California Governor Gavin Newsom has a plan to use $ 750 million dollars of federal coronavirus relief funds to purchase motels and other properties that will be converted into housing for those experiencing homelessness. But, there’s a catch. If the properties are not purchased by the end of the year, …
Read More »In the Studio: Fresno Mayoral Candidate Jerry Dyer Defends His Plan For The Homeless
Fresno mayoral candidate Jerry Dyer came to the studio to talk with FM89’s Kathleen Schock about his priorities for the city and the politically polarized nature of the campaign. https://www.kvpr.org/sites/kvpr/files/styles/big_story/public/202002/dyer__2_.jpg
Read More »Plans For A Second Homeless Shelter In East Bakersfield Get Mixed Reaction
Mike Wallford has been living in East Bakersfield for 60 years. He said the city always tries to dump unwanted facilities in this part of town: a sewage treatment plant, a dog pound, he said, and now a homeless shelter. “They bring out all the trash out there; we’re tired …
Read More »A Migrant Camp Once Home To Dust Bowl Refugees Now Shelters Homeless Women
This year is the 80th anniversary of John Steinbeck’s book, “The Grapes of Wrath.” In his novel, Steinbeck profiles the Joad family as they travel from Oklahoma to California, escaping the Dust Bowl, in search of work. Many families made this journey during the Depression era. In some communities, these …
Read More »Fresno Camping Ban 18 Months In: Few Arrests, Homeless Dispersed
Fresno’s no-camping ordinance — aimed at sprawling tent cities — has been in effect for about a year and a half. Since then, the homeless population has slowly increased, and the city recently received millions in state funds to tackle homelessness issues. However, some would argue that policies like the …
Read More »She Was Pregnant And Homeless. Now, This Fresno Mom Gets To Celebrate A Year In Her Apartment
One perception of homeless individuals might be that they’re alone, dealing with substance abuse or mental illness. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes a homeless person has family nearby, and just a strained relationship. We reported on a Fresno County program that helps house parents and children, usually after …
Read More »Fresno Mayor’s New Homeless Initiative Is A Change Of Tone To Homeless Advocates
About a quarter of the nation’s homeless population live in California with most of them concentrated in the state’s larger cities, including Fresno. Governor Brown has responded in his latest budget by including $ 500 million in grants for cities to address homelessness. Fresno Mayor Lee Brand went to Sacramento …
Read More »Why is the homeless population growing in Merced County?
The number of people living on the street in Merced County is 514, according to a tally from this year, an increase of 13.2 percent from the previous year. Volunteers … Click to Continue »
Read More »Merced benches may be coming back. Would they bring the homeless with them?
It’s coming up on four years since the city of Merced removed several benches from Bob Hart Square to shoo away homeless people, and now the benches may be coming … Click to Continue »
Read More »How many in Merced County are homeless? The effort to find out is this week
The annual homeless count is Thursday, when scores of volunteers will tally the number of people living on the street in Merced County. Tallies similar to Merced’s are going on … Click to Continue »
Read More »Merced County has a task force for homeless veterans. Is it working?
An outreach campaign this week is a ramped up effort to locate homeless veterans in Merced County and connect them to services and housing, according to officials. The county-wide No … Click to Continue »
Read More »Amid Homeless Concerns, Brandau Wants Fresno To Ban Camping
A Fresno City Councilmember has a new idea on dealing with the city’s homeless population – a law that would ban camping in the city. Councilmember Steve Brandau is set to take the proposed ordinance before the city council next Thursday. If adopted, the law would ban camping on both …
Read More »‘Stuff The Bus’ accepting donations of school supplies for area homeless and foster youth
Representatives of the Merced Union High School District accepted donations of school supplies during the ‘Stuff The Bus’ campaign outside of Wal-Mart in Merced, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. … Click to Continue »
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