Homeless Blog and YouTube Films

[Discussion list for COMM-ORG]

From:
"Lynn Lewis" <lynn at picturethehomeless.org>




---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sam J. Miller <sam at picturethehomeless.org>
Date: Oct 3, 2007 5:07 PM
Subject: [Picture the Homeless] Homeless Blog and YouTube Films
To: "Homeless, Friends of Picture the" <pth at lists.mayfirst.org>

Dear Friends and Family,
 
This week, Picture the Homeless takes two big steps forward into the 
exciting world of new media. We are unveiling a blog, where homeless 
activists will provide policy analysis and "inside views" of the 
failures of the system - and we're also proud to finally have clips from 
our homeless-made documentary films up on YouTube.  
 
www.picturethehomeless.org/blog
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2hAfhKRnIY
"Homeless People Count: Vacant Property in Manhattan"
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IkeXZD3Tfn0
"Journey Towards Dignity"
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sYaNgz1pwIc
"Kicking Ass All Over This City: Homeless Civil Rights Warriors"
 
So much of the news coverage concerning homelessness presents city 
policy as if it's wonderful and working perfectly; if they bother to 
include perspectives critical of the city's position, they rely on 
talking-head "experts" who have never experienced homelessness. Our blog 
represents a terrific way to let the public know the realities behind 
the distortions in *all* the major news outlets.
 
To start things off with a bang, our blog includes a posting on a secret 
new development in the city's "Advantage Program" rental subsidy, which 
is completely flying under the radar of the media and which leaves 
thousands of homeless singles "out in the cold" when it comes to housing 
assistance.
 
http://www.picturethehomeless.org/blog/node/12
 
I know some of you blog! It'd be great if you could link to us in your 
blogroll, and maybe even do a short posting about who we are and why 
people should check out ours.
 
For three years, thanks to training and resources from Manhattan 
Neighborhood Network, members of Picture the Homeless have been 
developing short documentary films about our organizing campaigns and 
the disgraceful policies we're fighting against. Now, for the first 
time, we have placed three short clips from those films on YouTube!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2hAfhKRnIY
"Homeless People Count: Vacant Property in Manhattan"
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IkeXZD3Tfn0
"Journey Towards Dignity"
 
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sYaNgz1pwIc
"Kicking Ass All Over This City: Homeless Civil Rights Warriors"
 
We make pretty damn good films, if we do so say ourselves, and we're 
glad to finally be able to share them with everyone.
 
Thanks for checking out our blog and films! And thanks for sending the 
links around to all your own friends and family
 
Sam J Miller
Picture the Homeless
 
--

Oh - and another thing. My short article "Homeless Revolution," 
documenting our recent Housing Campaign victories, was just published by 
Shelterforce, "the leader in presenting innovations in the field of 
community development to practitioners, policymakers, and the public":
 
http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/151/organize.html