DECEMBER 12, 2025 HOMELESSNESS GROUNDCOVER NEWS 12/21 Walk for the Homeless: End the criminalization of survival on the longest night On December 21, the Winter Solstice—the longest, coldest night of the year—I will once again organize our annual protest, the 12/21 Walk for the Homeless. We march to honor Homeless Remembrance Day and to protest the constant, unjust criminalization of poverty and survival. For over a decade, this walk has been a national call to action, launched by Eric the Dream Giver and supported by a network of advocates, including Groundcover News here in Ann Arbor and Real Change in Seattle. Our core message remains: Poverty is not a crime. Yet, Michigan and most communities nationwide continue to implement policies designed to punish the poor and strip rights from all but the wealthiest. The roots of homelessness are not individual failures, but catastrophic economic forces that have engineered a universal threat. These include increasing financial instability, the attack on housing security where rising property taxes and other factors result in vulnerability for even those whose housing seemed totally secure, and capitalism failing to provide basic ERICK THE DREAM GIVER Groundcover vendor No. 617 living in their vehicles. When cities pass ordinances that ban RVs or heavily restrict where they can be parked, instead of solving a housing crisis, they are criminalizing a legitimate lifestyle and removing the last line of defense against absolute homelessness. Our demand is the immediate repeal of this and all other discriminatory ordinances that unjustly criminalize people experiencing homelessness. The economic system has made the human needs and creating an economy where survival is a privilege, not a right. A significant portion of our unhoused neighbors struggle with mental health conditions. We demand that cities across Michigan and the nation shift resources from punitive policing to dedicated mental health crisis teams that offer support, shelter and longterm care. Another example of how the homeless are discriminated against even if they’re not on the streets is the discriminatory enforcement of zoning and parking laws that target people bottom 99% vulnerable to falling into poverty and becoming criminalized. This failure is creating a universal police state designed to manage and punish the poor, ultimately stripping rights away from everybody. The 12/21 Walk for the Homeless is a vital part of a national movement demanding justice. Our demands are clear: End the laws that punish people for poverty and support laws that protect them, like the Michigan Homeless Bill of Rights (HB 4919). Moving forward, the work requires more than just walking. We must take direct political action. Contact your lawmakers and in Michigan ask your representatives to support bills like HB 4919. People who are so inclined can also run for public office, challenging the status quo. It is time for Michigan to stop passing "stumbling blocks" and start building pathways to housing. Join us in demanding that our tax dollars fund housing and healthcare, not arrests and incarceration. Support the Movement: Join the 12/21 Walk! The 12/21 Walk for the Homeless is an annual, decentralized demonstration. The action starts on December 21 at sunset, 5:05 p.m. at Detroit City Hall. People are meeting in downtown areas across the country; I encourage readers in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to organize their own walks. City Halls are a good place to start. I invite everybody to walk — pick up a sign, join hands, and walk with candles in your local downtown area; post your walk on social media (use the hashtag #1221WalkForTheHomeless); and share the message for people to join us. If you want to walk with me and follow my ongoing advocacy, please subscribe to my YouTube channel, Eric the Dream Giver. 9 CALL FOR SUPPORT WE’RE HERE FOR YOU & YOUR FAMILY 24/7 mental health and substance use support 734-544-3050 YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES: ELIZABETH SPRING-NICHOLS AND ALYSSA NEWSOME LEARN MORE about programs funded by the community mental health and public safety preservation millage.
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