Update 2/1/2016:
Today I spoke with Police Chief Peters of the Grover Beach Police Department. He had previously sent me an email about the situation with the homeless camp at the Grover Beach Train Station site. Chief Peters and I spoke for about 20 minutes. Chief Peters is keenly aware of the fact that the homeless are not just going to "go away", and that it is futile to needlessly cite them for "living in the bushes". However, there is a public nuisance aspect of this that is not going away either.
One thing Police Chief Peters told me really struck home: the lack of cohesiveness he observed between all the parties involved with homelessness and affordable housing issues (note: I am paraphrasing what he said). And I agree. That’s one of the reasons I largely eschew involvement in any group, and do my own homeless outreach - it’s the only way I know, with my limited time and money, that I can be sure I am “doing some good”.
Also, I have changed my point of view to support all organizations, groups, movements and projects that even “attempt” to move the ball forward on homelessness and affordable housing issues, whether I agree with them (or like them) or not. That means sometimes holding my nose and support people and causes that I have a hard time accepting. An example would be my support of the new Homeless Services Center in SLO, an approach that I do not really like, but I support anyways. I support the “full court press” on homeless issues, so that also includes tangential issues, such as supporting the new private Templeton Mental Health facility. With limited resources, we need to work together to do the most good.
I left the Chief with this final thought: when a homeless camp is dispersed, we need an answer to the homeless person's question: Where can I legally go to exist?
