land of plenty
May 20th, 2008 | by Betmo | Published in News | 4 Comments
“There are 12 parking lots across Santa Barbara that have been set up to accommodate the growing middle-class homelessness. These lots are believed to be part of the first program of its kind in the United States, according to organizers.
The lots open at 7 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. and are run by New Beginnings Counseling Center, a homeless outreach organization.
It is illegal for people in California to sleep in their cars on streets. New Beginnings worked with the city to allow the parking lots as a safe place for the homeless to sleep in their vehicles without being harassed by people on the streets or ticketed by police.”
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May 20th, 2008at 1:06 pm(#)
A metro area in Oregon tried a homeless car/tent camp experiment. It was difficult because of logistics– port-a-potties, garbage, safety issues. Many homeless people are actually those who are denied mental health care and treatment, as well as those who just fell a paycheck short of keeping a roof over their heads. there is an alraming number of kids that are homeless.
Many of the support agencies are maxed out & are require to matrix people out of their care system.
After a while it was disbanded- because although it’s the least you can do for a homeless person/family is not harass them for having to live in a car, it is also not humane to accept a tent/car city as a permanent or workable solution- especially in places with more harsh & extreme weather conditions. Instead, they allow churches to let people live/stay & park in their parking lots. Having lots of folks in dire straights buched together has never really been successful (look at low income housing projects). Integrating families in need with other families that can help tends to yield a more positive result. Kudos to Sant Barbara for even trying & taking a step in the right direction.
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May 20th, 2008at 3:44 pm(#)
Nearby Arcata has tried for years to make something work for the homeless. Results are mixed at best. The NIMBY factor and the freeloader attraction make it nearly impossible. Plus that, Arcata has no money to speak of. Santa Barbara is undoubtably better off in that regard.
May 20th, 2008at 9:15 pm(#)
In Nashville the city is trying to close down all the feeding programs run by missions and ministries by denying permits by the Health Dept, forcing them to cease feeding under bridges and in parking lots in order to force the homeless elsewhere.
May 21st, 2008at 12:07 am(#)
I can’t believe I’m reading about this situation in America where we’re told that everyone in the world wants to live!
It signals the complete failure of capitalism. It creates a society where a few have it all and the rest just get by or starve.
Yet America is still trying to foist its system on other nations! Crazy.
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