Homeless Camps - Not The Solution

I attended the October 21st Greater Chico Homeless Task Force meeting. The meeting held at the Jesus Center from 11am to 1pm, was neither at a neutral site nor convenient for the community typically working during that time.

Establishing a homeless camp in Chico will just invite more homeless to Chico. Most of the homeless are that way because something (whether it be bad luck, mental illness or addictions - statistics report that 66% suffer from mental illness and a drug/alcohol addiction) keeps them from wanting to or capable of being part of mainstream society with ethical and common sense rules and structure. That appears to be why some of the homeless choose not to use the Torres Shelter. If a campground were to be established, when social structure emerges, we will still be left with all the homeless, including those that journeyed to Chico for the campground, back into the homeless encampments under the bridge, in alleys, community parks, etc. The problem will only get worse. I’m reminded of a quote from the movie Field of Dreams - "if you build it, they will come." Those that have remained in Portland's Dignity City are still a minority of Portland's homeless. The majority returned to or move onto other illegal squatting grounds.

An article in SFGate that says that there are fewer homeless in San Francisco but other neighboring counties are reporting higher numbers. San Francisco's mayor, Gavin Newsom, developed policies of cutting cash assistance to vagrants and has aggressively moved them into housing with counseling services (termed the "Care Not Cash" program). Thereby, the homeless are not getting cash to support their addictions, they leave...interesting...and predictable. Maybe the Greater Chico Homeless Task Force can learn something from this and not try to re-invent the wheel.

There was an interesting point about how the Butte County Humane Shelter receives $17,000 a month to house animals but the Torres Center only receives $8500 a year to house humans. Did the thought ever come to mind that animals are incapable of finding a home on their own while humans, top of the food chain and evolution ladder, should be expected to find a home?

Numerous homeless persons attending the meeting spoke on why they should have a homeless camp. Nearly every one prefaced with some story of how they became homeless. After a number of stories, it became more and more evident that these were all excuses, some reason to hide, psychological crutches as to why they cannot become a contributing member of society. You cannot help someone that does not want to be helped.

My belief is, for the good of "Greater Chico", we need to make this an undesirable place for homeless. An internet article I read concerning the homeless in Chico states that it is well-known that the cities of Oroville, Redding, Chico, and San Francisco are desirable places for the homeless. (http://www.norcalblogs.com/buying/archives/2006/09/on_a_homeless_c.html) For those that truly want to be helped, we need to provide access to services and establish a detoxification center. It's not a matter of making a more even playing field between the haves and the have nots as Robert Seals puts it, because many of the "haves" are people that are willing to do something with their lives.

Educating my fellow Chico citizens on the negative aspects of having a homeless camp in the Chico area and urging more non-homeless folks to make a presence at the meetings of the Greater Chico Homeless Task Force will be one of my goals. We cannot let Andy Holcombe and the homeless decide the fate of Chico.