The Myth is that homeless people are older white men with addiction problems. The Reality is that nearly half of homeless people (in Sonoma County – 41%) live with a disability.
The Myth is that homeless people travel from place to place looking for the best deal from local communities. The Reality is that most homeless people (in Sonoma County – 79%) live in the place where they once had a home.
The Myth is that homeless people just want to party and don’t want to be responsible people. The Reality is that most homeless people (in Sonoma County – 71%) are homeless because they can’t afford the rent.
Sonoma County, California. Wine Country, as it’s known to the tourists. Sonoma County: One of the richest counties in the richest country on earth. Sonoma County: Where three thousand people are homeless.
We talk about Sonoma County’s and Santa Rosa’s innovative local-sized attempts to improve the lives of homeless people as they increase enforcement of so-called anti-camping laws and clean up a long-time homeless encampment.
We give you ways you can do something positive for the homeless in your local area as well as examples of inhumane activities you’ll want to stand against.
Guests:
Julie Combs, Santa Rosa City Council Woman. For more about Julie, click here.
John Creager, a member of a local church congregation who worked to bring a sanctioned homeless encampment to church property. John is also a member of Homeless Action!, a local grassroots activist group.
Produced and Hosted by Adrienne Lauby
Statistics from the Sonoma County Homeless Census of 2017.