Berkeley's street residents.
While 20-year homeless man Russel Grant appreciates the free foot washings offered by volunteers at a suitcase clinic, he wishes there were more outhouses at bus stops. Recently homeless Douglas Cirlin does not appreciate being hustled out of the Trinity Church breakfast so quickly at 8:30 a.m., but he says living on Berkeley's sidewalks sure beats San Francisco.
Mayor Tom Bates defends the initiative in question and points to many things the city has done to improve life for the homeless. "We established more toilet facilities for people, added new benches around town and addressed street behavior. The initiative was not directed at any particular population. It was directed at a lot of people causing difficulties on the street. And they are not always the homeless"