The 1:30 p.m. meeting at the Tulare County Sheriff's Department, 2404 W. Burrel, Visalia, will bring together social service providers, law enforcement and public officials to find alternative housing for those camped out along the banks of the Saint Johns River, west of Ben Maddox.
Late Monday, it was reported that the property owner had decided to not only let the tents stay, but that she may provide electricity, water and porta potties.
City officials have become concerned about the camp, with Mayor Jesus Gamboa suggesting two weeks ago that the city provide water and portable toilets. That motion before the city council was defeated by a 4-1 vote, with those against it pointing out the encampment is outside of the city limits. By some estimates, the camp has around 100 people living there. Tents and makeshift tents are spread out over several hundred yards.
“The reason for the meeting is that we had complaints,” said Capt. Dave Williams of the Tulare County Sheriff's Department Patrol Division. “We've contacted all the property owners and they said they don't want them on the property.”
This kind of civic partnership to deal with a local homeless issue may be among the first of its kind. “I haven't seen other cities do anything like this,” Williams said. “I looked on the Internet and haven't found anything like this.
“The philosophy of policing has changed a lot,” he added. “We're more focused on developing partnerships rather than pushing the problem into other areas.”
“We're willing to be part of the committee,” said Jessica Van Ginkel, public relations manager at Visalia Rescue Mission, which serves an average of 550 meals a day, every day of the year. “We're here to help and we want to be part of the solution.
“We have beds available,” she added. “There is no reason they have to be at the (homeless) community.”
Van Ginkel said that a lot of people from the community come in for meals, but explained that there are two main reasons they choose not to stay overnight. “They have to be free from drugs and alcohol, and we separate the men and women.” She added that the Visalia Rescue Mission offers a program to help people overcome their dependence on alcohol and drugs.
“I think we should be part of the solution, and be part of the team,” said Gamboa. “There's a portion of CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) that allows for dealing with the homeless issue.
“If we evict them, where do you think they're going to go?” he asked. “They're going to come to Visalia.”
According to Mark McPhee of HomeLand Missions, one of the property owners in the area, after seeing the encampment, is now willing to allow people to camp on her property.
“When she saw with her own two eyes and saw the ministry – the people and those who were there helping these people – God changed her heart about them leaving,” he reported in an email. “She then went and got her children and grandchildren and took them down there and said, 'This is all your inheritance and you make sure to take care of these people!'”
He added that the woman plans to provide electricity, running water, a trash dumpster and portable toilets at the site.
If that is true, the legal issue would shift from trespassing to code compliance, with officials looking at violations such as substandard housing and insufficient utilities, according to Williams.
Some of those at today's meeting don't believe that all of the people will want to leave the homeless community, no matter what solutions are found. “A lot of people are not relocatable because there are a lot of issues,” Gamboa said.
