100 signatures reached
To: Mark Squilla and Cherelle Parker
Support the demands of Camp Chloe
Camp Chloe is an autonomous encampment community of residents in South Philadelphia who are currently street homeless.
For years, they have faced continual sweeps from the Philadelphia police force, local businesses, and private landowners.
Residents lose important documents, medications, irreplaceable heirlooms, and the rest of their entire livelihoods when they are forcibly evicted. They have nowhere else to go.
The city provides two options for street based homeless individuals:
Shelter, or treatment.
Philadelphia doesn't meaningfully address continual barriers that make either an inaccessible option for many.
Barriers include not allowing pets or couples, having strict times they can arrive and must leave by, (which curbs autonomy of employment), how many belongings they are allowed to have with them, continual exposure to violence, communicable diseases, bed bugs, dehumanizing treatment by staff, theft, assault, overworked and under paid case workers, expectations of use and sobriety, present wounds, judgement and stigma, racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and more.
The residents of Camp Chloe, along with residents and organizers in South Philadelphia, were able to resist the most recent attempt to sweep (3/20) but we need the politicians to agree to the demands that we have set forth, and meet with us to discuss negotiations.
The demands were made by residents and presented in a press release on Monday, March 16th and are as follows:
#1: Establish safe sleep sites where people can legally camp.
These sites should provide toilets, showers, and trash pick-up, 24/7 non-police security to prevent violence, and a fixed address where outreach case management can find them.
#2: Implement a property receipt system.
The current model employed by the city is inaccessible and has no accountability. Belongings are stored in distant warehouses and items are discarded by police or private contractors who claim 'they didn't see anything important'. To resolve this, residents are asking all items stored to be logged with a physical receipt given to the owner. Non-police, property advocates should be in charge of this system.
#3: Housing-first instead of Shelter-first.
Street based homeless individuals should be able to get into permanent supportive housing without going into a shelter or treatment. Encampments are communities. Chosen habitation is safer than randomized habitation. Utilize the $2 billion housing plan (of the Parker administration) to fast track low barrier navigation centers that allow pets and couples.
#4: Create an oversight board with people with lived experience.
This would be a paid oversight committee comprised of folks with current/previous lived experience, so that decisions made about encampments are coming from folks who actually live(d) in them, to ensure 'resolutions' are humane.
For years, they have faced continual sweeps from the Philadelphia police force, local businesses, and private landowners.
Residents lose important documents, medications, irreplaceable heirlooms, and the rest of their entire livelihoods when they are forcibly evicted. They have nowhere else to go.
The city provides two options for street based homeless individuals:
Shelter, or treatment.
Philadelphia doesn't meaningfully address continual barriers that make either an inaccessible option for many.
Barriers include not allowing pets or couples, having strict times they can arrive and must leave by, (which curbs autonomy of employment), how many belongings they are allowed to have with them, continual exposure to violence, communicable diseases, bed bugs, dehumanizing treatment by staff, theft, assault, overworked and under paid case workers, expectations of use and sobriety, present wounds, judgement and stigma, racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and more.
The residents of Camp Chloe, along with residents and organizers in South Philadelphia, were able to resist the most recent attempt to sweep (3/20) but we need the politicians to agree to the demands that we have set forth, and meet with us to discuss negotiations.
The demands were made by residents and presented in a press release on Monday, March 16th and are as follows:
#1: Establish safe sleep sites where people can legally camp.
These sites should provide toilets, showers, and trash pick-up, 24/7 non-police security to prevent violence, and a fixed address where outreach case management can find them.
#2: Implement a property receipt system.
The current model employed by the city is inaccessible and has no accountability. Belongings are stored in distant warehouses and items are discarded by police or private contractors who claim 'they didn't see anything important'. To resolve this, residents are asking all items stored to be logged with a physical receipt given to the owner. Non-police, property advocates should be in charge of this system.
#3: Housing-first instead of Shelter-first.
Street based homeless individuals should be able to get into permanent supportive housing without going into a shelter or treatment. Encampments are communities. Chosen habitation is safer than randomized habitation. Utilize the $2 billion housing plan (of the Parker administration) to fast track low barrier navigation centers that allow pets and couples.
#4: Create an oversight board with people with lived experience.
This would be a paid oversight committee comprised of folks with current/previous lived experience, so that decisions made about encampments are coming from folks who actually live(d) in them, to ensure 'resolutions' are humane.
Why is this important?
The district Camp Chloe resides in, is currently overseen by councilman Mark Squilla, who has maintained councilmanic prerogative to the detriment of the residents. Meaning, he will continually back property owners, shareholders and developers needs over the needs of a vulnerable community of his constituents.
When asked to stop the most recent sweep, Mark Squilla told organizers that 'he doesn't have councilmanic prerogative over this land' which is absolutely not true. He has not been available for further comment, though the sweep was deterred by on the ground efforts of supporters and organizers.
Cherelle Parker has not made any comment about Camp Chloe, but we have heard from her office, that the needs and demands of the residents have been 'noted'.
As of 3/23, Cherelle Parker and Mark Squilla held a press conference announcing a new shelter opening up in the city, calling it a 'solution, not a shelter'.
But a solution for whom?
Funding for housing has been cut across the country. Abandoned houses rot throughout Philadelphia, seldom being repurposed into affordable housing. Rent is skyrocketing. Federal funding for social security, food stamps, and general assistance is being cut.
When this happens, the homeless population grows.
Is the Mayor suggesting, with Mark Squilla standing directly behind her, that the 'solution' to losing your house, is to be indefinitely admitted into a shelter?
Is the suggestion that shelters offer more stability? Instead of curbing autonomy as we know them to do?
It is odd to offer shelters as a 'solution', to 'solve homelessness', in a city where the amount of vacant houses more than TRIPLES the amount of residents it has experiencing homelessness.
Without investing in more permanent, supportive housing, WHEN are you supposed to leave the shelter? WHERE are you supposed to go once you're out if there's no voucher and you can't afford rent? Philadelphia has more expensive transportation, groceries, and utilities than the national average. HOW are shelter systems helping offset these expenses for individuals who hope to graduate from them? HOW can one meaningfully save for an affordable future when the funding is only being spent on interim shelters?
Now you're starting to see what the residents of Camp Chloe have seen for a long time.
We demand a stop to the forced removal of the residents of Camp Chloe.
We demand negotiations instead of coercion into shelters.
When asked to stop the most recent sweep, Mark Squilla told organizers that 'he doesn't have councilmanic prerogative over this land' which is absolutely not true. He has not been available for further comment, though the sweep was deterred by on the ground efforts of supporters and organizers.
Cherelle Parker has not made any comment about Camp Chloe, but we have heard from her office, that the needs and demands of the residents have been 'noted'.
As of 3/23, Cherelle Parker and Mark Squilla held a press conference announcing a new shelter opening up in the city, calling it a 'solution, not a shelter'.
But a solution for whom?
Funding for housing has been cut across the country. Abandoned houses rot throughout Philadelphia, seldom being repurposed into affordable housing. Rent is skyrocketing. Federal funding for social security, food stamps, and general assistance is being cut.
When this happens, the homeless population grows.
Is the Mayor suggesting, with Mark Squilla standing directly behind her, that the 'solution' to losing your house, is to be indefinitely admitted into a shelter?
Is the suggestion that shelters offer more stability? Instead of curbing autonomy as we know them to do?
It is odd to offer shelters as a 'solution', to 'solve homelessness', in a city where the amount of vacant houses more than TRIPLES the amount of residents it has experiencing homelessness.
Without investing in more permanent, supportive housing, WHEN are you supposed to leave the shelter? WHERE are you supposed to go once you're out if there's no voucher and you can't afford rent? Philadelphia has more expensive transportation, groceries, and utilities than the national average. HOW are shelter systems helping offset these expenses for individuals who hope to graduate from them? HOW can one meaningfully save for an affordable future when the funding is only being spent on interim shelters?
Now you're starting to see what the residents of Camp Chloe have seen for a long time.
We demand a stop to the forced removal of the residents of Camp Chloe.
We demand negotiations instead of coercion into shelters.
How it will be delivered
In person at a meeting to enter negotiations for Camp Chloe residents.
In a press conference held at Camp Chloe.