Social justice work is a core part of BOSS's mission, as it is directed towards changing the root causes of homelessness. We have also found that regular engagement in purposeful activity and connection with peers and community partners increases people's health, wellness, and self-sufficiency.

Yet homeless people are often isolated from civic decision-making processes. Because meeting daily basic survival needs is understandably their top priority, many choose not to participate in grassroots organizing for social change. The result is that a crucial voice goes unheard.

BOSS aims to empower individuals, strengthen communities, and build civil society by helping people get involved in the policy-making process. Participants are actively involved in decision-making in all BOSS programs by volunteering and serving on Resident Councils. Participants are also hired as staff (50% of BOSS staff are from our target population) and serve on the Board of Directors.

In addition, there is a project in BOSS that is dedicated to social justice organizing—the Community Organizing Team (COT). COT members currently include homeless participants, BOSS staff, and UC Berkeley interns. COT campaigns include welfare rights work, fighting to protect affordable housing, protecting homeless people’s civil rights, advocating for adequate funding for health and human services, and more.

To get involved in local actions and organizing on social justice issues, please contact us.

Here is a full list of BOSS income-related services:

Leadership Development
Participants throughout BOSS are encouraged to add their voice to community decision-making and are taught essential organizing skills such as public speaking, writing, and outreach techniques to share their stories. Within BOSS, they take on leadership roles as volunteers, mentors, and advisors, serve on on-site Resident Councils, are hired as staff, and serve on the Board of Directors. Externally, they are encouraged to take part in decision-making commissions, speak at public hearings, and get involved in local actions.

Issue Education
BOSS provides education to our participants on issues related to homelessness—local, state, and national legislation that directly affect homeless people, decisions being made about the allocation of public funds, and more. We support the right and responsibility of all citizens to vote, and conduct voter registration efforts to encourage more homeless and low-income people to exercise that right.

Goal-Focused Campaigns
BOSS participates in grassroots organizing campaigns that target specific policy goals—affordable housing, improved health care, welfare reform, education policy, transportation justice, and other issues. Currently BOSS is engaged with the following social justice partners to make a larger impact:

Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP): In collaboration with organizers from throughout the Western states, BOSS participants helped organize a rally on January 20, 2010 on the 1-year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration, to call for a renewed commitment to affordable housing and civil rights protections. We continue our work with this WRAP to fight for solutions to homelessness.

Urban Habitat Social Justice Caucus: BOSS works with Bay Area social justice groups on regional and national issues.

Berkeley Community Coalition: BOSS was a founding member of and works in partnership with this Berkeley-based human service groups to protect the local network of care for homeless, poor, hungry, and disabled people.

Transportation Justice Working Group (TJWG): For several years now BOSS has helped fight for increased regional public transit resources—transportation relied on daily by low-income people.

Protecting GA: BOSS participants have organized for months against new Alameda County General Assistance (GA) policy that cuts people off this loan program for people with no other income after only 3 months. Participants and staff had success eliminating some parts of the policy: the struggle continues to find solutions for individuals who will soon be entirely without income.