California city with the WORST Homeless Problem? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: 2013, motel)

[caliguy92832]

What city in CA has the worst homeless problem?

[mateo45]

Good question, and hard to get any clear stats, but it's getting pretty intense up around my neck 'o the woods!

BTW, I do some volunteer work with the disabled and mentally ill, who are often into contact with the homeless population, and there's a sense that NorCal in general is acquiring a "reputation" that's actually attracting more homeless folks.

The Chico City Council debated whether a “full court press” might resolve the local homeless problem.


typical Bidwell Park underpass

[Ubzar]

There are no cities with homeless problem, there are only districts. Tenderloin in SF, Skid Row in LA, 90212 area in Beverly Hills.

[BeauCharles]

San Francisco for no other reason than population density and the greater chance you're going to have to deal with them up close given the pedestrian nature of the place.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Ubzar

There are no cities with homeless problem, there are only districts. Tenderloin in SF, Skid Row in LA, 90212 area in Beverly Hills.

If you think Skid Row is the only part of L.A. that has a homeless problem you've never been to L.A. All of L.A. city has a homeless problem.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I'm not surprised the word has gotten out to homeless folk to come to northern CA. The resources are endless.

I'm a senior and before I moved to Redding last year, I lived in Santa Clara. I qualified to go to one foodbank per month in Santa Clara proper, though the Salvation Army in Sunnyvale would allow me to get produce when they got some there once a month.

In Redding, these are my resources for free food:

Every Wed, a church gives away milk, eggs, cheese, fresh produce, bread and pastries. You can go each week.

Mon, Wed and Thurs, you can go to the Salvation Army which will always give you bread and pastries and randomly also has eggs, milk and other food. You can go once a week.

1st and 3rd Fridays there is a food giveaway at the Senior Center for people who are not seniors. You can go once a month. You will get meat, rice, beans, tons of produce, canned goods, pastries & pies, etc., sometimes milk, all kinds of stuff. Enough requiring 2 trips to the car.

Every Saturday there is one that gives away Trader Joe's food. You can go once a month. You will get meat, fresh produce, bread, sweets, and fresh flowers.

There is a once-a-month charity that also gives away Trader Joe's food, and you have to get on a waiting list to get into that one, which can take a year. Once you are in (it's a Christian food co-op), you will get meat, produce, canned goods, fresh flowers, herbs, all kinds of stuff.

I heard there is also a Trader Joe's food giveaway every Friday specifically for homeless people.

And I haven't even gotten to the mission which feeds hot meals and will provide 30 days of housing, and if you are actually trying to get a job, they will house you even longer.

There is free health care and dental. Free money for security deposits if they actually get a job and want to live in an apt.

It goes on and on.

The best way for a town to get rid of their homeless population, or at least minimize it, is to stop feeding the problem.

There are signs around town here that say, Please Don't Feed the Problem. In other words, don't hand out cash to these people. If you want to help them, give to the charities, the mission.

I see people handing cash to the homeless here all the time.

And the weather is generally pretty good for camping out. Of course they come here.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Oh, and as far as which town is the worst? I think they're all pretty equal. I rarely saw homeless in Santa Clara, I'll say that. And that may be because the resources weren't that great, and the cops were really on top of any crime, etc.

But, I think most towns have a homeless population in proportion to the overall city/town population.

I have no problem with people who want to smoke pot, but that may also be a draw in this area. I couldn't believe it the first time I heard a radio advertisement for medicinal pot! Not kidding! They even have a jingle. They're called Canna Care and they're out of Sacramento. They advertise here because the Redding dispensaries were closed down. This is on the classic rock station, which also has a pro-pot radio program every Sunday. Haven't listened to it yet, but have heard the ads for it.

So, the pot may be a draw up here, too.

[mateo45]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

I'm not surprised the word has gotten out to homeless folk to come to northern CA. The resources are endless.
I see people handing cash to the homeless here all the time.

And the weather is generally pretty good for camping out. Of course they come here.

Exactly. And it's not as dangerous or as 'competitive' as the more "urban" locales, so when you throw in the great weather and lotsa local "resources", what's not to like?! Plus the very factors that restrict growth up here, like low wages and lack of jobs, obviously aren't an issue for this particular "demographic".

BTW, I understand that a lot of small towns in SW Oregon are starting to acquire the same "reputation". Like a few months ago I picked up a hitchhiker near I-5 carrying a starter motor that he just needed to get back to his RV to install, which was apparently parked at the Walmart parking lot near Medford. It was along my way, so no problem, and when I finally dropped him off at the Walmart, there was this huge encampment of beat up old RV's, many of which had obviously been parked there for awhile. So between that and all the transients wandering about, the place looked like a cross between rural Appalachia and a FEMA emergency camp!

[2sleepy]

Homeless folks in cars may travel to an area that is more 'homeless friendly' but those with shopping carts or on bicycles are not very mobile and are probably going to stick pretty close to where ever they became homeless. I know that some Northern Ca cities have enacted ordinances limiting how long they can stay in a parked car (in Vacaville it's 6 hours) but I've been staying in a motel in Sacramento for a month waiting for escrow to close on a home we are buying here and it appears that law enforcement in this area pretty much ignores the homeless unless they are really bothering someone. Homeless people sleep openly outside without any apparent harassment from law enforcement. There's an empty field near here and at night you start to see shopping carts parked at the edge of it and if you walk by after dark heads pop up all over the field like prairie dogs to see who is there. It is particularly troubling to see entire families that are homeless, I am not used to that and I can't quite figure out how a nation this great could have allowed that to happen - all children should have a place to live.

I don't think ignoring the homeless or making life difficult for them is the answer, and maybe in the long run providing them with housing will be less costly than dealing with the repercussions of homelessness, at least that is what Salt Lake City seems to think; Salt Lake City a model for S.F. on homeless solutions - SFGate

[SandyCo]

I didn't vote on this thread, because the question needs to be clarified. What does "worst" mean? The most amount of homeless people per capita? That would probably be Los Angeles. The most aggressive homeless people? That would probably be Santa Barbara (walking on State St. after dark was downright scary!).

The drug addicts and alcoholics could get help if they chose. The mentally ill don't have many options as they cycle through the system over and over again. Homeless families with young kids break my heart.