Community Response to Stereotyping the Homeless

Follow up to Homeless Conference, more media, audio of the event and pictures, what's next, and Blaska's coming to the meeting! A special thanks to everyone who participated in the press conference on Thursday!


JOIN DISCUSSION ON RADIO
Sunday at 8:00 on Forward Forum, please call in and join the discussion:

A panel discussion with advocates for people who are homeless, discussing community responses to recent backlash against the homeless. As we've reported, multi-millionaire developer Fred Mohs began the recent "dialogue" about homelessness by pulling his support for free parking for a downtown church that offers shelter services. Recently, Isthmus Daily Page blogger Dave Blaska wrote a widely-read incendiary piece calling for a return to workhouses and other Dickensian punishments for homelessness and poverty--that may or may not have been tongue in cheek--which through innuendo and without substantive facts suggested that homeless people as a class of people were vicious vagrants who were likely behind recent murders in Madison. (As Mayor Cieslewicz said in a response to a question I asked at Downtown Madison Rotary on Wednesday, "We need to slow down here. There has been no evidence to suggest such a link, and homeless people as a group should not be blamed.")

To join their conversation on Sunday calling at 608-321-1670 locally, toll free *123 for US Cellular phone users, or tollfree 1-877-867-1670 from outside the Madison area. Forward Forum airs Sundays from 7-9 pm CT on 1670 AM, the Pulse, and streams live and podcasts at www.wtdy.com. Show blog: madprogress.blogspot.com . Show website: www.forwardforum.net.

THE PRESS CONFERENCE
On Thursday, a broadly-based group of community leaders came together at the Community Action Coalition's office to speak out against the hate-filled rhetoric being hurled at people who happen currently experiencing the trauma of homelessness. Many thanks to the many sponsors for that event including:

• Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County
• Madison-area Urban Ministry
• Tenant Advocacy Group
  
• Affordable Housing Action Alliance
• Community Action Coalition
• Housing Initiatives
• Porchlight
• Tenant Resource Center
• YWCA
  

Forward Forum was there to cover the event, and has posted a special webpage with audio, still photos and links to news articles from the event. Go to www.forwardforum.net/homeless .

TO GET MORE INVOLVED
To plan future actions come to a meeting on Tuesday at 4:00 at the Social Justice Center (1202 Williamson St). I hear Blaska is going to be there!

To get onto a listserve to learn more about what is going on contact homelesssupporters@gmail.com.

To get involved in discussions about homeless in the downtown

CAPITOL NEIGHBORHOODS, INC.
THE CONTINUATION OF DIALOGUES ON HOMELESSNESS:
NURTURING OUR CAPACITY FOR CHANGE
SATURDAYS,
APRIL 19, MAY 17, 2008, and continuing…
CENTRAL LIBRARY, WEST MIFFLIN ST.
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Refreshments Served
No prior attendance needed to get full benefit from this event.