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  Friday, October 9, 2009 Costa Mesa, Newport need plan for growing homeless population BARBARA VENEZIA: FOOD FOR THOUGHT CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST A few weeks ago I pulled into the Smart & Final parking lot off 19th Street in Costa Mesa. Six homeless men were fighting. As punches flew I drove away without shopping. I felt conflicted. Should I have parked and gone inside and found a manager to call the police? Was I driving away because I just didn't want to get involved? Honestly, I was disturbed and a bit frightened. A few years back I was in the ladies room before an early morning class at Yoga Works in Costa Mesa, also along 19th Street. As I washed my hands I looked up. Standing behind me was a homeless man towering over me with knotted long hair, dirty face and clothes, staring at me in the mirror. Our eyes met, I smiled nervously and he moved aside. I never went back into that bathroom alone again. Today, some homeless are certainly the result of hard times, but many are mentally ill or substance abusers. Even before the downturn in the economy, Costa Mesa faced a homeless problem. Now Vanguard University's counting the homeless for a new survey, but regardless of the count, the question remains, "How does CM solve this problem?" Should money be spent building shelters, and if so, should they be in your neighborhood? With increased shelters, will homeless people countywide now flock to CM? What about the mentally ill and substance abusers who don't want help? CM city officials should be paying close attention to what's been happening down the road in Laguna Beach. Last December the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Laguna and its ordinance preventing people from sleeping overnight in parks and beaches, basically saying that Laguna provided no alternative for the homeless so the law was unfair. Since then Laguna hasn't been able to stop homeless folks from sleeping in either place. CM and Newport have similar ordinances unchallenged. On Oct. 5 The Orange County Register reported Laguna "Council members said the number of homeless people is increasing, and so are residents' and tourists' complaints about them. We've watched people's inability to enjoy our beaches and parks accelerate," Laguna Councilman Toni Iseman said. So what's Laguna's solution? The council's proposing a temporary shelter in a Laguna Canyon parking lot that could accommodate about 50 people with portable toilets, cots or mats, two picnic tables and a desk area for a supervisor. Estimated set up cost, $275,000. "For a more permanent and comprehensive shelter, Iseman said private activists will have to come up with their own plan for funding and services." But what if they don't, will Laguna residents foot the bill? Could the homeless soon be sleeping overnight in CM parks or Newport's beaches? Newport has no shelters and no plans for any, yet along PCH and Bayside Drive, the homeless are becoming an increasing problem. Is Newport hoping they'll just walk to CM? It's commendable that Vanguard's counting the homeless, but without a comprehensive plan between both cities, it's pointless. Is there a "parking lot solution" for our area? Oh wait, didn't someone say they were making way for more parking at the OC Fairgrounds? |
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