The Guardian:
Tucked under a highway overpass in West Oakland, just beyond a graveyard of charred cars and dumped debris, lies an unexpected refuge.
There’s a collection of beautiful, small structures built from foraged materials. There’s a hot shower, a fully stocked kitchen and health clinic. There’s a free “store” offering donated items including clothes and books, and a composting toilet. There are stone and gravel paths lined with flowers and vegetable gardens. There’s even an outdoor pizza oven.
The so-called “Cob on Wood” center has arisen in recent months to provide amenities for those living in a nearby homeless encampment, one of the largest in the city. But most importantly, it’s fostering a sense of community and dignity, according to the unhoused and housed residents who came together to build it. They hope their innovative approach will lead to big changes in how the city addresses its growing homeless population.
A bit shocking to see this amazing self-help effort in Oakland (home of Daily Kos and its owner) being ignored here. This impromptu community is about to be bulldozed, which will be a Crime Against Humanity.
Read the entire article and then hear and see the people building this as they explain what they have done and how it has affected their struggles to survive.
(The Guardian in very generous in its use policies, allowing up to 600 words if used non-commercially and distributed for free, as long as the Guardian is credited.)