We refuse to run reading groups for years before taking action, and we refuse to ignore the vast knowledge left to us by the revolutionaries of the past. If you’re interested in the intersection of theory and practice, DM us and come to distro!
Warm Up Boston
@warmupboston.bsky.social
1.1K followers 94 following 162 posts
A radical survival program serving the unhoused community on occupied Massachusett and Wampanoag land. ✉️ join@warmupboston.org linktr.ee/warmupboston
![Very dark grey, almost black, background color. Red title text reads: "References". White text list reads: "[1] Shira Hassan; Saving Our Own Lives
[2]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24374889/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38128362/
[4]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29934549/
[5]https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01859.x[
[6]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38335867/". Beneath the text, a sketchy dark grey hand holding a bubble pipe peeks out from the bottom left of the slide.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreiedohtsqvvrxfze2oe45ft7ohlyo3deq7bqol4idw23wsvfff6mye)
![Very dark grey, almost black, background color. Yellow title text, with white subtext, reads: "Harm Reduction Works! (some of the many successes)". White text bullet points read: "- Syringe Service Programs reduce transmission of HIV and blood borne infections among people who inject drugs [2]
-Injection alternatives (sniffing, smoking, boofing) reduce injection related overdose, illnesses, and injuries [3]
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (like methadone and buprenorphine) reduce opioid overdoses and other causes of death [4]".](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreih4by3kgtr557rbjo7my6piw5unwbfwd6jqbmqc7giafal5ymzf7a)
![Very dark grey, almost black, background color. Yellow title text, with white subtext, reads: "Harm Reduction Works! (some of the many successes)". White text bullet points read: "- Safe consumption sites reduce overdose, needle sharing and reuse, and discarding of needles in public places [5]
- Safer supply programs reduce overdoses, improve physical and mental health, and improve quality of life among clients [6]
- Overdoses were down 24% in 2024, thanks in part to naloxone and evidence-based prevention and treatment programs [7]".](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreidnkpn5da2p2a7whdougxjkk2545hryk5dssbsoyxgjpmukgg6awy)
![Very dark grey, almost black, background color. Paragraph white text reads: "Liberatory Harm Reduction has, from its origin, been based in transforming the root causes of harm in our lives. This includes active opposition to capitalism, racism, misogyny, the prison industrial complex, and other fascist tools of control [1]." A block-color light grey broken chain decal is pictured below the text.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreihlwehdf53lqjrpqkeoe2n3s2znb3vceasvkokdxview7qym4f2ie)
![Very dark grey, almost black, background color. Red title text reads: "Harm reduction doesn’t encourage (Or discourage) drug use". Paragraph white text reads: "Harm reduction sees that drug use can have both benefits and consequences. It empowers us to identify patterns and create outcomes we want, focusing on what we want to add or provide, not what we want to take away [1]. For some this can mean a form of recovery. For others it could mean something like more community involvement, deepening connections with loved ones, or improving self-care."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreige42dzuyvmkh2xue5d4st6zhwmtitf26cizrpvwvrt2sfd7d4lea)
![Mustard yellow background color with a small WUB logo in the bottom right corner. This is the references page. Black text reads: "Much of the knowledge referenced in this post comes from the lived experience of encampment residents and Warm Up volunteers. For claims that come from other sources, we provide references below.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17474916/
[2] https://www.aclusocal.org/sites/default/files/aclu_socal_oc_shelters_report.pdf
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31228636/
[4]
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254362874_Safer_Outside_A_Qualitative_Exploration_of_Homeless_People%27s_Resistance_to_Homeless_Shelters
[5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1473325010369025
[6] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10612-024-09775-3
[7] https://denverite.com/2023/07/30/denver-trash-service-for-some-sidewalk-encampments-and-a-sweep/
[ 8] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23891220-2023-hand-trash-services-survey-1-data-analysis/
[9] https://clanfear.github.io/Camps Policing/presentations/nuffield_22/slides.html#46
[10] https://homelesslaw.org/criminalization/police-brutality-statement/
[11] https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/the-crime-and-safety-blindspot-do-homeless-populations-pose-an-increased-risk-to-public-safety/
[12] https://nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/NHCHC-encampment-sweeps-issue-brief-12-22.pdf
[13] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9585118/
[14] https://www.apha.org/policy-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-briefs/policy-database/2024/01/16/displacement-of-encampments
[15] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321522000269"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreif7vgtnaiehgweavpnheaj22w5lze6jxox2l3b62wviy65hjtb4dq)
![Background image depicting a parking lot and road in the winter time with various vehicles parked in said lot. Barren trees branches are sprinkled with snow. A large mustard yellow text box is overlayed on top of that image. Black text reads: "People want to live in homes. While many prefer the relative freedom of encampments over the carcerality and restrictions of shelters, no human being wants to be constantly criminalized by police and forced to move all their possessions on short notice [5, 12]. No one wants to be freezing cold or too hot to survive. People want stability and comfort. While we call for an end to criminalization of encampments now, we call for appropriate housing for every single person in the longer term."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreihbbm7decrrbgbcbwld56gp7qhwpycopfvh3aec3tfuw5rsticcma)
![Background image depicting a park area. The sky is blue and sunny behind green tree leaves. Bare dirt ground with sparse grass patches is framed by concrete bridge structures. A large mustard yellow text box is overlayed on top of that image. Black text reads: "People do not disappear. With more frequent sweeps, they will be further displaced from the services available to them, like healthcare and housing support [12, 13, 14]. For unhoused people who live in Boston or Cambridge, this is their home and they belong here we unequivocally reject NIMBYism*. And every sweep is inherently deeply traumatic for encampment residents [12, 13, 14, 15]. Repeated sweeps and increased policing only causes harm.
*(NIMBY = Not In My Back Yard)"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreibrjos3xsk6j6xtlsrkx5oblm3nuhra3m7bky5qao7tpzoki5svpy)
![Background image depicting a snowy park and descending hill with barren trees. A large mustard yellow text box is overlayed on top of that image. Black text reads: "Trash, frequently cited as a motivation behind sweeps, is often bagged and piled neatly by residents. Unhoused people have a vested interest in keeping their communities clean and do not want to live in filth, nor give neighbors fuel for complaints [7, 8]. In Boston, land management does not provide any option for trash disposal aside from sweeps, despite promises to residents to assist beyond directing them to a nearby dumpster. Residents typically discard of needles properly, in sharps containers, when they are able to access them via outreach teams or our distributions."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreicocwi5ztywx2sxssgluvvos55zyh3dsnxzebwmprjgqb42azjamy)
![Background image depicting a parking lot and road in the winter time with various vehicles parked along the stretch of street. A large mustard yellow text box is overlayed on top of that image. Black text reads: "Hyper-policing unjustly targets unhoused people, while research suggests there is little correlation between encampments and property crime [6, 9]. Meanwhile, unhoused people face higher levels of private violence and police brutality than housed people do [10, 11]. Though the behavior of our unhoused neighbors may be harmful in some instances, the systemic abuse perpetuated by the state far outweighs that harm. This is a result of the failure of capitalism, and should not be used to stigmatize all unhoused people but rather to critique the system that perpetuates their suffering."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreifpt3n25tnm5k7ki23wkyzpbvvndnuwmkox2rxqu46adn4joujdf4)
![Background image depicting a park area. The sky is blue and sunny behind green tree leaves. There is various camping equipment resting on the dirt ground. A large mustard yellow text box is overlayed on top of that image. Black text reads: "There are many reasons why shelters aren't an option for everyone. Limited open hours, lottery-based admission, and restrictions on belongings require guests to trade their independence for shelter. For people with disabilities, pets, or significant others, shelters may simply be unable to accommodate their needs. Studies show shelters can feel physically and mentally unsafe due for a range of reasons: abuse and harassment from other guests or staff, carceral policies, paternalism, poor sanitation, or spread of disease [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Shelters are not a complete solution for homelessness. Encampments fill a need for autonomy and community."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xqh3goywbfrnfqp7ocwejsio/bafkreic5neepzyz5atgg6gvlszhno223msqaotqkhqcc3t2sjqgjurjgaa)
