Local News in Brief : Residents Protest Service to Homeless
A city program that will provide counseling, health care and other services to homeless people from a 60-foot trailer in Van Nuys was lauded Friday by Mayor Tom Bradley, but drew protests from area residents.
Under the program, which starts Tuesday, homeless people from throughout the San Fernando Valley will be offered rides from parks and other areas where they congregate to the trailer at Salvation Army headquarters. Anyone brought to the trailer will be returned the same day to spots where they were picked up if social service agencies are unable to find them shelter.
The assurances, however, failed to satisfy area residents, who submitted a petition to their councilman, Joel Wachs, and who picketed as Bradley praised the program as a way to “get homeless people plugged back into the mainstream and plugged back into jobs.”
“They can go out and serve the homeless in the parks,” said homeowner Stan Welbourn. “They don’t need to bring the homeless to a residential neighborhood.”
After Sept. 16, the trailer will be moved to other areas in the city.
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