An Advisory Board without Lived Experience
Fears of More Sweeps and an Innovative Food Bank in Crisis
A CHAB Meeting with No Viewpoint from the Unhoused
The Community Homelessness Advisory Board had its monthly meeting this week but absent was any voice from the unhoused community or even from advocates for this population in need. Discussion of a petition calling for social workers and mental health professionals to do more outreach instead of police was pushed back to the early April meeting, where local law enforcement will also be given a platform. What about inviting the unhoused themselves? Our rundown of this week’s meeting is here.
Unlike other media who are mostly cheering for this soon to open Nevada Cares Campus, funded with COVID-19 federal aid money, we have concerns that neighbors it’s meant to help aren’t really being brought to the table as to what it should provide and how. We are also concerned more and more shelter options for the unhoused are further and further from other services in the downtown 4th and Record St. areas, after historical precedent to recentralize. Part of underlying gentrification efforts?
Some of the CHAB participants (above) seemed to be talking about helping the unhoused as if all these issues and possible solutions were new to them, including a safe camp, which has been talked about here for years and years. Warning, a safe camp behind intimidating fences with lots of security may not attract many people at all.
Michael Carson, Helping with More Cleanups and On the Lookout for More Sweeps
Just as we profiled Michael Carson, he’s preparing a new Protect Life Truckee River cleanup for March 6th starting at 10 AM at 2272 Larkin Circle in Sparks, and is on the lookout for new possible sweeps being feared at Fisherman’s Park and in the Wells Ave. underpass areas in Reno. Those are the spots where many people have congregated after being recently swept from Gateway Park. With the new Cares Campus promised for April, there are well founded fears many more of these sweeps will be taking place in 2021. We will be on the lookout as well to report as it happens if we can.
An Innovative Food Bank Needs Help to Keep Going in a New Location
Frank Seve (above left) has been going through family upheaval and after taking over the Hands of Hope is being forced out of his current location. Our story details some of the turbulence he’s been going through and presents his innovative model for helping those in need.
Podcast
Our podcast this week is about Jeremy who has been unhoused since the beginning of the pandemic, and the stress which has caused him to have multiple heart attacks. He gets occasional help from people he knows but doesn’t have enough money to afford or access any permanent housing in the Reno market, so when we spoke to him, he was trying to move to Arizona, to try his luck there.
Street Photography
Steven Weidman continues to share stunning street portraits from downtown Reno with us, which we reshare on our Biggest Little Streets Instagram. We also post upcoming events, mini docs, audiograms and more street photography there with inquisitive captions by student reporters and concerned citizens.