A PLEA TO THE PUBLIC. THE HEARTBREAKING ANIMAL ABUSE
CASE THAT ONE SHELTER CONSIDERS
A SERIOUS THREAT.
>>GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US, I’M JOHN PARK
AND I’M RACHEL LUCAS THE
HOMELESS POPULATION IN ROANOKE
CONTINUES TO TREND DOWN.
THAT’S ACCORDING TO RECENT
DATA, HOWEVER, ANOTHER GROUP IS
ON THE RISE FOR MONTHS WE’VE
BEEN LOOKING INTO WHAT SOME
PEOPLE CALL A PROBLEM FOR THE
STAR CITY AND TONIGHT 10 NEWS
REPORTER SYDNEY JACQUES
STEINBERG GIVES US AN IN-DEPTH
LOOK INTO WHAT LIFE IS LIKE FOR
PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS.
>>REALLY LONELY. >>6 MONTHS AGO, KERRY MASS HE LOST HIS CAR HOME AND
SMALL BUSINESS LEAVING HIM TO
MAKE AN UNTHINKABLE DECISION.
>>I WAS VERY HARD TO MAKE.
NEED MONEY TO SURVIVE THAT.
>>ERA NOW SPENDS HIS TIME ON THE WARNER BORN JIM WILLIAMS BUT HE AND
OTHERS CALM THE SIDE IT’S
REALLY EMBARRASSING.
>>I HATE DOING THIS OUT REALLY
MAKE THEM.
>>AARON SPENDS HIS MONEY FROM PAN HANDLING OR OTHER ON JOBS.
TELL ROOM AT THE DAYS INN ON
ORANGE AVENUE WE’RE HE AND HIS
DAD SLEEP MOST NIGHTS.
BUT IF THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH.
>>THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT TO BE DOING AT ALL.
>>THE REALITY FOR MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE ROANOKE VALLEY.
>>ACCORDING TO THE 2022 POINT
IN
TIME REPORT.
THERE ARE 216 PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS A 13%
DECREASE FROM
LAST YEAR.
HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE CONSIDERED UNSHELTERED
HAS TRIPLED. >>SO LAST JANUARY WE COUNTED 12 THAT
WERE UNSHELTERED AND
THIS YEAR BECOMING 38, SO WE
DID SEE AN INCREASE IN THE
NUMBER OF FOLKS STAND OUTSIDE.
WHY
DO YOU.
>>I FEEL LIKE YOU DON’T NEED TO
HEAR YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO A
SHELTER IS THERE REASON BEHIND
THAT
URGE US.
>>I LIKE TO KEEP TO MYSELF I
REALLY DON’T LIKE TO HANG OUT
WITH THEM AND PEOPLE.
>>OTHER REASONS THE NUMBER OF
UNSHELTERED PEOPLE HAS TRENDED
UP MENTAL HEALTH AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
ACCORDING TO MATT CRUICKSHANK
WITH ROANOKE’S HOMELESS
ASSISTANCE TEAM.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE WITH PEOPLE
PAYING.
OR
PAYING. OR SLEEPING OUTSIDE THE AMOUNT OF
PERSONAL ITEMS TRASH AND DRUG
PARAPHERNALIA THAT COLLECTS IN
THE AREA.
WELL WE’RE OUT WITH AARON HE
SHOWED IS THIS.
>>THE HAIL OF ORANGE AVENUE
TRASHED AND ACCORDING
TO RECORDS.
>>THIS IS CITY PROPERTY,
THERE’S
A CONCERN.
>>WHAT ABOUT THE BY BUT WE HAVE
TO DO THINGS.
BUT THEN
THE LAW.
>>AS FOR WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT
THE HOMELESS CAMP AND
PANHANDLING AT THAT
INTERSECTION.
>>CITY MANAGER BOB POWELL
DECLINED TO COMMENT WHEN WE
APPROACHED HIM AT A COUNCIL
MEETING.
>>YOU KNOW THE OLD SAYING THAT
RIGHT.
>>WE HAVE 10 NEWS PREVIOUSLY
SPOKE WITH CATTLE IN APRIL
ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND CITY
CODE 2016 9.
>>WHICH PROHIBITS WALKING UP
AND DOWN THE MEDIAN YOU KNOW
MOST FOLKS TO SOME
THAT PAIN
THAT’S ILLEGAL MOST PEOPLE
ASSUME THERE’S A LAW THAT KEEPS
IT FROM HAPPENING.
THAT’S NOT THE CASE THAT IT
DOESN’T MATTER IF IT’S THE
YOUTH SPORTS GROUP THE LOCAL
CHURCH OR A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL
THEY’RE ALL IN VIOLATION OF THE
ORDINANCE.
>>AS THEY WALK UP AND DOWN
THESE MEDIANS.
>>SO WHY DO WE STILL SEE PEOPLE
IN VIOLATION OF
THIS CODE.
>>EVEN WITH SIGNS POSTED IN
MEDIA NEWS.
>>ENFORCEMENT COMES FROM THE
POLICE AND THERE
PRETTY BUSY.
SO IT’S NOT GOING TO
HIGH-PROFILE CASE THAT THEY
WOULD GO OUT AND RESPOND TO AT
SOME POINT WE ARE WE HAVE AND
WILL CONTINUE TO ENFORCE THAT,
BUT IT’S GOING TO PROBABLY
BE STILL I’M A LOT LESS LIKELY
THAN FOLKS MIGHT WANT TO BE
BECAUSE OF THE OTHER ISSUES
THAT WE’VE GOT TO CONFRONT WITH
WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS.
>>WE ASKED TO RUN HIS THOUGHTS.
FILLING IN FRONT OF THE SIGNS. THEY CLEARLY STATE.
>>YOU GUYS ARE STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SIGNS THAT SAY
ROANOKE HAIRS AND IT SAYS NOT TO STAND AND SIT IN THE MEDIAN.
AND THE YEARS WELL YOU’RE STANDING AND SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF A U.
>>I’M NOT REALLY BECAUSE I NEED
MONEY TO SURVIVE.
YOU KNOW THAT WE’VE
GOT THIS.
>>BUT THE CITY’S MAYOR
MAINTAINS ADDRESSING
HOMELESSNESS THAT ORANGE AVENUE
AND BEYOND IT’S A
TOP PRIORITY.
>>WORKING WITH HOMELESSNESS IS
DIFFICULT AS IT IS, BUT WE’VE
GOT TO MAKE SURE WE DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CLEAN IT
UP AND THAT’S ON THE LIST OF
TO DO.
4 OF THE CITY.
>>IN ROANOKE SYDNEY JACKS TIME
OR 10 NEWS.
>>FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE ON THIS