CAN YOU SPARE SOME SOCIAL CHANGE?
San Jose Homeless Gather For Homeless Convention And Determine Course Of Action
Written by Sandy Perry, Outreach Director, Community Homeless Alliance Ministry
Photos by Charisse Domingo




Click images to view photo essay


San Jose's first Homeless Convention on September 9 was a rare and beautiful expression of hope for the city's outcast poor. Over 200 homeless men, women, and children and their supporters gathered in First Christian Church to educate each other and the community, and determine a course of action to secure their fundamental economic human rights to housing, health care, education, and living wage jobs.

The Convention affirmed that every resident of San Jose, regardless of wealth or material circumstances, is made in the image of God and infinitely precious in his eyes.

The Bible teaches us that the last shall be first, and the stone the builder rejected shall become the cornerstone. This Scripture began to be fulfilled for all those who attended Friday's Convention.

  Saturday's Mercury News article inaccurately claimed that there were only “a handful” of community supporters present. A review of the sign-in sheets revealed that in addition to the homeless, over 32 community and social service organizations and representatives from state, assembly, and local city offices were present.

The outpouring of community support was heartening to all who participated, especially the homeless.   We want to thank all the homeless who organized this Convention, set it up, helped cook and serve, helped clean, went to meetings, spoke out, wrote resolutions, testified, and organized their comrades to participate. We salute you.

Resolutions Passed

From Residents of San Jose Family Shelter
Presented by Peter Mendiola

•  Reform rental background checks to avoid disqualification for small offenses in the distant past.

•  Make housing available such as Section 8, Shelter Plus Care, or transitional housing for all who complete shelter programs

•  Include budget management training and savings plans in all shelter programs

•  Lower rents for low-income families in affordable housing, and better assistance with deposit and first and last month's rent

•  Affordable education program for low-income people

•  Expand subsidized bus tickets for the homeless and all low-income people

From Members of Grace Community Center
Presented by Albert Mata

•  We the members of Grace Community Center hereby commit to providing a community of people who will be a voice for those who are in greater need than we are. We extend the hand of fellowship to all.

•  We the members of Grace Community Center hereby declare that the local, State, and Federal government take notice of San Jose's lack of low-income housing and provide housing and basic sustenance for all of our very poorest citizens.

From Residents of InnVision
Presented by Rose Diaz

•  More affordable housing for families and single people.

•  Reduce rents to the Federal definition of affordable, 30% of income.

•  More resources for shelters, day care, and education.

•  More day care at work sites.

•  More contact with God.

•  Don't give up.

From Community Homeless Alliance Ministry
Presented by Vanessa Martinez
WHEREAS a person who does not have a job, an income, or a home has neither life, nor liberty, nor the possibility of the pursuit of happiness,

WHEREAS housing, health care, and education are God-given human rights promised by Scripture and by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

WHEREAS the hurricane catastrophe in New Orleans is a warning and a wake up call for all of us who fail to take care of the least of our brothers and sisters,

WHEREAS the homelessness of millions of Americans every night, including children, is an ongoing national disgrace and national disaster comparable to Hurricane Katrina,

WHEREAS the presence of 7646 homeless men, women, and children in Santa Clara County in one night is an affront to God and a violation of our economic human rights by local, State, and Federal governments, and

WHEREAS Martin Luther King, Jr. called for the total, direct, and immediate abolition of poverty,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT we cannot afford to wait ten years to end homelessness but should make immediate plans to do so now at every level of government, that we carry over and continue the national mobilization to aid hurricane victims until every homeless American is placed in decent, affordable housing, and that this Convention establish an ongoing campaign organization and steering committee of homeless representatives to ensure that this is carried out.