We can’t ignore the homeless after Camp Hope closes

Tuolumne County officials have led the community to believe that they have found places for the homeless to dwell. As usual, their fix is just another Band-aid.

Yes, there are homeless people in the Project Roomkey program. But when the funding for that runs out, the few that are housed in hotel rooms will still be searching for a place to pitch a tent.

Not only is Project Roomkey temporary housing, it serves about 5% of the nearly 1,000 people we have in Tuolumne County who are homeless.

Many of the people that left Camp Hope went back to the same location where Give Someone a Chance found them. No place to “pee” or “poop,” find water to drink, and no dumpster to put their trash in.

I ask myself, “What would Jesus do?” He loves us unconditionally.

Most of our community knows that over 50% of the homeless population suffers from mental health issues. Should we hold them responsible for being homeless, or should we stand up and be a voice for them? If we provided a place for those who have mental illness, we would take care of over 50% of the homeless problem, as opposed to the 5% we are helping temporarily.

We need our local government to take a stand and work with the state and federal government to address these issues for a more permanent solution.

Every time an “affordable housing” proposal is submitted, our county seems to find a way to prevent it from happening. It is little known that the average disability check is $950 per month. How do the disabled find a place to live when the cheapest studio apartment is $970 per month, and they are few and far between?

Common sense says that if all of your check goes for rent, how are you supposed to eat, pay utility bills, obtain transportation, pay for medical expenses, etc…? Do you think that you could survive the drought and severe life-threatening heat and cold that the homeless endure year after year?

I have been homeless, so you can bet I will take a stand on their behalf.

On our Statue of Liberty, it states, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Let's stand up, Tuolumne County.

Hazel Mitchell and her husband, Dick Mitchell, live in Jamestown and are the founders of the nonprofit organization Give Someone a Chance that's devoted to helping Tuolumne County's homeless population meet basic needs, such as food, water, clothing, transportation, hygiene, and case management.