Homeless People in Antelope (Sacramento, Orange: eyeglasses, credit, Home Depot)

[My Other Self]

I'm stuck in Antelope for the time being, and can't help but notice all of the homeless people and camps set up around Walerga and Elverta. I've lived in Natomas, South Sac, Pocket Area, and Citrus Heights before this. How is it that this area is a haven for the homeless? It's not so much them as it is the panhanders that stake out the exit to Winco and Bel-Air holing up signs. I expect this in midtown/downtown but I'm a little shocked to see it in the suburbs. Is it due to the proximity to North Highlands?

[cb73]

I'm in Carmichael and I routinely drive through Citrus Heights to Orangevale and I see homeless and begging people everywhere. I just heard yesterday that they're living in Carmichael Park and sleeping in the post office at night.

[My Other Self]

Originally Posted by cb73

I'm in Carmichael and I routinely drive through Citrus Heights to Orangevale and I see homeless and begging people everywhere. I just heard yesterday that they're living in Carmichael Park and sleeping in the post office at night.

That's interesting. I haven't really seen beggars anywhere other than when I worked downtown. In the 3 and a half years I lived in Citrus Heights (closer to Roseville) I never saw that.

I'll give you the ones on Sunrise closer to Fair Oaks. There's some that routinely sit at Sunrise and Madison.

[caligirlz]

There's a lot of homeless over by Marconi & Fulton too. I used to go to an eyeglasses store over there, and visits were by appointment only, because they had to keep their doors locked. To keep the bums out.

I've noticed a lot of homeless over at the Trader Joe's shopping center also. I used to go down there for classes in the evening and we were advised to park directly in front of the business, so we could see our vehicles from the windows. Too many car breakins/thefts was the reason.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by My Other Self

I'm stuck in Antelope for the time being, and can't help but notice all of the homeless people and camps set up around Walerga and Elverta. I've lived in Natomas, South Sac, Pocket Area, and Citrus Heights before this. How is it that this area is a haven for the homeless? It's not so much them as it is the panhanders that stake out the exit to Winco and Bel-Air holing up signs. I expect this in midtown/downtown but I'm a little shocked to see it in the suburbs. Is it due to the proximity to North Highlands?

I think it is. I think it is also that these shopping areas are busy enough to have people to beg from, yet half empty enough to have places back behind the dumpsters of vacant storefronts (or places along the nearby creekway) to sleep.

Another great hotspot for them is the Wal-Mart and Home Depot by Antelope Road at Roseville Road, where they hop on and off the freight trains that come to a stop at the Union Pacific yard nearby there.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by My Other Self

I'm stuck in Antelope for the time being, and can't help but notice all of the homeless people and camps set up around Walerga and Elverta. I've lived in Natomas, South Sac, Pocket Area, and Citrus Heights before this. How is it that this area is a haven for the homeless? It's not so much them as it is the panhanders that stake out the exit to Winco and Bel-Air holing up signs. I expect this in midtown/downtown but I'm a little shocked to see it in the suburbs. Is it due to the proximity to North Highlands?

For information about this and what you can do to help, see the Facebook pages "Good Neighbors of Antelope" and "Antelope Community Forum" and join in. To her credit, Supervisor Roberta McGlashan *does* take us seriously, and the County Sheriff patrols are more visible than they were a few months ago.

This post will resurrect an old issue, but as with Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Elk Grove, ultimately the solution is to incorporate and have various communities get their own cops. Antelope and the rest of "Un-City" are the worst of both worlds, needing the municipal services a built-up area requires, yet lacking accountability for any of it from the unwieldy county government, and having to establish a myriad of special assessment districts to provide said services.

Unfortunately, Antelope has nowhere near the amount of commercial or industrial revenue required to incorporate.

[My Other Self]

Originally Posted by NickB1967

Unfortunately, Antelope has nowhere near the amount of commercial or industrial revenue required to incorporate.

It sure doesn't. I never really spent time in Antelope and I've lived in the Sacramento area for the past 8 years. It wasn't until I had moved that I realized there is just absolutely nothing around here. It's difficult to tell where Antelope really begins and where it ends. If they didn't have different zip codes you could tell me no I was living in North Highlands and wouldn't think any different.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by My Other Self

It sure doesn't. I never really spent time in Antelope and I've lived in the Sacramento area for the past 8 years. It wasn't until I had moved that I realized there is just absolutely nothing around here. It's difficult to tell where Antelope really begins and where it ends. If they didn't have different zip codes you could tell me no I was living in North Highlands and wouldn't think any different.

Well, we tried to be "South Roseville" for a while, but I think it is a losing battle. If the Bel-Air has to fold up, I suppose that will be the sign of doom.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by caligirlz

There's a lot of homeless over by Marconi & Fulton too. I used to go to an eyeglasses store over there, and visits were by appointment only, because they had to keep their doors locked. To keep the bums out.

I've noticed a lot of homeless over at the Trader Joe's shopping center also. I used to go down there for classes in the evening and we were advised to park directly in front of the business, so we could see our vehicles from the windows. Too many car breakins/thefts was the reason.

Now THAT is sad. Trader Joe's is usually a sign of affluence, and the last place I would expect homeless to panhandle.

[cb73]

How would getting more cops get rid of the homeless people? Wouldn't it just move them over a bit?

The solution, which will never happen, would be to start dealing with the homeless people. Many seem to have mental issues, which our society doesn't seem good at dealing with.

Remember the field downtown that turned into a homeless camp? Then Oprah did an segment about it and suddenly it was "fixed"--the field was fenced off. The homeless didn't get helped, they just dispersed.

For California being such a liberal state, there's an amazing amount of blindness when it comes to the mentally ill.