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# Saul Cohen Santa Monica Santa Monica ‘community’should help all of its residents
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/saul-cohen-santa-monica-santa-monica-communityshould-help-all-of-its-residents/
- Published: 2003-08-25T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:50:06.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pico, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

*By Charles Springer*

What is community? What does it stand for? Is it only for those who have apartments and houses? Is it only for people who were born and raised in it, or can anyone join a community?

When I look at the word, “community” I see the word “commune” is the root. It is also the root of the word “communicate.” When I look up “commune” I see it means “to talk over or discuss.” That is exactly what should be done to begin to bring understanding to homelessness.

When I started this column I had hoped to bring understanding to the causes of homelessness and also to show those who read this newspaper that we are not all dirty, drug addicted, lazy and mentally ill. I had hoped to show you that there are those of us out here on the street who don't want to be here but have landed here for various reasons not stemming from drugs, alcohol or mental illness as some in this community would have you believe. In essence I “communed” with you and, hopefully, made some of you aware of this being a symptom of a greater problem facing the community of Santa Monica as a whole, of which I consider myself a part even though I am homeless.

I have showed you that some of us out here ARE working. I have showed you that there some of us out here who ARE making a difference in helping the addicted to get out of that trap. I have showed you that we ARE living breathing, thinking human beings, not animals. I have showed you that we ARE a community that cares about where we live and sleep. Yes, we ARE a community who looks out for each other much the same way you do in the Pico neighborhood or the community north of Wilshire Boulevard.

I know people who live in both communities. One person, who is like a brother to me, was born and raised here. So when I say things about what I know is going on in this COMMUNITY, I am speaking from what I have heard and seen here since I moved here in 1995.

Now the opportunity to be a progressive community, which is Santa Monica’s claim to fame, is here more than ever. The mayors of Los Angeles and Santa Monica want to tackle the problem in a positive manner. But I still hear “Why should we do this or that for the homeless?” or “We have done enough for them.” Well, I ask you what is enough? Where is there a line drawn that says this? We are ALL American citizens and we ALL have the right to live where we choose. This city is a progressive place where rich and poor live side by side. Yet, it is a place where the homeless are not even considered poor, as I was told by someone collecting donations for a food bank. I was also told “they can find work.”

Well, I have been hit up to give people work since I started a cart pushing job on the Promenade. I am letting the community as a whole know there are people looking for jobs out here. In fact, there are more of us who WANT to work than not out here right now. As a matter of fact, there is a young lady out here who just got a job at Toys ‘R’ Us and is looking for a second job to get herself off the streets.

I honestly hope I make my point to those who are so anti-homeless they would have us driven out of here if they had their way. I hope you will begin to see that if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. With more than 16,000 apartment vacancies in Santa Monica, it can’t be wrong, can it?

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 25, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/082503.pdf?ref=smdp.com)