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Urge Santa Barbara to Pass a Homeless Bill of Rights
  1. Signatures
    299 out of 500
    Petitioning
    1. Mayor of Santa Barbara (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Mayor of Santa Barbara (Helene Schneider)
      • Mayor Pro-Tempore (Grant House)
  2. Created By
    Natalie Wendt
    Berkeley, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

When homeless Santa Barbara resident Ross Stiles was murdered last year, the police closed the investigation before the coroner's report was finished. It was just one of 28 known homeless deaths in Santa Barbara in 2009. In response, local social worker Ken Williams drafted a ten-point Homeless Bill of Rights. 

The Homeless Bill of Rights includes the right not to be murdered, physically assaulted or raped, the right to shelter during severe weather, the right to medical care and shelter when sick or injured, and the right not to be demonized by private or government entities. It lists rights so basic they should go without saying. But it's depressingly clear that when it comes to homeless people, they aren't. Homeless peoples' right to safety and survival must be pushed into public consciousness.

Santa Barbara's proposed bill takes a step in the right direction. Advocates hope the bill will raise awareness about the issues facing homeless people and that the attention will lead to support for Santa Barbara's homeless community. Nine groups are already backing the bill and the bill's advocates are looking for more. If successful, maybe the bill could be a model for other places aiming to create a Homeless Bill of Rights and make their communities safer for all.

Tell Santa Barbara's leaders to lead the way on a Homeless Bill of Rights today!

Photo credit: Matt from London

Recent Signatures

Pass the Homeless Bill of Rights

Greetings,

Santa Barbara's proposed Homeless Bill of Rights includes rights so basic that they seem almost too obvious to mention. The right not to be murdered, physically assaulted or raped, the right to shelter during severe weather, the right to medical care and shelter when sick or injured, and the right not to be demonized by private or government entities — shouldn't these go without saying? But it's depressingly clear that when it comes to homeless people, they aren't. Homeless peoples' right to safety and survival must be pushed into public consciousness.

Last year when homeless Santa Barbara resident Ross Stiles was murdered, the police closed the investigation before the coroner's report was finished. It was just one of 28 known homeless deaths in Santa Barbara in 2009. Horrific rates of violence against the homeless are all too common.

Illinois passed a Homeless Bill of Rights in 2007. The Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act affirms many rights that the homeless are too often denied, including the right to vote without a permanent address, and added "housing status" to the list of groups protected from discrimination. It doesn't, however, directly address the issue of violence against the homeless. By passing this Homeless Bill of Rights, Santa Barbara has an opportunity to take a stand for the safety of all its residents.

Please support the passage of the Homeless Bill of Rights in Santa Barbara.

[Your name]

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