ACLU Files Appellate Brief in Miami-Dade SORR Case
The ACLU has filed it’s appellate brief on behalf of Florida Action Committee and several homeless registrants living along the railroad tracks in Miami-Dade County.
The Brief, which can be read by clicking this link is excellent. The substance of the argument is that the application of Miami-Dade’s 2500 foot residency restrictions in Miami-Dade is particulary punitive and therefore constitutes an Ex Post Facto violation.
FAC is extremely grateful to the ACLU for keeping up this fight on behalf of the MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED TWENTY homeless registered citizens living at the encampment at the corner of NW 79th Street and 36th Court.
To those living at the encampment; even though you are no longer someplace visible (like under the Julia Tuttle), we’ve not forgotten about you!!! Hang tight!
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I will contribute some money to the Outreach. Maybe if there are enough funds someone could buy one of those solar chargers for the guys who can’t get to an electrical outlet to charge their GPS or it can be used to charge a cell phone. I imagine there is enough sunlight after 5 to do that, at least this time of year. Hate to see those guys go to jail for a dead GPS.
Great idea check this out.
http://www.amazon.com/Portabel-Sunpower-Mono-crystalline-Charging-Technology/dp/B0142TA8UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460125105&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=solar+charger&psc=1
Found on oncefallen.com Twitter:
Watch “Miami Dade Homeless Registered Citizen Camp, March 26, 2016” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/a0d_ZM2s3Lo
Someone beat me to it. I shot a pretty good video of the current camp. My next question is, while we are waiting on the ACLU, would FAC put together a donation drive to help get some much needed supplies to these folks? What if FAC could sponsor some much needed porta-potties or at buy some of those commode chairs, as well as provide some toilet paper? Maybe we can get these folks some clothes, too, maybe some camping gear, cots, etc. Doesn’t have to be new, but some folks don’t have anything.
I want to help them more than just by video but it is hard for me to do anything from Ohio.
Derek – thanks for going out there. Wish you captured it after 10PM – that’s when people start showing up and it tells a much more horrifying tale.
FAC members have individually brought stuff out there and if anyone wants to contribute items we’ll gladly coordinate delivery to the encampment. There are also religious groups that do some of that. One church is there every Sunday night serving food, giving out blankets, doing a bible study, etc. We can’t put in port-a-potties because it’s not our (or the registrant’s) property. During the day they need to be out of there because the warehouses don’t want them there and something permanent, like a port-a-potty or shipping container to use as shelter are all ideas that were approached and rejected.
Also, during the day people need to hide their stuff in the bushes. A few times the County has come in, cut out the bushes and discarded all their property. It’s really shitty.
The ones who have family support or cars, bring their stuff daily. These people are not there because of a lack of funds – they are there because of the ordinance, so charity won’t help them. The ones who don’t have, need to carry their stuff there and back daily, so cots and tents, in practice are pretty impractical.
This, being our most critical project since these guys were under the Tuttle, is something we’ve been working on for years and believe me; there are not many stones un-turned.
The best thing FAC can do is to keep the lawsuit going by helping the ACLU with legwork, liaising with the guys out there and pushing people to get OUTSIDE media involved. When they were pouring out from under the Julia Tuttle it became an international embarrassment, which is why they moved them to the tracks. Now that they are tucked out there, it’s out of sight, out of mind… Also, Ron Book is the chair of the Miami-Dade homeless trust! If that irony doesn’t speak volumes about how corrupt and fucked up things are down here, nothing will convince anyone.
The best thing you can do from Ohio is use your reach to tell people outside of Florida what’s going on here. The more attention we can bring to this disgrace, the better!
For those who do want to offer some financial help to those living out there, if you earmark a contribution to FAC to “Outreach” under the drop down on https://floridaactioncommittee.org/donations/ we will have some volunteers pick up hygiene products and camping supplies and deliver it to the encampment.
Additionally, FAC has put together resources for the people at the encampment. This list of resources are social services agencies in the County. Recognizing that most of the people who are out there are worried about where they going to sleep and in which bush to use the bathroom, not able to work out logistics for themselves (or reading this blog post), it would be useful for us to call these agencies on their behalf, letting them know that there are over 200 people out there after 10PM (stress AFTER 10PM, because if they come during the day they will see warehouses in operation). We could use some volunteers to call the below organizations asking for help.
Camillus House
111 NW 1st St
Miami, FL
(305) 375-1490
Miami Coalition for the Homeless
140 W Flagler St Suite 105
Miami, FL
(786) 469-2060
Chapman Partnership
1550 N Miami Ave
Miami, FL
(305) 329-3000
Miami-Dade Cty. Homeless Trust
111 NW 1st St
Miami, FL
(305) 375-1490
Concept House
162 NE 49th St
Miami, FL 33137
(305) 751-6501
Douglas Gardens CMHC – Homeless Assistance Program
701 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-5341
M. Teresa Mission of Charity
724 NW 17th St
Miami, FL 33127
(305) 545-5699
Miami City Mission
255 NW 71st St
Miami, FL 33238
(305) 576-3725
Miami Rescue Mission
2010 NW First Avenue
Miami, FL 33242
(305)571-2273
New Life Family of Catholic Charities
3620 NW 1st Ave
Miami, FL 33127
(305) 573-3333
Salvation Army Miami
1907 NW 38th Street
Miami, FL 33142
(305) 637-6700
VOA – Miami Transitional Housing For Veterans/Service Center
1492 West Flagler Street
Miami, Florida 33135
(305) 644-0335
Community Partnership for Homeless
305-447-2033 / 305-329-3050
North Center
1550 North Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33136
Ms. Barbara Ibarra
Miami Coalition for the Homeless
3550 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 610
Miami, FL 33137
305-571-8101
Operation Sacred Trust (Homeless Veterans)
1400 NW 54th Street, 8th Floor
Miami, Florida 33142
(855) SSVF-411 x816
Yvette Costa (Verde Gardens)
Miami-Dade Team Leader, Case Manager
(954) 703-4535 x824
City of Miami Homeless Housing Program
305-576-9900
866-733-3763
Miami Dade County Homeless Program
305-438-1055
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV)
333 1/2 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202.546.1969
Advocate Program, Inc.
1150 NW 72nd Ave #200
Miami, FL 33126
305-468-4100
America Works of Florida, Inc.
201 S. Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33131
305-329-5627
Goodwill Industries of South Florida, Inc.
2121 NW 21st Street
Miami, FL 33142
305-325-9114
HOPE South Florida, Inc.
501 NE 2nd Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-566-2311
United Way of Broward County
1300 South Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-462-4850
Veterans New Life Haven
21 Kentucky Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
954-791-2622
Veterans Support Organization
8358 W. Oakland Park Blvd, Ste 302
Sunrise, FL 33351
954-537-3001 ext- 5
Miami VA Healthcare System
1201 N.W. 16th St.
Miami, FL 33125
P: 305-575-7000
Healthcare for Homeless Veterans
1492 W. Flagler St., Suite 101
Miami, FL 33135
305-541-5864
Miami Vet Center
8280 NW 27th St Suite 511
Miami, FL 33122
P: 305-718-3712 Or 877-927-8387