Homeless Issues #84

Following by James King on Aug 06, 2015

In an effort to erase signs of homelessness, some cities have passed laws that prohibit people from sleeping outside or in their cars. Now, the Department of Justice is getting involved.

The DOJ said on Thursday that laws that try to criminalize homelessness are unconstitutional, a sign that it may follow up with civil rights lawsuits against cities that have criminalized sleeping-while-homeless.

The national average of homeless people who have no place to sleep is more than 40 percent because of overcrowding in shelters. Those who don’t get a bed are forced to sleep in places like parks, sidewalks, and cars. In Los Angeles, for example, there are about 11,933 beds in the city’s homeless shelters for roughly 54,000 homeless people, according to a 2014 report from the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

Since 2011, the number of cities that have city-wide bans on camping in public has increased by 60 percent, according to the report. Additionally, 81 cities have bans on sleeping in cars, an increase from 37 in 2011.

In a statement of interest filed with the U.S. District Court in Idaho, the DOJ said Thursday that laws that make sleeping illegal violate the Eighth Amendment, which protects people from cruel and unusual punishment. “Sleeping is a life-sustaining activity—i.e., it must occur at some time in some place” the statement says. “If a person literally has nowhere else to go, then enforcement of the anti-camping ordinance against that person criminalizes her for being homeless.”

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U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturns L.A. ban on homeless living in vehicles. We should take notice and act accordingly in El Dorado County.

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The word “Citizen” as used in human compassion, respect, and practice.

“Citizen” or group of “Citizens” complaining about another, lower case “citizen” or group of “citizens.” Yes we do have that problem within our communities, and the Authorities have to scratch their heads and attempt to make the most of the situation. But yes, things get different when the capital letter “Citizen” complains about the lower case “citizen.” Both were born, raised, educated, and spent their money in the local stores of El Dorado County. What criteria were used to determine if one is a Capital letter “Citizen,” or a lower case “citizen” with capital letter treatment and power or lower case treatment with no powers?  We who serve the homeless community are confronted with this much of the time. What to do when the police appear on the scene and indicate that they want us out of the public parking lot because we attract the lower case citizen. Or what do we do when they “encourage” owners of private property to not allow lower case citizens to gather on their property to receive “hand outs,” Or they ignore the fact that the homeless are citizens; we have to determine, “Who makes that decision?” City Council, County Supervisors? And where is that line? When did I go from being a lower case citizen to being a capital letter citizen? And you, from capital to lower case citizen? Influential people in our community who help local politicians get elected, have far more power than those without houses (who have essentially none).  However, some of the influential folk may have the same addictions and even the same mental illnesses and may conduct themselves in equally unsavory ways.

Ron Sachs

“In the ancient Near East, sometimes those outside of a particular group or society were considered less “human” by those inside of the group. People in the ancient Near East typically stayed close to home, which affected their perception of the world. “    Dr. Mary Winn Leith;   Biblical Archaeology Review.

Not much change since Genesis.

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VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!

 Keep October 10th open

so you can attend the Nomadic Shelter

Fund- raising spaghetti dinner at Federated church….. Music; Door prizes; Speakers; Silent Auction; Gourmet Chef; and important people in our community will all be there!

Make sure that includes you!

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Pass this issue of “Homeless Issues” on to as many persons you know who have some heart for the homeless population in our county.

Again we want to thank all of you for your efforts in providing understanding, in your love for your fellow humans and especially those who have the very least.

Please visit the JSS web site: www.jobsshelters.org.

Donations can be made by clicking here.

OR Our address: P.O. Box 1389, Shingle Springs, Ca. 95682