Folsom Residents Fed Up With Homeless People Wandering Streets
FOLSOM (CBS13) — Neighbors say their Folsom streets have turned into a homeless hang out, and a ministry meant to help them is not helping.
People are saying they like what a homeless group is doing to help people, but believe they're also attracting a number of people that aren't very welcome.
Patty Anderson showed CBS13 evidence of what she calls an ongoing problem near her Market Street home.
"They leave their stuff, and they get drunk and pass out," she said.
It didn't take us long to find people who identified themselves as homeless. It's a situation that has Patty both frustrated and disgusted with what she's finding left behind.
"Feces and pee, and everything along the back alleyways," she said.
CBS13's cameras caught a man urinating just across the street on the property of Powerhouse Ministries—a nonprofit that assists those in need and does homeless outreach. But the concern is that those homeless just hang around, and even camp out.
Josh Levine, a pastor at Powerhouse, says the organization does everything it can to discourage camping, but the area has long been plagued with transients.
"When we came there was a lot, and there still is a lot," he said. "But many of them have gotten into housing, referrals into a program. Many of them are clean and sober."
Patty says something needs to be done, insisting police aren't doing much.
"All they do is come, talk to them and push them on their way and they're right back," she said.
We spoke with Folsom Police who said they encourage neighbors with concerns to call and an officer will respond, but they admit those calls are at their lowest priority.
