Residents To Get Temporary Homes After Longtime Homeless Camp Evicted
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – After the city and a few dozen organizations heard that a longtime transient camp in West Sacramento would be uprooted, they stepped up to help get the homeless into a home just in time for the holidays.
Army veteran Steve Kruse is homeless. He and his 3-year-old pit bull "Casanova" – along with 70 others – have called this tree-lined, waterfront overlook home for nearly two decades.
"It's beautiful, it's lovely; it's horrible, it's nasty. It's all those wrapped up into one," Kruse said.
Even though it doesn't have four walls, a roof or running water, it's all he and this homeless community have known for years.
But, after the new developer had the homeless residents evicted, the City of West Sacramento, the Yolo County Housing Authority and a few other groups created a pilot program called "Bridge to Housing" to ensure they have somewhere safe to go.
"Into a hotel on West Capitol Avenue for the next three to four months, and then our hope is to get them permanent supportive housing," said Karen Larsen with Yolo County Health and Mental Services.
The 71 residents – and their 47 dogs and 22 cats – will be escorted to their new, individual residences at the Old Town Inn motel about a mile away.
But before they can hang their hat in their new homes, they have to get processed and checked in at base camp.
"Today we're basically doing health screenings, mental health screenings. They're going to do animal health services, get rabies vaccinations, those kinds of things," Larsen said. "And then legal services if they have unresolved legal matters."
Homeless camp members like Carina Mesa, who also manages to hold down a job, couldn't believe the good news.
"Skeptical. At first I didn't want to believe it because sometimes things like that just doesn't happen," Mesa said.
But the hopes of having a roof over her head, access to medical programs and job placement assistance is proving to be a reality.
"There's hope, somebody out there to help," Mesa said.
The hope is once they finish the three month program they go on to find a permanent place to call home.