homelessness

Berkeley, and every other community in our country, is not doing enough. If we do not grab the condition of homelessness with both fists and make a greater commitment to deal with all its aspects, this will be the “new normal.”

As a community, will our only answer to this crisis continue to be breaking up any homeless camps once they become big enough to be visible to city residents and draw criticism as being an “eyesore” to the public?

What we don’t want is temporary port-a-potties and handwashing stations that are taken away once the HAV epidemic is declared over — people need consistent access to sanitation and housing, or disease outbreaks will happen over and over again.

While many struggle to find a perfect – or even decent – place to live, for hundreds of Berkeley residents, housing is entirely inaccessible.

I hear students often proclaim that they are broke, as I see them pull out their parent’s debit card to pay for all they need.

With struggles to escape the cold, the plight of homeless people is amplified in the winter. Berkeley’s homeless population nears 1,000 people.

I see access to public sanitation facilities as a basic human right that the government has accountability for. We share a vital trait: We are all humans.

As a community forum on homelessness drew to a close Monday night, a handful of attendees voiced disappointment about Berkeley City Council’s efforts to address issues affecting the local homeless population.