Tiny

Tiny was the first graduate of the MHA-Village Safe Haven program. Saw her yesterday as I was passing bus benches at Cherry and Anaheim. Like many homed people, I avert eyes, lest a homeless person asks for spare change. I used to say, "Do not have any spare change, but I believe in sharing the wealth, not that I was wealthy and trickle economics. Here is some SHARE change." Not in a position to do so now-a-days.

Because my eyes were straight ahead did not see who was sitting. Tiny called out to me, so I went back to sit with her for a moment. First words, "I'm homeless again." Did not matter what I said, she barked back at me. Same old belligerent Tiny.

Last I saw her, she invited me to see her apartment. It was covered with wall to wall stuff, piled high, to the ceiling in some places. She was a shopping cart lady. Got angry with me once when I refused to help her wheel her two laden carts to the beach. My posts on the subject have been taken offline. Tiny's behavior is what caused me to lose Winter Shelter privileges.

Police would not arrest her: Not a danger to herself or others and she has money. That despite someone she threatened at the Alamitos Beach picnic area had called the police about her cussing and threatening. Since she knew me, she wandered over to my bench, doing likewise, wandering quickly to accost others. That was not the day I lost privileges; just one of a series of incidents.

Yesterday, Tiny told me, "I'm using drugs and I will use them till the day I die."

Sounds heartless, I suppose, but do think people like Tiny need to be locked up in a mental institution. I was told by Village workers that she had turned her life around. Would even laugh about her prior bad behavior, felt bad about it, more of a shaking head in disbelief that she had behaved so badly.

Last time I saw her she also told me about her drug use. During our conversation she cussed me out, and finally told me "Goodbye, get out of here, I am not gonna talk to you." Fine by me.

It is understandable that people on Willow Street, neighbors who oppossed moving the MHA-Village to that location, would not want someone like Tiny in their neighborhood. Hence my reason that she is better institutionalized; can not control her impulses to use drugs.

Do not know of the Safe Haven program's long term success rate. If the issues that led to homelessness are not resolved ~ and that seems an impossible task ~ I think many more graduates will be back on the streets sometime in the future.