Whittier's Homeless City - A New City in the City of Whittier
I drive down from Eastern Avenue to Colima on Whittier Boulevard two times a day, four times a week to school and back. I have always known Whittier as a warm, loving and rightfully prideful small city. Whittier takes pride in preserving important landmarks, staying clean, and supporting important institutions which make Whittier such a lovely place.
Coming back to school at the end of January after winter break, I noticed some tents in the industrial area of Whittier that were popped up in the grass island between Penn and Washington.
Tents of many sizes and colors painted the grass strip with an odd-looking arrangement of camping materials, making it unsightly and out of place.
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| Tent on Whittier Blvd. and Mar Vista |
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| Tents on Whittier Blvd. across from Alexander Auto Sales |
When I worked as a volunteer at Whittier First Day, some of the clients' friends would often try to hang around the building but I assumed they were almost always encouraged to stay elsewhere as there were no permanent camps set up in Fall 2017 or most of 2018 that I am aware of.
These tents are here today because of a new federal law that states sleeping is a basic human need, despite Whittier's previous anti-camping laws. As far as I know, these tents are here to stay.
LYNNE: "It kinda sucks that these people have to live in this way, but its better than them being under a bridge or off the side of the freeway or in a ditch somewhere. Its better to be in the city to have access to ... clean water, sanitation, toilets, food, shelter . "
ME: "What is your opinion on them camping and living in front of the homeless shelter?"
LYNNE: "It is ironic. Them being so close gives them more opportunity to use the resources that are right in front of them."
ME: "How do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
LYNNE: "Anyone would be a little embarrassed to be so out there with all the people that go through that area every day, but they almost have no choice because they normally don't have anywhere else to go, and the ones that aren't taking advantage of the shelter that is across from there probably have some issues that need to be dealt with. In a sense, they could be too comfortable. Some have been there for years, but I'm concerned about their mental health because some I've seen some mentally unstable homeless people."
ME: "What do you think about the safety of those people in the tents, being so close to a street that often has traffic of up to 60mph most days?"
LYNNE: "It's the drivers' responsibility to drive safely. If that isn't working, then perhaps we should have more police in the area. That could also prevent theft and vandalism committed to the homeless in that area."
MARY: "It sucks to be homeless. A lot of people don't choose to be homeless, so having that option to have somewhere to stay that is relatively safe is a nice thing."
ME: "As a couch surfer, how do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
MARY: "They probably don't prefer in being that much of a public eye but there's very little what you can do when you have no money and nowhere to go when shelters are full that is more private, not in the middle of the street."
ME: "How do you feel about their safety? People speed on that street often. The speed limit is 45mph."
MARY: "People shouldn't be speeding, or more police should regulate the streets. Yes, they shouldn't be there however they're still human beings and they deserve to have the laws respected for safety. Everyone's safety, not just them. There's probably nowhere else for them to go to be any safer."
NICOLE: "They don't have anywhere else to go. Every homeless shelter is full. Where are they supposed to go?"
ME: "How do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
NICOLE: "It's concerning because they're in an area where their health is at risk because of traffic. But they really don't have anywhere else to go, so they're stuck. It's a catch 22."
ME: "How do you feel about the safety of these people being near this busy street?"
NICOLE: "They're adults. I'm fairly certain that they're capable of being as safe as they can. So i'm not overly concerned about them being safe, I'm overly concerned about reckless drivers plowing through. I can't say I've never sped, so I can't really judge the people who do. I think they should have more police presence there until they can find a solution for the homeless issue that everyone can live with."
ME: " How do you feel about the fact that they are in front of the homeless shelter?"
NICOLE: "I think it's great because there's a taboo with being homeless, and they won't allow enough shelters to be built in their neighborhoods, especially upper class even though there's a huge problem with homelessness. It's almost an unconscious jab at that taboo. 'We're just gonna sleep out front. You don't have room for us.' I also think its very sad."
LENA: "In my honest opinion, I think its horrible. There is no protection for those people that are sleeping next to an extremely busy street. There are no adequate toileting or showering facilities on the greenbelt. It's very unsightly. There's trash and junk everywhere in that area. There is a real risk for public health with diseases due to poor sanitation and possible communicable diseases that might easily spread throughout that population and onto that population in general."
ME: "What do you think about them being in that general area?"
LENA: "I don't think they should be in such a public area."
ME: "How do you feel about their safety being so close to this busy street?"
LENA: "It's a very real hazard. There's no barrier between the street and the people that are camped there."
ME: "How do you feel about the fact that they are right in front of a homeless shelter?"
LENA: "I think 90% of the people camped out there aren't eligible to be a part of that shelter. It's a testament to the fact that a large percentage of the people camped out on the greenbelt are ineligible to stay at the homeless shelter due to the fact that many of them are on drugs or are convicted of offenses. I also think that many of them are not willing to abide by the rules of the shelter. They would rather sleep outside and live off the kindness of others."
Some of the Homeless Living on the Greenbelt
Whittier First Day Coalition
The City of Whittier Website
The Interviews
I interviewed four individuals from Whittier concerning the homeless' tents in the greenbelt, informing them on the federal law put into effect in November 2018 and how quickly the tents popped up over these several months.Lynne
My first interviewee is a woman named Lynne. She declined her opportunity to take a photo.LYNNE: "It kinda sucks that these people have to live in this way, but its better than them being under a bridge or off the side of the freeway or in a ditch somewhere. Its better to be in the city to have access to ... clean water, sanitation, toilets, food, shelter . "
ME: "What is your opinion on them camping and living in front of the homeless shelter?"
LYNNE: "It is ironic. Them being so close gives them more opportunity to use the resources that are right in front of them."
ME: "How do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
LYNNE: "Anyone would be a little embarrassed to be so out there with all the people that go through that area every day, but they almost have no choice because they normally don't have anywhere else to go, and the ones that aren't taking advantage of the shelter that is across from there probably have some issues that need to be dealt with. In a sense, they could be too comfortable. Some have been there for years, but I'm concerned about their mental health because some I've seen some mentally unstable homeless people."
ME: "What do you think about the safety of those people in the tents, being so close to a street that often has traffic of up to 60mph most days?"
LYNNE: "It's the drivers' responsibility to drive safely. If that isn't working, then perhaps we should have more police in the area. That could also prevent theft and vandalism committed to the homeless in that area."
Mary
My second interview was with a woman named Mary who is homeless in the Whittier area. She did not want her picture online.MARY: "It sucks to be homeless. A lot of people don't choose to be homeless, so having that option to have somewhere to stay that is relatively safe is a nice thing."
ME: "As a couch surfer, how do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
MARY: "They probably don't prefer in being that much of a public eye but there's very little what you can do when you have no money and nowhere to go when shelters are full that is more private, not in the middle of the street."
ME: "How do you feel about their safety? People speed on that street often. The speed limit is 45mph."
MARY: "People shouldn't be speeding, or more police should regulate the streets. Yes, they shouldn't be there however they're still human beings and they deserve to have the laws respected for safety. Everyone's safety, not just them. There's probably nowhere else for them to go to be any safer."
Nicole
I interviewed Nicole Grimme is a 40 year old Irish American dual citizen who describes herself as partially homeless and was fully homeless previously, living in the streets.NICOLE: "They don't have anywhere else to go. Every homeless shelter is full. Where are they supposed to go?"
ME: "How do you feel about them being in such a public area?"
NICOLE: "It's concerning because they're in an area where their health is at risk because of traffic. But they really don't have anywhere else to go, so they're stuck. It's a catch 22."
ME: "How do you feel about the safety of these people being near this busy street?"
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| Nicole Grimme |
ME: " How do you feel about the fact that they are in front of the homeless shelter?"
NICOLE: "I think it's great because there's a taboo with being homeless, and they won't allow enough shelters to be built in their neighborhoods, especially upper class even though there's a huge problem with homelessness. It's almost an unconscious jab at that taboo. 'We're just gonna sleep out front. You don't have room for us.' I also think its very sad."
Lena
Lena owns a home in Whittier, is self employed single mother. She had somewhat of a negative opinion about this situation. |
| Large amounts of trash outside one of the tents (to the right). |
ME: "What do you think about them being in that general area?"
LENA: "I don't think they should be in such a public area."
ME: "How do you feel about their safety being so close to this busy street?"
LENA: "It's a very real hazard. There's no barrier between the street and the people that are camped there."
ME: "How do you feel about the fact that they are right in front of a homeless shelter?"
LENA: "I think 90% of the people camped out there aren't eligible to be a part of that shelter. It's a testament to the fact that a large percentage of the people camped out on the greenbelt are ineligible to stay at the homeless shelter due to the fact that many of them are on drugs or are convicted of offenses. I also think that many of them are not willing to abide by the rules of the shelter. They would rather sleep outside and live off the kindness of others."
Here's What Citizens on Facebook Had to Say
My Thoughts
I am very thankful for my interviewees' honest opinions and the solutions they offered. Going into this issue I tried to have no opinion until I heard and read up on it.
I think having a place to sleep is a human essential that should not and can not be taken away from somebody and I am glad the federal law sets tat example for the public. I don't think the tent city in that area on a busy street is ideal because of the unsightliness it brings. The first time I saw those tents I was very distracted because it caught me off guard. I could imagine a driver possibly causing a crash because of the tents.
I agree with Nicole on her opinion that it seems most upper class citizens in the Whittier Uptown area do not want any homeless shelters. I remember my parents often telling me that it was upsetting that so many homeless people are starting to move into the Whittier area because they were being "herded" over in this area away from other cities that did not want them in their streets. I think it's a blatantly dumb thing to do when it comes to human beings; they should not be treated like pests. There is room for improvement when it comes to how we deal with the homeless, especially when working with the chronically homeless.
More Information
Federal Sleeping Citation LawSome of the Homeless Living on the Greenbelt
Whittier First Day Coalition
The City of Whittier Website
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