1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to it could happen here the podcast about stuff 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: falling apart and perhaps how we can begin to put 3 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: them back together. Today, I'm your host, Garrison Davis. We've 4 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: had a lot of doom and gloom the past few 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: weeks here on the pod, so this episode we more 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: focused on the putting stuff back together side of the spectrum. 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: We'll be talking with Elizabeth Blackburn of the First Collective, 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: a group of volunteers, organizers, and activists in Columbus, Ohio 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: focused on direct, grassroots action and mutual aid. But we'll 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: be specifically talking about a volunteer run homeless encampment that's 11 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: currently serving around people in the near East side of Columbus. 12 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: Here's some of the history from Elizabeth. The project started 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: as a warming station at the end of January UM 14 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:05,040 Speaker 1: and how is morphed into a autonomous encampment that's largely 15 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: self governed and managed by a loose network of mutual 16 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: aid organizations that came together during the uprisings. You know, 17 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: this is this is as flat an organization as we 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: can make it, and we're you know, we're trying to 19 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: make it flatter, and I just think it's important that 20 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: the people recognize. You know, going out with resources is great, 21 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: but going out and finding out what resources people need 22 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: is better. There are so many groups in our city 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: that are supposed to be doing this work that are not, 24 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: and they're being paid to do this work, and it's ineffective. 25 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: And all I want is for for more people to 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: try and do it their own way, to try and 27 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: do what their community wants, you know, to the best 28 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: of their abilities. We see that lots of projects grow 29 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: out of the mutual a networks that were established. It's 30 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: been interesting to see how people in the wake of 31 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: the George Floyd uprising have built off things started two 32 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: years ago, what's changed in their practice, and how it's 33 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: evolved since then. This past winter in this area of Columbus, Ohio, 34 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: there was community needs not being met, people having to 35 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: be out in the cold and not having a place 36 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: to stay. This problem was recognized by people, but unfortunately, 37 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: far too many people just look at problems and just 38 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: be like, oh, yes, here's the thing that sucks. Well, 39 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: that's too bad. But today we'll be talking about how 40 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: a collective of people didn't simply acknowledge a problem, but 41 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: actually went past that point and decided that even with 42 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: limited resources, they had the capacity to actually figure out 43 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: how to solve this themselves and provide a solution for 44 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: the community. I think the first time I really tried 45 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: something like that was in December. A friend of mine 46 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: had reached out about a camp on the south side 47 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: of Columbus that was being swept by the city and 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 1: they had needs. They needed new tents so they could 49 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: set up elsewhere. They needed food and water like they 50 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: always did, and they needed people to be there um 51 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: to keep you know, to prevent violence from occurring as 52 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: much as possible. UM. So hearing about that, I started 53 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: a I set up on my street in a bougie 54 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: part of Columbus UM with a little sign and collected 55 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: goods whatever people dropped off, I collected money. UM. I 56 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: raised about two thousand dollars and uh I think we 57 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: ended up buying around twenty two tenths UM got other 58 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: people there as well, and tried to make sure everybody 59 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: had what they needed so they could get set up elsewhere. 60 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: But that was my first, like my first experience with 61 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: that doing it hands on and seeing that that worked, 62 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: that encouraged me to do more. Is that How has 63 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: it grown and changed? Since then, there's still a need 64 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: for people to stay. Um, it still gets pretty cold 65 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: at night. Um, so how throughout throughout winter? How did 66 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: the project kind of morphin change? How did you go 67 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: about finding like places to actually like set up the 68 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: physical spot right, Like, that's that's a whole it's a 69 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: whole other problem. Um, it's all like the is all 70 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: like the logistical side of things. Yeah, exactly. Um, well, 71 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: we happened to have a space late last fall, I 72 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: was invited to join a collective. At first collective that 73 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: was operating out of a church that largely um falling 74 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: into disrepair, but still operating as a church. And because 75 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: we had that space, a couple of members of the 76 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: collective encountered some folks in the neighborhood who needed a 77 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: place to sleep. They were sleeping in a bus stop 78 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: on a snowy night, and we just decided to start 79 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: giving them a place to stay because we had a place. 80 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: It wasn't a super popular decision, but um, we had 81 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: community back in. Conflicts from some people in the neighborhood 82 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: who were more nimby minded did obviously come up, along 83 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: with the complaints from the church that the first collective 84 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: was operating out of for the community's part. When we 85 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: were at the church, we were in a part of 86 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: the neighborhood that had largely been gentrified, and so there 87 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:29,799 Speaker 1: was some some resistance, some concern about the changing face 88 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: of the community and about the safety of kids and 89 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. But we didn't have any 90 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 1: real safety concerns, not not in our not inside beyond 91 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: a couple encounters that we had to de escalate UM 92 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: and a few people that we had to remove for 93 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: based on their behavior, UM, but from inside the church, 94 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: from the church organization. UM. The conflicts started pretty early on. 95 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: They didn't really like how we oper aided and we 96 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: got a reputation as a warming space with no rules, 97 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: and so they felt like because couples could sleep next 98 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: to each other, UM, because people could go outside for 99 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: a cigarette at night, because they weren't locked in the building, 100 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: that we were running a space that was out of control, 101 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: well until until we were kicked out of the church 102 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: on March twenty nine. I think it was the physical 103 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: infrastructure was there. It was just a matter of getting 104 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: caughts and blankets and making sure that people had food. 105 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: Most of that was either through just one off donations 106 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: to my cash app or I bought it with my 107 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: own funds UM. Once we were forced to move outside, 108 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: it got a lot more complicated UM because at that 109 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 1: point we didn't have any tents UM. We had to 110 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: go out that night and purchase. The day that we 111 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: were removed, we had to go out and purchase I 112 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: believed ten tents to start, and then had a couple 113 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: dropped off UM. We now have around twenty tents UM. 114 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: A lot of those were purchased by by me or 115 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: by donations that we received UM, or have been dropped 116 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: off by by friends or people in the neighborhood. UM 117 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: that has been you know, the physical infrastructure is mostly 118 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: tents and canopies, and most of them are being held 119 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: up by pieces of old tents or large tree limbs 120 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: or whatever we can to survive the wind because it's 121 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: been nothing but windstorms for the past well since we 122 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: got here. Our first camp site was set up on 123 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: a lot that was connected to the farm four Seasons 124 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: City Farm UM. Several of the members of the collective 125 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: our former paid employees of the farm or multi year volunteers. 126 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: It's a it's a large organization on this part. In 127 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: this part of the town UM Old Town East UM 128 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: with about fifteen I belief years of history and goodwill UM. 129 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: So we set up next to their lot. But because 130 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: they're on land bank land, we we didn't want to 131 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: interfere with their lease with the city. So rather than 132 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: risk the farm getting fined or UM having having their 133 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: least broken, we we look next door to a lot 134 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: on the other side of a chain length fence M 135 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: two lots. Actually, one is owned by the city that's 136 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: the one where most of our tents are, and then 137 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 1: one is owned by a private owner who's a rather 138 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: wealthy person in the neighborhood. UM. We've done our best 139 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: to stay on the city lot and that has been 140 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: good for us. But we're also maintaining both lots and 141 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,200 Speaker 1: doing our best to keep the trash to a minimum 142 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: UM to make sure that we're not carrying up the 143 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: ground as much as we can, though it's hard with 144 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: all this rain UH, and and just do our best 145 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: to be good neighbors UM. And I think that has 146 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: helped us a lot. In recent years, lower class Columbus 147 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: area residents lost twenty thousand units of housing due to 148 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: unaffordable spiking rent prices. An annual Point in Time tally 149 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: this year organized by the Community Shelter Board, found the 150 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: number of homeless people in official Columbus and Franklin County 151 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: emergency shelters increased by more than two hundred people since 152 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: one and online data from the Shelter Board of a 153 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: nonprofit organization that receives funding from the City of Columbus 154 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: and other organizations indicates that as of March, there was 155 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: a seven percent drop in the rate of people exiting 156 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: their program and moving into stable housing as compared to 157 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: last year. Going from to a lot of times more 158 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: formalized shelters are not ideal for people to stay in. 159 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: There's many issues with the formalized shelters regarding the specific 160 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 1: rules of when you can get inside, how long you 161 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 1: can be inside, whether you're locked inside the building, what 162 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: stuff you can bring with you. At best, they are 163 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 1: challenging to navigate. At worst, they're simply hostile to people 164 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: looking for shelter. I asked Elizabeth what her take on 165 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: the homeless shelter situation is like in Columbus and the 166 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 1: ways their encampment is different from the more official shelters. 167 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: We have limited beds and then the beds that are 168 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: available are mostly under the governance of the shelter board, 169 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: and the shelter board wasn't too fond of us either. 170 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 1: Weren't following all their rules, and there are a lot 171 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: of concerns about the way the shelters run. The people 172 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: that stay with us, the people that come through, they 173 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: feel safer here. Um, there's considerably less drug use. There's 174 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: basically no distribution. We try to keep a handle on 175 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: that because it, you know, would bring problems to the 176 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: camp should it happen there. Um, we are a safe 177 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: use space. We do have harm reduction materials and they 178 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: know that, um, and we we do our best to 179 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: you know, just make sure that people have the care 180 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: and the safety that they need. And that is kind 181 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: of a dirty word. While all of those are kind 182 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: of dirty words, and the shelter organizing community, I guess, um, 183 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: care and and you know, making people comfortable, it's just 184 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: not really the goal. Next, I asked about what types 185 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,560 Speaker 1: of connections the encampment and First Collective have been making 186 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: with various organizations for infrastructural support or daily needs, as 187 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: well as enquiring about the relations the camp has with 188 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: the city government. Here is Elizabeth's response. We reached out 189 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: to the different you know, harm reduction groups, the different 190 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 1: house listeners groups, the the emergency action groups that uh, 191 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: different serve groups, and we just asked them to bring 192 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: what they could or to send people if they could, 193 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: just you know, whatever they could spare. And and it's worked. Um. 194 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: People show up with whatever they have to offer. UM 195 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: from all over the city and and just from around 196 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: the corner, which has been wonderful. That the grassroots community 197 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: support is just blowing my mind. I thought they were 198 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: going to hate us, and here we are like making 199 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: friends with everybody. Our first goal is to make sure 200 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: that we've met people's needs as best we can. UM. 201 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: You know that that involves right now, UM keeping propane 202 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: on site so that they can some of the food 203 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: that's brought. UM. We get a lot of prepared meals, 204 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: but we also get a lot of ingredients, and there 205 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: are quite a few people here that cook and have 206 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: done pretty miraculous things with a couple of propane girls. UM. 207 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: We try and have meals prepared every day, but it 208 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: doesn't doesn't always work out, and sometimes we fill the 209 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: gaps with Little Caesar's or or something else. UM. Whatever, 210 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: whatever it can be scraunged up at the last minute. 211 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: Some of our biggest allies so far have been UM 212 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: the local food not bombs UH. They have been wonderful, 213 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: as well as some different church groups that that run 214 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: nonprofits like Community Kitchen. We get our meals provided six 215 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: days a week by church that's basically down the street 216 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: and around the corner. But as far as the city goes. 217 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: For the first couple of days, there were a lot 218 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: of roll by's, UM, a lot of city officials taking 219 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: pick sure's, no one really talking to us, but there 220 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: was clearly concern. It wasn't until a man who works 221 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 1: for the city and outreach under the Safety and Security Department, 222 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:17,520 Speaker 1: Sean Stevenson, came out and talked to us UH that 223 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: we really started to see the possibilities of working with 224 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: the city and and so much as they let us. 225 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: He brought a city attorney, Steve Dunbar, and a gentleman 226 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: from the Mayor's office UM, Jason Jenkins by to talk 227 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: to our folks and they listened. They listened to the 228 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: people at the camp who explained to them why they 229 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: were here, explained to them why the resources that are 230 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: available didn't work for them. You know, it was a 231 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: it was a tearful conversation and since then they've largely 232 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: left us alone. UM. We wish that they would provide 233 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: some of the resources that they talked about, like a 234 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: couple of porta potties and a dumpster. But you know, 235 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,320 Speaker 1: we we do our best with their composting toilet and 236 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: the good grace of some very kind neighbors. Police raids 237 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: and sweeps are always an existential fear for those living 238 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: in di y encampments. Here's what Elizabeth had to say 239 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 1: about sweeps and police interactions. What we've been told is 240 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: that they are They've been told to leave us alone. 241 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: We've heard this from the cops themselves. We've heard this 242 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: from people who have talked to them. Um. But the 243 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 1: precinct that is in this area has been told not 244 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: to mess with us unless there is a violent conflict. 245 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: The thing to do cops stuff at. There are a 246 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: lot of sweeps that have been threatened around the city 247 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: of different camps. Um. They've received notice or notice of notice, 248 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: so they don't know exactly when, but it's supposed to 249 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: happen sometime. UM. But as far as we're concerned, we 250 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 1: haven't really had that problem. UM. Cops have come through. 251 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: There are a couple of times when they've been called 252 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: by by people disgruntled residents or um by neighbors, but 253 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: for the most part, Kay talked to us and then 254 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: they leave. We we do our best as volunteers to 255 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: get between the police and other other groups that come out, UM, 256 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: even even the outreach groups that we know are are 257 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: here to help, just because those interactions can can quickly 258 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: get volatile, if you know, if people aren't sure about 259 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: other people's intentions. So I would say that one of 260 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: the best interactions I've had with the cops is they 261 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: did come through here once and talk to a few folks, 262 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: and a sergeant from the police department said, UM roughly 263 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: that they couldn't make us leave because this was city 264 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: land end and they didn't have anywhere else to send us. 265 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: So okay, I'll take it. I've got the dr assaultation. 266 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: Elizabeth does hope that one day the relations between the 267 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,560 Speaker 1: church that first collective was previously operating out of could 268 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:20,320 Speaker 1: be mended and once again work to utilize the space 269 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: to serve the wider community. She also discussed the possibility 270 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: of moving into vacant buildings and hoping to restore them 271 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: while also having a place to provide more stable housing. 272 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: So where the church is concerned, UM, I haven't given 273 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: a prope we we aren't in the building now. I 274 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: don't have a key, but I got a church every Sunday. Um. 275 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not a Christian. I don't believe in God, 276 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: but I do like the messages that I get there, 277 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: and I I want to continue to use this really 278 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 1: wonderful building as a part of the community. You know. 279 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: It's there are a lot of goals that that we 280 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: as a camp have and some of them include the 281 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 1: church and we we'd love to get back into that 282 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: space and fix the two bathrooms in the basement that 283 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: are just sitting there, build some showers, laundry facilities, a 284 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: free store, kitchen. Uh, There's there's so much that we 285 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: could do if we could utilize that building in addition 286 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 1: to the the infrastructure that we have here. Um. But 287 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: when it comes to to building something more, we're currently 288 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:37,479 Speaker 1: working on a proposal for the city for some of 289 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: the relief funds that have been received but not dispersed 290 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: with the goals of ideally building little cabins on platforms 291 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: on the lot that we're on now, just to start 292 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: to get people out of tents, to start meeting some 293 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: of the code requirements to improve the sanitary and living conditions, 294 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: and then from there we'll ask them to give us 295 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: a building to restore. There's a lot of really skilled 296 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:08,719 Speaker 1: people out here and they want to work, and they 297 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 1: want to work on all of these old buildings that 298 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: have been allowed to fall apart all over the city. 299 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: There are so many rooms available, there's so many units 300 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: that they could work on that they could live in, 301 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: and I think that's what they want to do, So 302 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: that's what we're going to try and help them do. 303 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: The camp functions under a sort of direct democracy with 304 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:32,640 Speaker 1: residents and first collective volunteers, some of whom are also residents, 305 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 1: hold regular community meetings where camp occupants vote to make 306 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: decisions about camp guidelines. There has been a couple instances 307 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: of violence, UM, a couple particularly scary moments that we 308 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: had to try and de escalate, And there's sometimes that 309 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: we didn't handle things as best we could UM, but 310 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,199 Speaker 1: we we try and we tried to talk through the 311 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: way that the way that it goes down with the 312 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:07,719 Speaker 1: residents among the volunteers. UM. We try to be transparent 313 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: about you know, why why we make some of the 314 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: decisions that we do, and for the most part, we 315 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: leave it to the community. UM. There have been some 316 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: really great community meetings go so long. UM, but they 317 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 1: talk about everything they talk about, you know, shared concerns 318 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: about safety, concerns about how they want to live together 319 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: and what would make them feel safer, and established guidelines 320 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 1: and occasionally vote to remove people. Though UM we've managed 321 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: to resolve some of those conflicts before they went that far. 322 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: I initially talked with Elizabeth in May two, but I 323 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: was able to catch up with her a few weeks 324 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: ago to hear about what's been going on the past month. UM. 325 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: I just wanted to kind of fill you in on 326 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: what we've been up to over the past month or so. 327 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: It's it's been busy. UM. We've been to a lot 328 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: of area Commission meetings for the different areas of the 329 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: city to try and make some allies and talk to 330 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: people about what we think is a solution to a 331 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,920 Speaker 1: problem they don't know how to solve. I to get 332 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: some unwanted attention, a local station Tom TB came through 333 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:27,880 Speaker 1: with a bit of an agenda right now. The City 334 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: of Columbus has a problem, and it has to do 335 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 1: with homelessness. A camp set up on city property along 336 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: East Mound Street in the middle of the Near East 337 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: Side neighborhood, is raising questions tonight about whether the twenty 338 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,320 Speaker 1: people who live there should be allowed to, say, are 339 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: forced to go to Kevin Landers has been working the 340 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: story all day. Today he went to the camp and 341 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,360 Speaker 1: spoke to those who lived there and got answers from 342 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: city leaders about addressing concerns from neighbors who say that 343 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 1: camp it's got to go. This on housing community is 344 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,880 Speaker 1: located on East Mound Street. The people who live here, 345 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: the city says, are technically trespassing. The city says they're 346 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: going to let them stay here until they can find housing, 347 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 1: but not everybody wants them here. They wanted to talk 348 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: specifically about our sanitation situation and nothing else. Um. I 349 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: told them we've been waiting on the city since abol 350 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,719 Speaker 1: fifteen for the dumpster the port of John's if they 351 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: had offered, but um they were still looking into it. 352 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: So we took it into our own hands. All that attention, 353 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: we needed to do something, So we contracted a port 354 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: of john Company who is currently donating to Port of 355 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: John's and servicing it once a week. UM, which is great. Uh. 356 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: We had a compost toilet before and this is so 357 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: much better. Um. And we went out of pocket to 358 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: pay the trash service, so we're getting our own trash service. 359 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: Trash service now once a week. UM. It's not quite enough, 360 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: but it certainly helps. You see code enforcement go by 361 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: all the time. UM, they've been driving by. I've seen 362 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: them at least five or six times today. People are 363 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: waiting for something that they can latch onto. But so far, 364 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: so good. With Columbus facing one hundred degree heat waves, 365 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,560 Speaker 1: what started as a warming station in winter now serves 366 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: as a cooling station this summer for its few dozen 367 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:36,119 Speaker 1: residents as gears shift and new seasonal materials are required. 368 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: The camp has been exploring alternative methods of funding to 369 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: sustain the level of resources and services they've been able 370 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: to provide the past few months. We did launch a 371 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: go fund me and we've had pretty good looks so far. 372 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 1: We've raised seven thousand, five UM. This is just for 373 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 1: operating funds. UM. There's a lot that we would like 374 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: to do here, a lot we'd like to do with 375 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 1: the land, but for now we just need We're just 376 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:09,199 Speaker 1: fundraising to keep going. The camp still serves around twenty 377 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: five people, so resources end up getting distributed across a 378 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 1: large collection of individuals. All the donations received have been 379 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,919 Speaker 1: used to provide necessities to survive, including but not limited to, 380 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: shelters like tents, food, water, medical supplies, bedding, clothes, bus passes, 381 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: medical services and prescriptions, hard production supplies, funds for individuals 382 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: immediate needs, and assistance to pay with residents phone bills. 383 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes funds are also used to compensate residents for extra 384 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:43,960 Speaker 1: labor put towards maintaining the camp, like cleaning up the campsite, 385 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: cutting up firewood, and providing extra services like haircuts. The 386 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: response has been really good. I think people understand what 387 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: we're trying to do and are are being really receptive 388 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 1: to do it. Um I can't say the same about 389 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 1: the city though. Uh. We met with Councilwoman shale A 390 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: Favor from the city on Monday and presented a proposal. 391 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: We asked for eighty five dollars over the next six 392 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 1: months to continue operation, to pay a small salary to 393 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,360 Speaker 1: the three volunteers that are here all the time. Um 394 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: for healthcare for a small stipend to give to each 395 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 1: resident of the camp every every week, UM additional operating funds. 396 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:39,160 Speaker 1: Just we came to them with this ask and they 397 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 1: didn't really seem to get it UM, so we're gonna 398 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: keep trying. They UM, they felt like they can't really 399 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: support a tent city in their minds, like they couldn't 400 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 1: give money to support people who were residing in tense 401 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: because chance are inadequate shelter. But I mean, I can 402 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: test that not having a tent is also an adequate shelter. 403 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: The city of Columbus relies almost completely on the Community 404 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: Shelter Board to manage its problem with homelessness. Community Shelter 405 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: Board has a revenue of around forty four million dollars 406 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,360 Speaker 1: a year. They pay their director half a million dollars 407 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: just under UM and a few other executives received ample compensation. 408 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 1: But their success rate for the entire county is labeled 409 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: at you go through their data, they have managed to 410 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: get percent of the people who come through their shelter 411 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: into some sort of housing. For the zip code that 412 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: we're serving at seven, which equates to eight people over 413 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 1: the past year. So what they're doing is not working 414 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: at all, and they know where, but they don't know 415 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: what else to do. Whenever we talk to the city, 416 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: someone tells us to talk to this one in particular person. 417 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: Her name has Emerald her nand as Para. She is 418 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: the assistant director of Special Projects for the Department of Development. 419 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: If you have a problem with a homeless camp in 420 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,640 Speaker 1: the city, she is the person that the city wants 421 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: you to talk to, no matter what, um if, if 422 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: you're homeless, that's who that's who they want you to 423 00:27:29,119 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: talk to. She's under the Department of Development. Her her 424 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:39,360 Speaker 1: main focus is economic development. She's just special projects, which 425 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,879 Speaker 1: means she helps clear the way by getting camps out 426 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: of the way for development projects. That's that's her role 427 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: and and she is the city's liaison. No matter who 428 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 1: we talk to, she's the one that we keep coming 429 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: back to. So I I think it's pretty um cynical 430 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:05,399 Speaker 1: and upsetting that this isn't under the pur view of 431 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 1: the Department of Health, you know, and any any other 432 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,120 Speaker 1: department would be a little bit better than the Department 433 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,720 Speaker 1: of Development to show so much we care. We're planning 434 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: to go back to the city. Uh, regardless of what 435 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: they say about this initial proposal, because there's a lot 436 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,800 Speaker 1: to what we'd like to build here and and we 437 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: think they'd be amenable if they understood. We're drafting a 438 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 1: second round proposal taking inspiration from Dignity Village in Portland. 439 00:28:33,119 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: It's an autonomous village of fun housed people that's existed 440 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: since two thousand and I think there's a lot of 441 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: career that we can learn from them for modeling this 442 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: in a way that the city might better understand. We 443 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: believe that what we're doing here is transitional housing, and 444 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: the people who are here want to be involved in 445 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: building that transitional housing for themselves and then for the 446 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,200 Speaker 1: people to come out here. So that's that's what we're 447 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: hoping to get the city to sign off on. When 448 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: we met with we met with the councilwoman. One of 449 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: the things that she said was they at the city 450 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: they don't have a model for serving the population that 451 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: we're serving. Um, they don't They don't know how to 452 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: handle people who don't want to move inside, who don't 453 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: want to move into the shelter system for whatever reason, 454 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: and so all they can really do is move them around. Um, 455 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: we're trying to tell them that we do have a 456 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: model and we think we think that we can help 457 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: the city as long as they stay pretty hands off 458 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: and give us money for it. So fingers crossed, I'm 459 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,960 Speaker 1: not going to hold my breath by fingers crossed. The 460 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: city of Columbus has been much more openly hostile to 461 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: some other encampments providing cooling and alter in parts of 462 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: the city. We're not the only on house encampment in Columbus. UM. 463 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: There there are a lot more, and there's one that 464 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: is at it's called here Park on the south side. 465 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,320 Speaker 1: We have a lot of friends there. UM. Our organization 466 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: works with their organization. UH. They were served a fourteen 467 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: day eviction notice UM on the first and they haven't 468 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: ntild to move out. UM. So we're doing whatever we 469 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: can to support them. But UM, it very much feels 470 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: like we're being treated like the good camp and they're 471 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: the bad camp right now. So we're trying our best 472 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: to make sure that the city knows that we're with them. 473 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: You know, I I'm whatever they think about us. We 474 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: we support those people no matter what, and we'll see 475 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: whatever we can to help. UM. We're trying to give 476 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 1: them advice about the things that have worked for us 477 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: to keep the city a way, and hopefully if they 478 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: do have to move on the fourteen, they'll be able 479 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: to set up somewhere where the city or give them 480 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: a break. Here is some audio of a press conference 481 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: given at the Here Park Camp just last week. The 482 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: city is not out here giving out water. The city 483 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: is not out here making sure that uh people don't 484 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: get heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Right, They're nowhere to 485 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 1: be found, So we are here to remind them. They 486 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: have a hundred and thirty five million dollars in American 487 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: Rescue Plan funds. Where is this money going? Why do 488 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: we not have housing? This weather is just a little 489 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: taste for many of us of the conditions that our 490 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: unhoused neighbors out here can look forward to enduring for 491 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: the entire summer. The city of Columbus was planning on 492 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 1: evicting our people today June fourteenth. They delayed that eviction. 493 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: It is a human right, so we are here to 494 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: assert our human rights to housing. They're hoping that we're 495 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: going to get hot and tired and we're out. Are 496 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: we going to let up? The Here Park Camp eviction 497 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: was pushed back to June one due to a massive 498 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: heat wave, and by June one, the temperature was still 499 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: in the upper nineties, but the city followed through on 500 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: their threat and swept the camp. At least twenty Columbus 501 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: police cruisers, city attorneys, people from the Department of Development, 502 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: and other city employees were on site for the eviction. 503 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: Bulldozers and massive machinery crushed people's tents and personal belongings. 504 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: Some folks, forcibly displaced, have lived in the Here Park 505 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: for nearly a decade. For wrapping up this episode, I 506 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: had just one more question for Elizabeth, for people who 507 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 1: would be interested in trying to create similar projects or 508 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 1: hopeful similar similar projects in their area, how will it 509 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: would be some advice to give to people who who 510 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: are want to try something similar. What's the kind of 511 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: stuff that you've learned the past few months that you 512 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,320 Speaker 1: were kind of surprised by UM, and and you know, 513 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: if if you could do anything different, what's what's like 514 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: what's the kind of stuff that you would uh that 515 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: you would approach UM to make the processes like smoother 516 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,800 Speaker 1: or slightly more improved. Well, I would have looked for 517 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: more funders first. UM. The one of the most painful 518 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:30,479 Speaker 1: parts for me, has like just personally has been holding 519 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: the purse um, being the person that everyone knows to 520 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: ask for for cash if they needed for something. UM 521 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: it it is a it is a real strain on 522 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 1: on compassion sometimes, you know, on compassion fatigue is real, 523 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: and it can be really hard day and day out 524 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: having to field requests from people who you know, I 525 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: need these resources, but you can't always give everything. It's 526 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,960 Speaker 1: it's hard to say no. Learning to say no has 527 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: um has helped, but ah, diversifying our funding sources is 528 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:18,240 Speaker 1: also helping a lot. Um. I've learned that I can't 529 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,960 Speaker 1: do it all and that I need to take breaks 530 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:28,400 Speaker 1: and that being here is is what I want to do. 531 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 1: But it doesn't mean I need to always always do it. 532 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes you've got to step away. Um. I I wish 533 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: that I had spent a little more time with my 534 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: family um rather than you know, throwing myself completely into 535 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: this U. But two months ago my fiance, my ex fiance, 536 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: asked me to leave. So I have been living at 537 00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: the camp too. UM so I It's it's been a 538 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:04,359 Speaker 1: pretty stark jump to go from having a big house 539 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 1: and some retirement funds to living in a tent and 540 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: having none. But I mean I wouldn't. I wouldn't change it, 541 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 1: and I'm going to keep doing it. It's because I can, 542 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 1: because I could, And that's that's really what I want 543 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: people to see is that if they can do something, 544 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 1: they should. Um, it's the best job I've ever had. Um. 545 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:34,439 Speaker 1: You know, nothing is more rewarding than going to work 546 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:37,800 Speaker 1: and hanging out with your friends all day, like helping 547 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: them get jobs and find apartments and meet friends. Like, 548 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:49,800 Speaker 1: there's so many wonderful people here, and like me and 549 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: the other volunteers, we love all of them and want 550 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 1: nothing more than to see them succeed. So yeah, I 551 00:35:57,520 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: just I just advised people to do what they can 552 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: to for what they need and try and provide it. 553 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: Anyone who wants to know more about the First Collective 554 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: and what they're doing, you can go to First hyphen 555 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: Collective dot org. You can find links on Elizabeth's Twitter 556 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 1: account at Innate Optimist. And even if you disagree with 557 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 1: some of the organizational or structural choices, I hope you 558 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: at least learned something or got something productive out of 559 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 1: this example of people putting in effort to fill in 560 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 1: the gaps in their local community that isn't for us today, 561 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 1: See you on the other side. It could Happen Here 562 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 1: is a production of cool Zone Media. For more podcasts 563 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: from cool Zone Media, visit our website cool zone media 564 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:47,080 Speaker 1: dot com, or check us out on the I Heart 565 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 566 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 1: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 567 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:56,399 Speaker 1: monthly at cool zone media dot com slash sources. Thanks 568 00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: for listening.