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Ken Williams: Does Death Ever Tire of Taking Santa Barbara’s Homeless?
It’s 6:45 in the morning with dark rain clouds above. My first voice message is from a friend at a local shelter telling me Mark has died. I had received an email the night before with the same message. According to my friend, Mark died in front of a local fast-food chain.
The ironic and bittersweet tragedy was that this long-term homeless man had just found housing through the kind and hard work of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.
Since Dec. 30, at least seven of our homeless friends have perished. I go back to that date because that is when David died. He was a longtime fixture on the streets with a tough swagger — one that didn’t match his kind soul. He was a tough one to lose. But so was Eugene, an 84-year-old man who went down at a local shelter.
Before coming into the shelter, I used to see him curled up on a bench on State Street. I would beg him to come indoors, but he was a proud man — as many homeless senior citizens tend to be. As a group they find it hard to believe that their lives would end in extreme poverty — one without shelter, spotty medical care or hope.
Kelly died. She lived at Five Points, where she had become increasingly sick and deadly skinny. Her homeless neighbors who tried to take care of her always surrounded her.
Diane died after a kind nurse discovered her in her sleeping bag, where she had been unable to move for three days and nights because of life-threatening conditions. Angie’s body was found in a park in Ventura, a place she ran to when she was unable to get help here for the demons of the soul that tormented her. She was a lifelong county resident, but one that will now be labeled transient.
What kind of pain can only be quieted by a bullet? What depth of despair can only be negated by a shattered skull? E can no longer tell us.
So many are dying so fast. One hardly has time to grieve their loss before the news of the next tragic death comes along. Does Death ever tire of taking Santa Barbara’s homeless? I approach my phone now with more apprehension and dread, fearing that the next message will be that of another neighbor without a home who has died.
On my rounds I try to make eye contact with each homeless person I pass. I look deep into them, trying to see the signs of surrender — a gaunt look, a fleeing sight. I also look for the physical telltale signs: an ashen tone to their skin, an unhealthy drop of weight, a halting step. But mostly it’s the resignation in their dulled eyes, the flickering of the will to live as they surrender to Death.
In Vietnam my unit’s nickname was the Walking Dead. Sadly and with my own hope teetering, perhaps the 9th Marines of that war should now share that hallowed name — one earned in a sea of blood with the homeless of Santa Barbara.
— Ken Williams has been a social worker for the homeless for the past 30 years. His writings and opinions reflect only his personal views. He does not speak as a representative for or on behalf of any organization with which he may be affiliated. He is the author of China White and Shattered Dreams, A Story of the Streets. He has just completed his first nonfiction book, There Must Be Honor.
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» on 02.06.12 @ 07:57 PM
No. But we sure get tired of hearing from you.
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» on 02.06.12 @ 11:02 PM
@John Q: what planet are you from?
Ken is one of the few people who will extend himself to those who have nothing. You do yourself a great dishonor in denigrating him. Your comment exposes the vacuum of where your humanity should exist.
Get out and be a human being.
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» on 02.07.12 @ 04:19 AM
You know I hardly go downtown anymore, but over the weekend my wife, dog and I went to the waterfront and took a long walk. Unfortunately, at one point, a crazy, drugged, schizophrenic homeless person actually threatened us for no reason and scared my wife. The guy looked like he was capable of doing something violent. To be honest, I am sick of being harassed by some of these half-crazed maniacs. Its sickening that you can’t walk around this town without being hassled by some very sick individuals.
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» on 02.07.12 @ 08:17 AM
Last I checked NONE of us- homeless or housed—can expect a reprieve from death. Not a one.
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» on 02.07.12 @ 11:27 AM
Yes—death comes for us all. It is part of life.
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» on 02.07.12 @ 02:01 PM
It’s particularly confusing for me. Yesterday I overheard a local homeless advocate explaining to a couple new to our streets that getting a free ride was only a matter of signing up. I wonder if that person really has a fast track for those he feels a need to help and not the ones he should be out there helping…
Isn’t it true that they wait time for low income housing is six to seven years now… I’ll probably be near dead by then!
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» on 02.07.12 @ 02:30 PM
It’s terrific that Ken Williams takes time to bear witness to a sad cavalcade of ruined lives, and that Noozhawk gives him space to remind us of the people who lurk on society’s fringes each day, scrounging and improvising just to stay alive.
But Death is a part of life.
It comes for us all, whether some billionaire, movie star, elected official, civic leader, a great scientist, a marvelous doctor, a creative artist, a 20-year old on foreign battlefields, or teens texting while driving their car at 2AM.
Donne wrote, centuries ago, that each life is precious, since no part of society is an “island”, and the bell “tolls” for everyone.
It is tragic that a “modern” society like ours is too cheap to properly fund mental
health, sobriety, vocational training programs, so that some homeless street
folk could die in beds, under roofs belonging to them, surrounded by loved ones, with a medical plan, and money in the bank.
But the death of grifters, street drunks, babbling psychotics, restless wandering
beggars, of those unwilling or unable to give up drinking, smoking, drifting, is
no more important in God’s scheme, or society’s eye, than anyone’s passing, my
own included.
Too many great and great-hearted county residents slip away from us every month, with nary a notice from this publication or the wider world. That’s not
right, either.
So chronicle and mourn, Mr. Williams. Give our “invisible” neighbors names and individual histories for us.
But until you can come up with workable, practical solutions, and devote your
every spare hour to see them properly enacted, this is the way of the world and
the great mystery of life, the alarm clock ticking our fate from the moment we
draw our first breath.
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» on 02.07.12 @ 10:47 PM
To Publius & Lou Segal I don’t know if you have lived here in S.B. all of your lives, but I have & I have witnessed all of the “CHANGES” & mental illness hits home in my family & friends lives! I am sure you are NOT aware of what has been going on you may not care but sadly my son is schizophrenic & it saddens me to know that when he is walking in the street or sitting at a bench talking to himself people will react and think as you folks do! Santa B. use to be a caring & compassionate place where one can find help & treatment!Just about 2 weeks ago my son was GIVEN a new medication & he became disoriented & almost like a dementia state of mind it was sad & terrifying for me to watch! When he was taken to the Cottage Hospital 3 times & the 4TH in an ambulance GUESS what? They refused service! They said he should wait for his appointment he already had in about a week! He lost 15 pounds, he did things he was embarrass to know later. And finally he went to his appointment. GUESS what? The Doctor felt he should get hospitalized so took him (5TH time)they kept him in the ER room until an ambulance was available to drive him to VENTURA psychiatric hospital. Didn’t they just spent about 170. million to build the new one?! Oh… lets remember it is only for the wealthy so if you get ill guess what? Oh and by the way the so called Alcohol-Drug mental health service also refused to advocate for him to be admitted to the hospital, they chose budget verses a human being! So the next time you see a homeless or a schizophrenic person in the street it is due to no treatment! No help! Now my son is balanced & is doing much better! Oh and you may not know that our county jail is paying a private medical service from New York & if someone is ill guess what?! That person may die, because they are corpora ted.
Yes, we are all going to die some day, but when our time comes not by neglect of a human being! I remember years ago when a loved one was taken to the Cottage hospital psychiatric floor they would welcome them & assure us they will take good care of them! Now they will NOT let you pass the E.R. Room if you are a medi-med insurance provider! Who do you think is pocketing the $$$ ??? If the help is not going to the people! Shame on Cottage hospital NOT even a small portion is for out patients who are mentally ill! When it happens to a close person in your family, than you will understand… Do you know how many are dieing due to the lack of help or services? Many that are not counted for…Oh perhaps it is because this is a tourist town. So as long as it is silenced & ignored you will see more on the streets. Oh are you aware that the site where the S.B. zoo is on was left for the homeless by the will of the previous owner? I will leave that for your home-work… Where is the humanity in all of this?
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» on 02.08.12 @ 12:15 AM
Lynnda Rae, I am sorry to hear about your son and the difficulty you are having getting him the treatment he needs. I hear your frustration.
In the particular incident I referred to in my previous post, the guy approached us, screaming and making menacing gestures as if he intended to attack us. We kept walking and ignored him, but it was extremely unpleasant. Maybe as you said, he meant no harm, but it was certainly not entirely clear to us at the time. I think I speak for many residents who don’t appreciate having to deal with this when taking a walk around town.
I am not entirely familiar with the problem to know what the answer is, but something has to change. God forbid if someone gets hurt because of a situation like the one we encountered. I have lived here 24 years (time flies) and this is the worst I have ever seen it. We need to get the mentally ill off the streets and provide them with treatment. I don’t know if some of these people are willing to be treated and are making it more difficult for those trying to help them.
I think sometimes Ken acts as if the residents of Santa Barbara are somehow complicit in the tough circumstances the homeless face here in SB. Most people feel sorry for them, but also wish they could move around the town without being hassled by this population. If this seems heartless, it is not intended as such. Instead of Ken constantly informing us that there is a problem, I eagerly await to hear how he thinks we can solve these problems. So far, I haven’t heard any solutions from him.
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» on 02.08.12 @ 01:47 AM
My point is no-one knows the heartache of trying to find help for a loved one here in our home town! It took a lot of advocacy that landed my son in a live & board home where he is treated with respect & a case-manager. He some how got lost in the system & was later sent to prison. You can judge with out hearing the whole story! But one thing I will share, when one calls the police for help due to behavior instead of going to the hospital they are taken to jail! With no help or treatment, just punishment & caught in the cycle of the system taken to court & having to pay fee’s to the probation who yells and expects to much from the victim NOT aware of the mental illness & no direction for a plan or treatment. Unless you have a loved one who has experienced the whole crazy cycle than you can have a say. Other wise say a prayer for a change in our town, because the next person diagnosed with an mental illness could be a member of your family.
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» on 02.08.12 @ 02:12 AM
Thank you Lou Segal for your understanding…& yes I agree with you there needs to be a solution to this; but unfortunately I have attended numerous county meetings with ADMHS & they have not come up with any solutions for the issue, this is very sad… And as you know the sheriff wants to build a larger jail, that’s not the answer either.
I know they continue to have many, many, many lunch meetings and still nothing! This is heart-breaking.Because this town was so peaceful & now it is unbelievable to see all of the homeless mentally ill people in the street and unfortunately when they are drunk they are self medicating from hearing the voices or what ever it is they are going through…that’s why they drink & use drugs to feel better. They need help!
I went to the laundry matte one night with a friend and a man walked in and he was cursing and yelling, than later he came back and smiled. This is very sad. This is turning into an epidemic & it will get worse until change happens. And I am sure you have noticed that the homeless are much younger!
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