Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Inside The Redding California Homeless Crisis



Several articles have come out recently about our local homeless crisis featuring the investigative reporting skills of independent journalist Evelyn Nieves. You can hear and read her interview here at  What Redding's Response to Homelessness Says About a Statewide Crisis at the San Francisco Public Press.

“This population has always existed, what hasn’t existed was the kind of street homelessness we see now. Why is that? Money...Stories about homelessness never bring up the fact that federal funding has dropped.”




Evelyn Nieves has covered homelessness extensively and has been reporting in depth on Redding’ response to homelessness, and how it parallels trends around the region and the state. Redding Coalition for the Homeless director Chris Solberg had the pleasure of meeting Evelyn and spending much of the day with her and the local homeless population at the Shasta County library. “There is a dynamic of hatred,” said Solberg, who has posted scores of videos on YouTube documenting the city’s responses, from police encounters with homeless people to the caging of park benches.You can read her most recent in depth article here, Redding’s Homeless Ride a Wave of Very Tough Love."  California Gov. Gavin Newsom calls homelessness an emergency akin to a major earthquake, but his proposals do not prevent cities from sweeping people off the streets."






"Security guards would kick them off the library lawn at dusk. South City Park next door, once a refuge, sat behind iron gates. So did the alcoves of the businesses across the street. Even the tunnel under a nearby road, a creepy crawl space that always offered a last resort, was cut off: An elaborate metal barrier, almost sculptural, criss-crossed its length, blocking access."







1 comment:

Tani Kelley said...

Thank you for helping us get our problem heard. With literally over 3000 homeless veterans in Shasta county that doesn't count the civilian population. The veterans hide because we can get jail time for defending ourselves. We are here defending our people that got lost in the system. Unfortunately now my boyfriend (army veteran) and myself (Navy veteran) are in danger though not sure what kind or where from. The district attorney will not return our calls. Again thank you for getting our story out.