I’m trying to make sense of the homeless numbers recently released by Marin County. Big picture, we sank $38.5 million into the problem and saw the problem grow by 8.4%. Not good.
Before the pandemic we had 1,024 homeless people. As of the last count (done in February 2022) we had 1,121 people hunkered down in tents in camps, under roadways and park benches. So, the fart-in-the elevator question is this: If $38.5 million doesn’t stem the tide, what’s it gonna take? A dollar more, or 100 million dollars more?
If we took the $38.5 million, then eliminated the expense of all that we do to fight homelessness, drug addiction and mental illness and added that to to make great big pot of, say, $150 million, couldn’t we just give the 1,121 homeless people in Marin an equal share and call the problem solved?
Of course we can’t because homelessness is more than giving a person a home which begs the question: Are we really on the right track?”
Look, don’t get me wrong, I give the Marin County supervisors credit for one thing: They have a plan and they are sticking to it, despite whitering criticism from cities like Novato and Sausalito who think the county could do more to help individual municipalities cope. That plan, as expressed by the supes, is to permanently end homelessness for as many as possible. They say they are going to do that by transforming the system and providing an increased amount of supportive housing to move people on to a better place.
That’s all well and good. At least it is a plan. And, just to be clear, I’m not saying it’s the wrong plan. Is it reachable?
Look, there’s no indication in the numbers released last week that Marin County is making any dent whatsoever in the goal of transforming the system. And, there doesn’t seem to be any effort to find out how much more money it is going to take to do so.
I believe County HHS Director Benita McLarin when she says “Homelessness is an issue we care deeply about and that is reflected in our on-going and new investments to tackle this complex issue. Our most vulnerable residents are dealing with widening income inequality, high inflation, and a lack of affordable housing, which are continuing to drive individuals and families into homelessness.”
But if she’s right and this is driven by societal problems far bigger than Marin, shouldn’t we at least have a frank discussion about whether we’re kidding ourselves about ending homelessness as we know it?
One thing is certain: You can’t look at the latest numbers and call that measurable progress. Looks like tail-chasin’ to me.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
This week’s quote comes from a SFChron story on a homeless advocate who had to leave the Bay Area because – wait for it – the housing market is too expensive for him to live.
“It’s a beautiful city,” he said about San Francisco. “But it’s fraudulent. We are a fraudulent city.”
The Chron’s story then adds: “ That’s a big charge for a little city, but he has a point. San Francisco and the wider Bay Area pride themselves on being progressive, welcoming, equitable and compassionate, but fail to live up to those ideals.”
(Psssst. Somebody post that in the Marin County Board of Supervisors meeting room.)
CROSSING MY MIND:
A SHORT JOURNEY
– Get Ready: This is the time of year Marin-ers stand on tip-toe looking for smoke on the horizon. It’s been a tough few years on the wildfire front. Marin has been lucky. We’ve put money and much effort into wildfire protection. I can’t think of much else we could do to prepare. Stay lucky, everybody.
– $10 Gasoline: If you have sticker shock at $6 a gallon for gas, stand by. We’re headed to $10 a gallon. We know this because stations are reprogramming pumps to accommodate double-digit pricing.
– Boys And Girls: We’re going to see more natural women shout “unfair” as our national conceit with trangender women in competitions grows. Taylor Silverman, 27, of Michigan has now placed second to transgender athletes in skateboarding. “I am sick of being bullied into silence,” Silverman said on social media. It’s “unfair” and it is costing her prize money in the sport.
ONE MORE THING
– The word “homeowner” has the word “meow” in it. Good luck pronouncing it right again.
– Dear Karma: I have a list of people you may have missed.
— Reptilology Wokeness holds that measuring snakes in feet is rude.
– “Exercise” and “extra fries” sound a lot alike.
– I just watched a documentary on marijuana. All documentaries should be watched that way.
OK, that’s enough. I could go on and on, but it’s gotta end somewhere. So, see you next week. In the meantime, avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.
(“Properly Subversive” is commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Frederick is a long-time journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
I’ll give the Novato city council credit with one caveat. If it hadn’t been for a group of civic minded individuals and business owners constantly pushing the issue of the homelessness encampment at Lee Gerner Park, we’d still be subjected to the scene of garbage and debris that once littered the Novato creekside.