A place to call home

Tents, wooden pallets, mattresses and even makeshift gates have been pieced together to form what the encampment’s residents say is some semblance of a home they call their own. With the region’s steep housing prices out of reach for many who’ve lived on the coast for years, as well as others who are just passing through, the encampment has been a known spot for the homeless on the coastside.

“I like it here because we have our own place,” said Michael Zajec, whose locks tucked behind a baseball cap earn him the nickname Red.

A lifelong coastsider in his 50s, Zajec has been living at the encampment for the last eight months where he’s set up a large tent atop a pallet in which he and his girlfriend sleep.

But as winter sank in, Zajec said he’s more motivated than ever to find more traditional accommodations as his girlfriend has health problems.

“I would like to be indoors,” Zajec said. “But not a shelter. Even if it was just a studio apartment, as long as it was just her and I.”

A collection of city staff, county social service agencies, local faith leaders and nonprofit representatives is trying to find ways to relocate this diverse group of people. While substance abuse and mental health issues are factors deterring some from seeking help, others indicated they simply preferred living by their own rules. Many chose the outdoors if it means they have some sense of independence.

But it’s a diverse group and several of them even hold jobs but can’t afford the area’s high cost of living, said Bob Stebbins, leader of the Coastside Homeless Collaborative. Stebbins is working to help those at the encampment with the transition. With a dire lack of affordable units on the coast, he hopes to work with government officials to identify land or properties that can house the homeless.

Currently, there are about 43 homeless people on the coast, according to the most recent data collected during the national one-day count. While rapid rehousing of the newly roofless is an effective method to get and keep people off the street, many of those living at the encampment tend to be chronically homeless, he said.

“One size does not fit all,” Stebbins said, noting some that have medical or psychological conditions tend to be less receptive to help initially. “The first time you try to engage with them may not work, or the second time. It may take five times, so you need to have patience. But we recognize this and we’re spending a lot of time trying to educate people [about available services].”

The county and nonprofits are typically responsible for offering social services so Half Moon Bay has begun to work more closely to bring an influx of assistance to those at the encampment, said Assistant City Manager Matthew Chidester. While mindful of the sensitivity of the situation, he noted the community has raised concerns about safety and the environment.

The encampment behind the Strawflower Village Shopping Center at the juncture of Highway 1 and State Route 92 abuts the Pilarcitos Creek. A conservation easement lines the creek and annual reports have pointed to the encampment as a source of major environmental degradation, Chidester explained.

“The community is concerned about the health and safety of the people that are living in these encampments for a variety of reasons; they’re also concerned about the health and safety of the community. There’s fire risks that take place out there, there’s been some violence incidents here, so the community’s concerned about themselves and the residents and, on top of that, there’s the environmental concerns,” Chidester said.

Last year, the City Council prioritized cleanup of the site and in December it approved a plan to remove the encampment by March. Several notices are to be provided throughout the 90 days before a hired environmental group clears out, cleans up and restores the site. Then, ongoing maintenance and enforcement to keep people from dwelling will begin, according to a city report.

During that time, Stebbins said they are attempting to bring more intensive services to the coast. Resources include the Homeless Outreach Team, a multi-disciplinary collaboration steered by the nonprofit LifeMoves; Coastside Hope and Abundant Grace, which are affiliated with local churches and faith groups; and the county has a medical clinic nearby.

Homeless coastsider Michael Taylor has used some of the community-based services over the years. The 55-year-old said frequents the encampment behind Safeway but lives on his own further east.

“This community is so giving,” Taylor said. “The community and churches are just way way cool.”

But one service many of the homeless on the coastside seemed apprehensive to seek is a night at a shelter over the hill. Zajec and others living at the encampment said they preferred to live outdoors rather than stay at a facility that is equated with a lack of privacy, curfews and the potential for their things to be stolen.

Some like Zajec prefer things at the encampment to be quiet, peaceful and for the residents to abide by unspoken rules of not causing a disturbance. There’s also momentum by some to clean up and a dumpster placed nearby was quickly filled in a show they take pride in their encampment, according to Zajec and others.

Residents of the encampment have come and gone over the years, although exactly when it started wasn’t clear. Some of the residents are just passing through from out of state or other areas, but others have chosen to live in the brush near the creek for quite some time.

But the city is now poised to remove the encampment the dozen or so people call home.

“We want to be compassionate and work with these folks, these are folks, some of them are from the community, others have come here later in their lives, but they live here and feel like the coastside is their home,” Chidester said. “Just like any other resident of the city, we want to make sure we’re working with them to have the best quality of life.”

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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Twitter: @samantha_weigel