SAFE Housing Initiative
Donation protected
Who we are:
A community of people working in street economies, allies and community members working and/or living in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. We are in the process of securing a safer space apartment/house which will give us space to create a community center and affordable living space for people who are struggling with homelessness, addiction and fighting police brutality and traditional obstacles of systems.
We are two collectives of people -- Project SAFE and the Red Umbrella Alliance, working in collaboration with other community organizations in the fight for decriminalization of sex work and drug use and organizing to increase access to much needed resources and harm reduction supplies. We are an all-volunteer, peer run, harm reduction collective working to increase access to safety, medical care and health & wellness.
What we need:
A 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Kensington. This space will function and be used for:
1. a community space for collective power building meetings, debriefings for trauma informed supportive care space,
2. shower and clothing access for people struggling with homelessness and obstacles to resources,
3. and eventually (by February hopefully) as a home space for 3 street based organizers needing affordable housing.
Why this is so important:
Kensington, like many areas of Philadelphia has been under attack due to the new wave of support on "the war on the opiate crisis". In addition to that narrative and pressure from the city, increases in policies, gentrification and sweeps of peoples’ homes like that of the Conrail encampment 6 weeks ago; there are increasing issues with policing and gentrification which have created even more issues for access to housing and safe space than ever before.
We believe housing, clothing, food, safety and community are basic human rights and we believe that the most vulnerable and marginalized among us have more obstacles to these basic human rights. Creating intentional and supportive spaces which acknowledge the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, substance use/addiction, HIV status, and the criminalizing of street economies, among others, is imperative for supporting workers. We are aware that women and femmes of color and street based workers, especially those who are homeless and/or living with HIV must be centered and prioritized in the work for access and health. Creating spaces where people feel safe enough to talk about these intersections and how to live mindfully and in good health, is at the core of our work.
How much it will cost:
We need $2,950 to move in and then $1,000 for rent and utilities for the additional 4 months, to get us a good head start of cleaning up and setting up the space. $6,950 in total will support the securing of this space (1st months rent and security deposit) and rent/utilities until January 2018.
Your support is going directly to the rent and utilities for this space! There are no catches, no hidden agendas, no overhead, and no salaries attached to our all - volunteer, community run collectives.
Project SAFE
Philly Red Umbrella Alliance
A community of people working in street economies, allies and community members working and/or living in the Kensington area of Philadelphia. We are in the process of securing a safer space apartment/house which will give us space to create a community center and affordable living space for people who are struggling with homelessness, addiction and fighting police brutality and traditional obstacles of systems.
We are two collectives of people -- Project SAFE and the Red Umbrella Alliance, working in collaboration with other community organizations in the fight for decriminalization of sex work and drug use and organizing to increase access to much needed resources and harm reduction supplies. We are an all-volunteer, peer run, harm reduction collective working to increase access to safety, medical care and health & wellness.
What we need:
A 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Kensington. This space will function and be used for:
1. a community space for collective power building meetings, debriefings for trauma informed supportive care space,
2. shower and clothing access for people struggling with homelessness and obstacles to resources,
3. and eventually (by February hopefully) as a home space for 3 street based organizers needing affordable housing.
Why this is so important:
Kensington, like many areas of Philadelphia has been under attack due to the new wave of support on "the war on the opiate crisis". In addition to that narrative and pressure from the city, increases in policies, gentrification and sweeps of peoples’ homes like that of the Conrail encampment 6 weeks ago; there are increasing issues with policing and gentrification which have created even more issues for access to housing and safe space than ever before.
We believe housing, clothing, food, safety and community are basic human rights and we believe that the most vulnerable and marginalized among us have more obstacles to these basic human rights. Creating intentional and supportive spaces which acknowledge the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, substance use/addiction, HIV status, and the criminalizing of street economies, among others, is imperative for supporting workers. We are aware that women and femmes of color and street based workers, especially those who are homeless and/or living with HIV must be centered and prioritized in the work for access and health. Creating spaces where people feel safe enough to talk about these intersections and how to live mindfully and in good health, is at the core of our work.
How much it will cost:
We need $2,950 to move in and then $1,000 for rent and utilities for the additional 4 months, to get us a good head start of cleaning up and setting up the space. $6,950 in total will support the securing of this space (1st months rent and security deposit) and rent/utilities until January 2018.
Your support is going directly to the rent and utilities for this space! There are no catches, no hidden agendas, no overhead, and no salaries attached to our all - volunteer, community run collectives.
Project SAFE
Philly Red Umbrella Alliance
Organizer and beneficiary
Rose Hope
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
Catalyst S
Beneficiary