Union
By eEn
DETROIT - "April Fool on
them", as the theme and
cheme of the day as the arion­
I Homeless Union (NHU)
staged a rally, fir t at the Coali­
tion Of Temporary Shelters
(COTS) and then at the Herman
Gardens housing project, Joy
Ro d at th outhfield Free ay.
NHU President Sonya Terry
said "This demonstration is a
protest . t the government
officials ho refuse to comply
with the public housing statutes,
U a diver . onary tactic to
deter police while our p to
occupy cant units are carried
out."
The demonstration began the
morning of March 31, in front of
COTS in order to recruit the
homeless to join th fight (or
permanent homes. To prepare
for the demonstration at Her­
man Gardens, the people were
told exactly what tbe plans en­
tailed including th procedures
if and hen they w re arrested.
Tho e who agreed to go were
ed to ign power of attorney,
letters to insure the safety 0
their. children if arrested.
Two NHU families who w re
successful in entering and oc­
cupying empty units were ar­
rested.
J ailed was the mother of
three children, Cheryl Fisher
Soc I
Service can
h I tho e
hou
addressEls
BUT DO
WORKERS
K 0 IT?
. Six years ago, a person
evicted (rom his home was
told that he could not receive
help from the Michigan
Department of Social Ser­
vices (OSS) because he did
not have n permanent ad­
dre . Ho ever, without help
from ocial service it was im­
possibl for him to get money
to pay t e rent for a new ad­
dress.
Elizabeth Rozentals, an of­
ficial in policy implimcntation
in the Wayne County O.S.S.
office indicated that this has
changed.
Rozentals confirmed that
an announcement clarifying
tate policy, issued in January,
1988 confirmed that assis­
tance would not be denied to
a person, merely because the
per on did not have a per­
manent address.
Rozental indicated that it
would be po ible for a person
to u th local D ... office as
a mailing address until he or
he found lodging.
However,1 there is orne
evidence that me orkcr
do not know that tliey are al­
lowed to give homeless clients
such help. The day before we
received confirmation of such
policies from Rosentals, a
worker in social service infor­
mation told The Michigan
Citizen over the telephone
that it was impo ible to give
people help without an d­
dress.
Rozentals indicated that
becau e of a high volume of in­
formation, workers did not al- .
ways understand changes in
regulations, and stated that
she was glad to be informed
about possible problems that
existed With those who were
dealing with emergency situa­
tions.
"I will do everything to
make ure employees know
about this." she stated, "and
that people are not made
homeless by a misunderstand­
ing of the requirement."
The Department of Health
and Human Services
authorized the states to issue a
clarification th t people
without' addresse could be
helped, s a part of the grow­
ing national concern over the
homeless. she. tated.
She added that put
policie Lad "created a Catch
22 situation" for many in such
emergency pr blem .
Prote 'ter arre ted
Co ti u d rr Pl·
pay bac taxes and eliminated
tax bre s for them.
Challenging the view that tax
breaks for corporations gave
b ine incentive to create
job, she noted th t the tax
bre G.M. Ford and Chrysler
recei ed did no prevent them
from 1 ying off worker and
relocatin once they got what
they ed,
The ichigan Citizen was
more people were arrested,
Desire' Jointer and Ro belle
.Porter , One NHU- f mily
remained unnoticed in a vacant
unit in Herman Garden as late
as April 7, according to NHU
organizers.
Joining the ranks of sup-
Sonya Te ry 1. I I .
. Winning revolL ions per on
empty un-
who said, "By this action, it
shows the public housing offi­
cials th t I'm willing to stand up
for what I believe, and I believe
that 1 should be given a home for
myself and my three children
without. having to wait for
months and months til they say I
can have one, while we are being
abused at COTS prison in the
meantime."
Also jailed were Keith
O'Neal and Joy Dixon, former
COTS residents. O'Neal said,
e have three kids who need
somewhere to stay, and I'll do it
again if I have to." Those ar- .
rested were released on bond.
Early April 1, approximately
10 vehicles idled in front of
COTS, w iring to transport
people to erman Gardens.
At Herman Gardens, many
filed out and marched round
shouting, "Give us a home and
we'llleav you alone!"
Police remained on the scene
for security purposes. While the .
marchers chanted, a few scat­
tered to vacant units and ripped
plyboards from the doors, and
moved families in. The vacant
units ere furnished with heat,
electricity and ho water.
The evening of April 1, two
By R Enlow
Sonya Terry, President 0
the Detroit chapter of the Na­
tional Homeless Union
(NHU) bas accomplished
much. .
Homeless herself, she has
gone to great lengths to take
stands for the rights of other
homeless individuals and
families to insure that those
rights are observed and car­
ried through. Although nine
months pregnant, Terry heads
every NHU rally, meeting and
convention concerning home­
Ie i ues, e en those held out
of tate.
Terry admits drugs and al­
cohol d brought her to the
doorstep of the Coalition O(
Temporary Shelter (C.O.T.S.)
unable to reach representative
of th governor's office for C9m­
ment at the time of this writing.
Kramer indicated hat in
other Michigan ar
- Flint prote ters belped
client with cases and found
homeless people there. •
ichig WROtoo over
an office in Chaboygan and
helped people with their cases.
- Lansing WRO protested .
in the tate capitol. SONYA TE Y
in July of 1987, where she was
t ken in and given assist nee.
he says she appreciated the
elp of the shelter but things
j st weren't enough for her.
Terry, along wi h several
. ther clients of C.O.T.S. w re­
t ld about the NHU. She
. began by attending the meet­
ings in December of 1987, and
before he knew it, . w lead­
I ing the people in rallies, mar­
ches, sit-ins.
She ays the drug and al­
cohol h bits she developed
Were not due to peer pressure
but a deep relentless depres-
. . on that began at the early age
of 14, during the sep ration
d eventual divorce of her
parent . She says being the
�t of five children, the
porters were Maureen Taylor,
head of the Community-b ed
\Victirn Restitution and 1 0
Len re Fulani, ational I­
lianc Pa ty pre. idcntial can­
didate, who. poke on th values
of rallie of thi: nat urc.
I
I
land
brunt of the responsibility fell
n her. "1 was never able to
lease my moth r," Terry ys,
nothing was ever right or
o d enough to suit her". And
hat with the worry of the split
Pof her parents, he began to
drink. .
After moving to Michigan,
terry completed school t
ighland Park High and en­
olled in Adri n CoUege. After
yearsh says the pressure
as too much and so dropped _
ut.
A tint in the Women's
rmy Corp only intensified
r drinking. She managed to.
�ceive medals for out tanding
hievem nts and was di -
arged honorably.
Continu d on P 13