Secondhand Supply Convoy

Silly drawers sitting at a crosswalk. I can think of funny narratives about bad directions or objects on an exciting escapade but in my heart I think the truth is much more sobering. Oakland has over 4,000 homeless people on its streets, a surge of 47% in just two years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

I believe these drawers are a tiny glimpse into a supply convoy of materials used to construct repurposed up-cycled shelters. Sounds Pinterest worthy, doesn’t it? Repurposed. Up-cycled materials. Tiny homes. But instead, it describes a devastating reality of homeless encampments.

People are constructing temporary homes out of what is plentiful in their surrounding environment and, around here, that means discarded furniture, among other items. I marvel at the human ingenuity and also grieve for the human suffering.

Despite sharing similar buzzwords, the realities are worlds apart. One describes life, death, safety, security; the other denotes privilege, access, aesthetics. It’s hard to hold both truths in your mind at the same time. Perception. Language. Social justice. Housing crisis. Capitalism. Furniture. Curbside pieces are not often thought of in this context but here it is. There’s no going back now. #onceyouknow