Posts Tagged ‘homelessness’
Richmond works to meet housing goals after getting bad grade from grand jury
Lia Cortes paused as she walked past a group of girls admiring the trendy clothes displayed on mannequins leaning against a pink wall in a small clothing store. The streetscape at 22nd Street and Nevin Avenue has changed dramatically in the 23 years Cortes has lived in the neighborhood. “It is a main street. I…
Read MoreTough to Find Secure Housing During the Pandemic
It was a warm day in August when Gloria Schroeder received a panicked call from her roommate that they were being evicted. She had barely arrived for work after dropping off her 8-month-old daughter, Davina, at daycare. The 22-year-old relied on public transport to get everywhere. Once she got closer to the house, she saw…
Read MoreRichmond’s unhoused staying at the Courtyard by Marriott face uncertainty
In Richmond, which has the highest number of shelter beds and the highest number of unhoused individuals in the county, officials leased the Courtyard by Marriott and a second hotel. GRIP is managing the people staying at the Marriott.
But state funding for Homekey is set to end on Dec. 30
A push for a long-term RV community in Richmond
While advocates in Richmond are working to establish a city-sanctioned parking location with electricity, water and sewage access, issues at existing encampments are growing as more and more people move in.
Read MoreRichmond’s unhoused are uniting to fight illegal dumping
Richmond is notorious for illegal dumping and litter, a decades-long problem driven by private and commercial interests looking for places to offload their trash for free. A group of unhoused people are working to tackle the problem while creating better living spaces at local encampments.
Read MoreA formerly homeless family finally gets their home in Richmond
For the first time since he was a toddler, 25-year-old Sedzi Solomon McNair has a home to call his own.
Read MorePanel discusses resolving homelessness in the East Bay
Over the years, Nella Gonçalves has become very used to hearing a certain question: “Ew, you work with the homeless? Don’t they stink?” Gonçalves is the deputy director of Beyond Emancipation, an organization that helps foster youth transition into lives as independent adults. Gonçalves meets a lot of very young people in very difficult positions;…
Read MoreStreet Survival meet-up provides food, fresh produce, toilet kits for Richmond residents
A group of Richmond residents gather every Saturday afternoon at the park on the Greenway to give out hot meals, fresh food and a toilet to any neighbor that needs it.
Read MoreCommunity joins Contra Costa County in annual homeless count
Every January, Contra Costa Health Services takes a one-day census of people living without a home in the county. County officials say the numbers are on the rise.
Read MoreKathy Robinson: the Richmond mayoral candidate you didn’t hear about
Less than a week before Election Day, Kathy Robinson got into her car, ready to drive around Richmond and tell as many people as she could that she was running for mayor. Her aging white Volvo was decked out for the occasion, plastered with homemade campaign flyers. In her trunk were stacks of these same…
Read MoreRichmond’s homeless community hangs on as Prop 2 promises limited new funding
At the corner of 22nd Street and Carlson Boulevard in Richmond sits a homeless encampment where the unofficial mayor, Oretha “Porkchop” Stevens, is calming down her next-door neighbor Tone. His phone is missing and Porkchop works to reassure him. “You’re not crazy, you know where you put your stuff! Don’t play with your own mind,”…
Read MoreMayor promises long-term homeless plan, but surprise evictions of Richmond’s homeless continue
As city workers continue to uproot the homeless from encampments around Richmond, at times without any warning or help, Mayor Tom Butt is pushing to raise $1.5 million from local companies to pay for a managed homeless encampment. He has asked several local companies, including Chevron Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Apron, Costco Wholesale and Sims…
Read MoreAs vacant property tax vote nears, residents debate effectiveness
Richmond residents will vote in November on a vacant property tax that could raise $5 million in revenue for homeless services and code enforcement. While almost everyone agrees that homelessness and blight are major issues facing the city, there’s a debate over whether taxing property owners is the most effective way to address the problem.
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