Posts by Brandon Lemay
The Democrats are the party of the New Deal, Civil Rights Act, and the Affordable Care Act. While not perfect, these are milestone policies that are committed to racial and economic justice. Given that marriage of ideals, I should be the perfect contender for a proud Democrat– but I’m not.Â
There are five candidates for governor this year, but none among them understands the burden of the cost of living more than Jon Kiper. As a small business owner, he knows firsthand the impact of expensive housing. His customers and employees are a constant reminder.
I didn’t want to write anything today. Then I got a text message and a voicemail from two separate people around Manchester telling me they are living in their cars with no place to go. I am a community organizer with Rights & Democracy, not a social worker, but people are increasingly coming to me for help – help I’m unable to provide.
I’ve written to Manchester InkLink about homelessness before and today will be no different. As I write this on September 7th, I’m still reflecting on the public testimony from last night’s Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting. Several testimonies came from a place of frustration toward the city from the perspective of homeless allies. Others were neutral, and a few were downright malicious to the homeless. One of such was Victoria Sullivan’s speech.Â
We also appreciate that Mayor Craig acknowledges “housing as a fundamental human right,” which is the core value of our housing alliance. While this acknowledgment is vital, we must take meaningful steps to make that right available to all. Slogans are nice but are meaningless without action. We face a time when developers and landlords are taking advantage of a tight market to profit off of what we deem to be a human right.Â
After the state of New Hampshire cruelly evicted a homeless encampment on the Chestnut Street courthouse Lawn back in November, I thought the City of Manchester was an ally in the fight for our homeless community. After residents of the Amoskeag Bridge encampment were given less than 24 hours to vacate their property yesterday, I question that notion.