Sonoma County Homeless Action! announced on November 10, 2021 that it will support the Stop All Government Evictions (SAGE) campaign in its effort to urge the Board of Supervisors to pass a moratorium on Permit Sonoma evictions of low income renters.
Homeless Action issued a press release, which can be read here, is the region’s leading homeless rights organization. It release stated,
“Sonoma County government has stealthily become the greatest source of the removal of affordable safe housing in the North Bay and its code enforcement agency is responsible for more evictions of low income renters and homelessness than any corporate landlord in Sonoma County.”
Homeless Action supports the fast-growing Change.org petition to Stop All Government Evictions from safe affordable housing, now signed by more than 1,000 people (read and sign here). The release also linked to this awareness building video campaign featuring Copperwoman Saso, a local 70 year old grandmother who currently faces homelessness due to a Permit Sonoma vacate order on her safe, affordable tiny home.
In the 3-minute video (embedded below), songwriter Copperwoman performs an original housing rights song, “Everybody Needs A Home” with images of her performing at local rallies and showing off her beautiful tiny home in the Forestville woods. The video, produced and marketed by the Sonoma Independent, has already seen on YouTube by more than 50,000 adults living in Sonoma County.
In the press release, Gail Simons, a member of the Homeless Action! organization, stated, “This kind of activity on the part of the county is salt in the wounds of county residents in the lowest income brackets because they are housed and the county is forcing them into homelessness.”
In the midst of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic on top of the already existing monumental housing shortage, this is cruelty that could have and should have been avoided.”
Homeless Action is helping to publicize the Stop All Government Evictions campaign and is organizing an awareness rally for the cause, featuring Copperwoman and others, at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa, tentatively scheduled for December 12.
