Homeless Issues #55

“Homeless Issues” is the Newsletter of the Homeless advocates in El Dorado County.

I was reminded that HangTown Haven is only approved by the City of Placerville, to be in existence only until November of this year. What then?????

One estimate of providing services to the homeless population is that the
savings our community would see (over the eighteen months because of
Hangtown Haven being in operation and for the average thirty people we will
have during that period) is:  $27,504X 30X 1.5(years) = $1,237,680. Wow!
Could that be true?
Many will say that it applies only to LA and not to
here. Maybe. It would be interesting to see how they arrived at their
numbers.

Applying
our numbers,
I would estimate that the total cost for Hangtown Haven
for the eighteen months beginning last July would be approximately
$40,000. This makes the average cost per person per month:
$40,000/30/18 = $ 74, far less than  the “supportive housing” figure
shown in the LA report. Financially, our “tent city” is the way to go. We
have no idea what our community’s  corresponding costs are for a
homeless person living on the street.
Another
way to look at this is that our community would save:
$27504X30=$825,120 a year for the thirty people living at the haven if
we had a shelter.
Consequently, we could build one spending $825,120 a
year for it and still break even.

Some have asked about staying in a tent in 20 degree weather. Well, warm up the tent! ;>)
The safest method is to get a metal coffee cans, attach a handle, and
put large rocks into them. Then place them by the fire that is going
during the day. The fire heats up the rocks and the can. When you turn
in for the night, put the heated can and rocks in your tent. Cuddle up
in your combination of sleeping bag and blankets.  The can of rocks, warms up the tent,
and in the morning the rocks and can will still be a little warm. Yes,
it does work. And thank you, to those who have donated wood to keep that
fire going. We can always use more as that fire goes from 6:00 AM until
10:00 PM every day. You are not only warming the hearts of others; you
are warming the whole body. Metal coffee cans would be appricated. Metal
not plastic ;>)

HangTown Haven is accenting the need to wash ones hands often to decrease the spread of germs
that could cause health problems for The Haven as well as those who go
to the Nomadic Shelter at night. HangTown Haven is a safe, organized,
and responsible Haven for those in our community who have the least. I want to congratulate the greater community volunteers
who give up three hours a week to assist the HangTown Haven Community
Council in the effort of keeping it safe and organized. If you want to
volunteer, contact Don Rake at … don.rake@yahoo.com ….

I was given a Petition to review and would like to pass it onto you. This
Petition addresses where and what will happen in November when the City
of Placerville says we can no longer have HangTown Haven at our present
location. I will send out the Petition soon after you receive this
newsletter. I pray you will return the Petition by e-mail  to me with  a statement saying that you concur and support the Petition. This newsletter goes out to 600 persons and I would love to end up with at least 500 responses.

To
those who might be receiving this newsletter for the first time, you
can go to the web site below and read all the other 54+ newsletters
going back five years, and see the progression and regression of the
Homeless Issues in El Dorado County.

This is only from observations of, and opinion of;

Ron Sachs 😉

Job’s Shelters of the Sierra (JSS)
www.JobsShelters.Org