San Mateo’s homeless

Sep 14, 2021
Sep 14, 2021 Updated Apr 13, 2025
8

Editor,

They come out of crevices and corners — gray figures with their bundles and baskets scurrying to the next unknown place of solace.

(8) comments

Lou Sep 14, 2021 10:54am

" Honest discussions are hard to have when self interest is the highest virtue."

So true. A societal hallmark?

edkahl Sep 14, 2021 2:27pm

CA Democrats in power have actually increased the homeless problem. It's mostly a problem with addiction and mental illness that they refuse to address.

Tafhdyd Sep 14, 2021 5:32pm

Mr. Kahl,

Being as you like generalities with no back up information I will give you a couple.

Reagan emptied the mental hospitals and Brown emptied the jails. Neither one is completely true, but you don't care about that anyway.

As for the current problem, what should be done with the homeless? Give them shelter? Help them find work? Get mental health help for them? Put them in jail? All of those things take money. Money you don't seem to care to part with.

Terence Y Sep 14, 2021 7:39pm

Taffy - have you already forgotten about the $31 billion given to criminals via EDD fraud? Or the boondoggle train-to-nowhere sucking up billions of dollars? Who needs Beverly Hills, the Golden Gate Bridge, or Hollywood when you have those CA tourist traps between Madera and Shafter that global visitors must see - so we gotta have that train, right? Supposedly, after all that waste, we still have an $80 billion surplus. Seems to me, we have plenty of billions of dollars to burn on any range of possible solutions, so no more money needs to be parted from us little people. However, you’re free to donate as much as you want to the state of CA. Thank you in advance.

Tafhdyd Sep 14, 2021 11:37pm

Terence,

I have said before, if you don’t like it here I am sure Texas will welcome you. BTW, how are you doing with your bamboo fibers?

Terence Y Sep 15, 2021 12:14pm

Taffy, I’m not surprised that when someone calls your bluff, you fold like a cheap suit. Meanwhile, we see that unlike Americans abandoned behind enemy lines by coward-in-chief Biden, some Afghan refugees have now brought measles into our country. Will we see a measles outbreak? And will Afghans take measles vaccinations? Maybe we can bribe them. It’s not like we want to hold them for ransom, as the Taliban are doing with Americans left behind by treasonous Biden. BTW, how IS your panda diet study going?

craigwiesner Sep 15, 2021 7:29am

While the most visible or noticed of homeless people may have mental illness or substance abuse issues, the majority of homeless people do not and they can be, in fact, and are, helped by programs offered by nonprofits. I've personally seen how programs like Hotel DeZink, a rotating shelter program mostly taking place in churches, can help move a person from homelessness to being housed. By wrapping training, holistic services, and partnerships with businesses, organizations like Life Moves help people make the transition into sustainable housed lives. And, again, with continued and sustained contact with those who do have mental illness or substance abuse issues, some of these folks can also be moved from homelessness to being housed and more healthy.

craigwiesner Sep 14, 2021 2:37pm

Thank you for writing this. Please know that Life Moves, an organization that works with homeless people in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, has outreach people who continuously connect with folks that are on the streets. It can take many many contacts before someone who is homeless accepts help, including access to shelters, but the folks at Life Moves keep on working to help. The San Mateo Police Department also has officers who are trained to work with homeless folks and they coordinate with Life Moves.

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