I watched the City Council meeting on tv last night about the Occupy Sacramento folks who want permission to camp out 24/7 at Cesar Chavez Park.
This is an important issue for the Parkway because if that permission was given it would also have to be granted to the homeless folks who want the same permission to camp 24/7, which would result in even more camping in the Parkway than is now happening.
Mayor Johnson chaired the meeting and he exhibited one of the best examples of compassion while sticking to principle that I have seen from a politician.
This article from the Sacramento Bee reports on the meeting.
An excerpt.
“Two weeks have passed since Occupy Sacramento protesters first took hold of downtown's Cesar Chavez Plaza. They have set up small shelters and a first-aid station, created a bank of laptop computers linked to the Internet and conducted several rallies.
“What they still don't have is a common call for grand social change.
“As the Occupy Wall Street movement persists around the nation and spreads to other countries, demonstrations have morphed into a canvas of disparate protests with distinctly local flavors. In Phoenix, the issue is immigration; in Atlanta, small business.
“And in Boston, a hub of higher learning, it's the lack of jobs for college graduates.
“There is no single global or economic cause unifying the Sacramento movement. However, by demanding to remain in the park at all hours, protesters have waded into a local political issue that predates their demonstration by years: the fight by homeless activists against the city's anti-camping ordinances.
"Our issue? We want to be able to stay here overnight," said Sean Thompson, 27, who recently dropped out of Sacramento City College to help coordinate Occupy Sacramento's presence in the park. "After that's resolved, then we'll start to talk."
“That demand appears unlikely to be granted anytime soon. Despite the calls of protesters who waved signs inside City Hall and set up vigil outside the building, the Sacramento City Council decided Tuesday night to continue enforcing the city's anti-camping rules and to not grant a permit allowing protesters to remain in a city park past closure hours.
“City police will keep clearing out the park across the street from City Hall at 11 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on the weekends.
“Councilman Steve Cohn had proposed to allow the protesters to keep their gear in the park overnight, but that plan was not moved forward by the council.
“Mayor Kevin Johnson said he would meet with protest organizers over the next few days and listen to their "thoughts and concerns."
"No one here disagrees with your right to protest and have your voices heard in a real way," the mayor said.
“City officials worry that if they allow the Occupy Sacramento people to camp at the park, they would have to make a similar exception for Safe Ground Sacramento, the group of homeless people and their advocates that has been pushing for a sanctioned spot where the homeless can camp at night.”
Showing posts with label Homelessness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homelessness. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Friday, August 05, 2011
Social Service Programs Ruin Neighborhood?
That is what the future neighbors of this homeless program’s planned move to their neighborhood are saying in Washington, and it is a question being asked in our city also.
The dividing line seems to be, that if a program is vigorously helping people get out of homelessness, then it is probably more welcome than one that is merely providing domestic services to the homeless making it easier to be homeless.
Also the latter can be seen as potentially attracting more homeless, than the former which is encouraging the development of personal responsibility towards change.
Making it easy to be homeless rather than demanding the homeless make the hard choices necessary to create positive change, will, unfortunately, generally be more popular with the homeless; as will the parallel concerning, maintaining the status quo or moving towards change, with any personal or social problem.
The country-wide discussion goes on, as reported in this story from the Washington City Paper.An excerpt.
“It's as predictable as the sunrise, from Petworth to Congress Heights to Truxton Circle to Hill East: A social services organization tries to locate a facility in a neighborhood, the neighbors feel blindsided, and the battle is joined. This time, the drama is about to play out again in the heart of Anacostia's business district, where Calvary Women's Services is redeveloping a 14,000-square-foot building as a women's shelter.
“The 28-year-old organization bought the property, in a former Elks Lodge right across from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Good Hope Road SE, for $950,000 in December. It's a $3 million project, and after landing a $175,000 gift from the Cafritz Foundation, organizers are hoping to raise another $750,000 by the end of the year to make the numbers work. When it's operational, the facility will house 50 women at night and serve meals to 100 per day, along with providing other supportive services.
“Despite the fact that it's been in the works for seven months now, lots of people in the area found out about it just last week, in an email blast from Council Chairman Kwame Brown. Today, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Greta Fuller fired off a letter to the relevant agency directors complaining that the area was already overburdened with homeless services and drug treatment programs; there are four others within a few blocks of Calvary's site.
"It's a very frustrating process, because the community wants so desperately to move forward, and when services like this are on every block in our neighborhood, it makes it difficult to promote the neighborhood," says Charles Wilson, president of the Historic Anacostia Block Association. "You can tell that some people have been maneuvering behind the scenes to move this process forward...you just get a sense that politicians have made it possible for them to make the transition to Good Hope Road."
The dividing line seems to be, that if a program is vigorously helping people get out of homelessness, then it is probably more welcome than one that is merely providing domestic services to the homeless making it easier to be homeless.
Also the latter can be seen as potentially attracting more homeless, than the former which is encouraging the development of personal responsibility towards change.
Making it easy to be homeless rather than demanding the homeless make the hard choices necessary to create positive change, will, unfortunately, generally be more popular with the homeless; as will the parallel concerning, maintaining the status quo or moving towards change, with any personal or social problem.
The country-wide discussion goes on, as reported in this story from the Washington City Paper.An excerpt.
“It's as predictable as the sunrise, from Petworth to Congress Heights to Truxton Circle to Hill East: A social services organization tries to locate a facility in a neighborhood, the neighbors feel blindsided, and the battle is joined. This time, the drama is about to play out again in the heart of Anacostia's business district, where Calvary Women's Services is redeveloping a 14,000-square-foot building as a women's shelter.
“The 28-year-old organization bought the property, in a former Elks Lodge right across from the Department of Housing and Community Development on Good Hope Road SE, for $950,000 in December. It's a $3 million project, and after landing a $175,000 gift from the Cafritz Foundation, organizers are hoping to raise another $750,000 by the end of the year to make the numbers work. When it's operational, the facility will house 50 women at night and serve meals to 100 per day, along with providing other supportive services.
“Despite the fact that it's been in the works for seven months now, lots of people in the area found out about it just last week, in an email blast from Council Chairman Kwame Brown. Today, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Greta Fuller fired off a letter to the relevant agency directors complaining that the area was already overburdened with homeless services and drug treatment programs; there are four others within a few blocks of Calvary's site.
"It's a very frustrating process, because the community wants so desperately to move forward, and when services like this are on every block in our neighborhood, it makes it difficult to promote the neighborhood," says Charles Wilson, president of the Historic Anacostia Block Association. "You can tell that some people have been maneuvering behind the scenes to move this process forward...you just get a sense that politicians have made it possible for them to make the transition to Good Hope Road."
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Parkway Murder Announcement
From the Sacramento Bee.
“A man was found stabbed to death along the American River Parkway late last night, Sacramento police said.
“The man, only described as being in his 30s, was found in an area frequented by the homeless near Northgate Boulevard and Del Paso Boulevard. Reports came into the police department about 11:20 p.m. about some kind of noisy disturbance in the wooded area, police said.
“A police sergeant who happened to be patrolling nearby, quickly responded to the scene but it was too late. The man, who has not been identified, died from at least one stab wound.”
“A man was found stabbed to death along the American River Parkway late last night, Sacramento police said.
“The man, only described as being in his 30s, was found in an area frequented by the homeless near Northgate Boulevard and Del Paso Boulevard. Reports came into the police department about 11:20 p.m. about some kind of noisy disturbance in the wooded area, police said.
“A police sergeant who happened to be patrolling nearby, quickly responded to the scene but it was too late. The man, who has not been identified, died from at least one stab wound.”
Friday, April 29, 2011
Safe Ground
As reported by Sacramento Press, it would appear that the safe ground concept is slowly losing credibility with local public leadership.
An excerpt.
“Should a group of homeless people be allowed to camp together in Sacramento without outside monitoring?
“Safe Ground Sacramento, a group of mostly homeless people, says it should have the right to be “self-governing” and to operate an overnight camp independently.
“But a few Sacramento City Council members said they disagreed with that idea Tuesday.
“The City Council held a workshop on the safe ground issue as part of its weekly meeting. Over the past two years, Safe Ground Sacramento has asked the city to dedicate land for a site where the homeless could camp legally overnight. The city has an ordinance that bans overnight camping.
“One of the group’s key principles is that its members are “self-governing” and that operations are led by elected members, according to a presentation by Safe Ground Sacramento Executive Director Stephen Watters.
“The group is a community of people with “common needs,” Watters said.
“People watch out for each other and provide mutual support,” he told the City Council. “The community spirit that develops has turned people’s lives around.”
“The Safe Ground Sacramento group asks its members to be drug- and alcohol-free and to not engage in violence. Members of the group camp overnight together, despite the camping ban.
“But Councilman Rob Fong disagreed with the self-governance principle.
“I am not comfortable with a self-governing population,” Fong said. “I know that everyone I’ve talked to suggests that there needs to be a programmatic aspect to transitioning people out of homelessness.”
“Homeless people need to be matched up with social services to help them find permanent housing, Fong said.”
An excerpt.
“Should a group of homeless people be allowed to camp together in Sacramento without outside monitoring?
“Safe Ground Sacramento, a group of mostly homeless people, says it should have the right to be “self-governing” and to operate an overnight camp independently.
“But a few Sacramento City Council members said they disagreed with that idea Tuesday.
“The City Council held a workshop on the safe ground issue as part of its weekly meeting. Over the past two years, Safe Ground Sacramento has asked the city to dedicate land for a site where the homeless could camp legally overnight. The city has an ordinance that bans overnight camping.
“One of the group’s key principles is that its members are “self-governing” and that operations are led by elected members, according to a presentation by Safe Ground Sacramento Executive Director Stephen Watters.
“The group is a community of people with “common needs,” Watters said.
“People watch out for each other and provide mutual support,” he told the City Council. “The community spirit that develops has turned people’s lives around.”
“The Safe Ground Sacramento group asks its members to be drug- and alcohol-free and to not engage in violence. Members of the group camp overnight together, despite the camping ban.
“But Councilman Rob Fong disagreed with the self-governance principle.
“I am not comfortable with a self-governing population,” Fong said. “I know that everyone I’ve talked to suggests that there needs to be a programmatic aspect to transitioning people out of homelessness.”
“Homeless people need to be matched up with social services to help them find permanent housing, Fong said.”
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Helping the Homeless
The kernel of good that can be found in this tragic story, as reported by the Sacramento Bee April 24th, of the homeless man reunited with his daughter after 35 years, who recently died, is that he was reunited before his death and died in the embrace of his family.
He was reunited with his family because someone cared enough to help him reconnect with his daughter—and he cared enough to help himself by becoming engaged in the family reunification effort—as this previous Sacramento Bee story from January 29th reported.
Too often, Sacramento homeless programs merely provide domestic services to the homeless, which tends to reinforce the homeless life, rather than services that lead to helping the homeless to help themselves, which can often lead, as this effort did, to a very important transformation.
A helping hand up, rather than a hand maintaining the status quo, was extended, and he grasped it,
An excerpt from the Aril 24th story.
“WILD ROSE, Wis. – On a spring day that held the threat of snow, Krista Szymborski fed melted ice cream and pureed peaches to her dying father, who had abandoned her and her brothers and sisters so many years ago.
“A few days later her mother, Sandra, gently bathed the lifeless body of the man who back then had left her with five children to raise on a nurse's salary.
“Forgiveness, they said, comes in many shapes and forms.
“Richard Nary, who died of cancer April 14, just 16 months after his unlikely reunion with the family he had fled more than three decades earlier, made terrible mistakes in his life, the women agreed.
"We all forgave," said Szymborski, 39, wearing the simple beaded necklace that Nary had around his neck when he hit his low point, sleeping in a cardboard box behind a gas station near Howe Avenue and Hurley Way in Sacramento.
"That doesn't mean that we forget."
“Nary, who moved to this sleepy Midwestern town early last year to live with Szymborski and her husband, Craig, died at age 69 in a room filled with family photographs, a wall decorated with greeting cards and a billfold with $113 inside.
“It was far more than he felt he deserved when, nearly two years ago, a stranger rescued him from almost certain death on the streets of Sacramento.
“Yet for Szymborski, who was a toddler when her dad left the family, these final months went all too fast. She was still getting to know Nary when she lost him again to illnesses that likely stemmed from his years of alcoholism, chain-smoking and homelessness.
"He was the center of my world for 16 months," she said last week, sitting with her mother in the tidy downstairs bedroom where her father spent his final days. "I don't know what to do without him."
He was reunited with his family because someone cared enough to help him reconnect with his daughter—and he cared enough to help himself by becoming engaged in the family reunification effort—as this previous Sacramento Bee story from January 29th reported.
Too often, Sacramento homeless programs merely provide domestic services to the homeless, which tends to reinforce the homeless life, rather than services that lead to helping the homeless to help themselves, which can often lead, as this effort did, to a very important transformation.
A helping hand up, rather than a hand maintaining the status quo, was extended, and he grasped it,
An excerpt from the Aril 24th story.
“WILD ROSE, Wis. – On a spring day that held the threat of snow, Krista Szymborski fed melted ice cream and pureed peaches to her dying father, who had abandoned her and her brothers and sisters so many years ago.
“A few days later her mother, Sandra, gently bathed the lifeless body of the man who back then had left her with five children to raise on a nurse's salary.
“Forgiveness, they said, comes in many shapes and forms.
“Richard Nary, who died of cancer April 14, just 16 months after his unlikely reunion with the family he had fled more than three decades earlier, made terrible mistakes in his life, the women agreed.
"We all forgave," said Szymborski, 39, wearing the simple beaded necklace that Nary had around his neck when he hit his low point, sleeping in a cardboard box behind a gas station near Howe Avenue and Hurley Way in Sacramento.
"That doesn't mean that we forget."
“Nary, who moved to this sleepy Midwestern town early last year to live with Szymborski and her husband, Craig, died at age 69 in a room filled with family photographs, a wall decorated with greeting cards and a billfold with $113 inside.
“It was far more than he felt he deserved when, nearly two years ago, a stranger rescued him from almost certain death on the streets of Sacramento.
“Yet for Szymborski, who was a toddler when her dad left the family, these final months went all too fast. She was still getting to know Nary when she lost him again to illnesses that likely stemmed from his years of alcoholism, chain-smoking and homelessness.
"He was the center of my world for 16 months," she said last week, sitting with her mother in the tidy downstairs bedroom where her father spent his final days. "I don't know what to do without him."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Helping the Homeless in Philadelphia
As Sacramento struggles to shape an effective method of helping the homeless—and I define helping as helping people to help themselves rather than the method Sacramento’s largest homeless service providers have adopted of providing non means tested domestic services which tend to continue the cycle of homelessness rather than break it.
A program in Philadelphia, Project H.O.M.E. has taken the mantra of helping people to help themselves and done wonders in reducing homelessness in the city—cutting it in half according to the Philadelphia-based blog Whispers in the Loggia writing about the organization’s founders winning a prestigious award from the University of Notre Dame.
An excerpt from the blog.
“Keeping its 130-year tradition on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, the University of Notre Dame announced this morning that the co-founders of the River City’s pioneering Project H.O.M.E. -- Religious Sister of Mercy Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon -- are 2011’s joint recipients of American Catholicism’s most prestigious and venerable award, the Laetare Medal.
“Founded in 1989, Project H.O.M.E. (“Housing. Opportunities for Employment. Medical Care. Education.”) has been credited with cutting Philadelphia’s homeless population in half.”
Here is an excerpt from the Project H.O.M.E. website.
“The mission of the Project H.O.M.E. community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.
“Project H.O.M.E. achieves its mission through a continuum of care comprised of street outreach, a range of supportive housing, and comprehensive services. We address the root causes of homelessness through neighborhood-based affordable housing, economic development, and environmental enhancement programs, as well as through providing access to employment opportunities; adult and youth education; and health care.
“Project H.O.M.E. is committed to social and political advocacy. An integral part of our work is education about the realities of homelessness and poverty and vigorous advocacy on behalf of and with homeless and low-income persons for more just and humane public policies.
“Project H.O.M.E. is committed to nurturing a spirit of community among persons from all walks of life, all of whom have a role to play in making this a more just and compassionate society.”
A program in Philadelphia, Project H.O.M.E. has taken the mantra of helping people to help themselves and done wonders in reducing homelessness in the city—cutting it in half according to the Philadelphia-based blog Whispers in the Loggia writing about the organization’s founders winning a prestigious award from the University of Notre Dame.
An excerpt from the blog.
“Keeping its 130-year tradition on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, the University of Notre Dame announced this morning that the co-founders of the River City’s pioneering Project H.O.M.E. -- Religious Sister of Mercy Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon -- are 2011’s joint recipients of American Catholicism’s most prestigious and venerable award, the Laetare Medal.
“Founded in 1989, Project H.O.M.E. (“Housing. Opportunities for Employment. Medical Care. Education.”) has been credited with cutting Philadelphia’s homeless population in half.”
Here is an excerpt from the Project H.O.M.E. website.
“The mission of the Project H.O.M.E. community is to empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential as individuals and as members of the broader society. We strive to create a safe and respectful environment where we support each other in our struggles for self-esteem, recovery, and the confidence to move toward self-actualization.
“Project H.O.M.E. achieves its mission through a continuum of care comprised of street outreach, a range of supportive housing, and comprehensive services. We address the root causes of homelessness through neighborhood-based affordable housing, economic development, and environmental enhancement programs, as well as through providing access to employment opportunities; adult and youth education; and health care.
“Project H.O.M.E. is committed to social and political advocacy. An integral part of our work is education about the realities of homelessness and poverty and vigorous advocacy on behalf of and with homeless and low-income persons for more just and humane public policies.
“Project H.O.M.E. is committed to nurturing a spirit of community among persons from all walks of life, all of whom have a role to play in making this a more just and compassionate society.”
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sheriff Shoots Illegal Camper’s Charging Pit Bull
In this incident near the Parkway, as reported in the Sacramento Bee, we are reminded, its not safe out there.
An excerpt.
“A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy shot a pit bull that was charging at him this morning near a north Sacramento homeless camp, according to a sheriff's department release. The dog is expected to survive.
“The incident occurred at about 10:15 a.m., outside a homeless camp near the Camp Pollock area at Del Paso Boulevard and Northgate Boulevard, the department reported.
“The deputy, a five-year veteran of the department assigned to the Sheriff's Work Project detail, was supervising a group of inmates who were cleaning up homeless and transient camps in the area, according to the release. The deputy was preparing to check a camp for the presence of illegal campers prior to bringing inmates into the area, when he was confronted by the pit bull.
“As the deputy approached the camp, the dog charged at him from inside a tent, the release states. Fearing imminent danger from the charging dog, the deputy drew and fired his service weapon, striking the dog in the body.”
An excerpt.
“A Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy shot a pit bull that was charging at him this morning near a north Sacramento homeless camp, according to a sheriff's department release. The dog is expected to survive.
“The incident occurred at about 10:15 a.m., outside a homeless camp near the Camp Pollock area at Del Paso Boulevard and Northgate Boulevard, the department reported.
“The deputy, a five-year veteran of the department assigned to the Sheriff's Work Project detail, was supervising a group of inmates who were cleaning up homeless and transient camps in the area, according to the release. The deputy was preparing to check a camp for the presence of illegal campers prior to bringing inmates into the area, when he was confronted by the pit bull.
“As the deputy approached the camp, the dog charged at him from inside a tent, the release states. Fearing imminent danger from the charging dog, the deputy drew and fired his service weapon, striking the dog in the body.”
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Homeless in Sacramento, Two Views
A recent article in the Sacramento Bee and another from 2008 in the Sacramento News & Review offer very contrasting pictures.
1) An excerpt from the Sacramento Bee article.
“Garbage and recycling trucks maneuvered haltingly up 38th Street in east Sacramento on a recent morning, while a stream of passers-by, heading toward nearby medical offices, ducked into the Peet's Coffee & Tea on J Street to order soy lattes and iced mochas.
“Few paid heed to the man asleep on the peeling side stoop of a discount bridal outlet, a linty brown blanket pulled over his body and a blue wrap around his head.
“The 8:30 a.m. sun was already overhead when Striker Lee – he bowls strikes and goes by Lee instead of Leroy, his father's name – began to stir. He stretched the creaks from a night spent on foam and cardboard, and straightened his white socks.
"I'm not homeless," insisted Lee, 66, who says he did ambush patrol during the Vietnam War. "My home is the universe and this is the area I sleep."
“Every morning, an estimated 1,200 people in Sacramento emerge from downtown doorways and parking lots, neighborhood alleys and parks. They zip out of tents pitched along the American River Parkway and pile their belongings into bagged, boxed and bungeed contraptions.
“While city leaders debate the idea of a permanent tent city for the homeless, Sacramento's street people seek out their own respites wherever they can. They have to sleep somewhere, and for the people who live and work in the areas where the homeless concentrate, it means adapting and sometimes it means conflict.
“Dreher Street, north of downtown
“The sun peeked above the American River and dozens of people, bundled in the hats, hoods and gloves that kept them warm overnight, began making their way down the bike trail and through an enclave of 31 homes in an industrial area off 16th Street north of downtown.
“Some came through on bikes; others pushed clanking carts overloaded with tarps or pulled overstuffed rolling luggage.
"When I moved here, if three cars came down the street, the neighbors would go out to see where they were going," said Joe Taylor, 71, a retired aircraft mechanic who has lived in the same modest house since 1963. "I could walk over to the river and you would see cottontail, quail, pheasants and sometimes a coyote."
“That changed when Loaves & Fishes opened in the area in 1980s and became a destination where the homeless could get a warm meal and services, he said.
“There were always hobos, Taylor conceded, but their numbers were small and they generally stuck to themselves – the primary evidence of their camps was the smell of frying fish or whatever else was scavenged for dinner.
“Now the homeless use his neighborhood as a thoroughfare. Their dogs run on his lawn. Church groups set up makeshift feeding stations on his street. People spill out of cars, changing their clothes on the sidewalk.”
2) An excerpt from the Sacramento News & Review Article.
“The old man wants nothing to do with the story. Not a thing. Can’t really blame him, considering what happened out here the other day. He’s talking about moving on, trying his luck in Las Vegas or Reno, getting the hell out of Tent Town.
“It’s a desolate place, a ragtag collection of tents, tarps and lean-tos pitched on a half-acre of burned and scalded scrub brush just north of Midtown, between 20th and 28th streets. Once, this patch of wasteland served as the Sacramento dump. When the Union Pacific roars by Tent Town, there’s no question which side of the tracks you’re on.
“The old man’s been out here three months. He’s a skilled craftsman, but there’s no work. There are other folks, men and women, who’ve been out here longer for the same reason. Then there are the ones who’ve been homeless for years, dragged down by drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and disease, or just plain dumb luck.
“It makes for a volatile mix, and navigating through this no man’s land of poverty, depredation and occasional violence can be a daunting prospect. The old man knows the way, as do many of the people who inhabit this gritty tableau. Given the present economic downturn, the lessons they have learned are invaluable for those of us who may be joining their ranks sooner than we think. So, without further ado, here’s a list of survival tips from the denizens of Tent Town. May you never be in need of them.
“1. Keep your distance
If you’re new in town, remember that even thought it looks like KOA at the dump, the residents here value their privacy, just like any place else. Don’t stroll up to a tattered dome tent, perched alone in a barren field like some unexploded bomb and say, “Wassup?” No. 1, you’re standing in their living room. No. 2, they might take it personally. Announce yourself from a safe distance, determined by how fast you can run with whatever you’re carrying. “Hello!” will do just fine.
“2. Trust no one
If a giant man climbs out of tent and begins screaming and gesticulating wildly, quietly walk away. Visiting hours are over. Besides, the rumor is he’s the guy that set the field ablaze in the first place. Maybe he just doesn’t like company. The old man’s not like that at all. His far more civilized digs are situated on high ground, in the trees and brush on the unburned side of the camp. Wave hello, and he waves hello back. It’s safe to come in.
Except the old man is the first one who’ll tell you it really isn’t safe, because you can’t trust anyone in Tent Town, at least until you get to know them, and maybe not even then.
“3. Keep your chin up
“There are worse situations to be in,” the old man says. “Out here, you’ve got to be responsible to yourself and others.” Being responsible to yourself means making the best of the situation. Heather, 29, a slim, attractive college graduate who has been on the streets for six months, looks at homelessness as a learning experience. “There’s a part of me that’s proud I can live out here on my own,” she says.
“4. Stay organized
The old man’s camp is immaculate. The four-man dome tent is drawn tight and staked to the ground at the corners with lengths of angle iron, to provide extra support in the wind and rain. Across from the tent, he’s hung a tarp from the trees for shade. A small Weber barbecue occupies the kitchen area off to the side. It’s all laid out linearly, like the floor plan of a house. There’s no trash strewn about. Staying organized establishes a routine that keeps him focused on the goal: getting the hell out of Tent Town. “It’s something I work at,” he says. “It’s something to spend your idling time on. You’ve got to keep busy out here. Otherwise, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”…
“14. Stay away from the river
It’s a half-mile from Tent Town to the American River, where the hard-core, chronically homeless hole up in the dense foliage leading up to its banks. The level of depravity increases the nearer you get to the water, which is why the American River Parkway is heavily patrolled by park rangers from Discovery Park to Cal Expo. “We heard screams coming from there last night,” says Kim. She’d be pretty if all of her front teeth hadn’t been knocked out. “They hauled another body out of there the other day, some mummified dude,” Ace adds. Kim shivers.”
1) An excerpt from the Sacramento Bee article.
“Garbage and recycling trucks maneuvered haltingly up 38th Street in east Sacramento on a recent morning, while a stream of passers-by, heading toward nearby medical offices, ducked into the Peet's Coffee & Tea on J Street to order soy lattes and iced mochas.
“Few paid heed to the man asleep on the peeling side stoop of a discount bridal outlet, a linty brown blanket pulled over his body and a blue wrap around his head.
“The 8:30 a.m. sun was already overhead when Striker Lee – he bowls strikes and goes by Lee instead of Leroy, his father's name – began to stir. He stretched the creaks from a night spent on foam and cardboard, and straightened his white socks.
"I'm not homeless," insisted Lee, 66, who says he did ambush patrol during the Vietnam War. "My home is the universe and this is the area I sleep."
“Every morning, an estimated 1,200 people in Sacramento emerge from downtown doorways and parking lots, neighborhood alleys and parks. They zip out of tents pitched along the American River Parkway and pile their belongings into bagged, boxed and bungeed contraptions.
“While city leaders debate the idea of a permanent tent city for the homeless, Sacramento's street people seek out their own respites wherever they can. They have to sleep somewhere, and for the people who live and work in the areas where the homeless concentrate, it means adapting and sometimes it means conflict.
“Dreher Street, north of downtown
“The sun peeked above the American River and dozens of people, bundled in the hats, hoods and gloves that kept them warm overnight, began making their way down the bike trail and through an enclave of 31 homes in an industrial area off 16th Street north of downtown.
“Some came through on bikes; others pushed clanking carts overloaded with tarps or pulled overstuffed rolling luggage.
"When I moved here, if three cars came down the street, the neighbors would go out to see where they were going," said Joe Taylor, 71, a retired aircraft mechanic who has lived in the same modest house since 1963. "I could walk over to the river and you would see cottontail, quail, pheasants and sometimes a coyote."
“That changed when Loaves & Fishes opened in the area in 1980s and became a destination where the homeless could get a warm meal and services, he said.
“There were always hobos, Taylor conceded, but their numbers were small and they generally stuck to themselves – the primary evidence of their camps was the smell of frying fish or whatever else was scavenged for dinner.
“Now the homeless use his neighborhood as a thoroughfare. Their dogs run on his lawn. Church groups set up makeshift feeding stations on his street. People spill out of cars, changing their clothes on the sidewalk.”
2) An excerpt from the Sacramento News & Review Article.
“The old man wants nothing to do with the story. Not a thing. Can’t really blame him, considering what happened out here the other day. He’s talking about moving on, trying his luck in Las Vegas or Reno, getting the hell out of Tent Town.
“It’s a desolate place, a ragtag collection of tents, tarps and lean-tos pitched on a half-acre of burned and scalded scrub brush just north of Midtown, between 20th and 28th streets. Once, this patch of wasteland served as the Sacramento dump. When the Union Pacific roars by Tent Town, there’s no question which side of the tracks you’re on.
“The old man’s been out here three months. He’s a skilled craftsman, but there’s no work. There are other folks, men and women, who’ve been out here longer for the same reason. Then there are the ones who’ve been homeless for years, dragged down by drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and disease, or just plain dumb luck.
“It makes for a volatile mix, and navigating through this no man’s land of poverty, depredation and occasional violence can be a daunting prospect. The old man knows the way, as do many of the people who inhabit this gritty tableau. Given the present economic downturn, the lessons they have learned are invaluable for those of us who may be joining their ranks sooner than we think. So, without further ado, here’s a list of survival tips from the denizens of Tent Town. May you never be in need of them.
“1. Keep your distance
If you’re new in town, remember that even thought it looks like KOA at the dump, the residents here value their privacy, just like any place else. Don’t stroll up to a tattered dome tent, perched alone in a barren field like some unexploded bomb and say, “Wassup?” No. 1, you’re standing in their living room. No. 2, they might take it personally. Announce yourself from a safe distance, determined by how fast you can run with whatever you’re carrying. “Hello!” will do just fine.
“2. Trust no one
If a giant man climbs out of tent and begins screaming and gesticulating wildly, quietly walk away. Visiting hours are over. Besides, the rumor is he’s the guy that set the field ablaze in the first place. Maybe he just doesn’t like company. The old man’s not like that at all. His far more civilized digs are situated on high ground, in the trees and brush on the unburned side of the camp. Wave hello, and he waves hello back. It’s safe to come in.
Except the old man is the first one who’ll tell you it really isn’t safe, because you can’t trust anyone in Tent Town, at least until you get to know them, and maybe not even then.
“3. Keep your chin up
“There are worse situations to be in,” the old man says. “Out here, you’ve got to be responsible to yourself and others.” Being responsible to yourself means making the best of the situation. Heather, 29, a slim, attractive college graduate who has been on the streets for six months, looks at homelessness as a learning experience. “There’s a part of me that’s proud I can live out here on my own,” she says.
“4. Stay organized
The old man’s camp is immaculate. The four-man dome tent is drawn tight and staked to the ground at the corners with lengths of angle iron, to provide extra support in the wind and rain. Across from the tent, he’s hung a tarp from the trees for shade. A small Weber barbecue occupies the kitchen area off to the side. It’s all laid out linearly, like the floor plan of a house. There’s no trash strewn about. Staying organized establishes a routine that keeps him focused on the goal: getting the hell out of Tent Town. “It’s something I work at,” he says. “It’s something to spend your idling time on. You’ve got to keep busy out here. Otherwise, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”…
“14. Stay away from the river
It’s a half-mile from Tent Town to the American River, where the hard-core, chronically homeless hole up in the dense foliage leading up to its banks. The level of depravity increases the nearer you get to the water, which is why the American River Parkway is heavily patrolled by park rangers from Discovery Park to Cal Expo. “We heard screams coming from there last night,” says Kim. She’d be pretty if all of her front teeth hadn’t been knocked out. “They hauled another body out of there the other day, some mummified dude,” Ace adds. Kim shivers.”
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Homeless Tent City/Shelter
In this article from the Sacramento Bee, questions arise as to where Sacramento can place its “permanent” homeless tent city/shelter.
Some ask for it to be near the American River Parkway, which would be disastrous; continuing the habitat destruction, pollution, and related crime that has resulted from the long-term illegal camping in the Parkway.
Some have suggested—and it does sound more reasonable—that it be placed at Mather, which already has a homeless housing complex; and addressing the complaints that it would be too far from the homeless services, perhaps the service providers should also consider relocating there, as it would probably reduce their costs considerably and allow for the congregated array of the homeless and homeless services being advocated for by same.
An excerpt from the Bee article.
“Organizers of Sacramento's first "nomadic" winter shelter program declared it a success Tuesday and began soliciting donations and volunteers for next year.
“Until then?
“Many of those who slept and ate in churches during cold winter months will retreat to the outdoors, joining scattered tent communities, stirring complaints and trying to dodge citations from police and park rangers.
“Despite more than a year of protests, appeals and negotiations, the effort to establish a legal place for homeless people to sleep in Sacramento remains mired in controversy.
“The nonprofit group known as SafeGround Sacramento continues to talk with city leaders about establishing a homeless community that includes common areas with basic services, said Executive Director Steve Watters. But where that community might be is an open question.
"We need to find a place that is safe and politically acceptable," said Watters. "That's the reality of the process, and it's not easy. But I do feel we've got some really earnest work going on."
“Most of the first six locations presented to a study group led by Assistant City Manager Cassandra Jennings have been rejected for safety or other reasons, he said. New sites are being considered.
“Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday that he remains committed to establishing a SafeGround community in Sacramento and is frustrated that hasn't happened. But council members appear wary of advocating for a project that likely would draw the ire of their constituents if it landed in their backyards.
“Watters has been meeting individually with council members, he said, and next week will take part in a workshop with Jennings' group.
“Seven to nine potential SafeGround sites will be on the table, he said. But the council will have the final vote on any such project, and most members of the panel so far have been circumspect.
“Councilman Jay Schenirer said he would back a SafeGround community in his district, which covers Curtis Park, Oak Park and a dozen other neighborhoods, if the project included services and programs designed to help lift people out of homelessness.
"I have told SafeGround, 'Look in my district,' " Schenirer said. "If we find a piece of property that meets the criteria, I would be more than willing to work with the neighborhood to make it happen."
“Watters declined to release a list of potential sites for the project but said that at least one is in Schenirer's district.
“SafeGround envisions a community that would serve 40 to 80 people in small cabins. It would be governed from within and prohibit drugs, alcohol and violence.
“Once a site is established, organizers estimate it would take 18 months to launch the community. Until then, they want the city to temporarily provide a piece of land near the American River parkway where people can sleep without police interference.”
Some ask for it to be near the American River Parkway, which would be disastrous; continuing the habitat destruction, pollution, and related crime that has resulted from the long-term illegal camping in the Parkway.
Some have suggested—and it does sound more reasonable—that it be placed at Mather, which already has a homeless housing complex; and addressing the complaints that it would be too far from the homeless services, perhaps the service providers should also consider relocating there, as it would probably reduce their costs considerably and allow for the congregated array of the homeless and homeless services being advocated for by same.
An excerpt from the Bee article.
“Organizers of Sacramento's first "nomadic" winter shelter program declared it a success Tuesday and began soliciting donations and volunteers for next year.
“Until then?
“Many of those who slept and ate in churches during cold winter months will retreat to the outdoors, joining scattered tent communities, stirring complaints and trying to dodge citations from police and park rangers.
“Despite more than a year of protests, appeals and negotiations, the effort to establish a legal place for homeless people to sleep in Sacramento remains mired in controversy.
“The nonprofit group known as SafeGround Sacramento continues to talk with city leaders about establishing a homeless community that includes common areas with basic services, said Executive Director Steve Watters. But where that community might be is an open question.
"We need to find a place that is safe and politically acceptable," said Watters. "That's the reality of the process, and it's not easy. But I do feel we've got some really earnest work going on."
“Most of the first six locations presented to a study group led by Assistant City Manager Cassandra Jennings have been rejected for safety or other reasons, he said. New sites are being considered.
“Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday that he remains committed to establishing a SafeGround community in Sacramento and is frustrated that hasn't happened. But council members appear wary of advocating for a project that likely would draw the ire of their constituents if it landed in their backyards.
“Watters has been meeting individually with council members, he said, and next week will take part in a workshop with Jennings' group.
“Seven to nine potential SafeGround sites will be on the table, he said. But the council will have the final vote on any such project, and most members of the panel so far have been circumspect.
“Councilman Jay Schenirer said he would back a SafeGround community in his district, which covers Curtis Park, Oak Park and a dozen other neighborhoods, if the project included services and programs designed to help lift people out of homelessness.
"I have told SafeGround, 'Look in my district,' " Schenirer said. "If we find a piece of property that meets the criteria, I would be more than willing to work with the neighborhood to make it happen."
“Watters declined to release a list of potential sites for the project but said that at least one is in Schenirer's district.
“SafeGround envisions a community that would serve 40 to 80 people in small cabins. It would be governed from within and prohibit drugs, alcohol and violence.
“Once a site is established, organizers estimate it would take 18 months to launch the community. Until then, they want the city to temporarily provide a piece of land near the American River parkway where people can sleep without police interference.”
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Congregated Homeless Housing
As reported by the Sacramento Press, this 150 unit midrise at Seventh & H will have 75 units for the homeless or formerly homeless, an issue we wrote an article about in 2008 which was published in the Sacramento Bee, and is posted to our website news page as a May 12, 2008 Press Release.
An excerpt from the Sacramento Press article.
“Construction has begun on Sacramento's newest single-resident occupancy building downtown.
“On Monday, a backhoe operator and other construction workers continued demolishing an old foundation at Seventh and H streets. The eight-story, 150-unit mid-rise being built there by Mercy Housing is the first new structure going up in the railyards redevelopment project area.
“Once completed, the $47.4 million affordable housing project, known simply as “Seventh & H,” will be one of the city's largest permanent supportive housing projects. Half of the units will be reserved for homeless or recently homeless people, and the rest is aimed at downtown workers making $20,000 to $25,000 a year.”
An excerpt from the Sacramento Press article.
“Construction has begun on Sacramento's newest single-resident occupancy building downtown.
“On Monday, a backhoe operator and other construction workers continued demolishing an old foundation at Seventh and H streets. The eight-story, 150-unit mid-rise being built there by Mercy Housing is the first new structure going up in the railyards redevelopment project area.
“Once completed, the $47.4 million affordable housing project, known simply as “Seventh & H,” will be one of the city's largest permanent supportive housing projects. Half of the units will be reserved for homeless or recently homeless people, and the rest is aimed at downtown workers making $20,000 to $25,000 a year.”
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tent City
Our organization does not have an organizational opinion on the tent city concept in general, except for the obvious one, that society should not reward choices individuals make which lead to public behavior it deems problematic, as that will encourage that behavior; and at a certain level, most of the behaviors that lead to homelessness--excepting perhaps mental illness and external economic conditions--are a result of individual choices.
However, we strongly advocate that any tent city that Sacramento might approve, as this article in the Sacramento Bee today notes, not be placed near or in the American River Parkway, as we’ve posted on previously, here, here, and here, and as is now the case where an unapproved tent city has been in the Parkway, moving when compelled to another area of the Parkway, for several weeks.
An excerpt.
“SEATTLE – This winter, 68 homeless men and women settled into an organized camp in a leafy hillside neighborhood of this city. The flaps of their colorful tents were mere feet from five-bedroom homes worth more than $700,000.
“Not far away, another camp set up in and around an old city firehouse, was two blocks from the rush-hour buzz of an avenue packed with restaurants and yoga studios. A third took shape across the street from City Hall in Kirkland, a lakeside enclave east of Seattle that is one of Washington's more affluent communities.
“It took years to get here, but tent cities for the homeless are now enmeshed in the fabric of the greater Seattle community. Nearly 300 men and women are living in the region's three tent cities under the gray winter skies of the Pacific Northwest. The camps, which rely on food donated by churches, relocate every three months or so. And with each rotation, the protests to their existence fade.
“Could this be Sacramento's future?
“After years of debate, Sacramento homeless advocates and City Hall are closing in on a proposal for a sanctioned tent city.
“Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said last week that he is frustrated that a plan has not materialized. He said a tent city could provide a place for the homeless to transition into permanent housing and "integrate back into mainstream society."
“The biggest hurdle so far has been concerns over where the camp would be located. Critics also warn that creating a sanctioned camp would attract and enable the homeless.
“The tent city movement in Seattle was launched amid similar division. And while resistance has dimmed, it wasn't always easy.
“The first tent city sprouted in Seattle in 1990, but faced with opposition, it morphed into a church-run shelter. Another camp followed but was flattened by bulldozers in 1998.
“Eventually, advocates cut deals with local officials that allowed two camps to operate on a rotating basis – but that was more than a decade into the debate.
“Now, two decades into the effort, city officials – and many residents – see the camps as a sign of progress rather than a source of problems.
"We are a more compassionate city because of this," said Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, "and we have a better idea of what the downturn in our economy has meant because it's right in front of us."
However, we strongly advocate that any tent city that Sacramento might approve, as this article in the Sacramento Bee today notes, not be placed near or in the American River Parkway, as we’ve posted on previously, here, here, and here, and as is now the case where an unapproved tent city has been in the Parkway, moving when compelled to another area of the Parkway, for several weeks.
An excerpt.
“SEATTLE – This winter, 68 homeless men and women settled into an organized camp in a leafy hillside neighborhood of this city. The flaps of their colorful tents were mere feet from five-bedroom homes worth more than $700,000.
“Not far away, another camp set up in and around an old city firehouse, was two blocks from the rush-hour buzz of an avenue packed with restaurants and yoga studios. A third took shape across the street from City Hall in Kirkland, a lakeside enclave east of Seattle that is one of Washington's more affluent communities.
“It took years to get here, but tent cities for the homeless are now enmeshed in the fabric of the greater Seattle community. Nearly 300 men and women are living in the region's three tent cities under the gray winter skies of the Pacific Northwest. The camps, which rely on food donated by churches, relocate every three months or so. And with each rotation, the protests to their existence fade.
“Could this be Sacramento's future?
“After years of debate, Sacramento homeless advocates and City Hall are closing in on a proposal for a sanctioned tent city.
“Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said last week that he is frustrated that a plan has not materialized. He said a tent city could provide a place for the homeless to transition into permanent housing and "integrate back into mainstream society."
“The biggest hurdle so far has been concerns over where the camp would be located. Critics also warn that creating a sanctioned camp would attract and enable the homeless.
“The tent city movement in Seattle was launched amid similar division. And while resistance has dimmed, it wasn't always easy.
“The first tent city sprouted in Seattle in 1990, but faced with opposition, it morphed into a church-run shelter. Another camp followed but was flattened by bulldozers in 1998.
“Eventually, advocates cut deals with local officials that allowed two camps to operate on a rotating basis – but that was more than a decade into the debate.
“Now, two decades into the effort, city officials – and many residents – see the camps as a sign of progress rather than a source of problems.
"We are a more compassionate city because of this," said Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, "and we have a better idea of what the downturn in our economy has meant because it's right in front of us."
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Helping Reduce Poverty Wisely
In the ongoing discussions around how to remove the large-scale illegal camping in the Parkway, and how to help the homeless in general, a crucial element is how to help people help themselves.
The Philanthropy Roundtable published a book in 2005 addressing this, “Helping People to Help Themselves: A Guide for Donors”, (free print or download) which helps donors determine what programs they can support who will have success helping others.
An excerpt from the introduction.
“From the wealth generated by Americans, tens of billions of dollars a year are donated through the private sector to relieve suffering. But the very size and complexity of these efforts can be daunting to donors. Thos who want to ensure their aid is as effective as possible want to find and support the best poverty-fighting programs, knowing that much well-intentioned giving has little to show for its benevolence. But finding the best can be difficult.
“While this book does not claim to be exhaustive in detailing all that is being done to assist the poor, it does sketch out several critical, overarching principles that funders should bear in mind…
"First, respect the dignity of the poor by recognizing the role that personal responsibility must play in their lives. The ideal is to help people to help themselves, and to avoid a situation in which the poor end up dependent on public or private programs. Challenging the poor to take responsibility for their lives is also a challenge to donors, who can be tempted to focus on their own good intentions rather than the long-term prospects of those they seek to help. (pp. 6-7)
The Philanthropy Roundtable published a book in 2005 addressing this, “Helping People to Help Themselves: A Guide for Donors”, (free print or download) which helps donors determine what programs they can support who will have success helping others.
An excerpt from the introduction.
“From the wealth generated by Americans, tens of billions of dollars a year are donated through the private sector to relieve suffering. But the very size and complexity of these efforts can be daunting to donors. Thos who want to ensure their aid is as effective as possible want to find and support the best poverty-fighting programs, knowing that much well-intentioned giving has little to show for its benevolence. But finding the best can be difficult.
“While this book does not claim to be exhaustive in detailing all that is being done to assist the poor, it does sketch out several critical, overarching principles that funders should bear in mind…
"First, respect the dignity of the poor by recognizing the role that personal responsibility must play in their lives. The ideal is to help people to help themselves, and to avoid a situation in which the poor end up dependent on public or private programs. Challenging the poor to take responsibility for their lives is also a challenge to donors, who can be tempted to focus on their own good intentions rather than the long-term prospects of those they seek to help. (pp. 6-7)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Slobe Interview
Capital Public Radio interviewed Bob Slobe about his recent article in the Sacramento News & Review about the illegal cmaping in the American River Parkway.
It is an excellent interview which starts at about 14 minutes in, running for about 10 minutes.
It is an excellent interview which starts at about 14 minutes in, running for about 10 minutes.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Cleaning Up the Parkway
While it is admirable that volunteers are willing to go into the Parkway and clean up abandoned camps of the homeless illegal campers—as reported by the Sacramento Bee, it is tragic that there is such large-scale illegal camping that volunteers have to be called in to clean up.
As with many social problems, the solution is to work on the front end, rather than the back end.
In this case that would be enforcing the laws against illegal camping in the Parkway—and strong advocacy from Parkway advocacy organizations, other than ARPPS, to do so has not been forthcoming over the past 25 years—rather than cleaning up after illegal campers.
An excerpt.
“Dozens of volunteers organized by the American River Parkway Foundation are out working to clean up abandoned homeless encampments along the river this morning.
“The foundation, dedicated to fostering stewardship of the river, is conducting the cleanup from mile 1 to mile 3 on the parkway, in the Northgate area, "to make sure that families and neighbors can come to this area," according to Dianna Poggetto, executive director of the group.
“More than 30 volunteers were conducting the cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon.
“In many cases, the repeated shifting of camps has resulted in debris left behind that may get into the water supply, Poggetto said.
“In addition, some people have been cutting vegetation for fires.”
As with many social problems, the solution is to work on the front end, rather than the back end.
In this case that would be enforcing the laws against illegal camping in the Parkway—and strong advocacy from Parkway advocacy organizations, other than ARPPS, to do so has not been forthcoming over the past 25 years—rather than cleaning up after illegal campers.
An excerpt.
“Dozens of volunteers organized by the American River Parkway Foundation are out working to clean up abandoned homeless encampments along the river this morning.
“The foundation, dedicated to fostering stewardship of the river, is conducting the cleanup from mile 1 to mile 3 on the parkway, in the Northgate area, "to make sure that families and neighbors can come to this area," according to Dianna Poggetto, executive director of the group.
“More than 30 volunteers were conducting the cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon.
“In many cases, the repeated shifting of camps has resulted in debris left behind that may get into the water supply, Poggetto said.
“In addition, some people have been cutting vegetation for fires.”
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Illegal Camping in the Parkway
The contrast between this article in today’s Sacramento Bee and the one by Bob Slobe in this week’s Sacramento News & Review, which we posted yesterday, is remarkable.
What is also remarkable is how little public leadership—excepting County Supervisor Phil Serna—and Parkway advocacy groups, other than us, are making a public stand protecting the Parkway, rather than, by their silence, the illegal campers.
No one is against the truly homeless (Sacramentans care for and pray for their suffering to cease, offering significant help to ensure that) but all of us have a stake in ensuring public safety and environmental protection in the Parkway, and that leadership is in all too short of a supply these past many years.
An excerpt from today’s Bee article.
“Past a Boy Scout camp off busy Highway 160, veering away from the American River into forests of wild fennel, primary-color tents stood propped beneath willow trees kissed by spring.
“Two Sacramento County park rangers made their way along dirt trails attaching a flier to each tent with blue painter's tape.
"Oh, just give it to me," said JoAnne Bush when they came upon her spot beneath a tree split by lightning. Then she tossed aside the notice that gave her 48 hours to move on.
“It was another day in the transitory life of Safe Ground Sacramento, people for whom the most important information is what the weather will bring and how long they might stay in one place.
“The loosely organized group of homeless people who camp together for safety, and increasingly for homeless advocacy, has been under pressure in recent weeks to move off the north-of-downtown stretch of the American River Parkway because of complaints from area residents and bicycle trail users.
"We've moved three times in the last two weeks," a tearful Peggysue Peterson said to no one in particular. "Do we not have a right to live?"
“Dusk settled over the camp on this recent night as those who had received the notices discussed what to do. A dog chased a jack rabbit through camp and out again. A man ate a frozen pizza from the package.
“Peterson, 47, came to Sacramento from Spokane, Wash. She said she spent three months with family, then ended up in a sleeping bag in front of the Union Gospel Mission.
"My sisters and I are like oil and water," she explained.
“Rickey Edwards, 42, is an Air Force veteran who carried gold panning equipment and said he suffers from bipolar disorder.
“Dale Jones, 56, grew up in Detroit and ran away from institutions deeming him incorrigible.
“They all see Safe Ground – which bans drugs, alcohol and violence – as a respite from the loneliness of homelessness. But, as an organized group, they have been targeted, along with other illegal campers, by those who want homeless people off the parkway.”
What is also remarkable is how little public leadership—excepting County Supervisor Phil Serna—and Parkway advocacy groups, other than us, are making a public stand protecting the Parkway, rather than, by their silence, the illegal campers.
No one is against the truly homeless (Sacramentans care for and pray for their suffering to cease, offering significant help to ensure that) but all of us have a stake in ensuring public safety and environmental protection in the Parkway, and that leadership is in all too short of a supply these past many years.
An excerpt from today’s Bee article.
“Past a Boy Scout camp off busy Highway 160, veering away from the American River into forests of wild fennel, primary-color tents stood propped beneath willow trees kissed by spring.
“Two Sacramento County park rangers made their way along dirt trails attaching a flier to each tent with blue painter's tape.
"Oh, just give it to me," said JoAnne Bush when they came upon her spot beneath a tree split by lightning. Then she tossed aside the notice that gave her 48 hours to move on.
“It was another day in the transitory life of Safe Ground Sacramento, people for whom the most important information is what the weather will bring and how long they might stay in one place.
“The loosely organized group of homeless people who camp together for safety, and increasingly for homeless advocacy, has been under pressure in recent weeks to move off the north-of-downtown stretch of the American River Parkway because of complaints from area residents and bicycle trail users.
"We've moved three times in the last two weeks," a tearful Peggysue Peterson said to no one in particular. "Do we not have a right to live?"
“Dusk settled over the camp on this recent night as those who had received the notices discussed what to do. A dog chased a jack rabbit through camp and out again. A man ate a frozen pizza from the package.
“Peterson, 47, came to Sacramento from Spokane, Wash. She said she spent three months with family, then ended up in a sleeping bag in front of the Union Gospel Mission.
"My sisters and I are like oil and water," she explained.
“Rickey Edwards, 42, is an Air Force veteran who carried gold panning equipment and said he suffers from bipolar disorder.
“Dale Jones, 56, grew up in Detroit and ran away from institutions deeming him incorrigible.
“They all see Safe Ground – which bans drugs, alcohol and violence – as a respite from the loneliness of homelessness. But, as an organized group, they have been targeted, along with other illegal campers, by those who want homeless people off the parkway.”
Friday, March 04, 2011
Homeless Advocates & the Parkway
In an excellent article in the Sacramento News & Review, Bob Slobe, for whom our Parkway Advocate Award is named and who has more standing to discuss this issue perhaps than anyone else in the region, as the Parkway land in question once belonged to his family and he has been advocating for public safety and taking care of the Parkway for some 25 years now, writes about the current situation.
An excerpt.
"The very first thing a poor North Sacramentan thinks when considering a walk or hike or boat-fishing outing in our section of the American River Parkway is, “Will I be safe?” The second thought is, “No, I won’t.” Here, it is never, “Should I bring a jacket?” It is, “I hope I’ll make it out alive.”
"This is our reality, because a group of homeless advocates, none of whom live near our struggling community—none who eat here, shop here or even drive through this part of town regularly—want the poorest of the poor to give over to the “homeless” their closest park and nature area, the Woodlake Reach of the American River Parkway.
"Well, to date, they have succeeded; they have turned the Woodlake Reach into “Unsafe Ground.”
"I grew up near the Reach, in the once-separate city of North Sacramento. We had everything a family could want: good schools, nearby shopping, a main street, safe streets and parks that were an embarrassment to our neighbor, the city of Sacramento. Our schools were top rate, too; Grant Union High School was a gem. All of that changed after 1964 when we were subsumed by the city of Sacramento in a merger. We all watched as our brand-new police and fire trucks were taken over the river the day after the merger and replaced by the city of Sacramento’s aging ones. Our per-capita median income went from a point above that of the city of Sacramento’s to less than a third in a flash.
"Today, North Sacramento has become the ultimate repository for a growing city’s ills: huge concentrations of low-income housing and painfully unsuccessful social programs. It’s no surprise that our schools and public facilities are in relative ruins. Sacramento has managed to dump every possible challenge to health and prosperity on our community, taking the Archie Bunker approach to social programming: “Edith, put ’em all on an island.” And apparently Sacramento is not yet done. The Parkway’s Woodlake Reach may be the last victory … or failure, depending on your point of view.
"I’m passionate about this issue, because my family gave over what is now 10 percent of the Parkway, back in 1986. At the time, we envisioned our entire community—including North Sacramento—taking full advantage of the out of doors and our rivers, in perpetuity. We knew the potential, because at my grandmother’s invitation, there were summer camps and other nature activities organized along the river near Woodlake.
"To our dismay, we watched as the area became a haven for camping, crime and drugs. Bums burned the oldest native walnut grove west of the Mississippi to the ground, and looted centuries-old Maidu sacred sites. Our Parkway recreation became a game of dodge-the-discarded-needles and steer clear the pile of feces. Our attention was diverted away from the native kite or hawk and towards the litter of porn and the garbage pile. It is impossible not to conclude that the county has been a failed steward of the Woodlake Reach, turning its back on this wretched stretch, akin to the county’s own deformed thalidomide babies. I know some will shrink at this comparison. But experience has shown that it’s only through uncivil discourse that we can draw attention to the problem.
"What North Sacramento needs is recreational experiences equal to those of tony neighborhoods elsewhere, not bum camping that denies it. Given the challenges facing the working poor population in North Sacramento, a respite from the tough jobs and neighborhoods they face every day should be a given. We should not be burdened with solving problems of illegal camping and the homeless. We should just be able to enjoy a walk, or lie down in the grass in our part of the Parkway and pick animals out of cloud formations—without worrying about getting stuck by a dirty needle, or raped, or even murdered. But that’s North Sacramento’s Parkway today. Ever in fear."
An excerpt.
"The very first thing a poor North Sacramentan thinks when considering a walk or hike or boat-fishing outing in our section of the American River Parkway is, “Will I be safe?” The second thought is, “No, I won’t.” Here, it is never, “Should I bring a jacket?” It is, “I hope I’ll make it out alive.”
"This is our reality, because a group of homeless advocates, none of whom live near our struggling community—none who eat here, shop here or even drive through this part of town regularly—want the poorest of the poor to give over to the “homeless” their closest park and nature area, the Woodlake Reach of the American River Parkway.
"Well, to date, they have succeeded; they have turned the Woodlake Reach into “Unsafe Ground.”
"I grew up near the Reach, in the once-separate city of North Sacramento. We had everything a family could want: good schools, nearby shopping, a main street, safe streets and parks that were an embarrassment to our neighbor, the city of Sacramento. Our schools were top rate, too; Grant Union High School was a gem. All of that changed after 1964 when we were subsumed by the city of Sacramento in a merger. We all watched as our brand-new police and fire trucks were taken over the river the day after the merger and replaced by the city of Sacramento’s aging ones. Our per-capita median income went from a point above that of the city of Sacramento’s to less than a third in a flash.
"Today, North Sacramento has become the ultimate repository for a growing city’s ills: huge concentrations of low-income housing and painfully unsuccessful social programs. It’s no surprise that our schools and public facilities are in relative ruins. Sacramento has managed to dump every possible challenge to health and prosperity on our community, taking the Archie Bunker approach to social programming: “Edith, put ’em all on an island.” And apparently Sacramento is not yet done. The Parkway’s Woodlake Reach may be the last victory … or failure, depending on your point of view.
"I’m passionate about this issue, because my family gave over what is now 10 percent of the Parkway, back in 1986. At the time, we envisioned our entire community—including North Sacramento—taking full advantage of the out of doors and our rivers, in perpetuity. We knew the potential, because at my grandmother’s invitation, there were summer camps and other nature activities organized along the river near Woodlake.
"To our dismay, we watched as the area became a haven for camping, crime and drugs. Bums burned the oldest native walnut grove west of the Mississippi to the ground, and looted centuries-old Maidu sacred sites. Our Parkway recreation became a game of dodge-the-discarded-needles and steer clear the pile of feces. Our attention was diverted away from the native kite or hawk and towards the litter of porn and the garbage pile. It is impossible not to conclude that the county has been a failed steward of the Woodlake Reach, turning its back on this wretched stretch, akin to the county’s own deformed thalidomide babies. I know some will shrink at this comparison. But experience has shown that it’s only through uncivil discourse that we can draw attention to the problem.
"What North Sacramento needs is recreational experiences equal to those of tony neighborhoods elsewhere, not bum camping that denies it. Given the challenges facing the working poor population in North Sacramento, a respite from the tough jobs and neighborhoods they face every day should be a given. We should not be burdened with solving problems of illegal camping and the homeless. We should just be able to enjoy a walk, or lie down in the grass in our part of the Parkway and pick animals out of cloud formations—without worrying about getting stuck by a dirty needle, or raped, or even murdered. But that’s North Sacramento’s Parkway today. Ever in fear."
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Parkway Camping Update
Bob Slobe reported on Saturday February 26th that a large (50-60) group of tents had been set up near Camp Pollack, and he also saw a large continent of cars pulled into the space underneath the 12th street freeway overpass handing out food to campers.
This was posted about on Monday the 28th.
Yesterday, Bob called and said he saw police and rangers, with dump trucks for trash hauling, at the site cleaning up.
One assumes we have Supervisor Phil Serna to thank for continuing to provide this leadership and helping bring the Parkway back to a safe place for families in the Woodlake Reach to visit, as well as invigorating the discussion on how to help the homeless who want to be helped, and how to respond to those who do not.
This was posted about on Monday the 28th.
Yesterday, Bob called and said he saw police and rangers, with dump trucks for trash hauling, at the site cleaning up.
One assumes we have Supervisor Phil Serna to thank for continuing to provide this leadership and helping bring the Parkway back to a safe place for families in the Woodlake Reach to visit, as well as invigorating the discussion on how to help the homeless who want to be helped, and how to respond to those who do not.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
LA’s Homeless
As much as we struggle with the homeless camping in the Parkway, there is also a huge problem on the beach communities in Los Angeles, as this article in The Nation notes.
An excerpt.
“Last year, some 254,000 men, women and children were homeless in Los Angeles County (population 10 million) at some point, and 82,000 were on the streets on any given night. Not surprisingly, almost half of them were African-American, though blacks constitute just 9 percent of the county’s population; Latinos make up 47 percent of the county and 33 percent of its homeless. As many as 75 percent of people on the streets are not receiving the public benefits to which they are entitled. Some 20 percent are physically disabled, 25 percent mentally so….
“I am used to seeing a few homeless men and women in the main branch of New York’s public library, where I have spent many hours over the years. LA’s Central Library is more like a dedicated shelter, where dozens of the city’s down-and-out souls daily seek refuge, slouching at the tables and staring with glazed eyes at books and magazines, sleeping in the carrels, hanging out in the bathrooms or forcing their conversation on the patient librarians. “Many of them haven’t bathed in days, they reek,” one told me, looking at once irritated by the invaders and embarrassed by his judgment.
“The problem reaches into every corner of the county. Driving to Santa Monica one morning, I encountered six ragged men at freeway off-ramps and at street intersections, all bearing signs reading “Homeless” or “Veteran” and pleading for food or money. In the seaside community itself, which has its own government but is part of Greater Los Angeles, scores of homeless have occupied the beachfront park for years. Joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and strollers weave around them as if they were merely palm trees, seeming to regard the strip’s denizens as permanent as the upscale shops along the Third Street mall three blocks away.”
An excerpt.
“Last year, some 254,000 men, women and children were homeless in Los Angeles County (population 10 million) at some point, and 82,000 were on the streets on any given night. Not surprisingly, almost half of them were African-American, though blacks constitute just 9 percent of the county’s population; Latinos make up 47 percent of the county and 33 percent of its homeless. As many as 75 percent of people on the streets are not receiving the public benefits to which they are entitled. Some 20 percent are physically disabled, 25 percent mentally so….
“I am used to seeing a few homeless men and women in the main branch of New York’s public library, where I have spent many hours over the years. LA’s Central Library is more like a dedicated shelter, where dozens of the city’s down-and-out souls daily seek refuge, slouching at the tables and staring with glazed eyes at books and magazines, sleeping in the carrels, hanging out in the bathrooms or forcing their conversation on the patient librarians. “Many of them haven’t bathed in days, they reek,” one told me, looking at once irritated by the invaders and embarrassed by his judgment.
“The problem reaches into every corner of the county. Driving to Santa Monica one morning, I encountered six ragged men at freeway off-ramps and at street intersections, all bearing signs reading “Homeless” or “Veteran” and pleading for food or money. In the seaside community itself, which has its own government but is part of Greater Los Angeles, scores of homeless have occupied the beachfront park for years. Joggers, cyclists, dog walkers and strollers weave around them as if they were merely palm trees, seeming to regard the strip’s denizens as permanent as the upscale shops along the Third Street mall three blocks away.”
Monday, February 28, 2011
Illegal Campers Move Near Camp Pollack
Bob Slobe reports on Saturday February 26th that a large (50-60) group of tents has been set up near Camp Pollack, and he saw a large continent of cars pulled into the space underneath the 12th street freeway overpass handing out food to campers.
With the clear position taken by the County Supervisor for that area, Phil Serna, in an article in the Sacramento Bee Wednesday February 23rd, we would expect further efforts to remove this new encampment and help those who wish to be helped, will begin shortly.
An excerpt from the article by Supervisor Serna.
“Over the past several days, sheriff's work crews have been out collecting trash and dealing with improvised latrines in an effort to restore that stretch of the parkway to as clean an environment as possible. Thankfully, American River Parkway Foundation volunteers have also agreed to do a cleanup along the lower stretch early next month.
“Finally, there are the occupants of the illegal camps. They are living in extremely substandard, unhealthy conditions, subject to the wet and cold of winter. I saw this firsthand when I went to visit parkway campsites during the recent biennial homeless count. Many of those I spoke with agreed that camping along the banks of the Sacramento River is miserable. In one camp I spoke with a shivering 24-year-old woman, five months pregnant with what will be her fourth child. That experience and lasting image more than any other compelled me to pick up the phone and begin fundraising.
“In the days before illegal campers were given notice to vacate the parkway because of the impacts they cause, every effort was made to provide shelter alternatives. This was the compassionate thing to do, and the effort involved more than just one elected official. Sacramento's business and development community contributed more than $40,000 to extend the Winter Sanctuary program through March, and additional space was made available through a generous contribution by the Salvation Army. These groups deserve our thanks, and I'm happy to report that there are a number of people – not just one person – who accepted the offer of help.
“Unfortunately, there are others who refused in order to capitalize on media attention to advance an agenda. As an elected public servant I am obligated to think and act more comprehensively than to react to one group's repeated demands for attention. I am obligated to serve the entire community – parkway users, the environment, and, yes, the less fortunate.”
With the clear position taken by the County Supervisor for that area, Phil Serna, in an article in the Sacramento Bee Wednesday February 23rd, we would expect further efforts to remove this new encampment and help those who wish to be helped, will begin shortly.
An excerpt from the article by Supervisor Serna.
“Over the past several days, sheriff's work crews have been out collecting trash and dealing with improvised latrines in an effort to restore that stretch of the parkway to as clean an environment as possible. Thankfully, American River Parkway Foundation volunteers have also agreed to do a cleanup along the lower stretch early next month.
“Finally, there are the occupants of the illegal camps. They are living in extremely substandard, unhealthy conditions, subject to the wet and cold of winter. I saw this firsthand when I went to visit parkway campsites during the recent biennial homeless count. Many of those I spoke with agreed that camping along the banks of the Sacramento River is miserable. In one camp I spoke with a shivering 24-year-old woman, five months pregnant with what will be her fourth child. That experience and lasting image more than any other compelled me to pick up the phone and begin fundraising.
“In the days before illegal campers were given notice to vacate the parkway because of the impacts they cause, every effort was made to provide shelter alternatives. This was the compassionate thing to do, and the effort involved more than just one elected official. Sacramento's business and development community contributed more than $40,000 to extend the Winter Sanctuary program through March, and additional space was made available through a generous contribution by the Salvation Army. These groups deserve our thanks, and I'm happy to report that there are a number of people – not just one person – who accepted the offer of help.
“Unfortunately, there are others who refused in order to capitalize on media attention to advance an agenda. As an elected public servant I am obligated to think and act more comprehensively than to react to one group's repeated demands for attention. I am obligated to serve the entire community – parkway users, the environment, and, yes, the less fortunate.”
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Riding on the Parkway
This article from the Sacramento Bee about bike riding on the Parkway trail thankfully notes the danger (final paragraph of post) of riding in the Lower Reach—between Discovery Park and Cal Expo—whole also noting the beauty of the experience when it is safe.
An excerpt.
“Riding a bicycle is something nearly everyone can appreciate, whether you're heading out for a slow cruise with friends and family or throwing your leg over a tricked-out road racing bike for some serious training miles.
“The one gathering spot that illustrates this more than anywhere else is the American River Parkway trail, the amazing stretch of pavement from Discovery Park downtown all the way to Folsom Lake – hugging the river most of the way and offering all kinds of brushes with wildlife for 32-plus miles.
“We rode the trail on Sunday, with a couple of additional jaunts along the route, for nearly 70 miles round trip and a modest 1,300 feet of climbing without ever encountering a car.
“For this installment of "Great Rides," we're going to point out the ways folks can take advantage of the trail, whether you want a short ride with plenty of stops to take in the natural beauty or a long ride that will burn a few thousand calories and get you ready for the coming century rides, touring or even racing.
“Something in between? The parkway trail can accommodate that, too. Often, a 10- or 15-mile ride at a brisk pace is all you need to work those legs muscles, break a sweat and get the heart pumping.
“One quick word of caution: There is a time and place for everything, and riding at high speed on a crowded trail is not only inconsiderate, it's dangerous. On Sunday, I saw a couple of large groups of would-be racers exercising poor judgment in doing this. There are quiet, remote stretches of the trail where picking up the pace is reasonable, but doing so in crowded areas will make you unpopular in a hurry.
“Speaking of crowds, February has given us the first hints of spring, with a pleasant stretch of warm, sunny weather. The days are getting longer, and many of you will start to have a hankering for a good bike ride.
“This is the place. Our bike trail also attracts runners, hikers, bird enthusiasts, sightseers, picnickers and folks walking dogs. In many cases, visitors to the trail are all of those things at one time or another.
“This natural stretch of land through an otherwise urban area makes our parkway perhaps the greatest bike trail in North America. Many already appreciate it, though many more have yet to give it a try.
“In recent years, when the world's top pros came to town early for the start of the Amgen Tour of California, they did their training on the bike trail – with local cyclists gawking or following along.
“For our long ride this time, we did the entire length of the trail up to Beals Point, taking a couple of detours for some hill training – one a half-mile steep climb up Pennsylvania Avenue in Fair Oaks and the other a two-mile loop through Folsom Lake Estates, where one hill measured a very steep 16 percent incline. Both of these extras can be tackled once or multiple times.
“The only serious climbing on the trail itself is in the Folsom area, with a nice climb near Old Folsom and another on the final stretch up to Folsom Lake.
“For those looking for a gentle introduction to the bike trail, there are several entry points to the parkway.
“There are many ways to enjoy a cruise of about 10 miles in an hour, with stops to take in views of the river and wildlife. Using our map, find a convenient entrance and pick out a suitable distance. If you want to pull off for lunch or coffee, the best places to do this are in midtown, east Sacramento, Carmichael and Old Folsom.
“Beginning at Discovery Park, for instance, you can head up the trail toward the suburbs. Near mile 3.5, you may spot, as I did Monday morning, about a dozen wild turkeys along the levee. This is the start of mating season and the males had their feathers puffed out looking to attract mates. If you mimic a turkey call, they will often answer back (don't ask how I know this). In a another month or two, we'll be treated to lines of baby turkeys following their mothers as they cross the trail.
“It's worth noting that the lower section of the trail has been in the news lately because large groups of transients have set up nearby camps, only to be chased off by park rangers. Many trail users feel uneasy, even unsafe, in this area. I ride in this area on a regular basis and would argue that the best way to make it feel safer is to encourage more people of goodwill to use the trail. If you look around and see other cyclists and runners, you'll be at ease. If you feel isolated, it may be frightening.”
An excerpt.
“Riding a bicycle is something nearly everyone can appreciate, whether you're heading out for a slow cruise with friends and family or throwing your leg over a tricked-out road racing bike for some serious training miles.
“The one gathering spot that illustrates this more than anywhere else is the American River Parkway trail, the amazing stretch of pavement from Discovery Park downtown all the way to Folsom Lake – hugging the river most of the way and offering all kinds of brushes with wildlife for 32-plus miles.
“We rode the trail on Sunday, with a couple of additional jaunts along the route, for nearly 70 miles round trip and a modest 1,300 feet of climbing without ever encountering a car.
“For this installment of "Great Rides," we're going to point out the ways folks can take advantage of the trail, whether you want a short ride with plenty of stops to take in the natural beauty or a long ride that will burn a few thousand calories and get you ready for the coming century rides, touring or even racing.
“Something in between? The parkway trail can accommodate that, too. Often, a 10- or 15-mile ride at a brisk pace is all you need to work those legs muscles, break a sweat and get the heart pumping.
“One quick word of caution: There is a time and place for everything, and riding at high speed on a crowded trail is not only inconsiderate, it's dangerous. On Sunday, I saw a couple of large groups of would-be racers exercising poor judgment in doing this. There are quiet, remote stretches of the trail where picking up the pace is reasonable, but doing so in crowded areas will make you unpopular in a hurry.
“Speaking of crowds, February has given us the first hints of spring, with a pleasant stretch of warm, sunny weather. The days are getting longer, and many of you will start to have a hankering for a good bike ride.
“This is the place. Our bike trail also attracts runners, hikers, bird enthusiasts, sightseers, picnickers and folks walking dogs. In many cases, visitors to the trail are all of those things at one time or another.
“This natural stretch of land through an otherwise urban area makes our parkway perhaps the greatest bike trail in North America. Many already appreciate it, though many more have yet to give it a try.
“In recent years, when the world's top pros came to town early for the start of the Amgen Tour of California, they did their training on the bike trail – with local cyclists gawking or following along.
“For our long ride this time, we did the entire length of the trail up to Beals Point, taking a couple of detours for some hill training – one a half-mile steep climb up Pennsylvania Avenue in Fair Oaks and the other a two-mile loop through Folsom Lake Estates, where one hill measured a very steep 16 percent incline. Both of these extras can be tackled once or multiple times.
“The only serious climbing on the trail itself is in the Folsom area, with a nice climb near Old Folsom and another on the final stretch up to Folsom Lake.
“For those looking for a gentle introduction to the bike trail, there are several entry points to the parkway.
“There are many ways to enjoy a cruise of about 10 miles in an hour, with stops to take in views of the river and wildlife. Using our map, find a convenient entrance and pick out a suitable distance. If you want to pull off for lunch or coffee, the best places to do this are in midtown, east Sacramento, Carmichael and Old Folsom.
“Beginning at Discovery Park, for instance, you can head up the trail toward the suburbs. Near mile 3.5, you may spot, as I did Monday morning, about a dozen wild turkeys along the levee. This is the start of mating season and the males had their feathers puffed out looking to attract mates. If you mimic a turkey call, they will often answer back (don't ask how I know this). In a another month or two, we'll be treated to lines of baby turkeys following their mothers as they cross the trail.
“It's worth noting that the lower section of the trail has been in the news lately because large groups of transients have set up nearby camps, only to be chased off by park rangers. Many trail users feel uneasy, even unsafe, in this area. I ride in this area on a regular basis and would argue that the best way to make it feel safer is to encourage more people of goodwill to use the trail. If you look around and see other cyclists and runners, you'll be at ease. If you feel isolated, it may be frightening.”
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