Even though she was at a public meeting, Lynelle Solomon couldn’t hold back tears. Solomon was listening to public comments at a meeting of the Modesto City Council on July 11 when she heard a homeless advocate describe a grisly death by mowing machine at a park near Modesto’s Airport District, where Solomon has done homeless outreach for almost four years. The deceased woman’s name was Christy Chavez. “All I […]
Homelessness in the San Joaquin Valley
Family Members Demand Answers in Gruesome Death of Unhoused Woman
“There was no yellow tape, there was no yellow tape,” said a family member of a homeless woman who was reported to have died Saturday, July 8 at Beard Brook Park in Modesto. The speaker was the brother-in-law of Christy Chavez. He was with family members visiting the site of Christy’s death on Wednesday, July 12, four days after she had last been seen near a hillside where a man […]
Homeless Crisis Deepens with Summer Heat
As I waited for a downtown Modesto bus one day in late April I saw a woman pushing a shopping cart jammed with her belongings. The woman was still young and athletic-looking, but weather-worn from living on the streets. Nonetheless, she carried herself with a weary gracefulness as she wheeled her cart up off the intersection of Coffee and Floyd. We nodded briefly but companionably as the woman stopped to […]
“We need to do more,” said Supervisor Grewal to Homeless Advocates
Wednesday, June 28, Stanislaus County Supervisor Mani Grewal said he is supportive of safe sleeping sites for homeless people during a meeting with the Modesto Citizens Action Group (MoCag), a rapidly growing coalition of local citizens promoting Tier One housing and shelter options for people with nowhere to go. The meeting took place at Stanislaus County Supervisors’ offices at 1010 10th Street in Modesto. “Having a safe place to sleep […]
Homeless Advocates Lobby for Safe Ground
“They walk on the sidewalk next to us, not behind us or under us. They are our community.” — Lynelle Loeb Solomon They meet every two weeks on a leafy street dappled in sunlight, at the offices of the Modesto Peace/Life Center. Some of them are retired, although you would never guess that by looking at their current resumes. Others are younger, still in the midst of busy, demanding careers. […]
“You have an ally,” says Condit to Homeless Advocates
On June 21, Stanislaus County Supervisor Channce Condit assured members of the Modesto Citizens Action Group (MoCag) that he was fully supportive of proposals for safe sleeping sites for the most vulnerable members of Modesto’s and Stanislaus County’s homeless population. MoCag is a citizens’ action group dedicated to finding immediate shelter and safe ground for homeless people in Modesto and Stanislaus County. “You have an ally,” said Condit. MoGag members […]
Derek Castle: Is Citizenship the Answer for Homelessness?
When Derek Castle and his wife moved across the street from Modesto’s Graceada Park four years ago, the prime attraction was their two granddaughters. Their son and his family lived nearby. Along with the Gallo Theatre for the Arts, Graceada Park has long been considered one of Modesto’s crown jewels. As Castle got to know his new neighbors, he heard story after story about the problems they were having with […]
Homeless: The Drug Fallacy Rises (Again)
The state of Hawaii ranks sixth in the nation in homelessness per capita and dead last in drug use and addiction per capita. Ordinarily, such data would be of minor interest. Within the context of a recent widely published OP/ED by Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig and several other purported authorities, however, it’s highly pertinent. Hawaii’s statistics are part of a fact pattern that presents conclusive rebuttals to Reisig’s […]
Modesto City Manager Errs on Homelessness
Modesto City Manager Joe Lopez might have second thoughts after citing Chico as an example of cities that have tried safe sleeping sites for homeless people and then found they “didn’t work.” Lopez made the remark in a May 24 meeting with members of the Modesto Citizens Action Group (MoCag). He may not have realized that MoCag members are well versed in matters of homelessness throughout California. Consisting of a […]
Still no Homeless Management Plan for City of Modesto
As homeless numbers continue to grow throughout California, the disconnect between people on the ground and state and local leaders also continues to grow. That widening gap between those who work almost daily with homeless people and those who set policy was starkly evident during a meeting of the Modesto City Council on May 9. With a progress report on the city’s efforts to abate homelessness on the agenda, the […]