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Homes Not Jails
What Is Homes Not Jails?
HNJ was formed in 1992 to advocate for the use of vacant and abandoned housing for people who are are homeless. With people literally dying on the sidewalks in front of vacant buildings, housing advocates, homeless advocates, and people who were homeless came together to find ways to utilize vacant buildings.
HNJ operates on two levels:
Public Actions & Legislative AdvocacyTo demonstrate the availability of vacant housing and to promote proposals to utilize the housing, HNJ will publicly occupy vacant buildings. These are civil disobedience actions. Over the years, there have been many such occupations which have been used to promote awareness of the need to utilize vacant buildings and to promote legislative solutions.
SquattingRealizing that government would be slow to act to utilize vacant buildings for housing - and that people need housing now - HNJ simultaneously opens up vacant buildings and helps people who are homeless move in. Since 1992, hundreds of these "squats" have been opened. Many have lasted for years and recently Homes Not Jails filed for legal ownership (after paying the property taxes) of a squat opened in 1993a process known as adverse possession.
HNJ Meetings
For People Looking For Housing Or Who Want To Get ActiveNext meeting: Weds, May 9, 6 PM at SF Tenants Union, 558 Capp St
For information on Homes Not Jails you can e mail hnj at sftu.org for meeting info.
More about HNJ and squatting:
The SF Tenants Union is supported only by your memberships and donations. If you find information on this web site useful, or if you want to support our work, please join or donate. Members get even more information via our Tenants Rights Handbook plus access to phone counseling
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