By Michael Joseph Gutowski Santa Monica
I have been reading your paper for over two years now. I am especially interested in your articles about homelessness. You see, out of the two years walking the streets of Santa Monica, I have been homeless for half of that time. Because of my being homeless, I became a member of Step-Up-on-Second, and have been a member for almost the two years that I have been in and around Santa Monica.
While at Step-Up, I have been on case management and money management, and have just recently been given a Section 8 housing voucher. Now I am finding it impossible, after two months of looking, to find a single apartment that will take a Section 8 voucher — a voucher that is for $886, two-thirds of which is guaranteed paid by the government!
All this talk about helping the homeless is, I think, a lot of hot air. I think the truth is that Santa Monica doesn’t want to help the homeless; they don’t even want to look at the homeless. And this I can understand because, honestly, I feel the same way! I hate walking these streets having to avoid the constant sight of beggars that always give me that sad-eyed look so that they can drain me of what little resources that I have.
But, the point is, and I plead my case with the city of Santa Monica: Is there anyone out there that will take my Section 8 housing voucher or do you just want me to hit the road and leave town? Either way, that is fine with me! You just keep me nipping at the carrot that you keep dangling in front of me. I guess that my misery is another’s joy?!
But, in all honesty, I would like to get to the bottom of all this and find out one way or the other: Will you help me or not? Will you help me find shelter or shut the door in my face? Will you help me find shelter or will you make me sleep in the stable?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 8, 2005. Read the original PDF.