[act-ma] 2/17-2/18 Homelessness and Housing Justice programs

[WMBR News Department]

Housing Justice in Greater Boston: A WMBR Special Report
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 6 pm - 7 pm
followed by
The National Homelessness Marathon
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7 pm - Thursday, Feb. 18, 9 am

Listen live on WMBR 88.1 FM and streaming at wmbr.org
 
WMBR Cambridge will present the 18th Annual Homelessness Marathon, a 14-hour national program about poverty and homelessness in America, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, until Thursday, Feb. 18 at 9 a.m. Airing on more than 100 stations across the country this year, the Marathon shines a light on the often-ignored realities of poverty in America, and gives poor people an opportunity to join the public debate. The program originates in a different city each year. A broadcast booth is set up outside, and people who are out on the streets walk up for open mic sessions periodically all night. People also call in from all over the country. Each of the 14 hours has a different theme and one or two expert guests. This year's Marathon will be live from the streets of Washington DC, drawing attention to the lack of action by the federal government. One special feature of this year’s broadcast will be a "Homeless Walk Around the White House," talking live with many of the homeless people living in the margins of our nation's capital. 

The public is invited to call in and participate. 866-LEFT-OUT (866-533-8688) is reserved for people who are homeless, formerly homeless, or afraid they're about to become homeless. The general call-in number is 877-NOBODY-8 (877-662-6398). 

Immediately preceding the national broadcast, at 6:00 pm Wednesday, Feb. 17,  the WMBR News Department will present a one-hour panel discussion on homelessness and poverty in the Boston area, featuring local activists, organizers, and experts. The program will address the ongoing housing crisis in Greater Boston. The panelists will be:

Darnell Johnson, the Boston Coordinator for Right to the City, a national alliance of racial, economic and environmental justice organizations, which was formed in 2007 as a response to gentrification and the displacement of low-income people, people of color, marginalized LGBTQ communities, and youths of color from their historic urban neighborhoods. Darnell is a longtime community and labor organizer, focusing on the intersectionality of race, class, gender and oppression.

Cleve Rea, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Homeless Empowerment Project, which publishes Spare Change News, and a member of the Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee. Formerly homeless, Cleve was residing at the Long Island Shelter in Boston when it was abruptly closed in 2014.

Grace Ross, Coordinator of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending, a coalition of housing counseling agencies, legal services groups, social service agencies, and community-based social action groups that have joined together to address the foreclosure crisis in Massachusetts. Grace has been a long-time activist for independent politics and economic and social justice.

Kaye Wild, Vice President of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, a public policy advocacy organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Massachusetts. Kaye formerly worked at the state Department of Social Services as the Housing Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Unit, and before that, she was Assistant General Counsel at the Boston Housing Authority. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and Suffolk Law School.
 
Moderated by Linda Pinkow, News Director, WMBR.

For more information, contact:Linda Pinkow, News Director, WMBR Cambridge, news-director at wmbr.org