THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS PERSONS DROPS IN VENTURA COUNTY

By Debbie Bulloch



The continuing existence of a significant population of homeless men, women and children is America’s “dirty secret.” It is nothing less than criminal that a rich and powerful country such as the United States cannot, or will not, provide shelter for all of its homeless citizens.

The continuing recession (when do we stop calling it a recession and call it what it is, a depression) has forced many “average” American families into the streets. In spite of the current Administration’s rosy estimates about a “summer of recovery” the fact remains that there are still far too many men and women out of work. These families are just one paycheck away from sleeping on the streets.

Among all the bad news, however, there is a small ray of sunshine – Ventura County sunshine!

A recent report indicates that homeless counts in Ventura County have dropped 17% this past winter, a success that local officials attribute to more low-cost housing opening up and better coordination of services in cities.

According to a report from the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition, social workers found 1,815 people living on the streets on the night of Jan. 26, 2010. That is a 17% decrease from 2009 for homeless individuals. The total number of homeless families dropped 25%.

Reductions were consistent in Oxnard, Ventura, Simi Valley and other cities with significant homeless populations, said coalition director Cathy Brudnicki.

The drop comes at a time when local unemployment still hovers at around 11% and it shows that local governments can make a significant dent in a chronic problem when they work together. In the last year, housing for homeless and poor families opened in Oxnard and Ventura. A Simi Valley advocacy group was able to find stable shelter for 93 people.

The reduction in the homeless population in Ventura County underscores the power of local government to effectively deal with problems such as homelessness. At a time when more Americans are looking to the bureaucrats in the Federal government for quick fixes to our current problems, real solutions are most often found when local government officials band together and take action.

In the midst of the success of local agencies in finding shelter for Ventura’s homeless population, comes a documentary film, by a local artist, that speaks directly to this issue.

Without Shelter is a documentary film that highlights the organizations in Ventura County that are working to alleviate the daily challenges that face Ventura’s homeless population. The film, as seen through the eyes of individuals living on the streets, depicts the struggles of the men and women who live without shelter.

WITHOUT SHELTER – Scenes from the documentary

Without Shelter Opening 2 from Rich Brimer on Vimeo.

WITHOUT SHELTER – Commentary by the director Rich Brimer

Without Shelter Introduction from Rich Brimer on Vimeo.

WITHOUT SHELTER – Official trailer

Without Shelter Trailer from Rich Brimer on Vimeo.

For more information about the documentary and its director, Richard Brimer, and to learns about ways in which you can help, please click the link below:

Without Shelter

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have been following this blog, you may have noticed that there are far fewer posts than in past months. Writing a blog takes effort and lots of time. For the last couple of months I have been spending more time riding my bike and less time writing. Also, the fact that my daughter is home from college, means that I now spend more time being a mommy and less time being a writer.

If you have missed my articles, poems, and photographs, then I promise you, there will be more coming in the next few weeks. If you have hardly missed my “absence” from these pages, then nothing much has been lost.

Either way, please stay tuned!

Thanks for reading.