Visalia City Manager Randy Groom joins the podcast to talk about Wednesday’s decision by the Visalia Planning Commission to deny an appeal that permitted St. Paul’s church to open a warming center that will inevitably attract the homeless. Then we discuss the City’s role in dealing with the homeless around the city.
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I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life on the board of FoodLink for Tulare county. What we must remember is that homelessness is not illegal. It is most important that we think of shelter and food with dignety. I do not care if a person has substance abuse issues, they and their children need a safe place. The ST. Paul’s warming station helped me get my Brother-in-law the help he needed for his opioid addiction. What we need in our community is a recovery program that is not religious based, and a shelter that accepts boys between the ages of 12 and 19. Or even better a shelter that does not separate families. The Rescue Mission separates families. Because they do not have the housing to keep families in tact.
Yes! homelessness is a definite problem here.
Fines for loitering. If they have to sell their shopping cart, which isn’t even theirs anyway and is likely stolen, then so be it. It should not be so easy and comfortable and even desirable to live in public spaces.