What Tent City, Ontario, CA Teaches Us…

The bulldozers are plowing up what used to be a sprawling tent city for homeless people outside of Ontario, CA, a city about an hour east of Los Angeles. City officials are basically telling everyone who is not from Ontario to leave, as well as pets and people living in RV’s.

This social experiment was a compassionate attempt by city officials to help the homeless. It was supposed to be a small (100 people) temporary place for people who are homeless to reside. It became an international media frenzy when 400 people from across the country settled there. It became America’s slum city.

So what have we learned:

1. Fair Share – Cities around the country need to do their fair share. If every city in the country, let alone in Los Angeles County (where there are 88 cities), took care of their own homeless population than cities like Ontario wouldn’t have this problem.

2. Better Planning – Temporary solutions are never the answer. Cities need to plan for longer-term affordable housing, recruitment of employers who can offer livable wages, and better prevention measures.

3. Admit There Is A Problem – Like an alcoholic going through a twelve step program, our country needs to admit there is a major homeless problem. It’s not getting better, it’s not just a problem with druggies and crazies, it’s not just a problem that is unsolvable. If we admit there is a problem, then maybe our communities will start thinking more logically about how to resolve this sad issue.

I hope the bulldozers in Ontario are not signs of wanting to sweep the problem under the rug. I hope this is the beginning of a development that will encourage our country to take homelessness more seriously.

(Pic from www.thestreetspirit.org)