Open Letter to Mayor Schaaf from a homeless Oakland family

OAKLAND, CA — Dear Mayor Libby Schaaf,
Like thousands of other families in Oakland, CA, we are sick and tired of being homeless. Everywhere we go, it’s barriers. Everyone has a different story of how they became homeless, but every homeless person has experienced the things we’ve experienced: Discrimination.  Inadequate protection from bad landlords. Nowhere to turn for help. Constant fear & threats to safety. We are the end of our rope. We can’t live like this. We shouldn’t have to.  Our children deserve better.
Mayor Libby Schaaf, you need to start prioritizing our needs over the interests of people who are profiting from our suffering:
We need immediate emergency relief for all homeless families in Oakland. No child under the age of 18 should be without shelter on your watch.
Protect Oakland Renters. Prevent other people from going through the hell we’ve been going through for the past two years. Put the #ProtectOaklandRenters initiative on the 2016 ballot immediately, and extend the moratorium on no-fault evictions & rent increases until permanent tenant protections are passed, funded, implemented, and enforced.
Redistribute at least 25% of Oakland Police Department’s budget to fund programs and services to prevent and address displacement, poverty and violence in our city. You campaigned on the idea of “a holistic approach to public safety.” How can you justify spending over 60% of Oakland’s general fund (we may be homeless, but we pay taxes too) to pay cops to stalk our families by night (when they’re not out committing statutory rape, breaking into people’s houses and God knows what else!)? We need a place for our babies to sleep. The police can’t help us with that. We need food and healthcare for our children. The police can’t help us with that. We need jobs that pay enough for us to be able to afford the cost of living in Oakland. The police can’t help us with that, and we are not safe. Holistic public safety means applying for the youth jobs grant on time and using public land for public good.
Today at noon, we are moving into Oakland City Hall. We’re bringing an inflatable mattress, bedding, and our four children. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We have nowhere else to go. If you don’t want us at City Hall, give us a safe place to stay. Your house looks like it might have a few extra rooms in it.
We invite all long-time Oaklanders (especially families with children) who have been experiencing homelessness to join us today. If you’re hungry, come to City Hall. We have organized meals to be served for all who show up. We ask for all people of conscience to come out and support our family and all the homeless families in Oakland.
Thank you for standing with us. #StopStayExpand
The Beal Family
Excerpts from http://www.crc4sd.org/blog/2016/6/30/open-letter-to-libby-schaaf-from-a-homeless-oakland-family