An Open Letter to President Barack Obama from Peace Camp 2010

Photo: Christopher Doyon
sleeps on the courthouse steps
each night to protest Santa Cruz'
Sleeping Ban at Peace Camp 2010.


FROM:
Peace Camp 2010
Santa Cruz County Courthouse
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Telephone: 831-675-6096

E-Mail: SCPeaceCamp2010@gmail.com


TO:
The President Of The United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Telephone: 202-456-1414


Dear Mr. President --

My name is Christopher Doyon, and I am a homeless man living in Santa Cruz, CA. This message is a plea for help with a man-made humanitarian crisis. Peoples lives and liberty are at stake, poor and homeless people are sick and dying from a terrible tyranny here in Santa Cruz. The brutal ban on sleeping anywhere in Santa Cruz, CA - even on private property, is tantamount to the criminalization of poverty and homelessness. We have gathered in the one last safe place in all of the City, the County Seat. Due to special rules this small property is exempt from the City of Santa Cruz campaign of terror against the most vulnerable of it’s own citizens. We have named this small sanctuary “Peace Camp 2010” and we have a web site at -- http://Peacecamp2010.blogspot.com where you can learn more of our plight.

I write to you as an ambassador of Peace Camp 2010. And I write to you not just as our President, but as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. I beg of you, PLEASE do not turn a blind eye to the plight of Peace Camp 2010. We ask only that you call the Santa Cruz County Sheriff and ask him not to brutally crush us. We are a non-violent and PEACEFUL assembly. And if you could spare just a moment, would you please phone Mayor Mike Rotkin and simply ask him to TALK to us.

There are elderly, disabled, veterans - young and old here at Peace Camp 2010. We have been driven from all over the city like some sort of class cleansing in a horrible campaign of extreme gentrification, and truth be told there is no where left for us to go. We are truly under siege, and at any moment they could come for us - please hurry, we need your help so desperately.





Christopher Mark Doyon

Peace Camp 2010 Ambassador

President Obama unveils Plan to End Homelessness

NOTE TO READER: "Curbhugger" Chris Doyon is attempting to make contact with President Barack Obama in order to get his support to end Sleeping and Blanket Bans as a way to deal with issues regarding homelessness. Santa Cruz County has a number of social service organizations that provide a network of services for homeless people, but, with the continued high cost of housing juxtaposed with chronically low wages, homelessness will continue into the foreseeable future without an infusion of federal dollars. Hopefully many of the restrictions put on federal funds can be eased to allow more to be sheltered. Log onto the KSBW site to view the video report.

----Becky Johnson, Editor


President, SCC On Same Page With Homelessness
Obama Administration's Homeless Plan Unveiled Tuesday

POSTED: 4:15 pm PDT June 22, 2010
UPDATED: 7:39 am PDT June 23, 2010

found online at: http://www.ksbw.com/news/23997883/detail.html

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. --
The Obama administration's proposed plan that has a goal of eventually ending homelessness was unveiled on Tuesday.

The proposal, called "Opening Doors," was announced at the White House. The proposal promises smarter coordination among the many agencies that try to help people find stable housing and economic security.

The plan suggests a big shift is needed so that programs targeted to solve homelessness are integrated with health, education and human services efforts.

Local Attorney, Ed Frey delivers the porto-pottie to Peace Camp 2010 in front of the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse as part of a protest/sleep-in against the City's infamous "Sleeping Ban" which criminalizes homelessness. Photo by Becky Johnson July 4 2010

It is estimated that 640,000 Americans do not have a place to live.

Some agencies in Santa Cruz County have already adopted a 10-year plan to end homelessness, and said they are on the same page as the president.

Agency employees said that there is already transitional housing and permanent housing plans offered, but what is needed is more affordable housing and support services.

"We've done a pretty good job of that," said Paul Brindel, of the Community Action Board. "We've seen some reduction in numbers over the last few years, but you can't end it without increasing people's income or reducing the cost of housing."

According to the 2009 Santa Cruz County homeless census and survey, there are about 2,260 people who are homeless in Santa Cruz County.

The Obama administration's plan calls for the end of chronic homelessness -- the problem of people cycling through shelters and hospitals -- in five years. It seeks to end homelessness among veterans in five years.

And it calls for preventing and ending homelessness among families and children in 10 years.

Copyright 2010 by KSBW.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.