Day of the Dead with SHARE / WHEEL Day of the living with property value

El Centro De la Raza has a tradition of inviting community organizations to provide ofrendas for exhibirt as part of their Annual Day of the Dead / celebration of Life / excuse to further distribute Halloween sugar event.

 This ofrenda is provided by SHARE / WHEEL. Since 2000 SHARE / WHEEL has been standing vigil every month for homeless people who have died outdoors or by violence. This year's ofrenda contains over 700 stones, each with the name of one of these people.

The total for 2017, so far is 79, 20 in October alone. RantWoman hears statistics about the totals every month and every month, the total has been up from last year. When rantWoman asks the person who presents the info, the person blames "the sweeps," the police practice of "offering services" and then busting up unauthorized homeless camps including anyone who does not get connected with services.

But, says another person on the spectrum of homeless / formerly homeless / in need of and very grateful for secure and very low income housing, some of those people in the unauthorized encampments really ARE terrible neighbors.

Yes, went the conversation, and people in the camps are afraid to call the police on the terrible neighbors because they too will get dislocated in any resulting sweeps.

RantWoman could probably leave the memorial above as is, to speak for itself, but RantWoman famously does not know when to quit.

1. It is City Council budget season. One measure that would help is the HOMES tax, a head tax on the largest employers in the city, thought to be responsible for skyrocketing housing costs. RantWoman urges the City Council to support this.

2. How is our Meeting called to address this? On one hand, escalating real estate values have created great potential windfalls for many members and related to ourcampus itself. On the other hand, skyrocketing housing costs create considerable stress for many in our community and others in our community can find many reasons to dread any further reduction in the supply of very low income housing, to be distressed by displacement and breakup of favorite neighborhoods and parts of the community.

RantWoman finds herself seeking and is curretntly sighing off many things In Light and faithfulness.