11-18-2010, 07:47 PM
Or to put it in less alliterative terms, social services can deal with a bunch of stinking vagrants, but they can't handle an obnoxious asshole like Gregg DesElms.
His "expertise" wasn't welcome? He boasts of being "one of the nation's foremost experts on massage parlors." Too bad they weren't chasing hookers instead of winos, then some of that "expertise" might have come in handy.
His "expertise" wasn't welcome? He boasts of being "one of the nation's foremost experts on massage parlors." Too bad they weren't chasing hookers instead of winos, then some of that "expertise" might have come in handy.
Quote:Pair protest city of Vallejo's 'aggressive rush' to uproot homeless, clear out encampments
By Sarah Rohrs / Times-Herald
Posted: 09/25/2010 01:01:16 AM PDT
Claiming the displaced will have nowhere to go and no one to help them, two homeless advocates are publicly protesting the city's plan to clear out five homeless encampments in Vallejo this fall.
Advocates Doug Darling and Gregg DesElms say they were ousted from a city-led group of social service providers after objecting to what they say is an unnecessary and "aggressive" rush to clean up the camps.
"We want to try to stop what's going on," Darling said. "We don't have a problem with eviction as long as it is orchestrated properly. The issue is lack of services.
"If we are going to force these people out, we need to find places for them to go," Darling said.
Meanwhile, DesElms of Napa said the city's code enforcement division and its chief Nimat Shakoor-Grantham should relinquish control to other agencies and individuals with a less adversarial relationship with the homeless.
City staff last month pledged to take a more "humane" approach to relocating homeless people from White Slough, Wilson Avenue, the vacant Mervyns and Bill Lang Pontiac Cadillac dealership buildings, and along the railroad tracks near Kaiser Permanente Medical Center.
In prior homeless encampment sweeps, people were forced out without anywhere to go, something the city wants to avoid, staff have said.
In an upcoming cleanup effort, Shakoor-Grantham says the city will have shelter for homeless people to go to before any camp evictions.
But Darling said the city is not living up to its commitment and that "forced evictions" are in the works without any effort to see that homeless people are treated fairly, humanely and with dignity. He said services aren't available and more time is needed to find them.
Shakoor-Grantham and Housing and Community Development Manager Melinda Nestlerode said shelter is being sought.
"It's my understanding that we are going to have identified all the beds prior to the relocation," Nestlerode said.
In dealing with the homeless encampments, the city is working on two tracts, she said.
The short-term plan is to clean up the camps and place homeless people in shelter beds this fall before the winter rainy season, Shakoor-Grantham said.
Meanwhile, a long-term strategy involves working with social service agencies on a more comprehensive relocation plan that would combine shelter, comprehensive medical services, transportation and other items, Shakoor-Grantham said.
This latter effort also involves working with agencies on developing more homeless shelters in Vallejo, a big need, Nestlerode said.
While the city was planning to clean up the camps on Oct. 4, that date has been pushed back for a few weeks to consult with Department of Fish and Game regarding camps in sloughs and marshes, Shakoor-Grantham said.
Prior to the evictions, code enforcement officers will visit the camps, talk to homeless people and assess their housing, medical and social needs, Shakoor-Grantham said.
Shakoor-Grantham said she disagrees the city is working too fast and without disregard to homeless people.
Staff members are working with Christian Help Center, Mission Solano, churches and other agencies to find up to 80 shelter beds and assure social services are in place, Shakoor-Grantham said.
But Darling said the kinds of beds and services needed are simply unavailable.
Darling said once he began asking questions about that issue, he was shut out of the group and the process.
Shakoor-Grantham said she no longer included Darling in an e-mail distribution list because he distributed an e-mail saying he could no longer support the city's actions.
DesElms said he believed he was part of the process and that his expertise and desire to help was welcome.
However, Shakoor-Grantham said DesElms continuously disagreed with the city's aims and intentions and that his manner in meetings was often disruptive.
Both Darling and DesElms said they will continue to help the homeless. This weekend they will pass out "Warning" fliers in homeless encampments about the upcoming evictions.
The fliers Darling and DesElms will distribute advise homeless people they are under no obligation to answer questions, or provide any personal and confidential information to city staff.
The advocates and Shakoor-Grantham are encouraging homeless people to attend "Project Homeless Connect" in which a wide array of social service and government agencies will be on hand to help them.