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U.S. NEWSFriday 29 December 2017
American Living:
As West Coast fights homelessness, kindness is contentious
By AMY TAXIN
GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) —
Mohammed Aly does not
see why he shouldn’t try to
ease the lives of Orange
County’s homeless. But the
authorities — and many of
his neighbors — disagree.
Aly, a 28-year-old lawyer
and activist, has been ar-
rested three times as he
campaigned on behalf of
street people. Recently, he
was denied permission to
install portable toilets on a And they note, nuisances
dried-up riverbed, site of an like trash and unsanitary
encampment of roughly conditions fester and aber- Joel Sheehan, who does free laundry for homeless people living
400 homeless. rant behavior continues.
“It is a question of basic In California, the San Di- on the Santa Ana River trail, delivers washed clothes in baskets,
empathy,” he said. ego County community of
But his detractors are en- El Cajon passed a mea- each labeled with an individual’s name, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017,
gaged in a debate up sure that curtails feeding
and down the West Coast the homeless, citing health in Anaheim, Calif. “I do it because I’m grateful for what was
as the region struggles to concerns. Los Angeles city
cope with a rising tide of officials have closed and
homelessness. They say Aly re-opened restrooms for
and other well-meaning those on Skid Row amid
residents who provide the similar controversies.
homeless with tents, toi- The issue is hotly debated in
lets and hot meals are en- Orange County. In the sea-
abling them to remain un- side enclave of Dana Point,
sheltered. neighbors fear a nightly
meal is drawing homeless
to a state beach where
teens play beach volley-
ball and families picnic and done for me at the cross. And this is what my gratitude looks
surf. And on the riverbed
30 miles north, a van fitted like,” said Sheehan. “They were able to go to stores with dignity
with shower stalls pulls up
to help those living in the because they didn’t stink.”
trash-strewn encampment,
which neighbors worry is be- (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
coming more entrenched
in an area where they visible as police have es because of the open
once jogged and biked.
“There’s no doubt that giv- cracked down on rules space and access to wa-
ing them stuff there pre-
vents them from a desire to barring camping, driving ter and restrooms and that
move,” said Shaun Dove, a
46-year-old soon-to-be re- people to spots like the feeding people can build
tired policeman who lives
less than a mile away. The riverbed, which is county trust and lead them to ad-
number of homeless liv-
ing in Orange County has property. Everybody knows ditional services.
climbed 8 percent over the
last two years. In the Unit- the solution is more hous- But Brian Brandt, a 55-year-
ed States, homelessness
rose slightly in the last year ing; there aren’t enough old lawyer, doesn’t let his
to nearly 554,000, pushed
up largely by increases on beds available in a county six children go down to the
the West Coast, federal
data shows. The increase with a median home price beach alone after seeing
is driven by soaring hous-
ing costs, as well as a drug near $700,000. volatile outbursts among
crisis and need for mental
health services. In Dana Point, the nightly the homeless and frequent
Advocates say the home-
less have become more meals began more than police calls.
two decades ago at local “I don’t want to be seen
churches but were moved as a bad guy — ‘OK, look
to the beach parking lot at this heartless dude,’”
after a late night stabbing he said. “I don’t feel safe.
between two homeless res- I don’t feel like my kids are
idents. safe.” Toni Nelson, who co-
The homeless say as much founded a neighborhood
as they appreciate the hot group, is also critical of the
meals, the food isn’t keep- meals. She has joined with
ing them on the streets. housing advocates to try
“It doesn’t help me to- to raise money to house
morrow. It doesn’t,” said the homeless with ties to
a 55-year-old man who the community, figuring if
refused to give his name. about a third of the city’s
“But it helps me today.” residents chip in $68 they
Volunteers say the home- can cover much of the
less are drawn to beach- need for a year.q