Letter: There are problems with rampant drug use at local homeless shelter
Dear local leaders,
– My name is Christopher Jones. I am currently a client of ECHO. I am tired of the rampant drug use and abuse of facilities and resources by my fellow clients experiencing homelessness, from people walking into the rooms asking for black and Tina (heroin and methamphetamine), to walking in and seeing roommates performing fellatio (this I kept to myself as I don’t want to out anyone who is not ready), to woman beaters.
I have sent emails and reported as much as I can to staff. I even had to call the cops on one particular occasion. I have had roommates tell me they have MERSA and active blood infections (walking bio-hazards) and are smoking heroin, smoking meth, using fentanyl, and finding bibles with fentanyl hidden within their pages.
Fentanyl is deadly and exposure to this federally regulated substance is widespread at the shelter. I could die and so could other clients. I have nightmares of children walking into a room and stumbling upon fentanyl, or picking up fentanyl dropped by loaded users and digesting it.
We are required to clean the room, what would happen if fentanyl entered our system through exposure? I am sure that if you take a walk with me we will find paraphernalia or foils with residue. If you doubt me take a stroll behind the portable potties at 1134 Black Oak of which I have pictures and videos.
Photo submitted by author.
I don’t understand why when things are reported staff does not call the police. The client gets written up and they are given their contraband and federally regulated substances and told to come back after suspension or to eat. This is only “if” it’s reported. I don’t understand why the cops seem to just drop off active drug users who carry paraphernalia and federally regulated narcotics and opiates right back at the shelter and all they have to do is say I am homeless. I was threatened with bodily harm on ECHO property for reporting drug use and telling my roommate to get their hygiene together as it spreads bacteria, but there was no police report made ever.
I hope I am not missing something. Is there some type of deal we the people don’t know about? Why does the public not know about this? ECHO submits fiscal reports to the governing bodies of the local municipal governing bodies so basically ECHO is funded in part by taxpayers and the generosity of other benefactors, my family included through religious charities. I’ve seen the fiscal report. It’s just numbers and not reasons.
The hope is for the shelter to help those who have fallen on hard times, that is what was sold to the public against heavy opposition from the local community. Instead, it’s a bandaid for big babies who reject the opportunity to develop pertinent life skills and it is used as a sanctuary haven to get high.
People get assigned a room, they go into the bathroom run the water for 2-3 hours, and come out stink and higher than a kite during Easter and barely walking. Why does ECHO not have timers installed in the showers? The city council just raised the water tax percentage, I hope it’s not to cover the cost of ECHO’s mismanagement. If all 10 rooms with three people per room each took a 10-15 minute shower it still would not add up to the gallons of water wasted by one addict trying to mask their drug use.
I’ve read the policies and rules and I guess you can say ECHO has a policy for the prohibition of drug use on the property etc. But actions speak louder than words and those policies fall on deaf ears. What about a zero-tolerance policy as in goodbye for a year with a call to law enforcement?
I have heard from the mouth of fellow clients experiencing homelessness, that they are just here to sleep and get high, this is verbatim. This has to stop immediately. I hope sincerely there is no retaliation because I still need resources, but some of these so-called “care policies” must be looked at with a bigger lens.
Businesses are being broken into and this will start to affect tourism as it is possibly an epidemic. There is one guy who is barely 18 and smokes meth all day, uses fentanyl all day, steals and begs at the McDonalds on Black Oak, and laughs at the police and shelter management because he said he can just say he’s mentally ill, some nonsense about how he is playing the system because they can’t touch him and he lied and just walks into the 90-day program above the next person on the list. This right here disgusts me entirely. Lock him up and have a DA and judge send him to rehab. Save his life.
I’m just divided as I need the resources and I love the staff but I know that when I finally get on my feet I will be leaving the shelter with a bad taste in my mouth as I watch Paso Robles begin to crumble. I wanted to come back and help. Now all I want to do is community organize until ECHO either gets real or leave. It’s especially disgusting when some are assigned a room during a lottery and then leave after getting loaded in the room while another is out in the cold.
Photo submitted by author
I even included some pictures of drugs found one night of which staff was made aware. They choose liars sometimes over the hardworking, and all those liars have to do is cry boo-hoo. It’s petty and a huge under-service and a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Sincerely,
Jamal Christopher Jones
Editor’s note: The author sent this letter to Paso Robles community leaders and ECHO management. We reached out for comment:
“ECHO is a low barrier program that is open to anyone in the community that is seeking services. This includes individuals that may be seeking rehabilitative resources. And even for those that may not be ready to take that step, ECHO becomes a safe place to begin those conversations. We do have a policy that all of our residents sign that does not allow any drugs or alcohol on site or usage on site. If a person is found to be using onsite, an individual is immediately exited with a pause on shelter services.
“Our mission is to help those who are facing homelessness get back into housing. Every resident in our program is working on an individualized housing plan with a case manager and many of those plans include roads to recovery and maintaining one’s sobriety. Our Paso Robles campus is also supported by 24 hour staffing, including two full shifts of overnight coordinators whose role is to support and check-in with all residents and guests during their stay. The safety and well being of those we serve is and always will be a top priority for our organization.
“Due to confidentiality, we can not share any details about specific individuals but we are always open to discussions on our programs, policies and procedures here at ECHO. We are truly grateful to be a service to anyone in our community who are seeking help.”
– Wendy Lewis, president and CEO of ECHO, El Camino Homeless Organization
“The city is looking into this. However, we do not have any direct control over operations or policy regarding whom they provide services.
“Shelters that provide emergency sheltering services regularly serve segments of our community with mental health, drug and alcohol afflictions we know this to be true. They connect clients with services that treat those services with the aim of getting them permanent housing. A visit to the facility would underscore their efforts to help clients beat their addictions.
“If true in context, the accusations of the reporting party are of concern. ECHO is in the best position to clarify its policy and position on ensuring client safety and focus on helping clients become healthy enough to obtain permanent housing.
“Drug-addicted clients likely pose challenges for ECHO on how to balance the provision of emergency services and client safety.”
– Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis
Editor’s note: Opinion pieces and letters to the editor are the personal opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paso Robles Daily News or its staff. We welcome letters from local residents regarding relevant local topics. To submit one, click here.
