Homeless Protest Tactics Used by Family Shelter

About 15 homeless people and their supporters staged a protest outside the only family shelter in Long Beach Monday, claiming the agency’s strict regulations have forced new mothers out in the rain, denied milk to babies and treated families “like prisoners.”

The protesters said families are forced to leave the 63-bed Family Shelter from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. daily to look for work or housing. When they have no appointments, they say they are forced to walk the streets, even during a recent rainstorm.

“We’re not cattle,” said Angela Streat, who came to the shelter recently with her 2-day-old girl, and claims she was told she would have to be gone six hours a day despite her weak health.

Lupe Macker, regional director of Catholic Charities, which operates the shelter, soundly denied that families are mistreated and said caseworkers are attempting to “add structure to their unstructured lives.” Macker said she plans to meet with the homeless to discuss their complaints.