AURORA | Aurora lawmakers are poised to make two statements of support Monday: one expressing that housing is a “human right,” and the other declaring the month of April “Second Chance Month.”
The city council will consider whether to finalize the resolutions during a 6:30 p.m. city council meeting. To tune in, watch Channel 8 or stream online at www.auroratv.org.
Councilmember Crystal Murillo introduced the declaration that “housing is a human right” last month. A slim majority supported the symbolic statement during a March study session: Murillo, Nicole Johnston, Angela Lawson, Allison Hiltz, Juan Marcano and Alison Coombs.
While creating nothing concrete, the resolution would “provide more support for legislative matters related to housing and homelessness” and create “another showing of support to preserve existing affordable housing and create more.”
Councilmember Curtis Gardner is pushing the idea to declare every April “Second Chance Month” in Aurora. The resolution would express support for convicted Aurorans who have served their prison time but may still face barriers to employment, education, housing and other “stigmas,” Gardner said.
“It’s really just a statement that we want to make sure that those stigmas are removed, so folks don’t face what is sometimes called ‘second prison,’” he said last week. Gardner elaborated on the resolution in a Sentinel op-ed last week.
A majority of lawmakers also supported that idea last week.
Aurora city clowncil at it again
My email to City Council:
I know being a council member carries obligations much greater than your limited compensation justifies. Nevertheless, if you have some time before tomorrow’s vote on a resolution declaring that housing is a human right, I suggest that you take a few minutes to at least glance over the 2014 Fact Sheet by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
That report says, “The right to adequate housing is a human right recognized in international human rights law as part of the right to an adequate standard of living. One of the first references to it is in article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” Article 25 affirms, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and [other basic needs] in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”
I urge City Council to align our city with those goals.
Just another expected step from the criminal-friendly, wealth-redistributive, power-drunk progressive/socialist majority on council. An election is coming. I sure hope voters are paying attention.