Where Will They Go?

The Village-ISA is open from about 8AM until 4Pm. They often have meetings and close their doors early to the homeless. There is a small garden area in back of the building. The members hang out there. There are Security Guards who will ask strangers if they are members and demand to see the member card. First time visitors or someone there for an appointment must be on the Visitor list. Homeless are not allowed to hang out at the Village garden unless they have business at the Village that day. The drop-in center room is small. I described it in an earlier post.

There are two rows of folding chairs. Perhaps 40 people have a seat. The rest have to stand. They are waiting for their turn to use the shower. They are doing their laundry. They are waiting to speak to their PSC. Watching the clock the whole time. They want to get to a church that serves lunch. They are hungry. Many skip breakfast at the COA or Fred's Church on Thursdays vying for an earlier spot on the waiting list. As Shannon said, many are attending school. Some have job interviews and need to get something to wear from the clothing room. Or they need to iron something wrinkled from the backpack.

The homeless do not hang around the Village when they have done what they went there to do. They go back to Lincoln Park. Used to go back to the Promenade. Some go the beach. They go where ever they call home for the night. That could become an issue the residents fear. I have not been up to Willow and Grand in a while. It is mostly industrial as was pointed out. The Office Depot has a nice cozy sheltered spot out back in the parking lot where the stock room doors are. I could imagine it as a place for homeless to sleep. Cops will roust them. Do not recall the nearest park.

Where will they go? I imagine most will hop the bus back to downtown Long Beach where the soup kitchens are. Where their friends are watching their stuff. I actually agree with the lady. The Village drop-in center moving there is a bad idea. I think the city council approves it. They want the homeless out of the downtown area. The thing is if the Fed government does not approve of the Schroeder Hall Plan, the Fed government gets to determine the use of the military surplus. They most likely will turn it into a year round overnight shelter for the homeless.

The complaining ladies and lone dissenting council man should consider it a blessing that, if approved, they will only have a Mon to Fri, 9 to 5ish drop-in center for the mentally ill and homeless. and a Police substation at the same location. Me? I would rather it be the shelter.