Fresno Homeless Moved into Tool Sheds

Fresno Homeless Moved into Tool Sheds
By Mike Rhodes

I took some pictures at the Poverello House’s "Village of Hope" today. I had heard that the Poverello House upgraded the tents that sat on pallets and replaced them with tool sheds. It is my understanding that each tool shed will house several people each night. At 8 AM everyone has to leave and they can’t return to their "home" until 5 or 6 PM at night. The facility is closely monitored and there is no alcohol or drugs permitted.

The only other homeless shelter in this community with any capacity is the Rescue Mission that takes in over 100 men each night. It looks like the new Village of Hope will be able to accommodate about another 100 people. With Naomi House taking in a handful of women and an apartment across the street from the Rescue Mission taking in a few families, it still leaves the thousands of homeless people in this community without much of anywhere to go. The latest figures say there are about 16,000 homeless people in Fresno County. Since the City of Fresno has made it illegal to sleep on the street, they have effectively criminalized well over 10,000 Fresnan’s for simply being to poor to afford housing.

I really did not want to go on a rant about the homeless situation in Fresno. I just wanted to show you the photos from the Village of Hope. I think they tell the story. But, if you are looking for some background information about the homeless situation in Fresno, you might be interested in these previous articles I have written:

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/07/1687782.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/05/1681395.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/05/1679825.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/03/1675585.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/02/1670574.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/02/1670555.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/02/1669522.php

http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/01/1669224.php