Funeral Procession Past the Homes of Liz Hersh and Brian Abernathy

Members of ADAPT Philly, ACT UP Philly, CADBI (Coalition Against Death by Incarceration), Put People First! PA’s Philadelphia Healthcare Right Committee, and allies held a political funeral today at the home of Liz Hersh, director of the Office of Homeless Services.

Led by a hearse, a political funeral procession of 15 cars carrying dozens of activists made its way to Hirsh’s Mt. Airy home. Three coffins, draped with banners and signs reading Housing Saves Lives, Inaction = Death, and #FreeOurPeople, were placed on the sidewalk in front of Hersh’s home.

The funeral procession parks in front of Hersh’s house. Three coffins are laid in the street and a banner reading Inaction = Death, Housing Saves Lives is held behind the coffins. Photo credit: Kaytee Ray-Riek

Jamaal Henderson, a member of ACT UP and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, explained that the three coffins represent people who have died due to the city’s inaction, citing the death of a man in homeless shelter in Philadelphia, the death of people in prisons and jails, and the deaths of disabled Philadelphians forced to live in nursing homes while on the waiting list for adaptive modifications to their homes, who have since died of COVID-19.

“We stand here today, at Liz Hersh’s house… she is one of those people who make decisions, and could push for policies that would make sure epidemics like this don’t claim needless lives. Instead they do nothing… Homelessness is policy violence. You can’t fix systemic racism without fixing the system.”

Henderson connected the protest to the anger over the murder of George Floyd, “As usual this city shows us that Black and Brown lives, poor, disabled, homeless lives mean nothing to them.” 

Between speakers, attendees sang, “What we’re demanding, is that you house us at last.”

Latoya Maddox, a member of ADAPT Philly, was unable to attend in person and spoke via Zoom. “I’m here to speak about disabled homeless people, in shelters and not in shelters. I’ve had conversations with individuals who do not want to go into the shelter system because of COVID-19 and because of how they’ll be treated. I’ve heard from people that they’re being told by shelter staff that even though the hotels have accessible rooms that they can’t use them unless they have someone to assist them. I’ve spoken with Liz about shelter for people with disabilities. I thought she’d heard, but I guess not.” Maddox and other members of ADAPT Philly joined Zoom to participate in the action virtually.

Jose DeMarco, a member of ACT UP, began by naming victims of racist and police violence: Ahmad Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and then drew connections between housing-related budget cuts and the increases in the Philadelphia police budget. “We know that the city is giving $14 million dollars in increased funding to police, but cutting $12 million dollars from the Office of Homeless Services. With everything going on, there’s more money for police and nothing to house people. They’re taking the CARES money and plugging up Kenney’s budget to cover the budget gaps, that’s money that could be used for housing, for people with AIDS who are living on the streets, for PPE in the shelters... Remember this, when they hire more police to beat, murder, and arrest Black and Brown people, that they took the money away from housing to give it to police.”

An employee of a shelter, who did not identify herself, spoke about the changes that ACT UP and other groups’ activism have caused already: “We’re out here to acknowledge that the voices of people who are the most affected are the ones that will make the change… there have been strides because of us to move people into hotels, and there needs to be more, and we will make that happen.”

A speaker who identified herself as “Jen, the person who did Occupy PHA last year,” spoke about long term needs. “Liz Hersh is the Director of the Office of Homeless Services, and they have allowed the Philadelphia Housing Authority to cut ties with the shelter system, which has left the shelter system completely backed up … and there’s no new housing. And [the Office of Homeless Services] has the complete authority to advocate… We have demands for the long term, which is that PHA owns thousands of vacant, viable homes, the Office of Homeless Services needs to demand that they use those homes.”

Multiple speakers also addressed the breaking up of homeless encampments, under Hersh’s direction, in Center City and at the airport, against the guidance of the CDC. ACT UP has delivered multiple sets of demands and questions to the Managing Director’s Office, and will continue to meet with Brian Abernathy, Hersh, and Eva Gladstein to work towards solutions.