Foto: Alex Sierra. Global Exchange / Península 360 Press
Por primera vez habrá observadores de la comunidad trans en unas elecciones presidenciales. La Misión de Observación Electoral ‒MOE‒ de Colombia, realiza una observación con enfoque diferencial concentrado en las personas trans y en aquellas con discapacidad.
Así lo señaló la directora de la MOE, Alejandra Barrios, quien destacó que este domingo 29 de mayo que se celebran las elecciones presidenciales en Colombia, la organización contará con 56 personas trans que harán observación al Protocolo de Voto Trans.
Este grupo de observación está compuesto por 2 personas agénero, 16 hombres trans, 18 mujeres trans y 20 personas no binarias; que realizarán labores de observación en Bogotá y los departamentos de Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Caquetá, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Santander y Tolima.
It should be noted that the group includes 4 migrant trans persons and 4 foreign trans persons.
A su vez, la MOE adelantará un ejercicio de observación dirigido a evidenciar los distintos y múltiples obstáculos a los que se enfrenta la población con discapacidad.
Para ello, se desplegará adicionalmente un equipo de 73 personas observadoras con discapacidad intelectual y psicosocial, quienes también harán recomendaciones para mejorar la calidad del proceso electoral, precisó Barrios.
Para las elecciones de hoy, la Misión de Observación Electoral desplegará un total de 3 mil 539 observadores y observadoras electorales nacionales e internacionales en 467 municipios del país, que corresponden al 80.2 por ciento del potencial electoral.
El equipo de observación está conformado por un 56 por ciento de mujeres ‒mil 971‒, 43 por ciento de hombres ‒mil 535‒ y 1 por ciento ‒33‒ de personas no binarias.
Del total del equipo de observación, 408 son internacionales y provienen de 30 países. 218 observarán en territorio colombiano; 164 en Bogotá y 54 en 16 municipios de 14 departamentos. Así mismo, en el exterior, hacen presencia 190 en 46 consulados de 19 países, 8 de ellos en Europa, incluido Turquía, 10 en América Latina y EE. UU.
This note was produced with the support of a group of journalists covering the first round elections in Colombia, sponsored by the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
Presidential elections will be held in Colombia today and here is what you need to know about these crucial elections for Latin America.
Six candidates are running for president in Colombia. The favorite to be in the lead is Gustavo Petro, who has Francia Márquez as his vice-presidential running mate to win. Both are part of the coalition party "Pacto Histórico", made up of left-wing parties.
Behind Petro is Federico Andrés Gutiérrez Zuluaga, better known as Fico. This candidate, who chooses Rodrigo Lara as his vice-presidential candidate, is part of the right-wing coalition "Team for Colombia."
Third place is occupied by candidate Rodolfo Hernández Suárez, from the League of Anti-Corruption Leaders, who has 18 percent of the electoral preference to assume the office of president.
According to the National Civil Registry and the National Electoral Council, 39 million two thousand 239 Colombians are eligible to exercise their right to vote in Colombia and abroad during this year's presidential elections.
Of these, 20 million 111 thousand 908 are women and 18 million 890 thousand 331 are men.
Of this electorate, a little more than 38 million people will vote in Colombian territory, who will vote in one of the 100,809 polling stations, which will be installed in 12,263 stations throughout the country, 5,174 in urban areas and 7,089 in rural areas.
Outside the country, 972,764 Colombians will be able to cast their vote at one of the 1,343 polling stations distributed across 250 polling stations in 67 countries.
This Sunday, May 29, the polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the first election results are expected to be announced before 8:00 p.m.
This note was produced with the support of a group of journalists covering the first round elections in Colombia, sponsored by the organization Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
A la luz de otro trágico tiroteo en una escuela en el país, el personal del Distrito Escolar de Redwood City ha reunido algunos recursos para que familias puedan enfrentar eventos violentos de dicha índole, en donde los más jóvenes del hogar se sientan seguros, comprendidos y con herramientas que les ayude a enfrentar posibles miedos y ansiedad.
«Mientras lloramos por las familias y la comunidad de Robb Elementary en Uvalde, Texas, también reconocemos que este tipo de violencia inexplicable causa estrés y miedo a los maestros, estudiantes y familias en todo el país», detalló la escuela Orion en un breve mensaje a padres de familia.
Detalló que, ante el profundo impacto que dejó la tragedia, todos aquellos padres que necesiten apoyo adicional con los estudiantes que experimentan síntomas de estrés o ansiedad pueden comunicarse con los consejeros de las escuelas.
Entre las herramientas que ofrece el Distrito escolar de Redwood City, están:
Cómo hablar con su hijo sobre las noticias: en este espacio virtual, la psicóloga de salud conductual en el Nemours Children’s Health, Meghan T. Walls explica y apoya a los padres para explicar a los niños lo acontecido.
Y es que, dice, los niños se enteran de lo que sucede en el mundo a través de las redes sociales, amigos o conversaciones de adultos.
A veces, advierte, las noticias son alentadoras, como los niños de su edad que toman una posición sobre cuestiones sociales o ambientales. Sin embargo, en otras ocasiones, los menores pueden preocuparse por los acontecimientos actuales, como el reciente tiroteo en una escuela de Texas, y necesitan que un adulto los ayude a comprender lo que está sucediendo.
Something terrible has happened: Este video que se presenta a través de la plataforma de YouTube, presenta el libro de la autora Margaret M. Holmes, donde de manera visual y auditiva aborda el cómo un adulto de confianza puede apoyar a un niño a sobrellevar experiencias, pensamientos y sentimientos desafiantes en sus vidas.
«Los niños y adolescentes pueden reaccionar de manera diferente al tiroteo dependiendo de su edad y experiencias previas. Espere que los jóvenes puedan responder de diferentes maneras, y sea solidario y comprensivo con las diferentes reacciones, incluso cuando tenga sus propias reacciones y dificultades», detalla el texto emitido por la Red Nacional de Estrés Traumático Infantil.
Cómo hablar con los niños sobre la violencia armada: La publicación del doctor Eugene Beresin que fue emitida por la revista Psychology Today aborda como en la mayoría de los niños, al igual que sus padres, están ansiosos por la reciente ola de violencia armada.
Advierte que es muy importante hablar con los menores sobre los tiroteos y adaptar sus conversaciones a sus niveles de desarrollo. «Asegúrese de discutir las reglas para la seguridad de las armas en el hogar y en la comunidad».
Tips for Parents on Media Coverage: Si bien los medios de comunicación ‒televisión, radio, prensa e Internet‒ pueden ayudar a informar y educar a usted y a sus hijos sobre el reciente tiroteo, lamentablemente la cobertura de los medios también tiene el potencial de molestar y confundir. Como padres, pueden proteger a sus hijos ayudándolos a comprender la cobertura de los medios mientras limitan su exposición a imágenes angustiantes.
Cómo hablar con su hijo sobre la violencia armada y los tiroteos escolares: Violencia armada. Tiroteos en las escuelas. Tiradores activos. Estas frases despiertan miedo y ansiedad en los corazones de los padres a nivel nacional. De hecho, la mayoría de los padres preferirían simplemente no pensar en ellos. Pero desafortunadamente, temas como la violencia armada y los tiroteos en las escuelas son inevitables. Este texto ayuda a los padres a tocar el tema con sus hijos.
Cómo ayudar a sus hijos a manejar la angustia después de un tiroteo: Como padre, es posible que tenga dificultades para hablar con sus hijos sobre un tiroteo comunitario en una escuela o en otro lugar. Es importante recordar que los niños miran a sus padres para que se sientan seguros. Esto es cierto sin importar la edad que tengan sus hijos, ya sean niños pequeños, adolescentes o incluso adultos jóvenes. El texto de la Asociación Americana de Psicología creado en 2019, ayuda a los padres y madres de familia a lidiar con la información dotada a sus hijos con respeto a la ansiedad y la angustia.
By Cristian Carlos, special for Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
La lucha contra el racismo en EE. UU. aún no termina. Hace cuarenta años, en la noche anterior a su matrimonio, Vincent Chin fue salvajemente golpeado con un bate de béisbol. La desprolija justicia que siguió –los agresores no fueron encarcelados ni un minuto– fue considerada como el inicio del movimiento por los derechos civiles de los asiático-estadounidenses, según la autora y activista Helen Zia.
Hoy en día, los asiático-estadounidenses se enfrentan a un clima más agresivo de odio racista que apunta a todas las personas de color –etnias–, así como a los judíos y musulmanes.
El racismo es un problema en Estados Unidos que va mucho más allá de la cuestión de la brutalidad policial. El racismo se define como la creencia de que una raza es superior a otra, y tiene una larga historia en Estados Unidos. Uno de los ejemplos más conocidos de racismo en Estados Unidos es la esclavitud, que fue legal hasta 1865. Los esclavos solían ser tratados con crueldad y muchos eran obligados a trabajar muchas horas en condiciones peligrosas. Hoy en día, el racismo sigue siendo un problema en muchas partes del país.
Algunas comunidades asiáticas son injustamente atacados por la policía, y los estereotipos raciales son comunes en los medios de comunicación. Aunque mucha gente cree que el racismo está desapareciendo, sigue siendo un problema grave-
Estados Unidos ha avanzado mucho en su lucha contra el racismo. El movimiento por los Derechos Civiles de los años 50 y 60 consiguió prohibir la segregación en todo el país, y se han aprobado leyes que protegen a las personas de la discriminación por motivos de raza, género, orientación sexual y discapacidad a nivel local, estatal y federal. A pesar de estos logros, aún queda mucho trabajo por hacer.
In view of the outlook, Ethnic Media Services ofreció una sesión informativa donde los oradores debatieron sobre el creciente peligro de la violencia y el odio en EE. UU., el impulso para aumentar la solidaridad multirracial para combatirlo y la conmemoración de la muerte de Chin en un evento especial por el 40º aniversario en Detroit del 14 al 16 de junio.
Michael German, miembro del Programa de Libertad y Seguridad Nacional del Centro Brennan para la Justicia, reconoció que «es difícil hablar de este tema» pues, dijo, una de las razones es que se desconoce cuantitativamente los delitos en razón de etnia. Informó que, quizá, sólo el 15 % de los departamentos policiales del país reconoce que existe este tipo de violencia debido a las diferentes jurisdicciones.
Otro de los factores, dijo German, es que la supremacía blanca comete abusos en diferentes partes del territorio estadounidense no sólo a la población afrodescendiente, sino a las comunidades conformadas por otras etnias. «El racismo es un problema más común en sociedades como la nuestra porque así son los cimientos en que crecimos», lamentó German.
Señaló que el foco de la violencia contra la comunidad asiático-estadounidense se encuentra en lo que refirió como «sectores privilegiados de la sociedad» y no por los sectores marginados y extremistas que llevan al racismo de las comunidades asiáticas. Puso el ejemplo del asesinato de Vincent Chin como parteaguas en la evolución de la conciencia sobre el racismo.
Helen Zia, autora, activista y ex periodista, miembro fundadora de American Citizens for Justice, con sede en Detroit, inició su participación declarando que el problema del racismo en EE. UU. no se limita a lo contemporáneo, sino que es un problema que ha permeado en la sociedad estadounidense «durante décadas»; sin embargo, señaló que, en el último par de años, la comunidad asiático-estadounidense lo ha tenido difícil en contra de los actos de violencia racial.
Dijo que la comunidad asiático-estadounidense sintió el embate de violencia «horripilante» en el caso icónico y representativo de Vincent Chin en vísperas de su boda hace 40 años en Detroit. «La década de los 80 fue un año de crisis para EE. UU.», dijo Zia, quien contó que perdió su trabajo en esa época debido a una política de que restringía, cada vez más, la calidad de vida de diferentes esferas laborales focalizadas en la industria automotriz de hace 40 años.
«La comunidad asiático-estadounidense ha sido culpada por la situación económica de EE. UU.» históricamente, dijo Zia. Señaló que es importante desinformar sobre quién encabeza en EE. UU. los discursos y actos violentos contra la comunidad asiático-estadounidense: «No es la comunidad afrodescendiente», aclaró Zia, retomando el caso de Vincent Chin –presenciado por alrededor de 70 personas– quien, añadió «fueron personas blancas» con trabajos mejor pagados.
«Tenemos miles de testimonios de diferentes etnias que cuentan sus propios casos» de violencia racial, refirió Zia. «Es horripilante», confiesa Zia al pensar que, si los asesinos de Vincent Chin hubiesen pertenecido a otra etnia y no hubiesen sido personas blancas, sí habrían sido sentenciadas conforme a la ley.
A partir de casos como el de Vincent Chin, señala Zia, diferentes comunidades asiáticas y otras se unieron a favor de los derechos civiles en EE. UU.
John C. Yang, presidente y director ejecutivo de Asian Americans Advancing Justice –AAJC–, dijo que es importante enfocarnos en «cómo transformar la desesperación ene esperanza y la tragedia en fuerza», siendo el detonante el caso del asesinato de Vicent Chin que Yang calificó como «una gran tragedia».
«Muchos grupos de personas de diferentes orígenes étnicos en la comunidad asiática de EE. UU. se unificaron en un momento de la historia donde, se creía, se encontraban separadas durante la década de los 70», contextualizó Yang. Después del homicidio de Vincent Chin, cuenta Yang, las diferentes comunidades de asiáticos en EE. UU. comenzaron a organizarse y a cobrar sentido sobre los derechos civiles. «Se desarrolló mucha fuerza a partir de ese trágico suceso, algo que está ocurriendo en nuestros tiempos».
Dijo Yang que si bien EE. UU. está siendo testigo de una gran escalada de violencia racial en contra de las comunidades asiático-estadounidenses, comunidades como la afrodescendiente también están experimentando un aumento en casos de violencia como el asesinato de George Floyd, el caso de Charlottesville y la más reciente toma violenta del Capitolio impulsada por el expresidente Donald Trump.
Informó que los medios de comunicación han impulsado información tanto para bien como para mal, al hacer referencia a una estrategia de sustitución de la población blanca estadounidense «o la gente que siente que está en peligro de ser reemplazada, como los hombres cristianos blancos con armas de fuego, esa es la gente que se siente amenazada».
Lisa Cylar Barrett, directora de Política del Fondo de Defensa Legal de la NAACP, calificó de «horripilante» la escalada de violencia que se ha visto en EE. UU. en contra de las comunidades étnicas y de afrodescendientes y refirió el reciente caso donde fueron asesinados 19 menores de edad y dos profesores en una escuela primaria de Uvalde, Texas, donde, dijo Cylar Barrett, hasta el 80 % de la población se identifica como latina.
«La violencia y las pérdidas humanas en los últimos 12 días en EE. UU. es algo inaudito», lamentó Cylar Barrett. Refirió que la desinformación se ha usado como arma «para dividir a la comunidad afrodescendiente y las asiático-estadounidenses».
Advitió Cylar Barrett que los problemas de violencia, de discriminación, la retórica de odio «tienen las mismas raíces, una estructura de poder blanco que intenta mantener su control y que tiene miedo del crecimiento de las comunidades afrodescendientes».
Respecto al asesinato perpetrado hace 40 años contra Vincent Chin, Cylar Barrett relató que fue la comunidad afrodescendiente de Detroit la primera en alzar la voz contra este acto de violencia y en señalar la falta de derechos civiles para las minorías raciales estadounidenses. «Tenemos que unificar a las comunidades a las que servimos», finalizó Cylar Barrett.
Photo: P360PListen to Constanza Mazzotti's voice note
There are just a few days left until primary elections are held across the country, but the election cycle has already begun. And it will be this Saturday, May 28, when early in-person voting becomes available in all 26 California Voter Choice Act counties, including San Mateo County.
All eligible voters can vote in person anywhere in the county up to 10 days before the election.
Since polls open this weekend, voters can check and locate a voting center or ballot drop box in their county through the website www.caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.
Additionally, all registered California voters were mailed a vote-by-mail ballot that can be returned in several ways:
Drop Box: Return your ballot to a secure drop box in any county up to 28 days before the election. Counties offer many secure drop boxes to return your ballot. Polls close at 8:00 p.m. on June 7, 2022.
Mail: Return your ballot by mail as soon as you complete it. A stamp is not required to return your ballot via the U.S. Postal Service. Make sure your ballot is postmarked by June 7, 2022, and arrives no later than 7 days after the election.
In Person: Vote in person up to 10 days before the election at any polling place in the county where you are registered to vote.
Please note that it is important to sign your ballot envelopes before returning them.
You can register at www.WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to receive updates about your mail-in ballot via text message, email, or voice call.
Forgot to register?
Register to vote and vote the same day! Remember, you can also register to vote at any polling place in your county and vote in person the same day.
Voting centers offer voter registration, replacement ballots, accessible voting machines, and language assistance.
If you need more information about the Voter Choice Act, please visit www.vca.sos.ca.gov.
The Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced that common-sense gun safety laws that will protect people from gun violence will be fast-tracked in the wake of a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas that left at least 19 children and two adults dead on Tuesday, May 24.
"California will not stand idly by as children across the country are gunned down," said Governor Newsom, who explained at a press conference that guns are now the leading cause of death among children in the United States.
“As the U.S. Senate stands by and activist federal judges strike down common-sense gun laws across the country, California will act with the urgency this crisis demands. The Second Amendment is not a suicide pact. We will not let another day go by without taking action to save lives,” he stressed.
For his part, Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins noted that we have reached a point where there is a "very real" fear that every time we say goodbye to our children, spouses and friends, it could be the last.
“These terrible and devastating tragedies must end. Every politician, judge or Supreme Court justice who has chosen to put more guns on our streets must resign today and bow their heads in profound shame. We must do everything in our power to get guns out of our classrooms and grocery stores and away from people who should never have them,” he said.
He added that these actions include working this week to quickly advance more than a dozen bills to make communities safer.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said, “In the face of repeated tragedies in our state and elsewhere, California remains committed to doing everything possible to stop the violence. As a society, we must do better.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said there have been “more mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022 than there are days in the year.”
“In California, we refuse to accept the current norm. We will continue to call on our federal leaders and neighboring states to do more, because our nation’s current standard for preventing gun violence is unacceptable. Our children should not suffer this burden. Active shooter drills, metal detectors, and prison-like schools are not the answer – we need common-sense gun safety laws,” she added.
An initial package of gun safety bills that the Governor has pledged to sign includes:
AB 2571 (Bauer-Kahan) – Restricts firearm advertising to minors
AB 1621 (Gipson): restricts ghost guns and the parts and kits used to build them.
SB 1327 (Hertzberg) – Creates a private right of action to limit the spread of illegal assault weapons and ghost guns
AB 1594 (Ting): Allows governments and victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers and sellers.
The Redwood City Council celebrates love in all its colors, because love is love! And to share the feeling, the city joins the Pride month with the raising of the flag belonging to the LGBTTTIQ+ community.
In collaboration with the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission, Pride Month will be kicked off with a Pride of Progress flag raising ceremony on May 31 at 5:30 p.m. on the plaza of the Courthouse located at 2200 Broadway Street in Redwood City.
In addition to the flag raising, the city said there will be LGBTQ resources, information booths, a poetry reading, a photo booth and even a delicious rainbow cookie for the first 150 guests.
To learn more about the event, those interested can give click here.
The hearts of the nation are in shock following the Texas elementary school massacre that took place on Tuesday, May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old youth killed 19 children and two teachers, in addition to wounding several others. In response to the incident, schools in the Bay Area have decided to reinforce security and increase the number of police officers surrounding school zones.
After the terrible event, parents across the country woke up wondering if it was safe to send their children to school.
San Mateo County Schools Superintendent Nancy Magee expressed her deep regret for what happened in Uvalde, Texas, where she said in a letter that there is nothing "more horrible, more senseless and more heartbreaking than this news."
She said that as the investigation progresses and more is known about why the tragic event happened, “we will do everything we can to support our students, staff, schools and families. We will share more about how San Mateo County Schools works every day to support our students and keep our schools safe.”
Finally, he sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the Robb Elementary School community.
"I urge everyone to find comfort in others, to share our grief and pain, to hug our loved ones, to go for a walk, to stay strong for our children and young people," he stressed.
For its part, the San Francisco Unified School District reported that it is taking security plans and precautions "very seriously" and that it will have a comprehensive crisis plan in place for any emergency.
He also highlighted that the schools that are part of the School District have security measures such as: visitor registration, procedures for closing doors after the start of the school day and surveillance cameras.
The District noted that it has been informed by the San Francisco Police Department that there will be an increased police presence around schools beginning Wednesday, May 25, through June 1.
Contra Costa County's sheriff tweeted that while there are no known threats in his jurisdiction, he has ordered additional patrols around all of his schools and Mountain View.
For its part, Oakland Unified School District encourages parents and students to contact its Mental Health Services.
It all comes about a week before many students finish the school year ahead of summer break.
California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that the shooting, which left at least 19 children and two adults dead, was preventable.
“Another shooting. And the Republican Party won’t do anything about it. Who the hell are we if we can’t keep our children safe? This is preventable. Our inaction is a choice. We need common-sense, comprehensive national gun security NOW,” he said.
He added that gun safety laws work, with California cutting the rate of gun deaths in half since the 1980s.
"We're not going to solve this overnight, but let's stop pretending that these mass shootings are an inevitable horror that we have to experience on a regular basis," he added.
For his part, President Joseph Biden lamented the tragedy and offered his condolences to the families, friends and community who lost and experienced what happened yesterday at Robb Elementary School.
"Parents will never see their child again. They will never be able to take them to bed and cuddle with them again. Parents will never be the same. Losing a child is like having a piece of your soul ripped out. There is a void in your chest. You feel like you are being absorbed into them," she said in a message to media on Tuesday night.
"As a nation, we have to ask, when in God's name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? We all know in our guts that we have to do it," the president asked, recalling the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012, where six adults and 20 children were killed by gunfire fired by Adam Lanza, who had previously killed his mother in their home.
Since then, he said, there have been more than 900 incidents of gun shots being fired on school grounds.
Just 10 days earlier, in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, seniors — mostly African Americans — were killed by an 18-year-old self-proclaimed white supremacist.
“I am sick and tired of it. We have to act. And don’t tell me we can’t have an impact on these massacres. I spent my career as a senator and vice president working to pass common sense gun laws. We can and will prevent every tragedy, we know these laws work and have a positive impact,” he stressed.
He stressed that the fact that a young person can walk into a store and buy assault weapons "is wrong."
"For God's sake, we must have the courage to stand up to the arms industry."
In a message lasting approximately 7 minutes, he explained that there are massacres all over the world, for different reasons, but never with the frequency that there are in the US.
"We need to make it clear to every elected official in this country. It's time to act. It's time for those in power to delay or block common-sense gun laws. We need to let them know that we will not forget, we can do much more, we have to do more," he stressed.
San Mateo County Executive Officer Mike Callagy reported that a one-day count found that there are 1,808 homeless people in the county. Saint Matthew, indicating that providing shelter and affordable housing, as well as health and mental health services are key to ending the problem.
“While that number may seem daunting to some, we know we have the capacity and commitment to end homelessness here in San Mateo County,” Callagy said during a virtual meeting of community leaders held last Friday.
During her participation, she explained that the local government is already working to gather the necessary resources and support "to create a clear path from homelessness to permanent homes."
During the second in a series of events titled “2022: Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness,” she detailed that getting people off the streets is supported by significant new shelter resources that have recently opened and additional ones that will arrive in a matter of months.
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Chairman Don Horsley said systems can be put in place to ensure that when individuals and families become homeless, it is infrequent, brief and unique.
"We know we have work to do and we are committed to providing the resources necessary to complete that work," he stressed.
Homeless in San Mateo County: By the Numbers
Based on a “point-in-time” count that tallies the number of people experiencing homelessness at a given time on one day, it was conducted on Feb. 24 by teams of community members who fanned out across San Mateo County to find and count unsheltered people.
In addition, a count was made of those who are in shelters and temporary housing.
On that day, the county was found to have 1,092 homeless people. That represented a 21 percent increase — 191 people — from the one-day count in 2019.
Meanwhile, 716 people were identified as living in collective shelters and hotels that have been converted into temporary housing. This represented a 17 percent increase (105 people) compared to the same count two years ago.
“While numbers are up, we believe the situation could be much worse without the supports we have put in place due to the impacts of the pandemic,” said Ken Cole, director of the County Human Services Agency.
“The last few years have been incredibly hard on many individuals and families. They deserve our compassion and, more than that, our promise that we will do everything in our power to ensure that every homeless person can enter a shelter and work toward finding a permanent home,” she added.
These point-in-time count results are intended to provide data that will help inform policymakers and providers about the homeless population and understand trends.
It is noteworthy that agencies receiving federal funding are required to conduct a point-in-time count every two years; the 2021 count was rescheduled to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The county detailed that it has set a goal of creating enough shelter beds and transitional housing units to achieve “zero functional homelessness,” which means ensuring that every homeless county resident who chooses assistance can be safely housed in an emergency shelter or in temporary or permanent housing.
It also means that outreach staff will continue to engage with those who are not currently interested in accessing services, they said.
She added that providing temporary and permanent housing options is a key component of the initiative, along with expanding support services for homeless residents on the streets, in shelters and in transitional housing.
Supportive services address an individual's or family's housing barriers and include connecting people to employment opportunities, social service benefits, and health and mental health services.
To build momentum, Callagy announced 2022 as “Our Year of Working Together to End Homelessness.”
The next event in the series, “Moving to a Permanent Home,” will take place on Friday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m.
To address urgent shelter needs, in April the county began construction of 240 safe living spaces at a shelter now taking shape in Redwood City, east of Highway 101.
The shelter, which will replace the Maple Street shelter, which currently provides emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for up to 110 people each night, will allow people to have private bedrooms and 20 units will accommodate couples.
The new facility will also offer outdoor space and expanded space for support service providers. Construction of the shelter is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
In addition to that construction, the county noted that it has purchased five former motels/hotels to convert into temporary or permanent housing for people who are unsheltered or at serious risk of becoming unsheltered.
Pride Parade in San Francisco, Calif. on June 24, 2018. (Photo courtesy Nader Khouri) Bay City News
San Francisco police officers and firefighters said Monday they will not march in the city's annual Gay Pride Parade after organizers told them they would not be able to wear their uniforms during the parade.
The San Francisco Police Officers Pride Alliance and LGBTQ+ members of the San Francisco Sheriff's Office issued a joint statement in response to the San Francisco Pride Committee calling on police officers to attend the parade without their uniforms.
LGBTQ+ firefighters from the San Francisco Fire Department also signed the statement and said they would not participate in the Pride Parade in solidarity with the city's law enforcement officers.
Law enforcement and firefighters argued that Pride organizers, who voted in 2020 to ban uniformed officers after a summer of nationwide protests against police brutality, are being punished for the actions of other officers.
“The San Francisco Pride Committee has called on LGBTQ+ law enforcement officers to come out,” the law enforcement officers and firefighters said. “San Francisco and the San Francisco Pride Parade have always embraced radical inclusion as one of our core values.”
San Francisco officials and firefighters also argued that Pride organizers would not take similar action against other groups that regularly participate in Pride, such as the drag and kink communities.
“This committee would not order the leather community to wear polyester to the parade. This committee would not order the drag community to wear flannel,” they stressed. “But they have told us peace officers that if we wear our uniforms, we cannot attend.”
SF Pride did not respond to a request for comment on the joint statement.
For their part, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Dorsey, one of two LGBTQ+ members of the city's Board of Supervisors, said they would also not attend the parade in solidarity with law enforcement.
Dorsey, who was communications director for the San Francisco Police Department before Breed was appointed to the board earlier this month, called the policy “exclusive.”
He also called on Pride organizers and law enforcement officials to find common ground in an effort to attract more LGBTQ+ officers to fill the city's police shortage.
“All San Franciscans share a compelling interest in solving our public safety staffing crisis in a way that attracts the most diverse and qualified pool of candidates we can,” she said. “We can do that by showing our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our police, fire and sheriff departments.”
However, she explained, an exclusionary policy, which prohibits LGBTQ+ first responders and allies from marching in uniform, “sends exactly the wrong message at a time when we cannot afford to do so.”
The 52nd annual San Francisco Pride celebration will take place at Civic Center Plaza from noon to 6 p.m. on June 25 and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 26.
