pluera

Took our teenage daughters to the redwood National Park and northern CA coast...enjoyed the hiking and beautiful scenery. However, made the mistake of staying in Eurekas historic Old Town....number of homeless out numbered the tourists....hanging out on most corners and rummaging through the garbage every night. Will not be back.

janisj

welcome to Fodors . . . Too bad you didn't join Fodors before your trip. We could have suggested better areas to stay . . .

happytrailstoyou

There is slim pickings in California's far north, and Eureka can be a disappointment. We don't like any of the places we have stayed there in the past. We usually drive on to the Best Western in Garberville. However, a Holiday Inn Express has opened in Eureka recently, and that is where we will stay the next time Eureka is a convenient place to stop on our way south.

HTtY

Vicky

I really wonder why something cannot be done to help these people and keep them off the street. For cities to ignore the human misery when there are resources, or could be, really bothers me. I saw some in NY. A few in Stockholm. It upsets me and I really feel that I dont' want to spend big bucks for a vacation and get upset and cities that depend on tourism should find ways to make their towns attractive to visit. I've often though that closed military bases would make good housing/education/training for homeless, those on assistance or public housing, get them out of their current environment and have everything in one place - housing, school, meals, education/training...

I get that people have freedom. But there used to be loitering laws and they could be used to 'encourage' people to accept help. Everyone deserves to be warm, fed, clothed and housed regardless of their issues.

clarkgriswold

"have them all in one place"

Los Angeles has skid row. We all can see how great that's working. With the largest homeless population in the nation, L.A. has spent gamillions trying to "help", 90% of the money just goes for police & fire problems.

janisj

>>I really wonder why something cannot be done to help these people and keep them off the street.

sf7307

I imagine you'd want to avoid San Francisco (the homeless situation has gotten decidedly worse over the last few years. This is a link to a picture I took Sunday morning).

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://s14.photobucket.com/user/dmlove51/embed/slideshow/"></iframe>

sf7307

Further to Janis' point, it's very difficult to provide enough services to serve all of the homeless in San Francisco, and even if you could, many if not most are not willing to go to shelters. Every day there's a woman who sits against a tree outside an office building downtown near my DH's office - with her daughter, about 4 years old - the entire day. She reads to the girl, talks to her, etc., but why is she on the street all day, and with a 4-year old to boot? Because no one can get her to a shelter, and I've personally seen them give it their best shot. (I personally do not understand why the daughter hasn't been taken into child protective services, but that's another matter).

SAB

Why can't something be done about the homeless? I question I have heard for over 35 years living in San Francisco, from recent arrivals, long term residents, visitors and tourists. A very simple question with no simple answer.

Vicky

I am not niave. I work in a city and soon after coming to work here, walking from my parking lot I noticed a middle-aged to older woman with a tarp on the sidewalk. i wrote to the Mayor's office and received a letter back that they knew her well, she would not accept help; the ACLU would file a lawsuit if they tried to remove her.

Fast forward and I work in a different office and the woman has now moved to a sidewalk downtown - minus the tarp. Now she has her hair cut, wears make up, and ties plastic flowers appropriate to the season to her shopping cart. She sits on a beach chair and reads or does crosswords. One winter a co worker became very worried about her so again I used all my social services knowledge and contacted multiple agency heads. Again they were well aware of her and told me that they have social workers who check in on her. I still think someone should obtain guardianship and make decisions for her and some of these people who aren't in a condition to do what is in their best interst for their health and safety.

I enountered another younger man, very unkempt, long hair, sleeping in a doorway in winter in a garbage bag. I gave him a a warm coat that was my brother's, a gym bag with socks, food, a little money and the address of the Mission. And I contactted all my sources about him.

NewbE

I think you don't, because in the next breath you suggest loitering laws, imposed guardianship, and rounding people up and forcing them onto military bases--for their own good, of course.

The things you propose doing have been found to be unconstitutional over and over again.

I think that the the things you have done--contacted social services, given food, money and clothing personally--are very kind.

Large scale solutions to homelessness simply do not exist; this is an opinion I've come to after many years of volunteering and thinking and reading and observing. I would be happy to be proven wrong on this.