When local authorities shut down the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter (MOES) early last December, no one pretended the numbers were going to work. With 450 or so people at MOES and the new low-barrier shelter in the Salvation Army’s Berberian building serving only 182, the math was simple.
Even after the Salvation Army added 50 beds, the spillover was about half—over two-hundred people were left with no place to go. Some of the craftier MOES residents, realizing the QAMP tents they’d been living in were going to be destroyed, made off with tents that were still in good shape.
Many of those tents became part of encampments that formed small enclaves in places traditionally favored by homeless people—around and under bridges, along roads and freeways, and in poorly supervised vacant lots. Those sites, many already occupied by small groups of people who never made it to MOES, burgeoned. In addition to ingress from MOES, there was already a compounding effect from closures of resident motels like Modesto’s condemned Budgetel and the temporary closure of the Budget on south 9th Street in Bystrum, between Modesto and Ceres.
Not long after MOES closed, authorities in Modesto announced that “accountability” would be part of a newly-developed approach to homelessness. No one was fooled. “Accountability” wasn’t new; it was just a euphemism for a return to the city’s, “chase ‘em around town,” homeless policy. An added feature was the, “get tough on shopping carts,” order, which sent cops out in search of poor souls shuffling around town with all their worldly possessions in a shopping cart.
Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold, likely reeling a bit from advance knowledge that local kingmaker Mike Zagaris had switched his support from the mayor to one his opponents in the upcoming election, announced he was seeking budget money to hire more cops.
“We are not dealing with traffic violations in our city, people driving the way they want to and killing people. And it’s also about vagrancy issues in our city that we are not able to keep up with. This directly affects quality of life.”
“Vagrancy,” like “accountability,” was part of the mayor’s new vocabulary, likely intended to make voters forget that after almost four years in office the only thing anyone remembered him for in regard to homelessness were his reputed remarks that, “Homelessness isn’t the city’s problem.”
As for more cops, the city can’t afford them. The city can’t even afford to trim its trees. And hiring more cops to chase homeless people after closing down the place that made it easier to police homeless people seems more like a, “shoot yourself in the foot,” strategy than smart leadership.
The bullet in the foot analogy seems even more apt when one realizes that homeless people in tents had no need for shopping carts because they had a place, however humble, to keep their stuff. They also, according to local crime data, committed fewer “quality of life” crimes, because those numbers went down when MOES was open.
None of these things matters to local leaders intent on showing how tough they can be on poor people with nowhere to go—but they may matter soon.
The latest chapter of the “accountability” strategy has featured rousting people from places they fled to after they left MOES. That means that more and more homeless people are on the move, looking for places to rest their bodies and lay their heads—mostly in and around the City of Modesto.
Those who had tried camping near the new shelter on 10th Street—a site that put them near services, security, and law enforcement—were chased away. Instead of being centralized in a location easily accessed and served by volunteers and outreach workers, they’ve been given reasons to hide and avoid help.
And word from three of the larger homeless camps is that they’ve been given notice to leave within the next few days, so many will be on the move right after the holiday. The old-timers, those who’ve been homeless for years, will return to favored hiding places, and wait. Then they’ll be back. As one man said, after being on the streets for many years,
“We just go somewhere else and when they make us move from there, we go back to the other place. And when we go back, it’s all cleaned up.”
So much for accountability.
It was my understanding that the reason cities started talking about homeless shelter is that the 9th district court ruled that people on the streets or parks, etc. could not be forced to move unless they had shelter to go to. so much for the Mayor wanting to hassle or threaten homeless. Eric Crain. do you know why they dismantled the tents under the bridge? It seemed ideal until a hotel or old building could accommodate that many people. From what I have read the people had actually created a community. Seems to me the City has to put on another thinking cap. The space in Beard Brook park was a disaster waiting for the rain. The city didn’t think to sandbag above the embankment they put them on. Not all of these people want to be without a home. A lost job, medical expenses any number of things could put a family on the street. I think it is said that a surprise $500 debt a-missed rent payment could do it. We need to start treating the problem as individuals with names and not just the homeless another problem of police and planners.
“Individuals with names.” Exactly. These are people. These could be our family members on the streets. Our friends. You never know what can happen in life..
GID BKEES YOU! Someone needs to speak up for all of these less fortunate people. Alot of them are veterans and you don’t hear anyone complaining about the selfless sacrifices they’ve made for our country and people they didn’t know. People are cruel and it could be them then they would care. Because many of these people bitching I can guarantee wouldn’t care about family or friends being homeless.
GOD BLESS YOU. (ABOVE)
My daughter is only 19 and she is currently living or as I call it barely surviving on the streets of modesto because unfortunately modesto forgets that just because she doesn’t have an address she is still a taxpaying citizen and resident of modesto ca .maybe she can finally be able to get housed the moment modesto remembers that everyone that is homeless is still a person who at any point could be me or you that all they need is help and also be looked at as one of us
Bring back M.O.E
S. It’s the next best thing the city has done for us homeless. Being a resident of MOES. It gave me the feeling of being someone. All the staff from turning point, empowerment cent, volunteers, too many to mentioned. Citizens that feed us,ie, churches, normal citizens of the Modesto community. We got health care,everything one could ask for was there. But the promises made for the homeless were nothing but broken promise only to be more less “evicted ” as most of us started out in the first place. MOES was a blessing, & relief from having been running, chasen,harassed, ect.PLEASE! The city needs to bring back MOES; Make us homeless feel human, safe,ect. again. That’s not to mention the love; care our pet’s received. Please everyone reconsider another MOES ,it’s like the city of Modesto took credit or MOES ECT. but after the high light glory Modesto took credit for was dimmed out or over they just threw us out on the streets like garbage; dirt bags. Only for the homeless issue to be back into the state it started to be.
I agree Please bring back Moe’s! Please listen to Kelly Higgins! She’s pleading with you won’t someone listen? Please?!! What will it hurt?? Which neighborhoods style did it cramp? It was already in a bad place but it was home to them. Did someone consider it an eye sore? When it comes down to it it’s all politics and politics has no place where the heart is concerned. Please someone with the power to do something show some compassion here. PLEASE!!!
Exactly. Its just senseless to me
There are ‘places for them to go’; Former military facilities that have the space and the infrasrtructure!
Here is a list, in California:
Site Name City Type NPL Status BRAC Round Agency
Alameda Naval Air Station Alameda NPL/BRAC Final 3 US Navy
Castle Air Force Base (6 Areas) Merced NPL/BRAC Final 2 US Air Force
Concord Naval Weapons Station Concord NPL/BRAC Final 5 US Navy
El Toro Marine Corps Air Station El Toro NPL/BRAC Final 3 US Navy
Federal Correctional Institute Lompoc Lompoc BRAC 4 US Army
Fleet Industrial Supply Center Oakland Oakland BRAC 4 US Navy
Fort Ord Marina NPL/BRAC Final 2 US Army
George Air Force Base Victorville NPL/BRAC Final 1 US Air Force
Hamilton AFB Novato BRAC 1 US Army
Long Beach Naval Sta Long Beach BRAC 2 US Navy
March Air Force Base Riverside NPL/BRAC Final 3 US Air Force
Mare Island Naval Shipyard Vallejo BRAC 3 US Navy
Mather Air Force Base (AC&W Disposal Site) Mather NPL/BRAC Final 1 US Air Force
McClellan Air Force Base (Ground Water Contamination) McClellan AFB NPL/BRAC Final 4 US Air Force
Moffett Naval Air Station Moffett Field NPL/BRAC Final 2 US Navy
Naval Shipyard Long Beach Long Beach BRAC 4 US Navy
Norton Air Force Base (Lndfll #2) San Bernardino NPL/BRAC Final 1 US Air Force
Oakland Army Base Warehouse Area Oakland BRAC 4 US Army
Oakland Naval Regional Medical Ctr Oakland BRAC 3 US Navy
Presidio of San Francisco San Francisco BRAC 1 US Army
Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant Riverbank NPL/BRAC Final 5 US Army
Sacramento Army Depot Sacramento NPL/BRAC Final 2 US Army
Salton Sea Test Base Salton City BRAC 1 US Navy
San Diego Naval Training Center San Diego BRAC 3 US Navy
Sierra Army Depot Herlong BRAC 4 US Army
Treasure Island Naval Station-Hunters Point Annex San Francisco NPL/BRAC Final 2 US Navy
Treasure Isl Naval Station San Francisco BRAC 3 US Navy
Tustin Marine Corps Air Station Tustin BRAC 2 US Navy
“In a decision last year, the SCOTUS refused to hear an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that said it was “cruel and unusual punishment” to enforce rules that stop homeless people from camping in public places when they have no place else to go. That means states across the 9th Circuit can no longer enforce similar statutes if they don’t have enough shelter beds for homeless people sleeping outside.” But we do!!
Of course, the less that government agencies are involved, the more efficient the efforts will be to correct this problem.
Qualified NGOs must be contracted with the evaluate and identify suitable places to process, house, train and treat those identified as chronically indigent and then provide services for them.
It is not a crime to be poor but it is a crime to choose to be a burden upon your neighbors.
Undoubtedly, most do not make this choice for no good reason but it is safe to say that most are afflicted with either a mental or physical disorder or a chemical dependency,
We are a nation that should legislate and act accordingly with either treatment or training to make those that wish to be productive, again or incarcerate in suitable facilities those that do not until they can be proven to have reached some level of responsible self reliance.
RTL
On my walk across America as a homeless graduate student studying homelessness what you propose in using closed military infrastructure is the only viable answer.
Just to clarify, are you saying these military bases are ready to house the homeless? All we need to do is get them there?
Excellent article Eric. After spending the last two years volunteering and then working with the folks that lived at Beard Brook and MOES, it breaks my heart to see the people that were forced to leave MOES back on the streets. MOES was community, it was home for all those who lived there.
Much has been accomplished in the last two years to improve the lives of our homeless neighbors, but I’m ashamed that our City can’t do any better for those who remain unsheltered. How does uprooting people and making them move from one camp to another in any way solve the problem of homelessness?
There are jobs out there. Most of these people choose this life style. I’m sorry there are portables laundry mats showers, etc. They chose to get on drugs. As long as we keep giving these hand outs there are no incentives to hold themselves accountable. The few people that are homeless due to a lost job that can happen to anyone and what are you willing to do change. One of my Facebook friends became homeless and in 2 months he collected enough donations (which By the way I donated) he got his own place and is actively looking for a new job. But the people who have been homeless for years. Come on now. That’s someone with no desire to make changes. My ex was homeless for any 6 months and he turned things around. People need to have the desire to change.
You have oversimplified the problem. I’m glad your friend got people to donate towards an apartment. I hope he finds a job paying 4X his monthly rent or he’ll be out on the streets quite soon (I hope not, I really don’t want to see that happen). What you may want to consider if that once a person becomes homeless, it is a long and ardous process to no longer being homeless. If one is evicted from a residence, it now becomes even harder to find new housing. If you’ve had a medical crisis and have large amounts of medical debt (possibly add’l debt from not working), it affects your credit rating, reducing the chance you’ll find new housing. A modesto 1 bedroom apt in Stanislaus County is close to $900/month if you are willing to live anywhere and have really good transportation.
Moreover, you are assuming all homeless are addicts. That’s just wrong and I’m not wasting anytime trying to explain that to you.
We pay taxes for the common good. The common good is for every citizen to have a home. Pushing the unfortunate from one location to another is a misuse of taxpayer dollars, not to mention an inhumane act.
We need to elect new leaders interested in promoting the common good, not in maintaining power so that they can waste public money on Hotel studies.
Bruce GOD BLESS YOU!
Come on people I read “it could be our family” It is our family with the cost of living in CA on the rise and Bay Area bussing them in droves to get their “problems solved” with the homeless. There’s going to be issues if America continues to say things like “they don’t want to live in a warm safe bed that has heat or a/c is Ridiculous with a capital R! Most of these people have medical issues that aren’t addressed in our insurance directed state of medical care. There are insufficient mental health centers not funded properly or staffed sufficiently for the demand.
Most of the folks prefer to be in a bed and have bathroom facilities and to think otherwise is unwise.
These people are family members who have physical and mental incapacity and the way we’ve looked the other way while politicians stole social security money’s from such people we earned such distress over the growing numbers.
The ones on social security have a fixed in come that doesn’t pay rent let alone food or god forbid they need a vehicle and insurance. Then insurance dictates which meds they can have, which dose they can have and how often not the doctor. Veterans that have been fighting for this country with post traumatic stress disorder have to choose between meds for injuries and meds for mental health for several years now.
Tell me how many of the commentators have to deal with a choice like that?
If the mental issues aren’t treated the souls can’t rest then they can’t eat then they can’t afford rent so they rent a room and are asked to leave cause the homeowner can get more money from someone else!!!
Other countries have set aside projects to incorporate individuals into public housing and those souls keep things nice. Probably because they are treated with kindness and have proper health and preventive wellness care.
Maybe we can work together for a solution and wake up to the fact if things were just a little different it could be you out there. When folks ask for help and no one will help what else are they supposed to do go off and die? Why can’t we change the system and stop being so materialistic and actually do something that gives them permanent housing and jobs for the ones that can once they are helped with proper medical care ?
GOD BLESS YOU TRINA
Most of these “homeless” people are on meth and want to be on the streets because they have no bills and are not held accountable for anything. I have given one of these people a place to stay found him a job took them every day until he was able to afford his own car and as soon as he did he was back on meth again within a week.
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Why is the City of Modesto willing to spend up to $381,080 to a consultant to explore the possibility of building a High – end Hotel downtown? Really? The Double Tree Hotel rooms sit EMPTY ! I Don’t believe that Hotel is Ever Booked Solid! And the city wants to build another one on 11th Street! While the cities homeless wander the streets ! How does this make any sense? Plus they are raising the the fines on Parking Tickets starting in May 2020! What are going to do with the project 900,000.00 money? No doubt LINE SOMEONES POCKETS !
Why everyone bothers about homeless.all governors came with their first priorities as for homeless.what about people who work so hard for their families and pay he’ll of tax.leaving families behind staying away for weeks,travel back and forth from Modesto to sfo or Bay Area.let everyone work for their benefits.EBT are given to people but is their any accountability who is getting it and who is not.hard work tax money are used to help people through ebt but what people do”sell them”to buy drugs.if the government or the county is continues to spoon feed there will be a day where all homeless will be in Modesto and all hard working people will move to other cities or state.my concern is everyone needs to work to get benefits from the county
This was really predictable. The activity in the neighborhoods and along the roadway is back up. It went way down when MOES was operational.
I have been to 4Stanislaus Homeless Alliance meetings. There is a lot of good work being done for those who have the capacity to follow the guidelines out of homelessness. The people who don’t fit into that category need a different type of help that hasn’t been available..
After listening to them being brave enough to speak up and what may be listened to but not seemed to be acted upon. One issue is more than one animal. Yes there are different views on them having animals, let’s work with it. There are several 400 acre lots for sale between Sacramento and Modesto . Fence one with Bamboo, have small houses or tough sheds or similar to the ones Yosemite employees live in., add an animal shelter with plenty of Kennels. Those with pets are taught to look after as many Animal Shelter pets as many animals they want. IE if they own 3 they look after 3 other animals. The reason for the bamboo is others can be taught bamboo goods manufacturing.. Animal lovers could be taught vet assistant training. A wound clinic could be added as my experience that is a neglected situation with some.. Communal Kitchens could become Restaurant training for several different positions.
On a smaller scale there are several boarded up buildings, IE 160 Santa Barbara Ave is a 10 unit apartment block that has been boarded up for years.. A carpenter could teach and work with those willing to fix up an apartment.
A hospital or Rest home could have sick People who are homeless also house healthy people who are homeless ant have staff to teach them to look after each other with CNA training.
Services like these could then be built upon. There has been enough Money given out in grants to cover these costs..
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If the homeless cleaned up after themselves, people wouldn’t be so upset with them in our community. They make a mess wherever they go, and we the community have to clean up after them, taking money that could be spent on other resources such as “taking care of our trees”.
Let’s see how much of a mess you leave behind if everyday you had to pack up everything you own and be out of the area by sunrise to keep from going to jail.
Possession waste is a result of not having somewhere to house your possessions.