50 – Now a Start
I write as a concerned 50-year resident of SLO, and a long-time advocate for local un-housed people. Homelessness (and the poor) has been around since the mid 1980’s. Up until three years ago, little was heard about the issue in SLO. Today, you can’t pick up a paper without reading something about local homelessness.
The question is not if ‘we’ are for or against the ‘poor’ – the question is why aren’t we doing more to get folks into real housing. We have many local organizations working hard and succeeding at providing food, clothing, education, medical care, counseling, job training, etc. It’s long-term affordable housing we’re short on. We have no truly affordable housing. Providing Section 8 housing to a tenant who pays a third of the rental fee while taxpayers pay the rest is not affordable housing. And not everyone belongs on aid.
The 50 Now Program is a great start – for the 30 individuals housed. By CAPSLO’S count, there are estimated to be upwards of 4,000 people who remain homeless on our streets. What about the other 3,900? Instead of talking “policy differences” we should be talking about “human beings in need.”
There is a segment of our un-housed neighbors who have fallen into a gap in services that is widening as I type. Please read the article about how homelessness is increasing everywhere — www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-release-20150511-story.html.
SLO is not exempt.
Don’t even think we can come close to “ending homelessness” with the current priorities we have; the Bob Jones Trail, new animal shelter, buying up “open space,” improving the ambiance downtown with lights in the trees, filling up the cracks in the sidewalks, tearing down the wall at Mitchell Park where our homeless once found shelter in inclement weather, and installing dividers in the bus benches outside City Hall so there is no place for people to get rest who have no homes. There are no public showers in SLO, nor are the public restrooms open in the evening. And we continue to pass out tickets for ‘illegal lodging.’
Many folks here are ineligible or underserved by local homeless services for a many reasons. This is by no stretch of the imagination “a stable living environment.” Until we look this problem straight in the eye, admit we have a huge problem, and stop the game of “he said, she said,” our housing crisis will continue to spiral out of control.
Becky Jorgeson,
Santa Margarita
League Supports New Hospital
To the Editor:
The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County supports the construction of the proposed Behavioral Health Hospital in Templeton. We recognize the need for more and better mental health care in our county.
We believe that certain critical needs are currently going unmet; in particular, needed services for children, teens, and seniors. The present system sends critically ill persons out of the county for treatment at a time when they most need the close support of their families.
This facility, appropriately placed in a local area zoned for medical and hospital use, will greatly benefit many in our county who need these short-term services and their families.
The League supports comprehensive mental health services for the acutely, chronically, and seriously mentally ill of all ages, and we believe that this 90-bed facility proposed for vacant property across from Twin Cities Hospital on Las Tablas Road in Templeton will provide important mental health care services to all our communities in San Luis Obispo County.
We believe that this important addition to our mental health services deserves the support of all concerned residents of our county.
Marilee Hyman, President
League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County
Loves His New Big
Dear Editor:
I am writing to you today to tell you about the new big brother I received through Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County’s mentoring program.
When I first saw my “Big’s” face I knew I would love him. I liked the way he looked because he had a big smile on his face. I think he is amazing.
We both have the same favorite color — blue! We have a lot of fun together shooting hoops, playing with turtles, and taking turns playing games on his phone. I usually win when we play basketball, but he destroyed me on “around the world” because hey, he’s way taller than me.
He took me to my karate lesson and we went to a movie, too. He said we can go fishing and shoot archery another time. He is really nice and we like to do the same kinds of things. We always have fun.
I’m looking forward to the next time I see him. I asked my mom if I would still be friends with my Big when I’m old, like when I’m 34.
She laughed and said “yes.” I think me and my Big will be friends for a long, long time. My Big is AWESOME!
Sincerely,
Little Brother Kevin Bamesberger, age 9, Los Osos