O.C. Taking Kinder, Gentler Tack With Homeless

Nestled among the bamboo thickets and elephant grass that lace Talbert Regional Park, Donna Edwards has illegally carved a home underneath some willow trees.

To conceal the camp, the path there is a tricky labyrinth over felled branches amid thick brush that has left slash marks on Edwards’ legs and arms. To the 52-year-old woman, it is a small price to pay for a little privacy, some peace of mind.

But like so much else in Edwards’ transient life, the privacy is broken at the seams and the peace of mind is fragile.

Another reminder came Saturday.

In response to complaints from nearby residents, authorities took a head count of homeless campers spread among the graceful bluffs along the Santa Ana River. They counted Edwards, her husband and 27 others among 14 campsites, and arrested two men on suspicion of weapons and parole violations.

Edwards and the others who have made the rustic park home for nearly a decade were not told to leave--and that was what made Saturday’s action distinctive: Authorities are attempting to handle the problem with a heavy measure of compassion.

Instead of just marching in and sweeping the place clean, Newport Beach Police Lt. John FitzPatrick said authorities are teaming with social workers and others to find a way “to balance what the neighbors want and what people who actually live there want.”

“A lot of it has to do with safety and sanitary reasons,” said FitzPatrick, spokesman for a coalition of city, county and nonprofit agencies working to address the problem. “There’s concern that people are living in very unhealthy conditions. They just dig holes in the ground and defecate in the area. There are no toilet facilities, no showers.”

The approach has won praise from advocates for the homeless.

“This is going to be a wonderful model,” said Lee Podolak, president of the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force. “I think the police are being more sensitive. They’ve come to realize that these people really don’t have a place to go, and we need to help them.”

Police still are likely to use citations or “move-along” orders as a last-ditch effort to clear the camps. But first, they allowed social workers to help the homeless find other shelter.

In the last several weeks, teams of social workers in shorts, T-shirts and sneakers have combed through the park. They pass out business cards and supplies and talk to campers about possible solutions to their housing problems. Alternatives may include shelters, low-cost rentals or sharing a home with relatives. Several have taken the initiative and will be moving.

“They’re really trying to help this time,” said Edwards, although she and her husband, Tony, haven’t decided yet where to go.

Couples may not qualify for shelters, which typically separate men and women, said Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission.

Over time, the makeshift dwellings have become relatively sophisticated.

To keep park visitors at bay, John Goff and his brother, Charles, have posted a sign that reads “Area closed to protect natural features and insure wildlife. Do not enter.” When strangers do happen to stumble upon his bamboo-framed hide-out, John Goff tells them in a confident voice, “I’m a park warden here. Can I help you?”

Actually, Goff has never been employed by park officials. “Let’s put it this way: We’re really not supposed to exist.”

But after becoming homeless about eight years ago, the pair had nowhere to go, and settled upon a spot they had frequented as children. They began taking castoffs from the area and turning them into fixtures in their hovel. The place is now equipped with a radio and TV, a torn couch and refrigerator, a portable toilet and what the Goffs call their “shower--with a skylight.”

“It’s peaceful here, and we’re usually left alone,” said Goff, 53. “Though I’m sure it won’t be long until they kick us out. We’re already starting to get the word.”

In the last decade, new laws nationwide have pushed the homeless further and further out of sight, advocates said. In a study released earlier this year, more than two-thirds of the top 50 U.S. cities were found to have anti-begging and anti-camping laws, and half have had sweeps to clear transients from public facilities.

Such laws prohibit sleeping on park benches, sitting or lying down on sidewalks or remaining in one place for more than 15 minutes.

Numbers Crunch

“The law criminalizes them for being homeless, and what it does is it just moves them around,” Podolak said. “When they get a citation, they have to appear. And if they don’t show up for court, then there’s a warrant out for their arrest. It makes it even harder for them to reenter society.”

And what’s more important, experts say, the laws usually don’t work over time. For example, at Talbert, police have tried citing campers to control the problem. But vagrants just moved deeper into the woods, social workers said. As word spread among the homeless about Talbert, more people moved in, resulting in territorial fights and unruly behavior, police said.

So far this year, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa police have received at least a dozen crime reports in the area, including attempted murder and sexual assault. Neighbors have complained about loitering and drunken behavior.

Chris Riggan, 40, who lives in a condo overlooking Talbert, said he has heard fights over blankets at night. Although he understands why his neighbors are upset, Riggan said he doesn’t mind.

“The way I see it, anybody can end up down there,” said Riggan, a medical technician.

Police involved in the Talbert situation say they are moving carefully.

“When we get to the stage or point where someone has to be removed from the campsite, we’ll have resources to assist them as need be,” said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Don Holford. “But we’re not close to that point yet.

“Right now, we’re just trying to get everybody on the same page and that’s going to take time. You have to understand that for these people down there, it’s their home.”