Members of the homeless community and Occupy Madison rallied against current city and county homeless housing policies Friday in front of city hall.
Approximately 40 community members attended the rally to demonstrate their displeasure with current policies and some carried signs displaying slogans, such as “Soglin's Plan: Self-Deportation. Our Plan: Cooperation.”
Protesters spoke out against a policy that limits each person's number of stays to 60 days per year in the homeless shelters. According to Occupy Madison member Keith Valiquette, as many as 150 men could be turned away from shelters when Porchlight begins enforcing this policy in March.
Edward Kuharski, a local architect and homeless rights supporter, said the policies are a “catastrophe,” and will cause people to “time out” of the shelters before winter is over.
Additionally, Dane County will evict Token Creek campers March 17 and the Daytime Warming Center will close indefinitely March 31, according to rally organizers.
These policies have left homeless people feeling there are insufficient resources for this time of year, referred to by many as “March Madness,” creating a lack of legal camping or housing options until public camping reopens April 16 in Dane County.
“This is about human rights and civil rights,” Kuharski said. “This is an unfinished part of the Civil Rights Movement.”
In a press release, rally organizer Ann Lyttle said the homeless population could face citations from the police if forced to live on the streets.
Madison resident Koua Vang has offered his private land, located at 3600 Portage Road, as a temporary campground, which Valiquette said is Occupy Madison's most viable option at this point.
According to emails Valiquette gave The Daily Cardinal between Vang and Madison Zoning Administrator Matthew Tucker, Vang's offer is facing resistance from the city planning department because the land is not zoned for camping.
Tucker also told Vang in an email that he will be cited by the city if he allows Occupy Madison to camp on his land.
Police arrest six protesters
Madison police arrested six individuals involved in the rally against alleged unjust homeless policies Friday for trespassing when they refused to leave city hall premises after hours, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Most of the rally attendees were either homeless, affiliated with Occupy Madison or community members allied with the homeless movement.
The State Journal said a number of the protesters participating in the event outside city hall went into the building before it closed at 6 p.m. and refused to leave.
Six of the protesters stood their ground after police repeatedly requested they leave amicably to avoid citations, and were arrested at approximately 7 p.m., according to the State Journal.
