By Randy Walburger Santa Monica
Ultimately civilized society must be judged by how it treats its poorest and most vulnerable people. Santa Monica’s recent homeless survey focused on 277 homeless people sleeping in public on the street with no support of any kind. Instead of giving immediate aid to these desperately ill people the surveyors gave them a $5 hamburger coupon. For three days the surveyors scrutinized the minutiae of homeless suffering. They promised to get back with help at some undefined time. To me this survey represents basically a public display of concern with no immediate plan to deal with the catastrophe that sleeping on the street really is. The city as well as L.A. County’s approach for the last 10 years has been to focus on permanent housing for less than 10 percent and ignoring the rest.
I have a solid plan that does address the lack of shelter beds for the homeless that exists today. Organized overnight camping with caseworker support will do just that. Until permanent housing becomes a reality society can afford and accomplish why not organize the unhealthful sprawl of human beings who sleep in shameful neglect on hostile streets every night and connect them with caseworker support? How can society condone this neglect year after year?
Just to set the record straight, I see my concept as a way for L.A. County and its homeless agencies to oversee and fund this program. I do not want or need to have money. I will be no more than a consultant in any of this.
If successful this program would be managed by all the caseworker agencies involved as well as the county Sheriff and county mental health services.
These modules are for homeless support and I intend to ensure their humane use. I have publicly declared I give up all royalties of my module patent for homeless use for the full term of the patents enforcement. Civil defense emergencies need equipment that is less bulky, heavy, hard to transport and too large to store. This concept is best used for the purpose I intended which is to provide safe basic support for the homeless overnight. It’s a shame that these government and nonprofit homeless support agencies have basically only one plan, permanent housing. The failure of the county to protect 57,000 or 83 percent of the county’s 73,000 homeless at night is sad proof of our collective moral deficit. I have a plan that faces up to this sad situation with an immediate alternative that links the homeless to caseworker management and helps to clean up both our public places and our claim to be civilized. Existing agencies will be able to expand effective support and transition many more people off the street. Everybody wins. Santa Monica can at least stop ignoring the concept and endorse its potential as a countywide program.
Every new concept is before its time but organized overnight camping with caseworker support is not before its need. Where there is a will there is a way.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.