Vet housed in Merced highlights homeless successes

Though over the past several years the number of homeless people living in Merced County has continued to grow, advocates say efforts to house them are working.

Last month, the coalition of advocates in the Merced County Continuum of Care reported that nearly 900 people are homeless in the county. Just this week, leaders from the Continuum said 232 people have been housed in the past six months.

They said there are success stories of getting people off the streets. For example, veteran Ken Roark was once homeless but has been in a central Merced triplex for about a month.

The 54-year-old said he had been homeless off and on all over the country for many years, and spent the past 15 in a makeshift shelter he made from sticks and wood in Mariposa. He said he has dealt with severe anxiety, and even panic, which makes it difficult to be around people without proper medication.

“When my significant other passed, that was something I could not get my hands on. I could not get my thoughts on how I was going to live without him,” Roark said. “I was scared. I’m getting over that.”

Having a place to lay his head, he said, has given him peace of mind, security and new opportunities.

Originally from Watsonville, he joined the Army after the Vietnam War. With “no education to speak of,” he said, joining the military was his attempt to financially support his parents.

Roark said he has struggled with addiction, but believes being placed in his current housing has given him the tools to succeed.

The local nonprofit Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project helped Roark line up what’s called “supportive housing,” which means it provides access to medical care, mental health, addiction treatment and other services.

Kathy Smith, a case manager with Sierra, said her organization specializes in finding permanent housing for people who are chronically homeless and have a physical or mental disability.

Roark’s story is not unusual, Smith said. It’s true that some homeless people will turn away from a helping hand, she said, but others will take the help that’s offered.

“Regardless of the reason why they are homeless, it’s a community problem,” she said. “Whether you agree with it, or don’t like the reasons why we have it, it’s still everybody’s responsibility.”

Smith said Sierra has been a part of the county’s Continuum of Care from its start. She said she has noticed an increase in the number of advocates regularly attending Continuum meetings.

The Continuum brings homeless advocates together to work toward housing people who need it, and is overseen by Pasadena-based nonprofit Urban Initiatives. Executive Director Joe Colletti reported to the Merced City Council on Monday, saying the effort has housed those 232 people across the county in the past six months and expects similar results in the coming year.

A count conducted in January tallied 899 people in Merced County without homes. To attack the issue, the Continuum breaks the homeless people into subgroups and tries to find housing designed for veterans, those with HIV, youths or other demographics.

Carol Bowman, a board member for Continuum, also spoke to the Merced council Monday. “I really see a lot of progress,” she said. “I’m really impressed that the people of this city and this county are really committed to ending homelessness.”

Roark continues to settle into his new place in Merced, saying he wants to be able to help others in the same situation. He said there was a time when he thought of ending his life, but is past that now and looking forward to his birthday on St. Patrick’s Day.

“I want to live,” he said. “I want a life for myself. I want to be a part of this community as much as possible.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Vet housed in Merced highlights homeless successes."