Conversations for Change: James 'Faygo' Clark

EVERYONE SEES THEM BUT THEYOFTEN FEEL INVISIBLE.

THEHOMELESS BUT PASS AND LOOKEDOVER ON CITY STREETS AND EVERYCOMMUNITY IN OUR REGION SOMETHINK THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE GETA LOT GET OFF DRUGS BUT SOMEBELIEVE THE SITUATION IS MUCHMORE NUANCE AND THEY'VE BEENADVOCATING FOR SOMETHINGDIFFERENT A LIVING ON THESTREETS THEMSELVES ONE OF THEMOST VOCAL HOMELESS ADVOCATESIN SACRAMENTO SAYS HE STEPPEDBACK THIS YEAR TO REGROUP FROMWHAT IS IT CONTINUOUSLYDIFFICULT FIGHT IN OUR ONGOINGEFFORT TO POUR MOREUNDERSTANDING IN OUR REGION BYGIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TOJUST LISTEN TO ANOTHER POINTOF VIEW.

WE HEAD OUT TO THECURB WITH JAMES FAYE GO CLARKIN THIS WEEK'S CONVERSATIONSFOR CHANGE.HI EVERYBODY JAMES BIGGERPART.

AND THIS MY DOG COSMODON'T LONG TIME ON HOUSERESIDENT OF SACRAMENTO.

GREWUP IN THE SOUTH PART OFSACRAMENTO THAN IT SPENT THELAST 15 YEARS OUT HERE IN ANDMANY OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER METHROUGH SOCIOECONOMIC JUSTICEACTIVISM A PRIMARILY MY HOMEWAS RIGHTS ADVOCACY.I WAS KIND OF ONE OF THOSEREBELLIOUS KIDS THAT THOUGHT IKNEW EVERYTHING THAT WAS THEFIRST TIME ACTUALLY WASHOMELESS BECAUSE THEY RAN AWAYFROM HOME 15.AND THEN ENDED UP IN DO NOHARM HER.

DOING STUPID KIDSTUFF.

SO WHEN I WHEN I RANAWAY AND WAS OUT ON THESTREETS.

I GOT TO SEE THINGSTHAT I NEVER KNEW EXISTED.

I.AND.IT'S KIND OF WHERE ISTARTED GETTING MY VIEWS ABOUTYOU KNOW SOCIO ECONOMICJUSTICE AND THINGS LIKE THATBECAUSE I SAW THE DIFFERENCESIN THE WAY DIFFERENT PEOPLEARE BEING TREATED IN THIS THATTHE BEEN WORKING MOST OF MYLIVE IN SOMEHOW ENDED UP ONEMPLOYED, BUT I END UP WITHENOUGH MONEY TO GET BY UNTILMY HOUSE GOT ROBBED A FEWENDED UP WITH ME BECOMINGHOMELESS.

WHICH I'VE BEENHOMELESS EVER SINCE.

YOU CANSEE IT ON THEIR FACE THE CROSSTHE STREET WHEN THEY SEEHOLD THEIR PURSES TIGHTERIT'S NOT A GOOD FEELING.IT.IT LETS ME KNOW THAT THATPERSON'S JUDGING ME BASED ONTHE FACT AND IN A SITUATION OFHOMELESSNESS AND AUTOMATICALLYASSUMING THAT I'M GOING TO BEA POTENTIAL THREAT TO THEMWHEN PEOPLE FIRST HIT THESTREETS.

THE GOING THROUGH ATRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE, NOMATTER WHICH WAY WE GET HERERATHER ITS LOSS OF A FAMILYMEMBER OR WHETHER IT'S ANEVICTION SOMETIMES THEMENTALITY IS NOT GOING TO BEWHAT IT WOULD NORMALLY BE FORA LITTLE WHILE BECAUSE OF THEFACT THAT THEY'RE GOINGTHROUGH THESE TRAUMATICEXPERIENCES.

SO WE THINK ABOUTTHAT PERSON IS LIKE SCREAMINGTHAT WAS A WALKING DOWN THESTREET.

INSTEAD OF GOING ALLTHAT GUY'S CRAZY WHAT'S GOINGON.

ASKED WHAT LED HIM TO THEPOINT WHERE HE FEELS THE NEEDIS THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADYHAVE PREEXISTING ISSUESWHETHER IT'S AN ADDICTION OR AMENTAL HEALTH CONDITION TOGET.

KIND OF PUSHED OFF TO THEMARGINS.AND IGNORED BY THE PUBLICTREATED LIKE.THEY TEND SLIP FURTHER ANDFURTHER AWAY FROM BEING.

ABLETO BE AS PRODUCTIVE AS THEYCOULD HAVE BEEN.YEAH THE MAYOR ONE PLAYOFFFROM THE HOUSING IN FRONT OF AROOMFUL OF PEOPLE.

YOU KNOWTHE MELDING THAT HE WAS TRYINGTO OFFER ME.

IT WOULD TAKE ABIT AWAY FROM SOMEBODY ELSETHE IS GOING TO HAVE A HARDTIME SURVIVING THERE'S A LOT ALOT MORE MONEY GOING INTOTHESE SMALLER PROJECTS, THENTHERE SHOULD BE AND THEY'RESTILL NOT LISTENING TO THEASPECT THAT WE NEED TO NOT.

2LARGE NUMBERS IN ONE SPOTSHELTERING.

THE RATHER MORESCATTERED SITE AND HOW ANACTUAL HOUSING FIRST APPROACHAND WHAT IS THE ACTUAL SERVICEHOUSING FIRST APPROACH IS YOUFIND THE HOUSING GET THEPEOPLE IN HOUSING AND THENHELP THEM GET TO THE SERVICESTHAT THEY NEED WHICH WE'RESTILL NOT DOING.IF WE DON'T GET LOUD ABOUTTHESE THINGS.

THAT DOESN'T GETHURT DOESN'T GET ADDRESSED.

WEWE INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT WAYSTO CRIMINALIZE PEOPLE.

AND INA WAY TO ADDRESS THIS LOOKWAYS THAT WE CAN OFFERASSISTANCE THAT HUMANIZING.HELPS BUILD PEOPLE BACK UP ANDGIVE THEM BACK THEIRSELF-ESTEEM GIVE THEM BACKTHEIR SELF-WORTH.OUR CONVERSATION FOR CHANGEWITH CONTINUES ONLINE AS HESHARES MORE ABOUT THE CHOICETO STAY OUTSIDE IT'S SOMETHINGMANY OF YOU ASKED ME ABOUTABOUT HIM OVER THE YEARS THATI'VE INTERVIEWED HIM CHECK OUTFOX 40 DOT COM TO HEAR MOREWHAT HE HAS TO SAY NEXTCONVERSATION FOR CHANGE NEXT