CW Nevius gets played like a piano
read the comments too. A whole lot of people feel the same way
one example from page 15 Stuff gets stolen in shelters. Like ALL YOUR STUFF will be stolen, unless you sleep with it, and maybe even then. Or so the homeless (like loverboy) tell me. Naturally the folks who run the shelters, like this guy quoted in the article, are going to say how wonderful and safe they are, because if they admitted what was really going on they’d be exposed as incompetent. I notice that the reporter was given a “tour” in the daytime. I further notice that neither the shelter manager nor the reporter are going to sleep there. Don’t write any more articles; get someone who actually stays in the shelter to write about it.
or page 20 sfhomeless wrote:
San Franciscans, let’s be very clear here about a few things. 1. CW Nevius is NOT an objective journalist. He’s a biased columnist. So, he is going to write to generates sales. He’s not known as a investigative journalist. Keep that in mind as you read his opinions, not proven facts. 2. The Shelters he visited with Trent Rohrer were advance notice visits. Meaning shelter management had advanced notice of the visit ( and he brought along Nevius ). They were ‘prepared’ for the ‘show’. It’s kind of like when officials come to inspect any place where problems are reported. The places are cleaned up beforehand and of course, they pass with flying colors. Once the officials leave, the conduct and conditions go back to way things were before inspection. Duh ! 3. Unless one actually goes to the streets to navigate the shelter system yourself, your comments do not carry much weight because you haven’t lived it. You pop your head in with known biases and say all is ok. Unreal………….
REALITY CK – Before you believe shelters + SRO’s are as safe as Nevius/Rhorer want you to believe, talk to homeless individuals who’ve stayed there this past year. They’ll tell you what they’ve seen. Here’s some of what they told us… **Ella Hill Hutch- they were screamed/kicked awake after 5-6 hrs sleep. Staff smoking drugs in office while homeless slept. City billed for 100 mats; they never had more than space for 60 ? How many staff have been accused of abuse or embezzlement there ? **150 Otis- homeless given ‘tablecloths’ as blankets. Hot water didn’t work all winter. Windows sealed shut – no ventilation. **Next Door-how many staff accused of theft/abuse. Told suicidal clients ‘have faith in God, go back to bed’ when asking senior staff for crisis intervention. **MSC south blankets & food were sold before they exposure. 5 people at Tenderloin Housing let go for crimes. Mission Hotel – Ran by gang leader. Billed THC for 6 mos. rent while client was at Next Door.Tip of iceberg.
note to reporters. If you want to know what happens in SRO’s, you do NOT, I repeat, do NOT ask the head of DHS to show you around on a scheduled tour. That guarantees you will see nothing they don’t want you to see. If you want to write an article critical of DHS and the main non-profit providers, you will NOT get any cooperation. To get a story that isn’t pure propaganda, you have to go undercover, as a guest of a resident, unannounced, no prearranged tour, and then you will be able to buy crack within an hour like this reporter did recently
who you gonna believe?, Matt or the Chronicle-press release-Prince Charles tour of the same hotel?
questions sheep reporters like CW Nevius should be asking :
Is harm reduction a key element in supportive housing, and if so, explain it
Why do the Support Service Mangers found in each building universally support the needs of – and protect – the drug users and NOT support the needs of the non-drug using majority residing in each of it’s buildings?
why is there only ONE SINGLE eviction for crack across the entire Tenderloin Housing Clinic network for the last 4 years, when even SFHA public housing has a much higher rate of eviction for narcotics?
why do some Care not Cash recipients have $2000 stereo systems, new cars, gold chains, cell phones, satellite TV, etc, while most others are soooo poor because they spent the check on crack and they got evicted? (most common eviction, non payment of rent, for Care not Cash?)
now, CW, ask the question again : why are there still so many homeless people on the streets?
*slap slap slap*..do you see it now? If DHS and non profits like THC actually provided ‘safe, clean, affordable supportive housing’ where homeless were actually able to improve their own lives, then places like THC would be out of business, and we cant have that now, can we?