WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Homeless advocates criticize homeless camp sweep plan
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Today, I spoke to a woman who has been homeless on and off for the past four years. She says there are more homeless and homeless camps than police even know about.
People who deal with the homeless on a personal basis say there are not enough resources to deal with the homeless issue in Savannah and sweeping them out of their homes may be a bad idea.
Final warnings are coming up. Pretty soon, many of the homeless camps will be gone. Savannah-Chatham police told WTOC Monday, safety and panhandling problems could disappear too.
"They know what is coming down. A lot have moved out already," Star Cpl. Eddie Grant told WTOC. "We're pretty sure it's going to work."
"I don't think they will fully understand until it is in motion and then everyone will have a headache," Megan Dewitt said.
Dewitt thinks the police are lacking a grasp on Savannah's homeless issue. "You don't see a lot of the homeless. You don't see them on the streets as much as you think. They take care of their basic necessities on their own, not panhandling," Dewitt said.
Dewitt might know. She was homeless many times over the last four years in Savannah. "I lived under the Truman for a while," she said.
She says panhandling among the homeless is not the norm. "You can't nail everybody for panhandling who is homeless. It's not everybody who is homeless who is panhandling," Dewitt said.
She says finding help, jobs and shelter isn't as easy as it sounds.
"Even when they are in shelters, you get kicked out of shelters at insane hours, which leaves homeless people, who are still homeless, out all day. They still panhandle. They got hours of leeway to find lunches," Dewitt said. "By the time you are done with your day, it's more than a 12-hour day to just find the basics."
"I was very upset because the police make it sound like there are a ton of resources and plenty of shelters. There is not," Heidi Tomson told WTOC.
Every Sunday, Tomson helps feed 150 of the homeless in Forsyth Park. She says the numbers are growing each week. If they get forced out of their homes, she says the city won't have room for them.
"The city is putting the cart before the horse. They should have opened up more shelters for these people to go into," Tomson said. "There is not going to be anyplace for them to go."
"If we had the resources, it would work. Unfortunately, with the economy you will see more people trickle into the homeless and poverty level. We don't have the resources," Dewitt said.
Dewitt and Tomson became good friends during one of those Forsyth Park Sunday meals. They say the tent cities or homeless camps, go deeper into the woods than police know and the secret societies are home to hundreds of people, many, who don't want to be found.
They say shelters won't be able to house everybody and shelter rules will force many out. So, they head to the streets where they will be fined, but have no money, so Dewitt says many will end up deeper in the woods.
