When Libraries Become Homeless Shelters
I’ve written about this before, but it appears that Emilio Estevez has also heard about the fact that local public libraries are becoming safe havens for homeless people. He is producing a movie called, “The Public” that documents libraries becoming de-facto homeless shelters.
With the lack of shelter, let alone permanent housing, becoming rampant around the country, people who are desperate for housing are turning to their local libraries. There, they can find warm chairs, things to read, rest rooms, and even internet access.
Makes sense for people who are searching for a safe place to go. But it certainly doesn’t make sense on a policy level.
Communities should be developing ways to prevent and end homelessness. We should not allow institutions that are designed for other uses—i.e., libraries, hospitals, etc.—to be used to shelter homeless people.
posted by LA's Homeless Blog at
1:26 PM
6 Comments:
Have you heard about the new Tent City in Ontario? LA Times Online has an article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tentcity3feb03,1,5945483.story?ctrack=2&cset=true
or
http://tinyurl.com/2dur4v
from the article:
"I have done this kind of work for 20 years and have never encountered a city that has made the investment that Ontario has," said Larry Haynes, executive director of Mercy House in Santa Ana, which is helping the homeless at the site. "We have unanimous support from the City Council and city staffers. This isn't Berkeley or Santa Monica. It's a moderately conservative area, not a bunch of wild-eyed liberals."
Ontario officials don't call the place Tent City or Camp Hope as some do. They prefer "rest area." They set it up on city property just west of LA/Ontario International Airport last June to lure the local homeless away from dangerous sites.
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It's refreshing to see a city take a new approach to homelessness. I think it's better to provide actual homes instead of just a place to pitch a tent, but it's a start.
As a homeless person for over a year now in my 5th battle with cancer and my continuing battle with Sickle Cell I feel that no agency including PATH is doing all they can to help homeless people nor do I feel our local and national governments do anything to prevent homeless ness in the first place.
For example, when I first went to PATH last year I was greeted by a woman name Lisa in the West LA Office, she was downright rude and nasty to me. "there is no way you're homeless and dont have a drug or drinking problem" is what she barked at me.
Example two: After standing in line at the Union Rescue Mission for over 2 hours I was issued a bed ticket for 30 days. However the very same night I went to claim my bed I was told "This isnt our ticket. You made this up. This ticket is bogus" and i was refused a bed. Even though several of the securty guards tol the man refusing to honor my ticket that they had seen me get the ticket from the window where they are handed out. he still acted like i had made the ticket up myself. Then the person who handed me the ticket walks up and I tell him what has happened. He tells the guy he issued the ticket, but still the ticket is refused. I am told to come back at 6:00AM to try to get another bed.
My name is Kengi and I am not homeless because of drugs or a drinking problem. I am a cancer patient who lost his job and lost a place to live. I've also reached out to PATH since the time I had the encouter with Lisa and still nothing has been done to help me in any way. http://projectkengikat.ning.com/
Kengi, unless you convert to their sick 12 step religion and accept the diagnosis of mental disease and alcoholism you WIL stay on the street. the system is sick and The New Revolution will right all these wrongs.
All the Darfur homeless in Africa are crack addicts and alcoholics. Can you believe they blame the warlords for destroying their homes and villages; Denial, it's crack and alcohol addiction. OH that's right, they don't have crack and alcohol over there...well it's something addictive.....it can't be entire villages wiped out as to the cause of them being homeless. It has to be addiction.
All three million of them!
Emilio. did you know that after the homeless go through all the homeless agencies programs, the homeless are still homeless and still stuck on the streets and nasty shelter. That's because the homeless people's only problem is poverty...nothing else! This entire country is wacked out on something and the entire country is nor homeless....it's poverty. They are destroying and tormenting the poor by labeling someone for drinking a beer 2 weeks ago by sending them to DETOX and never-ending forced 12 step religion conversion programs.
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