Eureka, Humboldt’s county seat, draws a lot of homeless to the city, which seems natural, for here are the services offered to those in need of them (stating this does not ignore the need in other communities of the county). As a disabled individual who depends on a mobility device, looking for housing has been […]
Homeless
Posted inNews
Dying and Destitute
Craig and Lisa Smith are running out of time. They’re dying. He has congestive heart failure and a cancer eating at his kidney. She has a severe respiratory illness and spends her nights plugged into an oxygen concentrator. But that’s not what they’re talking about today, sitting in the bed where they spend most of […]
Posted inNews
The Big Tent Approach
With time and options dwindling, it now appears the Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition will zero in on finding land where people can safely camp or stay in a large tent. The coalition, made up of representatives from a broad spectrum of local organizations and nonprofits, including county employees, shelter operators, advocacy groups and local […]
Posted inNews
Away from the Rain
The first deluge of winter has come and gone, but it will be at least another month before extreme weather shelters open across Humboldt County. The shelters generally open when there is more than an inch of rain or temperatures fall below the low 30s, and are usually volunteer-led efforts that help people without homes […]
Posted inNews
Key Players and Their Emails (A Companion to This Week’s Cover Story)
This week’s cover story, “Swept,” takes a deep dive into the Eureka city government’s collective thought process as it planned to clear the PalCo Marsh of homeless encampments over the course of more than a year, culminating in the May 2, 2016 sweep that resulted in the relocation of more than 100 homeless people. To […]
Posted inNews
The Kids are More Than Alright
The Humboldt State University Department of Journalism and Mass Communication just found out a story its investigative reporting students authored for the Journal placed in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards for Region 11, meaning it was one of the best pieces of student journalism published in California, Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada […]
Posted inNews
Homeless Count Postponed
This year’s biennial Point-in-Time count will be postponed one month in order to recruit more volunteers to assist the homeless count. The count, scheduled to take place at the end of January, will be pushed back to the early morning hours of Feb. 28. Every year the Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities […]
Posted inNews
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Death Near Homeless Camp
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has launched a death investigation after finding a body down a cliff from a homeless camp near Garberville. Deputies were called to the scene shortly after 7 a.m. on Sunday, and found the body across from the entrance to Camp Raven Cliff between Redwood Drive and the Eel River. According […]
Posted inNews
UPDATE: Eureka Approves Containerville Move, $75k in Funding
UPDATE: The Eureka City Council voted unanimously yesterday to approve a new location and provide $75,000 in funding for the shipping container shelter project for the homeless. After hours of discussion and public comment, the council voted to relocate the project that currently shelters about 40 people in a vacant lot on the corner of […]
Posted inNews
A ‘Moral Obligation’: Eureka Celebrates Family Shelter Opening
A host of elected officials and community members turned out Friday to catch a first glimpse of Betty Chinn’s new family shelter, which will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. “I’m here as your congressman, but I’m also here like all of you, as a fan of Betty Chinn,” said North […]
Posted inNews
Eureka Mulls Going True Ward
The Eureka City Council will consider Tuesday whether to scrap its long-maligned electoral system. Currently, Eureka has a kind of hybrid system. Each of the council’s five members represent a ward of the city, within which they were required to reside when they ran for office. This provision has seen a lot of council hopefuls […]
Posted inNews
Eureka Council to Mull Rotating Free Camping Zone
The Eureka City Council will consider amending its recent shelter crisis declaration again Tuesday, this time to allow for a rotating free camping area for homeless people with nowhere else to go. Currently, the city is allowing homeless people to camp in the city-owned parking lot on the corner of Koster and Washington streets during […]