Letter: Stop seizing homeless people’s belongings
To the editor,
– We’d like to publicly ask the San Luis Obispo City Council and the San Luis Obispo Police Department to cease and desist in their illegal confiscation of homeless people’s worldly possessions – their sleeping bags, tents, and clothing. Many of these items are purchased by Hope’s Village. This, in effect, is theft from a nonprofit. Our many requests go unanswered.
We’d like the SLOPD to stop banging on people’s doors at 2 a.m. and stop harassing and discriminating against them about parking on public streets since there was no plan in place when they were forced out of Oklahoma Avenue “Safe Parking.” They do not harass people who park overnight in their expensive RVs on public streets.
The community is told that all homeless people can go to Prado – this is not true. Prado does the best it can, but there are 400+ homeless people on their waitlist. The warming center will not open until the weather is 38 degrees or less, with a 50% chance of rain. Nights in SLO lately have been in the low 40s, and homeless people are dying of hypothermia. Please let your city hall know your thoughts.
PS: The same goes for Atascadero and Paso – please stop taking people’s worldly belongings.
Becky Jorgeson, Templeton resident
Hope’s Village of SLO
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