#couchsurfing

Vendredi 8 mars : j’ai regardé avec joie les vidéos des manifs féministes en France, en réalisant au fur et à mesure que ça allait être moins la folie ici.

Et il m’a fallu un peu de motivation parce qu’il pleuvait des cordes à Chicago. J’ai foncé au musée de l’architecture histoire d’avoir quelques infos en plus sur cette ville. Maintenant que presque tout est bétonné, le projet est de mettre le plus de verdure partout. Et j’ai vu le projet de réhabilitation de la tour Montparnasse pour la verdire également !

J’ai pris le bus, avec la ficelle le long de la fenêtre sur toute la longueur du bus pour demander l’arrêt :-) pour aller au musée de l’histoire de Chicago.

Ça ne parlait pas des Irlandais mais plutôt des polonais arrivés à Chicago dans les années 1830, pendant la guerre avec la Russie (toujours les mêmes …). Même si certains sont repartis vivre en Pologne, d’autres sont arrivés à chaque nouveau conflit international. Tout ça ressemble à la population dans The Wire 🧐

J’ai rejoins un rassemblement contre une fausse clinique qui va bientôt ouvrir à Chicago. Le genre de clinique qui n’a aucune certification médical mais qui reçoit des femmes et donne son point de vue sur l’avortement par exemple, sans pouvoir prodiguer plus d’aide. Les panneaux sont un peu confus mais j’étais bien avec des pro-choix donc des gens qui soutiennent le droit à l’avortement, à l’accès aux soins pour toustes… Il y a une marche dimanche après midi, j’espère y trouver un peu de l’énergie que jamais vu dans les vidéos françaises !!!

Some info about Point In Time counts and statistics around homelessness in the United States!

[ID: Slide 1 of 9, White text on a grey background reads: "Any statistics around homelessness are greatly under-represented, here's why" next to an arrow directing to the next slide, at the bottom, it reads "chronically couchbound"

Slide 2 of 9, in the same style, reads "The numbers that tell how many unhoused people are in the United States are done using something called Point In Time (PIT) counts." the bullet point below it reads: "PIT numbers are used to identify needs for services, and help shelters qualify for funding." The last bullet point reads: "PIT numbers only count people who are legally considered homeless (couch surfing isn’t considered homelessness, legally) This means PIT counts are only counting people in shelter beds, and those visibly sleeping outside."

Slide 3 of 9, in the same style, bullet points read: "Pit counts are the only required count of unhoused people in the US across the country." the next reads: "Every other year, official PIT counts include people not living in shelters, however, many communities try to count both sheltered and unsheltered people every year." The final bullet point reads: "These counts are the closest to an accurate representation of homelessness we have in the united states, and still is lacking."

Slide 4 of 9 reads: "Why?" at the top of the page, below reads bullet points: "PIT counts are done on a random night in January every year." the other bullet point reads: "On this random night in January, it’s often freezing. When I was unhoused in New England winters, I can tell you I wasn’t sleeping outside. I’d stay up and walk around if I couldn’t find a place to crash, and sleep in the daytime. I knew sleep meant death. Most people who do sleep outdoors are usually hidden well because that means warmth and safety."

Slide 5 of 9, in the same theme, bullet points read: "Most shelters simply do not have the funding to staff outreach workers to go out to do full PIT counts. Even if they have the funding, it’s hard to find unhoused people, so staying out the whole night as an outreach worker is difficult." the next bullet point says: "From unofficial counts done similarly to PIT counts in warmer months, it’s easy to see booming numbers of unhoused people. More people aren’t unhoused in the summer, it’s just less dangerous to sleep outdoors."

Slide 6 of 9, in the same style, bullet points read "PIT counts especially misrepresent unaccompanied youth, disabled people, and other marginalized people, because they’re often couch surfing or more hidden from the public while homeless. Couch surfing is not legally considered homelessness." The next bullet point reads "Many communities report zero unaccompanied unsheltered youth, which is often inaccurate in reality." The final bullet point reads: "Lack of youth shelters, and beds in youth shelters, play a huge part of this discrepancy."

Slide 7 of 9, in the same style, bullet points read: "The lack of knowledge, safety, and support in accessing services makes it harder for youth to be connected with service providers and less likely to be counted in PIT numbers." The next bullet point reads "Increasing awareness of PIT counts, and local service providers could help give more accurate counts, but we need more youth-based services that have active outreach teams in order to achieve better (and more accurate) counts of unhoused youth."

Slide 8 of 9 reads: "What can you do to help?" at the top of the page, below reads three bullet points: "Share this post & comment to spread awareness" The next bullet point reads: "Volunteer with a local homeless service provider, such as a shelter, nonprofit, or soup kitchen to help with PIT counts" The final bullet point reads: "Share, contribute to, or create local resource guides, or add or verify information for resources online (such as on Google or the shelter app) to ensure they're up to date."

Okay, so, it’s not all strictly about couchsurfing, but it does mostly have to do with moving around a lot. And there’s some melancholy tunes in here, along with the more raucous numbers. I tried my best. (Also, you get a bonus song, because I obviously had to include the W/IFS song which you gave me as a prompt.)

other people’s apartments & couches & clothes

World/Inferno Friendship Society - Hothouse Flowers (laments and rowdy songs / hymns about sin / high lifes and reels / a tarentell violin / other people's apartment's and couches and clothes / young again / lost again / here we are / here we go)

Enola Gay - Sofa Surfing (I’ve got this weekend comin’ and it’s on repeat / I’ve been sofa surfing from suite to settee / From dusk till dawn now it’s blinding me / Gotta get off my hole and order my taxi)

Friendly Foes - Couch Surfing

The Replacements - Here Comes a Regular (And sometimes I just ain't in the mood / To take my place in back with the loudmouths / You're like a picture on the fridge that's never stocked with food / I used to live at home, now I stay at the house)

Peter Case - The Open Road Song (I'll seek my fortune in the wide world / Take my chances in the cold / Come what may I'll be okay / If I could only find a stretch of open road)

How Converting Empty Commercial Spaces into Indoor Farms Can Address Food Insecurity and Unemployment

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high vacancy rates for commercial spaces in metropolitan areas, especially malls and skyscrapers. At the same time, homelessness remains a significant issue, especially in coastal cities. One solution to address both these problems is to convert empty commercial spaces into indoor farms and communal living areas for homeless Americans, owned and operated by their workers.

Indoor farming has emerged as a sustainable and efficient method for producing high yields of crops in a small space, regardless of weather or climate conditions. Vertical farming, a method of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, has gained popularity in recent years as a way to maximize space and improve efficiency. Repurposing vacant commercial buildings could create a new industry that addresses food insecurity while providing employment for the homeless.

According to a report from CBRE, the United States had a 16.4% office space vacancy rate at the end of 2020, the highest it has been since 2011. The retail sector was also struggling, with a national vacancy rate of 10.5% in the first quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, homelessness remains a significant issue in coastal cities, with an estimated 580,466 people experiencing homelessness in January 2020, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Startups in the vertical farming industry have been on the rise in recent years. According to AgFunder, an online platform that connects investors with agtech startups, there were over 60 vertical farming startups that raised over $1.2 billion in funding in 2020. These startups are using innovative techniques to grow crops in urban areas, close to consumers, and reduce transportation costs and emissions.

Converting vacant commercial buildings into indoor farms using vertical farming techniques would provide employment for the homeless and communal living spaces. However, these indoor farms could also be operated as worker-owned commercial enterprises. Communal living spaces for homeless individuals would provide a sense of community and stability, as well as a chance to learn valuable skills through participation in the farming process. By operating the indoor farms as worker-owned enterprises, homeless individuals could take ownership of their work and have a say in the direction of the business.

Homesteading using vertical farming is an opportunity to work with individuals who share the same interests and values. For young people, WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) provides opportunities to travel around the world and learn about sustainable agriculture practices. Similarly, converting commercial spaces into worker-owned indoor farms could create new opportunities for homeless individuals to participate in the farming process and learn valuable skills, while also taking ownership of their work.

While there are challenges to converting commercial buildings into worker-owned indoor farms, such as significant investment and expertise, the benefits are significant for those experiencing homelessness and the wider community. By creating worker-owned indoor farms, we could create a new industry that provides stability, food security, and employment opportunities, while building a stronger sense of community.

1. 4321 by Paul Auster

Paul Auster blew my mind with this extraordinary masterpiece. The character Ferguson and Paul Austers style of writing instantly captives the reader.  The reader accompanies  Ferguson in four varied and complex variations of him and his life. Each variation takes different turns and shows how a life can change with the smallest decisions and actions. This is one of the best books I have ever read!

2. The Beekeper of Aleppo by  Christy Lefteri

This book touched me deeply and has a special place in my heart. I couldn’t stop thinking about this remarkable story. The beekeeper of Aleppo portrays heartbreakingly and very realistic what Syrian refugees go through on their escape from war and their search for a new life. This is a must read. 

3. Witherward by Hannah Mathewson 

This is a great book for all the fantasy lovers out there and exactly the kind of fantasy book I was looking for. I loved Witherward with its rich, mystic and complex storytelling. The world, magic and characters convince with a lot of complexity and depths. This book never gets boring and there are many thrilling and dark aspects about the world and its characters to discover. Big recommendation.

4. Couchsurfing in Saudi-Arabien by Stephan Orth

Wie immer hat mich Stephan Orths Reiseabenteuer in den Bann gezogen.Mit Couchsurfing in Saudi-Arabien nimmt der Autor den Leser mit auf seine bisher wohl ungewöhnlichste Reise. Mit Saudi-Arabien reist Stephan Orth durch ein Land, dass so unbekannt und rätselhaft erscheint, wie kein anderes. Damit bringt er das Land, die Kultur und die Menschen dem Rest der Welt etwas näher. Wer bisher noch kein Couchsurfing-Buch gelesen hat, sollte schnellstmöglich damit anfangen. (This book is only available in German right now)

5. Vicious by V.E. Schwab