Jan 28 2025 59 mins 1
Housing Crisis Across America
Davey D hosted homeless advocate Needa B to discuss the growing housing crisis. They highlighted rising rents, gentrification, and the corporatization of housing. Needa B observed, “In six months, everything became unaffordable. People thought moving South would help, but not anymore.” She emphasized how large corporations buy properties in bulk, driving up prices.
Criminalization of Homelessness
Needa B detailed the criminalization of unhoused individuals, drawing parallels to historic Jim Crow laws. “Cities are criminalizing survival activities like cooking or sleeping in public,” she noted. This creates systemic barriers for unhoused people to escape their situations.
Misuse of Funds in Oakland
The conversation revealed how Oakland mismanages funds earmarked for homelessness solutions. Needa B shared, “Hundreds of millions have come to Oakland for homelessness, but the city spends it on evictions, not housing.” She criticized the city’s campaign to “clean Oakland,” stating, “It’s about making unhoused people invisible.”
Systemic Inequalities and Gentrification
Needa B connected homelessness to broader systemic issues like racism, colonialism, and gentrification. She explained, “Gentrification requires someone to be displaced. It’s about taking land and hoarding resources.” Davey D echoed the need for systemic change, questioning why corporations with trillions in resources fail to address homelessness.
Call to Action
Needa B urged the public to act, saying, “Be a good neighbor. Learn to coexist. Call your councilmembers and ask, ‘Where is the money?’” She pointed to unspent millions intended for permanent housing and called for accountability.
For more information on Needa B’s advocacy, visit The Village in Oakland.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.
The post The Hard Knock Radio Conversation with Davey D and Needa B: Addressing Homelessness and Inequality appeared first on KPFA.
