Opinion BY PATRICK FORD
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Commentary
BY BEKI BEAUCHAMP
A home in South County Fighting for public land A proposal to provide adequate, inexpensive shelter for SLO County’s homeless
S
ince retiring two years ago, I’ve volunteered at the Food Bank of San Luis Obispo County in Oceano, the South County People’s Kitchen in Grover Beach, and the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition Warming Center in Arroyo Grande. Through this experience, I have come to know some of our local homeless people and I think gained a greater understanding of their needs. This experience has also been the impetus for writing this letter in support of a homeless shelter that would fit those needs and be acceptable to the residents of this county. Whether or not you have any personal experience with the plight of the homeless, we are reminded on an ongoing basis of some of the unfortunate aspects of homelessness such as panhandling, loitering, and acting out. To some extent, homelessness affects us all and it is in all of our interests that the issue of inadequate shelter for the homeless in this county be addressed. Over the past year, most of the homeless encampments in the South County have been closed, which has left our homeless population reeling in an attempt to find safe shelter. To compound the problem, the 5 Cities Homeless Coalition’s winter warming center in Arroyo Grande, which accommodated up to 50 people on cold and/or rainy nights, will not be available this winter. While the coalition has worked tirelessly to procure winter shelter, including partnering with our local churches, this strategy appears to be compromised
HODIN
for three reasons. First, the majority of the homeless population in South County resides within a half a mile of the coast. According to a 2015 point-intime demographic analysis conducted by SLO County in conjunction with HUD, 258 homeless people resided in the South County and 86 percent of these individuals traveled by bicycle or on foot. Churches interested in helping are located up to 5 miles from the coast. Second, while many homeless people own dogs for companionship and protection, the warming center has been incapable of accommodating pets. Third, many people do not use the warming center because they fear their belongings will be stolen while they are at the shelter. Consequently, up to 80 percent of our South County homeless endure the rain and cold. Providing adequate shelter for the homeless is not only humanitarian, it must be done before the societal aspects and root causes of homelessness can be addressed. Moreover, providing adequate shelter is cost effective. The housing first project in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, has no conditions of sobriety or selfimprovement and yet has demonstrated that a reduction in days of incarceration alone pays for their program. Other Canadian studies indicate that it is much less costly to taxpayers to house someone and pay retention support than to pay the relatively staggering SHELTER continued page 14
Russell Hodin
12 • New Times • September 7 - September 14, 2017 • www.newtimesslo.com
We must continue to speak up for Carrizo Plain
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hen I was a child, I lived for my summers spent on the Central Coast. I’d spend the school year dreaming of beaches and beautiful weather as dreary rains carried on outside, and I’d count the days until I’d get to hike and bike with my family on California’s extraordinary public lands. My father made the decision to make this dream our reality 15 years ago when he bought the Kaleidoscope Inn. We now run the bed and breakfast together, making it our family business to provide experiences like I had as a child. Hundreds of visitors come through the inn every year looking to our protected public lands as a destination for rest and respite. Scenic and recreational attractions like Carrizo Plain National Monument are not just the foundation for my wonderful quality of life—they’re the backbone of my business and the local economy. That’s why I’m alarmed by the Trump administration’s recent review of our beloved Carrizo Plain and other national monuments. It’s frightening enough that the administration is trying to strip protections from these important natural, cultural, historic, and scientific sites. But the review process has also been marked by a complete lack of transparency, and that is simply unacceptable. On Aug. 24, the Department of the Interior issued a summary of the national monument review that contained no information about how and which national monuments would be impacted. An incredible 2.8 million Americans took time out of their busy lives to raise their voices and participate in the process,
and they are being left in the dark about this sham review. The public deserves to see the full recommendations prepared by Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his team. Businesses like mine count on the permanency of these protections to fuel tourism and outdoor recreation—decisions that could threaten our livelihoods need to remain visible and well within our purview. By threatening protections for our public lands and withholding information from the American people, the administration shows it’s willing to play games with local economies and the communities that depend on them. It’s safe to say that a large portion of the businesses in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties rely on tourism dollars to survive and that Carrizo Plain has a huge impact on the economy around here. And while I’ve seen it firsthand in my own community, I’ve learned that this is the case across the board for regions adjacent to a national monument. A 2017 study by nonpartisan Headwaters Economics found that the regional economies adjacent to 17 national monuments, including Carrizo Plain, all experienced growth following the national monument’s designation. Travelers come through our inn for so many different reasons, most aimed at experiencing the natural beauty of the Central Coast. People come to hike, bike, or catch glimpses of astonishing birds that soar over Carrizo Plain. Even guests who don’t come here specifically to visit CARRIZO PLAIN continued page 14