Homeless count to include those not in shelters
By Kathryn Reed
Counting the number of people in shelters has been going on for years. This is the first year communities are required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to count the homeless who are not in a shelter.
This means people living on the street or in their cars or some other substandard setting.
The count will occur Jan. 30 throughout the United States.
Cheyanne Lane with Tahoe Youth & Family Services is leading the charge on the South Shore.
Questions people will be asked include, but are not limited to:
• Where will you sleep tonight?
• Have you been homeless more than four times in the last three years?
• Why are you homeless?
• Have you been in the military?
• What is your income?
• Do you have children?
• What services could have prevented you from becoming homeless?
Volunteers will be looking for homeless people behind Safeway, Raley’s at the Y, Harrah’s near Van Sickle Bi-State Park, Meek’s, Kmart, at the old Ace Hardware, South Lake Tahoe Library, churches, campgrounds, underpasses, transit centers and on buses.
There is no homeless shelter in the Lake Tahoe Basin. People on the South Shore are still trying to open a warming room in South Lake Tahoe. A shelter usually is permanent and has an array of services, while a warming room is more temporary – opening when overnight temps get to a certain level. They may not even have cots.
A meeting about the warming room this week proved advocates are still uncertain exactly what type of facility the area needs or what they are capable of providing.
A commitment from the Salvation Army, Del Oro Division still needs to be put in writing. From there the local advocates will know what type of funding may be forthcoming.
Research unearthed that many homeless who have vehicles spend the night at the KOA campground in South Lake Tahoe. It has rest rooms and laundry facilities, and heaters can be placed in vehicles for warmth through the night. A commercial real estate agent has been contacted about possible properties that could be turned into a warming room. Temporary trailered showers like those used at Burning Man are a possibility.
Finding out what the local homeless population wants is another desire. Not everyone wants off the street. And some won’t leave their belongs – be it in a vehicle or shopping cart.
What a joke. If you don’t want to freeze, don’t be bum in freezing alpine environments. 99% are homeless by choice or through their own poor choices (drugs and alcohol). Why is this city making it even easier for them? I vote we do what nevada did and bus them all off the hill. I hear San Francisco is a lovely place for them. If you want a warming room and a shower, GET A JOB.
I guess you or anyone you may have known have never been homeless.
Mr mustache, you are so empathetic and tollerant. You seem to know all the reasons and how to fix homelessness. What a great guy you are and so glad you live here so we can all bask in your glory. WHAT AN IGNORAMIS YOU ARE. IMHO.
agree. big mistake even considering ‘warming shelters’…why reward poor life choices? let’s not impede natural selection…
I am all for it ,I see to many on the streets, It just might be one of you someday, This is the world we live in,There are vets who did there duty for us,I am sure when the time comes and the shelter is build,They will have restictions,Help those who help themselves, You might be that someone yourself some day,
I agree Mustache. We should not encourage this free loading behavior. Let the Liberals take them into their OWN homes and feed and bathe them. I have yet to see one of them offer up their own homes. They always whine about us not being sympathetic and about the problems in life but always, ALWAYS blame it on someone else to fix it.
There is a huge difference between people who are permanently homeless as a lifestyle choice and those who are usually employed. The chronic transients, the ones who travel and are addicts need to go WHERE the services are in place for them, NOT in a small rural county where they are not. This would encourage the numbers to increase by providing services it will increase the problem. Nearly all chronically homeless-transients are already on public welfare benefits and there are many services in larger counties where they should go to if this is their lifestyle choice. This is a far different situation than people in between jobs who are in a temporary situation and are soon to be employed.
justice: YUP
Aspen is correct, all liberals who want the homeless to increase, like the last six years, can provide their homes and money for the use of transient felons and addicts. Please come forward, as you can finally do what you tell others to do.
“let’s not impede natural selection…” awesome comment. Tell us, do you take any prescription for health issues?
Justice, you love to complain about the homeless and liberals. Guess what, RONALD REGAN was the one who caused all the homeless surge in the first place by ending federal funding to our mental health programs, and other social programs that provided low income housing at affordable rates. To me the problem with homelessness in America is because of conservative republicans not liberals.
On another note, your lack of charity, and caring for fellow human beings I find reprehensible.
The hatred and intolerance expressed by some of the posters is disgraceful. They claim to be Christians and patriots but turn their backs on their fellow citizens, Vets included.
The Homeless, For many, it’s just a small step away from what was once a comfortable life. Mounting health cost bills? Poor investments? Theft of your savings by crooks? How about the loss of your job or maybe a costly divorce? And there is the problem of addiction of one form or another.
I was surprised but not shocked at some of the callous and insensitive comments about fellow human beings who need help.
Wait until the shoe is on the other foot for yourself or someone close to you. Your arrogance and uncompassionate view will change your mind real quick!
Help those that need help! OLS
Lean Forward, you are wrong, but I see this all the time as a stated fact. The forced commitment in-patient mental hospitals were reduced under Moonbeam’s father and a Democrat majority in the state legislature who passed bills that Reagan didn’t veto so they went into effect. The idea, to change the system, came about in the late 1950’s, under Governor Brown Sr, and caught on across the country as a way to change treatment and save tax money by switching to out-patient. This has proven to be dangerous when a person can only be held now under a 5150 hold for a couple of days generally absent a court order. Also, with Moonbeam emptying the jails and prisons, the number of homeless and the resulting increase release in the public of the former criminally mentally ill who were in custody is very noticeable. Also the extra few billion Senile Jerry just found in the state will not be going to mental health or homeless programs.
My father was a Christian, later in his life. I could never reconcile the split between Jesus’ Presence in my heart when I prayed and the harshness of bible literalists and of the Church. This aspect of society-homelessness- IS problematic, and is a prime example, from the intentional misrepresentation of recent political history by Justice and others in their rush to blame Obama for everything(delusional and stupid at best; pernicious and dangerous at its worst) to the untreated mental health issues amongst the populace and traumatized Veterans. I recall my dad saying(when I had made some nasty comment about some segment of society…) “There but for the grace of God go I.” Good words.
Are we going to have to rehash the ‘failed in their life-plan’ tunnel vision comments again? Seriously, life is too short to withhold charity. We will all be gone from this life before we know it.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
This story is true in many ways. Charitable behavior toward those in need is good. But encouraging dependence and freeloading through an overabundance of tax-payer provided services to the bad wolves only encourages them. Keep feeding them, they’ll increase.
Charity isn’t what government does when it forcibly takes from some people to give to others. Charity is freely given. Privately, through churches, foundations, or individually. Voluntarily.
What you observe is not shocking at all. Remember many years ago the ‘compassionate conservative’ campaign? That was an attempt to silence this element, make them hide, and maybe convince others that conservatives are actually compassionate. That wore off quickly, and the scum has risen. Where are all of the normal conservatives?
My main reason for voting is to cancel their votes.
So sayeth Ayn Rand’s dog.
I believe Dogula missed the point of the Cherokee Wolf Story.
The point is, if one feeds evil it will grow, if one feeds good it will grow. You listed empathy and generosity in the good category.
The foregoing comments pretty much cover the opinions of America.
The most telling and absolutely asinine comment is the common assumption that some addiction is responsible for the homelessness, and that the person can suddenly resolve their issue by choice.
It is a very large mistake to believe you will never be in a situation to need assistance to live.
I wish it on a couple of you and you know who you are.
No fungi, I totally got the meaning of the story. You missed MY point.
I was referring to the last sentence as a statement of truth in other ways, as well.
What you feed, you will strengthen; if you feed righteousness, you will get righteousness. If you feed sloth, you will get sloth.
CG, wishing ill on people is evil. Plain and simple.
The National Parks have signs that could apply to this problem as well, they say something like “Feeding wild animals is not only illegal, it makes them not search for their normal food and they will die.” This is a little different but again, similar in that people who live off of free handouts and welfare as a lifestyle choice will likely never learn to work and many are addicts by choice and many are felons and most are on the system now and can find services in large counties where they should be. For those who want to help homeless people nothing is stopping them, pay the Salvation Army, send in more of your money to the state, whatever they want to do and take in as many transients as they want. It is the desire of some, mainly liberals, to take money from others and/or create services to increase the problem using tax dollars and it is the problem and it isn’t wanted. Placerville’s new Police Chief just dealt with this huge problem, by moving the homeless camp out, and the tons of trash their media created free homeless camp created. It is easy to see what the result of encouragement is.
There is some major bad karma on these blogs and I hope “the crows come home to roost” on those that deserve it. Charitable conservative wing nuts, my ass….bad karma owners, it will find you. I hope its a real cold night that finds you without a place to go or any uncharatable liberal neighbors willing to help you in any manner what so ever. Good luck loosers……
The good news, a vast majority in this country who just voted regardless of party are conservative and want the values they grew up with and their parents had protected. The county locally, as is the north state, is also very conservative. If you need a hand, your conservative neighbor will give you a hand up around here instead of a free hand out and encouragement for a job search and not the bad idea of some free homeless-transient magnet camp called a “warming shelter” whatever that is. Like the article said if you have a situation where you need a cheap place for a short time, the KOA works as does a few other legal private camp grounds. Pay your small nightly fee and look for work, is the best suggestion to become un-homeless.
I’ve never been a fan of wishing ill on others by invoking their Karma for them. (I make an exception for rapists and child abusers and molesters) It’s bad juju. That being said…Justass is making it hard to NOT make an exception to my personal code (Maybe opening a warming shelter across the street from his house would be poetic justice). When i think about it, though, what I wish is for the Creator to awaken in our cold hearts, and blow across our blind eyes that we can understand that our judgement and hatred are futile….that what strengthens us as humans and Americans is caring and compassion, not hatred. Justice, Dog, Fromform, Mustache guy, and Gaspen-and your 7th grade Lord of the Flies notion of society is really pathetic. Time to wake up from the delusion that we are NOT all inter-connected. Were we to put our heads and hearts together we could come up with solutions that address the sources AND symptoms of the problem…instead of just blaming people for their circumstances.
I can’t believe that some people commenting on here don’t understand the homeless issue faced by the city SLT.
I’m sorry; but last week when I was walking my dog at 7am I did not appreciate seeing a homeless person sleeping on the corner of my street on private property less than 50 feet from my home. What did I do? Called the police. I don’t know this person. I don’t know what they are capable of. Why on Earth would I try to help this person or approach them? People are walking into shopping malls and shooting people across the nation. What in God’s name makes me feel safe walking up to or trying to assist these urchins? Are you kidding? Not my problem. The police will get called every time.
It’s not my responsibility to house or feel sorry for these individuals. They need to help themselves, and if they aren’t willing to help themselves then the city needs to do their part in re-locating them in a safe manner.
Homelessness and losing your job and your housing are two separate matters. I have seen and dealt alot with the homeless issue in SLT; and from what I see the demographic are individuals with drug issues, mental issues, and all of the above. They aren’t people who have lost their jobs, or veterans. They are doing it by choice or due to above issues. Get them off the streets so that the upstanding citizens of this community may continue to work, live, and play in this beautiful community and not have to worry about their safety and have to be harassed when we are working and playing in our town.
Go to Park City, UT. I can guarantee you; you will not see this issue there as you see it here. The city; and citizens like some of the people making comments above, are part of the problem. Enablers.
It’s not my problem; and I’m not going to make it so. Now get the homeless out; relocated to shelters in areas that can provide assistance to these people.
Gaspen & Justice are entirely correct and on point with their comments. Thank you-
The rest: drop your delusional fantasy of hippiedom-togetherness-all-love-eachother-save-the-world bullsh*t. I feel no responsibility to help anyone other than my friends, family, and coworkers; nonetheless an urchin with mental illness or addiction problem that could harm myself or ones close to me. WAKE. UP. South Lake Tahoe. And stop trying to save the world with your “peace love” banter. It’s an outdated joke.
Cora, does your (and others) diss on the Homeless include the 130,000 homeless Veterans too. Be careful casting that first stone Cora. Peace.
cora d states it well. the slippery slope of enabling is what most of these by-choice homeless depend on. those of you who invoke the red herring of ‘karma’ and ‘peace, love’ are buying right into the mechanism that is essentially the ‘creator’ for these con artists.
Cora is correct, public safety for residents is primary. Placerville found out what a homeless camp is and what it does and how the crime rate went up. I would question the homeless Vets number. There have been several recently passed bonds to help them and with the amount of government entitlements, no legal citizen has to be homeless or hungry in this country. Do people have any ideas about how many programs and transitional housing there are? Starting in West Sac in old hotels that they couldn’t fill? If it is mental illness that is a separate issue. Some people just like to be a vagrant without bills and taxes and they live wherever and that is reality and all seem to get a check every month and a EBT card.
Sick F^_÷=#g people in this town. The ones with the real mental health and delusional issues are all the above finger pointers. Cora, move your ass to salt lake then. We could do without your type, entitled and obviously above everyone else. You get what you give, you give nothing….
Well some folks here see things a little differently than me. But thats your perogative. I’m entitled to my view of fellow humans as you are yours.
If somebody on your street is down on their luck? Don’t help them in any way. A senior having a hard time paying his bills or shoveling his driveway? The heck with that old guy, he’s old and a drain on the system.
The young couple struggeling to get by on Tahoe wages, forget about it, let them move away, somebody else will rent that house, at least untill they’re forced to move away as well. The disabled? They were born that way so it’s their own fault, car accident or born with a disability, they’re on their own. Right? Veterans out of work and suffering from physical or mental injuries or both?, aw, let them sleep in the meadow and live on food stamps.
Some of these people end up homeless and hungry. So you turn your back after kicing them in the face!!!
So much lack of compassion for a small town with an unwillingness to help others. Welcome to Tahoe!
I guess you must be proud, you hateful effing &@@#%^*&!!! OLS