Building Community Pride through Action

If we want to build genuine pride for St. Johns, we need to end houselessness. We cannot do one without the other. It is time to stop relying on institutional systems to lift people out of extreme poverty. Waiting to vote on a theoretical bill, that will never even be proposed is a waste of time. If we want to see our community thrive we need to solve this issue internally, we need to take a more direct approach. It is virtually impossible to get people in apartments due to the conditions landlords attach to their leases, this is why my proposal is community fundraising to get people an asset. If local community members and businesses contribute what they can, we can raise funds for, vans, trailers, and more accessible living spaces than the street.

I understand some people need a lot more than an asset, like mental and physical health services, but step one is housing. My neighbors and I are dedicated to weekly check-ins with the people we work with, and we strongly encourage other community members to do the same. Housing people is mutually beneficial to all businesses and people in St. Johns. There is no reason we can’t all come together to do it. We have the ability and opportunity to send a message to the entire nation. We do not need government institutions to strengthen our communities. We can build social systems that transcend capitalism and are even more powerful and useful than the ones that currently exist. I’m calling for all St. Johns businesses and community members to contact us at stjohnsfreepress@gmail.com to brainstorm and organize solutions. It is time to end houselessness in St. Johns.