SF City Worker Refuses to Destroy a Homeless Person’s ‘Tiny Home’

image from SF Gate
This video just made it my way. In it you see an SF city worker sitting in her car watching as her coworkers tear down someone’s ‘tiny home’ and she refuses to participate. You hear her say “I don’t want no parts of that shit…ain’t none of my shit being used to tear that man’s house up”.
It’s sickening and heartbreaking that this is happening but especially during these cold, wet El Niño years. Much respect is due to this woman who is defying her work orders because she refuses to be part of this injustice.
**Please note: The woman on this video reached out to the Coalition on Homelessness and asked them to post it. They warned her of the risks, but she was insistent. The Coaliton sent it to me.
7 Comments
I cannot believe any of these cities prefer the homeless on the sidewalks and streets instead of allowing them to be in tiny homes on vacant lots, etc. BULLSHIT. They’re not going to go away by taking these homes. Unbelievable.
It’s criminal for the city to have confiscated and destroyed 3 of these Tiny Homes already. The “city” is not above the law. When citizens invest their OWN money to help others, the city has no legal right to conveniently relabel someone’s property (that has been gifted to them) as “bulk trash.”
Furthermore, these Tiny Homes have a front door, two windows and eight (yes, 8) vents! There is no way they are more of a health hazard than living on the streets.
The “city” is in violation of Ammendments 4 and 5 of the Bill of Rights. Plus, they are violating the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights (specifically Articles 1, 5, 12, 17, 24, 25, 29, and 30).
In fact, it would cost taxpayers 3 – 5 X more per homeless person than providing each person with a Tiny House. Why? Because hospital bills, ER visits, and lengths of hospitalizations decrease.
In this CHHS study, taxpayers saved $1.8 million – in just one year: http://inside.uncc.edu/news-features/2014-03-24/chhs-study-demonstrates-housing-program-helps-save-lives-money
Also, arrests and jail time decreased during the first year. Arrests were down 78 percent; jail time by 84 percent.
Being homeless isn’t a crime. And it isn’t a crime to live in a “tiny” home. However, once the necessities of life are removed from any human (re: safe shelter), people are forced to do whatever it takes to survive.
If you want to help, sign our Change(dot)org petition: https://www.change.org/p/curren-price-curren-price-reverse-your-order-to-confiscate-and-destroy-tiny-homes-for-la-s-homeless
the poor dog..my heart breaks.
I wonder what happened to the dog?
It’s going to take women to change this world… men will do anything for money. smh…
She’s not the 1st Public Works’ employee to refuse orders from cops to destroy homes. The fact that she recorded it is the reason you know about it. This tug of war is a daily struggle.
homeless person made some bad choices – put down the booze and drugs and join society – your problem isn’t a disease!! your F’n up our city!!