Vallejo City Launches Urgent Outreach to White Slough Encampment
UPDATE: Vallejo city officials have launched an urgent outreach initiative to assist residents of the White Slough encampment, one of the city’s largest unhoused communities. This morning, November 2, 2023, city staff collaborated with local organizations, including Resource Connect Solano and Abode, to provide immediate support to vulnerable residents facing the chilly weather.
The White Slough encampment, located near Sacramento Street and Highway 37, has long been a focal point for community concerns. Assistant to the City Manager Natalie Peterson stated, “We know that the White Slough is an area of concern for the community. We’re really just trying to make sure people know what their options are.”
Officials confirmed that the outreach aims to connect unhoused individuals with essential resources, ensuring they have access to assistance should they wish to transition out of homelessness. Peterson emphasized that the city is actively working to keep residents updated in the support system, which is critical for their success.
On the ground, Resource Connect Solano representatives, including advocate Reggie Sironen, were busy helping residents update their information in a crucial digital database. “Right now, we’re just offering help to people,” Sironen remarked. “We’re just basically trying to get people off the streets in the least amount of time that it takes.”
Despite the efforts, Sironen acknowledged the ongoing challenges, stating, “I know it takes time, but in time the system does work.” Currently, the organization faces a long housing queue, but the commitment to assist remains strong.
Local outreach worker Keith Noorwood from Abode provided hot meals and hygiene supplies to residents, emphasizing the need for consistent support. Abode typically reaches out to the White Slough community one to two times a week, aiming to foster a connection between residents and available services.
However, the outreach effort has not been without controversy. Just last week, at the city’s first homeless roundtable, Peterson announced the initiative, which led to mixed reactions. Local advocate and founder of the Vallejo Homeless Union, Eli Smith, voiced opposition, calling for a boycott of the event. She criticized the city’s approach, stating, “The purpose is to show our elected officials that we, the people who are actually doing the work, will not accept the failures of the city staff to execute a humane and effective homeless program.”
Smith recounted a recent eviction incident near Couch Street, describing it as “exceptionally cruel” and claiming that residents were given only a 15-minute notice to vacate the area under the threat of arrest. “The city is using our work as a marketing campaign to advertise its compassion immediately after it treated these same people with unnecessary cruelty,” she asserted.
In light of these tensions, Smith urged city officials to collaborate genuinely with supportive services rather than merely using them for public relations. “If the city would like to claim that it is in partnership with those of us who are on the ground every day, then they must roll up their sleeves and join us in doing the real work,” she stated.
As the outreach initiative unfolds, the city of Vallejo is under pressure to demonstrate tangible progress in addressing homelessness. Residents and advocates alike are watching closely to see if the city will take meaningful steps toward reform in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned for more updates as this urgent situation develops. The community is calling for swift action to ensure that those living in White Slough receive the support and compassion they deserve.
