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Atascadero cleans up encampments, finds housing for two

August 13, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

Multiple agencies have worked for several weeks to clean up and remove homeless encampments at the Highway 101 and Morro Road intersection area because of safety concerns, the city announced last week.

Staff from Atascadero, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol worked together to take down and remove the encampments. Two of the people previously living adjacent to the intersection agreed to move into transitional housing.

“In response to the ever-evolving landscape of homelessness, Atascadero Police Department has developed two teams that work in concert to provide both assistance and services to the unhoused population,” according to a press release. The primary goal is to reduce homelessness within the City of Atascadero and respond to and ultimately lower the need for the number of service calls regarding the unhoused population.”

City staff plans to continue removing and cleaning up encampments while trying to find permanent housing for homeless residents.


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Boomers are always saying; and they got free college for free and could work dead end jobs blue collar and still buy a house 30 years ago, and could buy 50 thousand dollar houses now worth 900k, why don’t homeless work? well 1 in 3 are mentally insane, IE, hallucinating etc, and we know who gutted funding in the 80s. 2, unless your rich and have a car; you can’t go to school. Working full time with minimum wage DOES not afford you rent here, Taft, Bako, the Midwest, Texas, or anywhere. Who makes drugs that Poor people use because life is hopeless; Rich People. Sacklers anyone? Oxy? and joining the military is one; unethical, 2 pays squat. how many Homeless Vets are there who are sick mentally and physically from War trauma killing people on behalf of Corporate war agencies? ever hear Vietnam stories? too bad this isn’t star trek where people value life over greed and money. until we fix greed with nuerolink, well keep having people Hate Poor People such as here. I wonder what it feels like going to bed Hating our fallen brothers sisters mother’s and fathers son’s and daughters who live in squaller. 1/3 of earth is living below poverty, should they just get jobs? or should they all kill the elite who enslave them and kill earth,ike V for Vendetta?


-36

Speaking from experience joining the military and fulfilling your service is great way to take advantage of the benefits it offers outside of the salary. For example you can buy a home without having to have a downpayment. I would not be a home owner if it wasn’t for the VA home loan. Also you can get a free education with your VA benefits or a percentage of the schooling cost deducted depending on how much active duty or years of service you were in. I would not be in the industry I am today if it wasn’t for the educational benefits I received from the military because it paid for my schooling. Lastly you also receive free healthcare benefits after your military service. These benefits have allowed me to be much more successful after my military career versus if I had never joined the military. While the military may not pay alot as a salary if you add in all of the benefits after your service is done its better than alot of other low paying jobs that offer no benefits.


42

I know a lot of veterans with a story like this – public service is a great way to prosperity and fulfillment. However I suspect you would agree that the military is not a path for everyone, certainly for many homeless individuals. A solution for some, not at all a solution to the social ill of homelessness.


0

While I’m sympathetic to some of what you’re saying – wealthy homeowners in SLO are out often of touch with how unaffordable this area is, plus the solution of “move somewhere else” is both impractical and devoid of empathy; many readers, despite their disguise, just hate poor people… However – I’m totally lost with the line “until we fix greed with nuerolink” … Whoa! Hold up, that’s a horribly dystopian, can of worms we don’t want anyone opening (Elon Musk in particular imo). Don’t mix up the goal of uplifting the downtrodden with purging your political opposites, please.


-3

I never said the military was a path for homeless people to take.


2

I never said that you did, in fact I said you probably don’t think it is – putting us in agreement.


1

Not every homeowner is wealthy, some just work hard to save every dime they can to achieve home ownership.


16

True. Hence reason I specified “wealthy homeowners” and also narrowed the claim to “often”. Almost never are groups of people uniform in outlook.


1

Free handouts to people who are too lazy to support themselves only make the problem worse.


45

Duh.


14

We have allowed this to get out of control… people are coming here from all over the country to live on our public streets… beaches… and parks and to and collect generous handouts….


48

Do you not realize there is no housing for them and the majority don’t want to live under the rules of a shelter or home. Unless they have a couple thousand a month to pay the rent or the city pays it and the first and last adds another $,4,000 then it’s not going to happen


34

Its not true that there is no housing for them… there may not be housing for them here but there are areas in the state where housing is more affordable…


20

“Poor people must live somewhere else” is not, in my opinion, the best public policy. Sending people to live in Bakersfield or Stockton is not a solution.


1. It’s a free country (I hope we agree), they can come back. Many people would like to live here and I think that’s a good thing.

2. The people of these areas would not like this policy, if you were a Bakersfieldian would you send them back to SLO, or maybe to Alaska?

3. The obvious solution should be to make more housing here, it’s very easy to do. This will also help the working and middle class who also struggles to live in SLO. I think it’s good when people live and work in the same community, a growing town is a strong town – we don’t want SLO County to be a retirement community for the rich and playpen for LA and SF wealthy.


-19

But wait…. its always been this way… I wanted to live in Beverly Hills but I couldn’t afford to live there… should I be able to move into the park on Sunset Blvd and set up a home?…. I think you are supporting a form of Anarchy where no rules or laws need be obeyed… are you sure you want this?….

Build more homes in SLO county?… with who’s money?… and where?…

You may see a lot of open land here but its privately owned and your future Smash burger is grazing on it….


1

The 9th Circuit requirement for clearing encampments is the provision of “zero barrier” housing, meaning open drug and alcohol use often combined with untreated mental illness. I don’t think ECHO, or any other agency, is able to manage that.


32

The homeless get $914 a month from social security “disability” benefits. The County is less transparent, but I hear it’s another $400 plus full medical and dental coverage. I can camp, drink. and get high on $1,300/mo no problem. Why change?


44

.

obispan,


Would it be possible this time for you to actually support your assertions where the homeless on SS Disability get $914.00 per month, plus $400.00 full medical and dental coverage?


Cite your factual references, otherwise, like before in the SLO Safe Parking Program thread, you present nothing but unverified gossip.


2