Engelina Smith: Las Cruces plan to help homeless could work in Merced
The homeless issue has been in the news again lately, and I want to share part of a story that was printed in The New York Times on Jan. 2, 2015, by Richard Thomas. The headline reads “In tent city, a glimmer of hope: Camp for homeless in Las Cruces (N.M.) becomes a hub for social services.”
A homeless camp was allowed to be set up on city-owned property by local officials. In this case, an exception was made to the local rules that banned sleeping overnight. A new fence and landscaping was using money from the state legislature. This fenced area has a guard house and elevated plots for 50 tents. A few portable toilets have been added, and close by services are being made available by several area charities.
If anyone thinks that something similar might work in Merced, it certainly would be a big improvement over the current situation.
Engelina Smith, Atwater
This story was originally published February 12, 2015 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Engelina Smith: Las Cruces plan to help homeless could work in Merced."