Today’s Tournament of Roses Parade is all about “Turning the Corner.” Southern California housing advocates and their supporters said this morning that they know first hand how critical it is for America to “turn the corner” on the housing crisis.
And that’s the theme of the annual People’s Rose Parade demonstration this year.
“Too many people are being affected by that housing crisis,” community organizer Carlos Marroquin said in a pre-parade online interview. “People that have to deal with high rents, as we know the rents are out of control.”
Immediately following today’s parade, activists will stage the People’s Rose Parade, themed “Turning the Corner, Affordable Housing Now.”
Every year since the 2011 “Occupy” march that focused on Wall Street abuses, activists have marched behind the Rose Parade to draw the spotlight on progressive social and environmental issues.
“Each year we pick a niche that is most appealing to the people,” said Marroquin. “Housing happens to be the issue of the day right now.”
Among past issues highlighted: Healthcare access, foreclosures, the environment, oil pipelines, climate change and others.
“(We have) 47,000 homeless in the city of Los Angeles, about 68,000 homeless in the LA County,” said community organizer Betty Toto. “We need affordable housing and we need to people getting housing now.”
Toto said Los Angeles needs to create more affordable units and boosts the concept of adaptive reuse, converting vacant offices to apartments.
The group are not official parade participants, but jump into the back of the parade and march down Colorado Boulevard with signs promoting their cause. Marroquin hopes that the national attention the parade attracts with alert more people to the housing crisis, he said.
“The whole intention is to connect with the public to let them know that that we are here that there are people that are actually advocating for fair and just housing solutions,” said Marroquin.
“Every year we have people from the bleachers, people from the sides where they been keeping their spots for days come out and join us, which always so encouraging to see,” said Toto.
Source: Orange County Register
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