CONTACT:Mariah McGough, mariah@vocalaction.org, 203 470 9979
FROM TICKETS AND ARRESTS TO THE KILLING OF SAMUEL SHARPE JR: THE GOP’S BROKEN RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS AND UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING
The GOP’s Agenda Will Waste Money, Worsen Homelessness, and Fuel Violence
Today Also Marks 10 Years Since Eric Garner Was Murdered By NYPD Officers
NEW YORK — Yesterday, weeks after SCOTUS ruled that people who cannot afford a place to live should be ticketed and arrested for sleeping outside — even if a city has nowhere for them to go — Samuel Sharpe Jr., a known Black veteran experiencing homelessness was shot and killed by police a mile from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. In response, VOCAL Action Fund released the following statement attributable to Adolfo Abreu, with the VOCAL Action Fund:
“In an United States where everyone has what they need to thrive, Samuel Sharpe Jr. would be alive, housed, and getting the care he needs to live a long and prosperous life. Instead, our country failed. Horrifically, the nation just witnessed the police respond with no mercy in their heart to individuals who were in a moment of crisis with violence. Police — who were outside of their jurisdiction — shot and killed Samuel after he was left homeless for years, forgotten by the elected officials and systems meant to protect all people.
Housing is the solution to homelessness. Service and care are the solutions to substance use and mental health needs. This should be obvious, and supported by both political parties and every politician. The highest court in the land recently ruled on a precedent to arrest, fine, and ticket people who are homeless – only worsening the existing crisis. The real solutions are compassion, housing, and services that have been proven time and again to work.
Instead of solutions, the GOP and a growing number of Democrats want to incite fear and amplify chaos in our streets — and then ticket, arrest, or shoot people. From New York City to Milwaukee, all elected officials should be invested in providing people with housing and care, not handcuffs and cruelty.”
BACKGROUND:
VOCAL Action Fund stands with organizations across the country calling on the Biden administration and Congress to make a downpayment investment of at least $356 billion in the next year with continued funding in future years to ensure that everybody has safe, decent housing that they can afford. Specifically, we call for full funding of:
- Universal rental assistance for lowest-income households
- Public housing repair and preservation
- National Housing Trust Fund
- Eviction and Homelessness Prevention
- Voluntary supportive and emergency services
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