The Mayor's Winter Shelter Task Force announced on October 23 that they had $500,000 to spend on shelter beds and had succeeded in finding a magnificent 269 slots for the 4 1/2-month chilly period. In the midst of our Grand Recession, with money tight and the need at its greatest ever for chilly-season safety from the elements, a committee had come through for homeless folk, finding means and ways to stave off misery. So it was thought. It's nearly a month later, and its now known that the t... homelesstom Victor Stark,CSW comment-18109 2009-11-22T15:38:53Z 2009-11-22T15:38:53Z Hello, The numbers of approximately 80 winter shelter beds give the impression that there are 80 homeless people in our community. The Salvation Army shelter alone has a very long waiting list for bed space, often more than 80 people. I noticed in the article that solo men and other disadvantaged individuals are the primary recipients’ of the winter shelter beds. My question then, is where are the single dad’s and mom’s and families with children going to for winter shelter? Additionally, I profoundly agree that shelters, and other non-profits, not announcing their services creates a tremendous barrier to the people who need help the most. There is no excuse for shelters or any other community-based program not to announce their services. From my experience, the reason the programs do not announce their services are because the programs are interested in meeting their grantees guidelines, rather than genuinely helping people. Victor Stark, CSW Sacramento Community Family Resources Victor Stark,CSW 2009-11-22T15:38:53Z Top Cat 2808 comment-18087 2009-11-21T17:49:34Z 2009-11-21T17:49:34Z There was a Rex Rabin political cartoon in the Bee about a month ago that showed various possible ways to get a new arena built. One of the ideas was an arena where basketball was played at night and where homeless people slept at late night. Hey, I think that would work! Both basketball fans and homeless people are used to nachos and hotdogs. The fans can eat 'em when they're fresh, the homeless at late night when some staleness has set in. Top Cat 2808 2009-11-21T17:49:34Z Top Cat 2808 comment-18086 2009-11-21T17:45:24Z 2009-11-21T17:45:24Z The news this weekend is that there is a major effort to get coats to people in Homeless World. Rather obviously, all that dovetails with the problems to provide adequate, identifiable shelter beds. At the mission, they have been giving out coats they've been receiving in goodly quantities to people who attend services there. At Salvation Army there is a coat give-away today. This afternoon people will be bussed from the Salvation Army to a church to receive clothes and a meal. Top Cat 2808 2009-11-21T17:45:24Z Top Cat 2808 comment-18085 2009-11-21T17:38:23Z 2009-11-21T17:38:23Z An update. I am informed that all of the 32 beds at the detox center -- that had in the past been used for an alcoholism rehab program that didn't get funded -- are for solo men. Twenty beds for women for winter have been made available at the Salvation Army. I am further informed that things are happening, and that some people and families are finding shelter -- but it's not being announced as yet. The "not being announced as yet" part presents a problem, of course. People who need shelter don't know where to go to get it. It also only adds to the circumstance where 'insiders' are getting beds, while those that don't know their way around the bureaucracy aren't. Thus, maybe 80 beds [~25 +32+20] are identified as winter shelter beds. We just had a storm, that turned out not to be very bad, which followed a night with below-freezing temperatures. Top Cat 2808 2009-11-21T17:38:23Z TAB comment-18079 2009-11-21T06:05:54Z 2009-11-21T06:05:54Z Lets get our priorities straight city government. I read in the last few days about a task force for a new arena, when instead I should be reading about the homeless task force updating us on what they are doing to get our homeless shelter. An arena for them would be my first choice. TAB 2009-11-21T06:05:54Z advocate comment-18064 2009-11-21T02:11:40Z 2009-11-21T02:11:40Z YOU prove it, tdramer. Until you do, I'll accept Armstrong's version. advocate 2009-11-21T02:11:40Z Top Cat 2808 comment-18060 2009-11-21T00:09:52Z 2009-11-21T00:09:52Z tdramer: An article in the Bee today parallels much of what I wrote. See http://www.sacbee.com/1269/story/2336950.html As for my last sentence, the numbers work thus: The safe ground group of between 20 and 25 got guaranteed beds for the whole of the chilly season. See Mayor Johnson's blogpost, here: http://www.kevinjohnsonformayor.com/kjfm/?p=161 The good majority of those people are solo men who have camping equipment and experience and few, if any, are mentally ill, disabled or particularly old. Another 32 homeless people are getting beds that are not stay-capped at the detox center. I *believe* the great majority are solo men. Otherwise, there are no winter shelter beds being provided. Top Cat 2808 2009-11-21T00:09:52Z tdramer comment-18036 2009-11-20T23:35:28Z 2009-11-20T23:35:28Z Tom, none of this article is true, and your last sentence doesn't make any sense at all. Please retract- unless you can prove any of this. Which you can't so retract it. tdramer 2009-11-20T23:35:28Z