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Fresno Homeless Advocates Hold Press Conference

by Mike Rhodes (editor [at] fresnoalliance.com)
Video, photos, and Press Release from a press conference held today (Monday, August 26, 2013) opposing the City of Fresno's demolition of homeless encampments. Photo below: Rev. Dr. Chris Breedlove College Community Congregational spoke at the Press Conference, organized by homeless advocates.
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Fresno Coalition for Humane and Affordable Housing Policy

Contacts: Reverend Chris Breedlove Pastor, College Community Congregational Church
5550 North Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93710
559.435.2690
pastor [at] communityucc.com

Georgia Williams
Member, Fresno Coalition for Humand and Affordable Housing Policies
559.439.5268 or 559.250.6956
georgiam [at] csufresno.edu

Mary Ellen Carter
Member, Fresno Coalition for Humane and Affordable Housing Policies
406.529.8979
maryellen [at] erclc.org

COALITION IN OPPOSITION TO RAZING OF HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS PLANS PRESS CONFERENCE AT SITE OF FIRST SCHEDULED DEMOLITION

For Immediate Release:

The Fresno Coalition for Humane and Affordable Housing Policies will hold a press conference on Monday, August 26, 2013 at 8:30 am on the corner of Santa Clara and G Streets to announce their opposition to the city’s planned demolition and to launch a petition drive asking the city to halt the razing of the camps and address the issue of homelessness in a humane and effective manner. Planned speakers include Chris Breedlove, pastor of the College Community Congregational Church. The Coalition’s petition has been uploaded to a website created by the group at http://www.helpfresnoshomeless.org/

“Our group believes that demolishing homeless encampments is inhumane. The city’s plan to offer alternative housing to the people who live in the encampments is woefully inadequate,” says Mary Ellen Carter, member of the coalition. “Few people in the encampments will be able to receive housing vouchers before the scheduled demolitions. The city’s plan is not a long term plan at all - its lack of compassion is disturbing, and it is a public shame to our city. We can do better than this.”
####
§Video of the Press Conference
by Mike Rhodes
Copy the code below to embed this movie into a web page:
§Bill Simon
by Mike Rhodes
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The Press Conference was held on Santa Clara street, shortly before the homeless encampment was destroyed by the City of Fresno. Bill Simon, who is with the local ACLU is seen here being interviewed by a reporter from radio station KMJ.
§A homeless person moves her property to escape the bulldozers
by Mike Rhodes
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All photos by Mike Rhodes
§Santa Clara and F street
by Mike Rhodes
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This homeless person is trying to pack and remove his property as a City of Fresno bulldozer waits.
§Couch
by Mike Rhodes
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The destruction of this homeless encampment begins as a city bulldozer picks up a couch and puts it into the back of a garbage truck where it is destroyed.
§City of Fresno destroys homeless person's shelter
by Mike Rhodes
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This is the homeless shelter (see the previous photo) that is being destroyed by a city bulldozer. The City of Fresno is in the process of destroying all of the homeless encampments near the Poverello House (a homeless center in downtown Fresno).
§Video
by Mike Rhodes
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Some city workers, like this man here, had video recorders attached to their clothing that documented the destruction.
§Bikes
by Mike Rhodes
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In some parts of the homeless encampment, business went on as usual, as with this man who was fixing his bicycle.
§Juan Hernandez
by Mike Rhodes
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Juan Hernandez says that he and his friends may be forced out of the encampment today, but they will be back. He says he has no other place to live.
§Caltrans and the CHP
by Mike Rhodes
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One group of homeless people, trying to escape the destruction moved their property onto Caltrans land where they were met by a Highway Patrol officer who told them they had to move on.
§Bed
by Mike Rhodes
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City workers remove bed from the homeless encampment on F street.
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