Homelessness has become a worsening problem across America in the past few years. There are currently an estimated 500,000 homeless people across the United States.
One of the especially hard-hit areas is the state of California, which has gone from the American dream to the American nightmare in many of its Democrat-run cities.
Yet not everywhere in California is that way; the city of Coronado is showing the way forward to get rid of homelessness and actually address the growing problem.
Coronado’s Conclusion
Coronado, California is famous for its Navy SEAL training center, but it’s mainly known as a vacation town. With a small population of only around 20,000 and sitting across the bay from San Diego, Coronado has had a problem with homelessness just like most cities in California.
That problem has been erased, according to Coronado’s GOP Mayor Richard Bailey. Bailey says there are zero homeless people in his city or encamping anywhere near it and the reason is simple.
His police officers have enforced the law.
This may come as a shock to many blue cities, but Bailey and his town council concluded that a big reason for vagrancy and homeless on the streets was a failure to actually enforce the law on them.
Along with providing real resources to help, Coronado has made sure not to allow many of the things that other places like San Francisco have given a green light to.
Coronado CA has one homeless person & as of today, that person has help & is no longer homeless. What they're doing that's different, they're simply enforcing the laws already on the books. No urinating, no tent camps, no being drunk in public, etc.
— Deb 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 (@Deb0819) March 2, 2023
No More Fake Compassion
Of course, we all sympathize with those who struggle with mental illness, addiction, broken families, and poverty, but the solution is not to ignore these people and let them live everywhere in tents.
Coronado doesn’t allow this and has a “no-encampment” law that is strictly enforced.
As Bailey said, other cities and the state “tolerate” camping and things like public urination, defecation in public, public drunkenness, drug use, and littering. Coronado does not and the message has spread.
It’s had a “major impact,” according to Bailey.
Those who do have no home and are needing a place to go have resources and are given treatment and rehab options, as well as housing options, but they either have to get help or leave.
There is no option for extended tent cities and open-air drug markets.
Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey (R) said there are no homeless in his city at all
He has reinforced a no-encampment policy while still upholding the rule of law.
Republican says rest of liberal state tolerates destructive behavior instead of getting help to people in need— John (@GodFamily_USA) March 2, 2023
Meanwhile in LA…
As Coronado experiences a real revolution and an improvement in its homeless situation, LA continues to sink downward.
The homeless crisis grew exponentially under former Mayor Eric Garcetti and is continuing to balloon under current LA Mayor Karen Bass.
It would seem that LA just can’t get the message, however; the city council recently green-lit $50 million in “emergency” funding to try to improve the homelessness situation.
Between 2012 to 2018, California gave $10 billion to fight homelessness. It currently has 30% of all homeless people in America.
This article appeared in StatesmanPost and has been published here with permission.
