Community Corner

Local Nurse Makes Poignant Plea on Homeless 'Tent-City' Sanctuary to Santa Cruz City Officials

"They need a place where they aren't marginalized and can learn to be brought into the community. We are lying to ourselves if we think simply not doing anything is a solution."


Written by 
Summer Vanslager:

Dear Santa Cruz City Council Members,


I realize you met on the Tuesday past re: the proposal of Santa Cruz Sanctuary Village.  I hope I am not too late in voicing my concerns.

I have been to multiple informational meetings on this proposal and have seen people's concerns in the blogosphere.  I am a nurse at Dominican Hospital and can tell you that what we are currently doing with the homeless population is NOT working.  

These people need to have a roof over their heads, they need a place to put their belongings and rest.  Everyone needs a place to heal when their bodies are depleted.  We ALL need that space.  

They need a place where they aren't marginalized and can learn to be brought into the community.  We are lying to ourselves if we think simply not doing anything is a solution.

I've seen the many complaints and concerns.  

  • "This will bring more people into our community looking for services."
  • "They will all be hanging out together rowdy."
  • "Who wants to live in that neighborhood?"
. . .  Honestly I would.  

Any place where a group of people can be empowered to take care of themselves can't be all bad  -- or even bad at all.
  
People come to our community, anyway -- it's great weather for being homeless.
But there are transients everywhere.  

It's small-minded of us to think this is a Santa Cruz problem.  The problem we face here is what to do with the massive amount of homeless people here.  We need to do something different, this plan IS tangible.

As I've already stated, I have seen the proposal. It has a no tolerance policy on bad behavior; drinking, drugs, disrespect of another resident and keeping the outside neighborhood clean.  There is even a built in area for residents to "cool off" if being disruptive.  

We ALL have those days.  We are ALL HUMAN.  This plan allows for that and is self correcting in that way.
  
The majority of the people speaking out about the Sanctuary have many misconceptions about what it is and have working memories of tent cities that didn't work.  

Many people just have a bias against homeless people all together. How fortunate they all are to not have to consider the possibility.
 
I'm a nurse.  I get paid well.  I'm approximately three pay periods away from being homeless were I to lose my job. That's reality. That's a reality many possibly haven't considered.
  
Allowing this village and seeing it progress would be the most sane thing at this juncture.  All concerns are speculations, positive or negative.  The village is designed to move every three months.  

No one neighborhood has to "put up" with it for long, but many neighborhoods may be pleasantly surprised at the possibilities it provides for the community as a whole.  

What a blessing to us all to be able to provide this space and see people given an opportunity where once they had none.  What a learning experience for us all.  
Please, please consider the proposal from Brent and his Santa Cruz Sanctuary Village.  Brent won't allow this to fail.  The people involved, the volunteers, the homeless population, who will create their own possibilities, won't allow this to fail.

Sincerely,
Summer Vanslager

Previous:

Homeless Sanctuary Crusaders Plan To 'Set Record Straight' at City Council Meeting.

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