An Open Challenge to Long Beach

The unbridled passion for the homeless shown by Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission is rubbing off on me. I almost had to pull over this morning during my drive to the office as tears welled up when I got the report yet again of the low number who chose to stay in the Winter Shelter. My wipers were set on fast intermittent, so it was not just a drizzle into which a hundred or so people decided to venture. This issue has angered me, frustrated me, disappointed me . . . and now saddens me.

I am convinced that for most people a well-run shelter is the initial tool through which successful assistance can lead to a life off the street – and keep people from becoming a chronic homeless statistic. Much effort goes into acquiring, preparing, staffing, and funding a shelter for the few months of potential inclement weather of our winter season. Wind and chilly temperatures transform mere rain in our usually moderate Southern California climate into hypothermic conditions that can kill elderly, ill, and weakened homeless persons on the street.

My staff and I recently wept over the senseless loss of a chronic homeless man in our neighborhood when he was found stabbed in a nearby alley in plain view of the front doors of our Samaritan House. We work closely with police and city staff to assist our citizens toward a life off the street; so it is difficult when people ignore the help that is offered . . . and sometimes pay a steep price. Of course, then the reality hits home – that even our current available beds are insufficient if we were to see an increase in the acceptance of our offer of help – we are now always full. The courts have ruled that cities can’t deal with vagrancy issues unless it has available beds; so what are we to do?

This past year, our successful long-term program took 20 beds from our emergency overnight dorms to accommodate the demand. There’s no replacement of those beds in the near future. The consolation is that the graduates of this program are seeing unprecedented success in becoming changed men and women and returning to society. However, does that offset the negative aspect of losing beds in our city’s continuum of care? To deal with this issue will require public and political will to accept the need and allow appropriate facilities to be acquired and responsibly run. We think we have earned the right to do just that.

The respect we’ve earned in the community by running good winter shelter programs as well as successfully mitigating issues around our current year-round shelters at Pacific and Anaheim is revealing. Last year, WESTPAC Community leaders even went as far as to vote to invite LBRM to locate the Winter Shelter in that district. Much to my surprise, our moving the Winter Shelter to North Long Beach has been met with that same unprecedented unanimous welcome by the neighborhood associations.

But the question remains to be answered . . . will they really come if you build it? As we have seen in the failure of a Winter Shelter to keep people in during the longest and heaviest downpour in Long Beach, they won’t necessarily come if you do build it (as many swear will happen). But what will happen is the newly homeless person or family will have a place to come in from the elements instead of finding themselves on the street, and thereby lessening the chances of another chronic statistic that gets counted every other year to decide how much to fund the services they may not even use until it’s too late . . . and our hospitals or coroner takes over.

My challenge to you and the community is to accept that there is a need, and to accept our responsibility to act in the best interests of the weakest members of our society . . . whether their situation came through bad choices – or through no fault of their own. It is our job to reach out and offer a long-term hand up, not merely a temporary hand out. The Long Beach Rescue Mission and I are here to help when you decide that time enough has passed in which to make a difference by helping the homeless, and changing lives.