The River: A Documentary Film (2020) - full transcript

Heya Heya

Heya Heya

That's my great Indian word.

Lots of people hear it all the time.

Heya Heya,

but my real name is Ana'oi.

I was four years young.

When my grandpa called me on Ana'oi

it means grizzly spirit

Thats why I'm faster that lightning

and strong as thunder



even though I'm crippled
up I'm still the same way.

I ran up in Seattle on
and off for 10 years.

And I was, I ran them streets.

Hey, this is my family.

Heya heya

The river and the river front property

our folks are very well versed
to respond pretty much daily

to that section of the city.

That place has been there since 1945.

It was hobo beach.

Yeah. And I remember I was a teenager when

the timber industry crashed

and I remember loggers going door to door.

And I remember people becoming homeless



Finding in consideration of the event

The city council finds
the river street property

in its current condition
to be unfit for either

human habitation, or open public access.

This is purely a safety action.

I know from the public
hearing that there was a lot

of comments about the
homeless individuals that are

on the property and
implications this can have to them.

And that's something that I definitely have

a place in my heart for.
And I definitely want to find

better resolutions to help
me address homelessness in

this County and in this nation.

I have worked with several
different organizations

to those ends.

And I think the balance of what is

of what is safest

for the community

and for the public's safety

is the closure of the sight

All right it is 7:18 call to order

council meeting for April 24th.

I was not at the

at the meeting where the first
reading was brought forward

and this was brought forward on my behalf.

And so I feel

like I should provide a
little bit of background

as to the reasoning behind this.

The riverfront property.

We respond pretty much
daily to that section

of the city.

Fire department responds
there quite frequently as well

for a variety of different medical issues,

overdose related issues.

And that's, unfortunately
that occurs quite too often.

You know, if this were
a property that was safe

I would be making a
recommendation to council

that we create a
sanctioned facility there to

take what is an ad hoc
grouping of homeless individuals

and turn into something that mirrors some

of the facilities that exist
in other parts of the state

but it's not a safe property

and it's never been a safe property.

And there's a lot of data
that's been collected

over the last year that demonstrates that.

We've had individuals
who are within the community

at the riverfront who
have fell victim to crimes

whether they're assaults

or theft that occur,
you know, to themselves

we may respond to, it's
just a, not a safe location.

And then as you're aware,
the female who lost both

of her legs.

You know,

we're wrapping up this investigation.

I hear what sounds like
screaming, blood curdling scream

some crazy what's going on.

I heard that several blocks away generally

towards the train tracks area.

And so I saw a lady named Shauna bent down

and it looked like a lady laying

on the ground and saw
that she was missing her leg.

Where were her legs severed?

Just below the knee, four inches

below the knee.

Keep her talking, you're going to be okay.

You're going to be all right, keep talking

keep breathing. on the other side,

they're like, what's going on.

People approaching.

You're trying to get people
to back away from the tracks

because they're only
putting themselves in danger.

We were on the tracks at this moment too

It's built into you

You know, training experience
was like by the numbers

but it's really a chaotic moment, you know?

And I think the balance

of what is safest for the community

and for the public's safety
is, is the closure of the site.

So that is why this has come before you

and I'll leave it to the, the
debate from the council.

Is there any other comments?

Seeing none all in favor?

Aye.

All opposed.

Alright the aye's have it.

We'll move to the third rating
of the may eighth meeting.

And with that, I believe we'll move

to the public comment period.

Please limit your comments to three minutes

but it can be about anything

It's never ending. There's no solution.

You're just pushing it
from one place to another.

That's what we need to know.

What is the solution?

There still, hasn't been a solution.

You guys haven't said anything

about a solution.

Its not going to be safe

for us to walk our grandchildren.

I'm not even comfortable
walking downtown now

to be honest with you.

I was homeless for quite a while.

Down on the river.

Not only people's kids
also the homeless people

that are going to get
into it with shop owners

the person that is angry

because we're out on the streets

coming in the middle of
the night and attacking us.

As my daughter's case

she lives down there full-time

I brought her in my own home

to help her,

but in turn she's stolen from my family.

Got herself kicked back out,

and it would be great to
have something being done.

But for myself, I personally
don't know what it would be

because if they're not
willing to help themselves.

Then it's not our fault that they're there.

It's what they've done.

Not us.

That's why I look at it.

And most of you know my story.

I'm a non-active recovered addict

because the people that I love decided to

choose to not enable me anymore.

I hit rock bottom.

And when I hit rock bottom

I had to come up because
there was nowhere else to go.

There's beds at the
mission open every night

there's beds at friendship
house open every night

you can take a shower every day

at the friendship house for free

For certain hours of the day.

What else are you doing?

Okay.

This isn't the Arsenio hall show,

you're not the dog pound

no hooting and hollering
while the persons talking

clapping afterwards is fine.

But please, any comments
while someone is testifying

it's their turn to speak.

You don't depend on a city

and other citizens to take care of you.

You gotta take care of
yourself and you have to

want to help yourself.

And you gonna have to want to stop numbing

yourself and face yourself
and look in the mirror

and love yourself so you can get better.

Thank you.

But that doesn't mean
that everybody down on the

river has denied help or
doesn't want to help themselves

or is just wanting to
mooch off of everybody else

because that's not the case.

And for you to just to
tell me that next week

I don't have anywhere to go.

Isn't fair.

That's right.

My name is Tom Davis.

- ward or city?
Which ward do you belong to?

Or which city do you reside in?

I'm an Aberdeen Bobcat, sir.

I've been here approximate 30 years.

And is it a problem to be homeless?

Is it a problem of being

a drug addict?

Is it a problem of just being

I have to sabotage myself
every time things start going

good I'm going to screw it up.

Maybe I want to be out there on my own.

Maybe this is the best I can do.

Maybe I don't have any training

maybe jobs aren't available.

Maybe I'm not really able
to communicate with the city

the County so forth

but I think it has to
do with the perception.

I can give you guys one
chance just to be out there

for a month.

That's right preach it.

and see how you would like to be looked at.

Its KBKW's coffee talk

It is now 7:13.

And we have in the control room here,

not only two of our guests,

but also camera's and everything else.

So it should be interesting
because this broadcast part

of it might even show up

on the documentary film or
the documentary film The River.

And with us this morning,
we have the producer

Heather Pilder Olson and the
director, Rick Walters with us.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I was homeless for a
couple of years, myself.

I'm recovered heroin addict.

I've done intravenous drugs
and I've smoked other drugs.

I have all of the addictive
tendencies that some

of the folks down here in Aberdeen have.

And I'm at the point in
my life where, you know

finances being what they are.

I'm like a stiff breeze from ending up

back in a sticky situation like that.

No, no, I live on the other side.

Oh, your mom lives over here.

Yeah. She moved over
here while the whole like lawsuit

and everything with the court case

and the city was going on,
they moved over here thinking

like

They're going to get swept.

So they're going to beat,
they're going to beat the sweep.

Something like that?

Right. Yeah. I guess.

Where do you think all those folks

are going to filter out to?

I have no idea.

We're all this is going to span

out and I'm not sure yet.

How do we find Adalley?

I hate the sniffles.

My allergies are awful.

This my friend wrapped like herself

for me and gave it to me as a gift.

I don't know what kind of crystal just

it's just a crystal I guess,
but the wrappings on it

little like leaves looking parts
that are wrapped around it.

by my friend are like woven together.

Like helix's like DNA.

Adalley what's the name of this camp?

Oh, this has no name anymore.

This is just abandoned now.

I haven't really been
like sick, like the flu

or a cold or anything really,
except for a couple of times.

But I have had some other issues

like infection and such like that.

Like abscesses and stuff,
which just sound kind

of really gross to say so
casually like this, I guess.

But no, I've, I've gone

to the ER, at least four times.

I want to say since I've been out here

and luckily my parents put
me on a good medical plan

and luckily the ER has my
information for that saved.

Cause I don't have my
card to remember any of it

but they remember it for me.

I have a bike that has
a 44 CC engine on it.

Oh yeah.

I call it my car because

it has a basket in the back

occasional people can fit in it.

How's it been for you?

Not too bad.

Well, its a little shitty.

I just moved out recently
and there was, you know

shit situation and ended up
having to resort to this side.

Couldn't find the place.

All I heard was like, Oh, that's

like the Rivertown moseyed around town,

ask a couple people around.

And they were just like,
Oh yeah, it's right over here.

So it was a little rough cause coming down

and just like, you know, new face

and everything just
kinda like meeting people

and was just like, Hey,
like what's going on?

Like what do I do?

Like, do I set up a tent or
do I just like claim a spot?

Like how does this all go down?

And pretty much they
were just like, well it depends

on whether or not people like you or not.

Because if you're not a good face

and you don't have a personality

you steal rob and
cheat fucking all day long

then you're not welcome
like it's a really tight community

and people around here don't
really fuck around like that.

But yeah, first night was a little rough

because just meeting
people and talking to people

no one wanted to really like
share anything or, you know

wanna fuck with me,

a couple of people did
know little bit further down

I met some really nice people

and they kind of started
to introduce me to others.

Well he had no choice.

Insight too because I used
to do that, that whole house.

I planned on doing it anyways.

Have you ever heard of who Shawn Vann is?

I have heard the name, but
I don't really know who he is.

Sean was advocate for the
homeless, but he was homeless.

He lived on this river right here

on this side of this
river for 30 plus years.

I'm telling you he died
here a couple years ago.

Like everyone looked up to him

and everything like he was
the fucking head of everything.

He controlled everything down here

and made sure that everyone
was treated fairly out here.

That's what really started
out all this down here.

Being family with him
matter of fact his ashes

are actually spread
down here on this river.

We used to have memorial sites down

in the middle for him.

But with his ashes being spread

on this river and he's
always had forever be a part

of this river and that's what
he would've wanted too.

He looked at all of us, his
own family as if we were blood.

Treated us all like that too.

To me.

It's been my home away
from home pretty much.

10, some odd years been here.

Yeah. I'm a fire buff I like fire.

I always played with matches.

I never listened to my mother.

Fourth grade was the best
three years of my life.

It seems like I like that.

Lift it up so I can see it from the side.

Where's a piece of wood.

wheres a piece of wood here?

Hey wood.

That's me.

I live in Northern Idaho.

So your name is okay to be in the movie.

Name is Benji Stevenson
its all right to be in the movie.

My names Dirty Dog Dean

I drink gasoline a lot of gas

I've been high since 1974.

It really doesn't matter what I do.

Got a good rope ill just hang myself.

But anyway, I used to say

that shit that's probably
why I need treatments, right?

I love you do your dance
wheres your mama's at?

Every single person down here.

I consider family because I've been

through so much down here with people

that I will never ever
go through anywhere else.

You know, it's a tight knit community.

We have a commonality, you
know, on being down and out.

And the things that, you know, we feel

like everybody looks at
us like we're just garbage.

I became a homeless June of 2017

on December 1st of 2016

I came home from school
and I found my mom's body.

She had been there for about
12 hours and like, I couldn't

I couldn't even sleep in my
own bedroom after that day.

Like for the last remainder, me being there

I had to sleep on the couch.

Cause I had, I couldn't walk down

past my mom's bedroom doorway
to get to my room every night.

Like it was.

It was fucked

And then,

um...

and so it was,

narrowed down to moving

up to my dad's like, yeah,
I love my dad by all means.

And he's always been a great dad for me

but he's still learning.

And we were just bumping heads

in areas that I just couldn't
handle at the moment.

And so with my search for
self-reliance and responsibility

and such that I've always
kind of wanted to like, well

I'm just independence in general.

I moved out on my own

and I've been out here
since then trying to figure it all

out and trying to find stability.

I know the river

it may not be the best
place to find stability at

but you work with what you got I guess.

And that was where my situation
has led me at the moment.

So who knows?

...teach us your will...

We always desire to have a

relationship with you, lord

we just ask that you
make our path straight.

So that may be possible

bless the hands that
prepared this meal Lord.

We ask that you would
always comfort us and guide us.

Always, always love us never forget.

Got ruined got wet out
here that bummed us out

this paper doesn't burn very good though.

Its because it got wet.

I know it's still.

I need some plastic.

I actually thought about
hopping a train out of here.

Huh?

Well, we've got a dog now so we won't

but we thought about it
out hopping out of here

Cause we want to do that as a bucket list.

Ride a freight train cross states

What's your youngest

19.

No, no. - and you're 30?

He's 17.

Yeah. He's 17.

Richard just turned 19.

I'm a Richard

Yeah, my first husband's name was Richard.

So was my second.

They both beat me

I shouldn't have said that.

Well, I shot my first husband.

wait, what?

Oh, I shot him with a 12
gauge he's cheating on me.

And he used to beat me all the time.

Hardcore. I mean, hold me
up by my throat against the wall

and just in my stomach and.

shut the fuck up

Oh no, no, he did not die.

I shot him in the shoulder with a 12 gauge.

He ran, we had a dog that
had our puppies had puppies

and they were just little guys, you know.

They're just so cute.

You know?

And he turned around and ran them over.

Ran a couple of them over, well, he ended

up picking one up and he threw it at me

and he hit me in my leg and
that just, yeah, I pick him one

up and it was just, it
was still making noise

it was really sad.

it was real sad.

Is there a lot

of people down here who
have mental health problems

Um.

everyone I've talked to or seen

What kind of mental health problems

They just seem like, I don't know.

I don't know if they've
done too much dope or

or they really let things get to them.

living homeless, you know

not having the life that they dreamed of.

So if, if I'm strung out on a 50 cent Jones

and I come up from the river

and I can't spell my name
or read or communicate

with people in a civil way,
how, how do I get help?

That's difficult.

A lot of times you don't.

I think there's always been an emergency

with homeless people in our town

but because of current politics

people are just now kind
of like opening their eyes

and realizing we've been here

since 46 doing the same
thing that we're doing every day

you know, and our numbers
haven't gone down.

They haven't, you know, it, it it's.

So, no, I think it's, it's
always, always been here

but just people are now kind of waking

up to it and, and realizing it.

But I was one of those
dumb kids that expected

the world at right out
of high school, you know

and I'm the middle of six kids.

You start drinking and you start, you know

partying and just make some stupid

stupid mistakes and you hurt people.

And then, you know, then
I got a little bit in trouble

with the law and I was
like, all right, here we go.

Here's my life.

Here's what we're going to do.

And so I came here and
I just, I finally, I just shut

up and I just watched, I
watched people, you know

the people that were here and these people

all they want to do with
their lives was help people.

That's it, that's all they wanted.

And I was like, that floored me.

I was like, you, I, I could do that.

You know?

And I, and I, I enjoy it.

I always bounce them

to make sure it gets the bugs off.

Or at least some of the bugs

I'm not normally really scared of bugs

but like earwigs and
fucking that one kind of

that one kind of spider they
have around here

are creepy as fuck.

I draw mostly I can do other things too.

Like I can paint and such
too, I can write, I like to sing

but probably not right now
because my voice is up.

Plus I get stage fright.

So, but if I don't feel

like anyone's paying
attention to me, that I'm good.

But um-

But I mostly draw and I
don't really like using pencils.

I usually use pen or marker

because it helps me when
I'm anxious, which I

I kind of shut down into
myself kind of a little bit

and get kind of quiet and draw whenever I'm

whenever it's getting a
little bit worse and stuff.

It helps me a lot with that

because it's something
else to focus on for a minute.

But like sometimes if I
don't have anything else

I'll just draw on myself like

on the arms and stuff or on
my pants or whatever, I'll draw.

If I'm allowed to I'll draw on
people's walls and shit too.

But that's only if they say it's okay

Um...

Just

just on whatever I can.

If, if I have the means to do so.

like, if I have a pen
or marker or something

I'll find something to draw on

Yea like, the lifestyle I came from

I lived up on the Hill

got my backyard in the city
with a hot tub on my deck.

And I went to a Christian
private school with a uniform.

Like I went from there to a
small break period to this.

Fucking bottom.

So...

Its not much but this is my home.

It's more than what I got right now.

I mean, I'm couch surfing
in a tree house right now.

Like if it wasn't for
the homie, like I said

I got a couple of homies
that are still like, you know

like riding with me and shit.

Like he was the one that got me all this.

Like he got me this tent, like
you said, you know, you came

you came from like a good fucking family.

Like you had it all.

Like, you know, like it was
the same for me, you know?

Like my mom's like, she

she got locked up because
she fucking, she was hustling.

You know, she, she,
she was big fucking time.

So she got caught up.

She fucking doing five
years in prison and you know

like we had, we had it all,
you know, me and my brothers

and like, you know, like
even after she got locked up

like I was doing pretty
good for a couple of years

and all like I was hustling
and I was making good money.

Like I was helping my brother and you know

like whatever I wanted, I
could buy, you know, like

and like, I came from all
that, to fucking, to this shit.

You know what I mean?

Even now, you know,
like, I'm just trying to

keep like the level head, you know, like

just like the, like, like
just right now, like I was

I was chilling with the homie, you
know, and like, you know and fucking

and, you know, and he has
to go to work and shit and.

And like, just like the
thought, like, you know

when I know like, am I
have to come back here

and just like the thought
of coming back here, like

it's like this deep
depression, like, it just hits me.

I mean like such fuck, like, look

look where the fuck I'm at.

People say they feel lonely, but like

they don't really like,
get, like, they don't

know what the fuck lonely is
until, you know what I mean?

Like all my family is gone.

Like, like most of my
brothers, like I had to send

out like to Mexico and
like, fucking, you know

like my mom's just locked up.

Like I ain't got no real
family left out here.

And yeah, like, you know

that being lonely is like, it it's a

it's a fucked up feeling,

especially like out here, you know.

Back in the day me and
Kurt used to come under here

and this was all sticker bushes

this was the only way under here.

But in here we used to go up t-chr-eh-

Chris was up there, king of the
hill, and we have come through here

we come down here and we'd smoke weed,

and worship Satan and uh-

and worship Satan and uh-

drink piss beer - you
didn't worship no Satan.

Yea, we called it c-

Kurt called it drinking piss
beer and worshipping Satan.

One night we robbed an old

Dad's liqour cabinet had gin.

And we went to kurt, me and kurt-

Took it to Kurt's house
and mixed it with kool-aid

and we got hammered

Including previously unheard recordings.

That's how I knew I was getting
paid because I was working

at Tacoma and it was like, '03 or '04.

And they said, Oh, they're
coming out with a box set.

And the commercial, I was working graveyard

at a lamination mill at the Port of Tacoma.

And I'm like, listen to this commercial and

and previously never heard uh

show or uh recordings of their first

or show ever in Raymond Washington.

And I went, Whoa, I said that's me.

That's me.

And I went and I got really excited.

You know anybody down at the river.

Yeah. I know everybody's down there.

Give the city should go in
and just put some outhouses

out and let the people live there.

You know, that are going,
like you said, in, in wham

pull the bandaid off
and bring in the troops

or whatever national guard
going there, move them

screw them out.

Boom. That's all you got

you go into the sticks, your Batons

I can't do it right March.

And mow em you get them all out.

What are you going to do?

Don't just, don't play with them.

This is only going to
give you another 30 days.

Fair.

Its like let them stay.

Let them stay and let
people come in to help them.

But you know, that's my in, in
my fantasy world thats what...

They're gonna basically
get the bulldozers out

and just bulldoze everything that they can

just smash it all down to
the ground like they did.

But as far as I've heard
that what they did last time

I heard the rumor, they
were going to sweep it.

And I also heard that couple
people that have been down here

for a good three, four years

that they do it every fucking year.

Once a year, they come down

and they try to like clean house.

But right now there is
an ongoing court case.

And there's a few people
down here that are representing

said case.

They actually show up to court

and they plead their cases.

outside the court house.

We'll get there kinda early

Parking is... uh.

It's a shitty situation.

We have parking lots on
either side of the court

one is like cash only
one is cash or a visa.

And I don't know

if our card is a visa

Yes its visa.

Some of them are like quarters right?

Yeah you can use cash or visa card.

Levi Hunt 4th ward I'm
a survivor of addiction.

I lived here my entire life.

I've lived on that river
for many, many years

out of the 14 people
sitting up here right now

in your nice dress
clothes, paying your taxes.

Like we should, you guys are

you guys are

a wake up away, or step out that door away

from losing everything you have

Maybe due to a fire,

maybe due to um

your boss doesn't like what you do.

So you're fired now what?

I buried 36 people, 38 people, since 2016

not of them are from active addiction.

A lot of it's from mental
health issues as well.

We need to come together

and figure it out as
adults, instead of fucking

Sorry.

Instead of uh, uh.

pushing people around

bullying them

because they're less than

Misty.

It's Levi.

It's Levi.

It's Levi.

Are you coming with us?

Sarah wants to know if you were coming.

Okay. Yeah.

Its all right.

I see you'll be back down.

This is, this is a lawsuit for you guys.

Yep. For coming on a
little road trip to Tacoma.

We have to go right now.

You need a cigarette.

Can I have a cigarette?

I'm gonna go through a metal detector here

but you got valid ID.

You are welcome to join us.

We'll probably be lunch.

Okay.

Yeah. Sarah is going to be up there.

April's going to be up there.

We'll all be up there.

A few people from down
here will be up there.

Probably free lunch...

Oh, there is free lunch.

Oh, there is free lunch.

Where's mugs.

He got it.

He got accepted by CAP
to get his own place.

Oh, good.

Okay. Good.

Oh, fuck yea.

You want to come along
or you want to stay here.

Okay. And we'll keep you updated

and let you know how it goes.

Yeah for sure do that.

To stall them from sweeping the camp

until they get serious

about offering folks somewhere else to go.

So Reverend Sarah is
going to be there, April,

Obai is going to be there

but we will happily give
folks there a ride and back.

If anybody wants to come
on a little road trip to Tacoma.

I'm down.

You down?

Awesome. All right.

You can come with us.

Anyone else?

When?

Right now?

Oh. I can't.

Yeah, no, I can't.

We have to-damnit.

I wish it was like a little later tomorrow.

I would but my car's been
breaking into every time I leave.

That's a priority.

All right.

We will report back and let
everybody know how it goes.

There's a lot of bullshit

and drama that goes down on there.

And a lot of stupid unnecessary crap.

But honestly, we're all
kind of like one big

like extremely dysfunctional family.

I mean, some of us don't like each other

but when it really comes down to it

if we really need something,
we will help each other.

Even if we screw each
other over right the next day.

It's kind of screwed up
and kind of confusing

but it's just the way it is down there.

Like we screw each other over,
but we got each other's backs

at the same time

saying that

we're all just messy

like drug addict, bums,
who just live down there

because we want to, or
whatever, and just trash the place.

That's kind of the big
perception that a lot

of the towns people have,
especially the people up on Belair

up on the Hill and the
nice neighborhood and stuff.

They forget that the view from the bridge

isn't the only perspective
that there is of the, of my home.

And they forget that.

Not everyone's the same.

I love you.

Everybody who showed up wearing a collar.

If you could, maybe if
you want to, when we go in

seat yourself near the
front, so that you're nice

and visible, just so that,
so that you're seen.

It's important, I think, for
the court to understand

that this is a moral issue,
as much as it's a legal issue

this is about what's right and wrong.

What we're at court for today,
if you didn't get the message

from the Bishop or anywhere else is we have

requested a temporary restraining order

against the city of Aberdeen,
essentially to stall them

from sweeping the largest
encampment in the County.

There's about a hundred
people living there right now

to stall them

until there's an alternative
place for people to go.

Currently, there is not, not even kind of.

The mayor has said that
people are welcome to sleep

in the sidewalks and public right away

but there's several
ordinances in town, criminalizing

homeless people from doing just that.

So that's not even an option.

I'm going to start with a quick reading.

Why doesn't God set a time

for judging a day of justice,
for those who serve him

people move property
lines to get more land.

They steal sheep and put
them in their own flocks.

They take donkeys that belong to orphans

and keep a widow's ox
till she pays her debts.

They prevent the poor
from getting their rights

and force the needy to run and hide.

At night they sleep with
nothing to cover them

nothing to keep them from
the cold they're drenched

by the rain that falls on the mountains.

And they huddled beside
the rocks for shelter.

Holy one of many names.

We know that you're
always closest to those.

Who have no shelter over
their heads, but heaven.

So we're asking for your
protection over our plaintiffs.

We're asking for your protection

over the people living in this encampment.

We ask that you shield
and defend them in the name

of the one who creates
redeems and sustains us all.

Amen.

And they said, well, why listen to them?

They would say that, you know

because they're there,
they're just addicts.

They're just liars.

They're thieves, you know?

And this one sided deal.

Yeah, it is a lot of that down here.

But then again, this is
a, it's a whole other world

across the other side from
the tracks for the most part.

Especially honored to acknowledge

our former mayor, Steven Bucksbaum

in the back of the room.

Thank you for joining us Steven.

One thing I can say after having been mayor

for three years is I respect
you even more each year

as it goes by.

And that you set a lot

of the things in motion that
are now coming to fruition.

That's one thing that mayors

you inherit the previous administration.

And so you can't take all the credit

for all the good things that happened

because a lot of it was
set in place before you and

so how many of you have had a
chance to see that KOMO show?

I don't want to call it like a documentary.

I don't want to give it
that much credibility

but it's called Seattle is Dying.

You know?

So it, it really struck a chord

with a lot of people in
this community who feel

that they haven't had
their concerns addressed.

And it also, I believe

painted a very bleak picture

and a wide, broad brush of a problem.

That's way more complex
than what they presented.

But what we're going to talk

about today is the
complexity of the homeless.

There's no one pathway into homelessness

and there's no one pathway out of it.

So what I'm really proud to
go around in our community

and elsewhere is tell the
story of what Olympia is doing.

So how many of you have
attended a city council meeting

on a Tuesday night

and given your three
minutes of public comment?

Wow, that's great.

That's great.

But what you're going to get today

for those of you that haven't been downtown

on a Tuesday night is
you're going to get more

than three minutes and
you're going to get to be sitting

around a table with people

that you may not have ever met before.

And that's what this is about

is to share our experiences
and learn together.

So, you know, a year ago
when I would walk this route

every doorway would have, you know

between one and four
people, five people in it.

Wow. On fifth.

Yeah. And on fourth.

Wow.

And on Washington and Capitol and Franklin

How were you able to
stop that from happening?

I don't see anybody out here

no security guards or anything.

How do you literally move people

from a street once they're
used to hanging out there?

So it started with, you know,
some businesses were okay.

With it, some businesses
weren't okay with it.

Some businesses would
be okay with it as long

as people were up and at it
by, you know, a reasonable time

in the morning so that they
could get their business open.

Sometimes in the beginning, people would go

out from the city and we'd have hot coffee

and we would offer them,
Hey, here's a cup of coffee.

Here is a gift card for
McDonald's to get a sandwich.

Good morning.

Riley is that you, how are you doing?

Yeah. Time to kind of get
up and get the day going.

It is uh...

about eight 30.

Can you do that for me?

Okay. I'll come back and
check in a little bit.

Okay. All right.

Thank you.

I was just being out here every morning

letting people know

Doing what you just did.

Yep, exactly.

And telling them, this is where you can go.

This is, you know

this business is not okay
with you being in their alcove

but here's a spot where you can be.

What kid of repercussions did you get other

than just, you know, people
come and physically moving them.

Others can take them to
jail for sleeping there.

And getting a ticket doesn't do anything.

Nope.

What's the real leverage you have

if it's not the law.

It's the relationship.

So the site that we're
going to eventually go to

is the city sanctioned
mitigation side is what we refer

to it as.

...I think it might
be in one of the packets

It's a lot of information right there.

It helps to explain what we are doing.

So this is a great graphic to explain what

an unmanaged site looks like
the before and after pictures.

And then the mitigation site,

here's a site that obviously
wasn't completely full

at that time.

But you can see where
we were able to take one

one of our downtown parking lots

move people off temporarily
come in re-stripe it.

Move in the tents.

It seems challenging

for some folks to understand
why there's even a need

for a mitigation site.

One of the Olympia city
planners asked us before we left

would you prefer these individuals?

Some of which are strung out on drugs

have extensive criminal backgrounds

or mental health disorders, and some

of which truly are in need
and interested in help.

Do you want them on your streets?

Do you want them near
your schools in your parks

in front of your businesses downtown?

My number one takeaway
from Olympia is the amount

of highly qualified and
extremely passionate people

who were troubleshooting
this problem every day.

The problem is judgment

And not realizing that we're
all one of same, you know?

And that's the whole problem.

If there's a lady on the city

council said it perfectly

if you change the way you see things

the things you see will change

its like the haves and the have-nots.

And they see this distance

which creates a conflict and a battle

never going to be ended

wars and conflicts

until I see you as me.

She sees me as her, you know,
and then we'll come together.

When the love is there,
then everything will be fixed

When the love is there.

That's what it is.

That's what's needed is a lack of love.

And it's a lack of forgiveness.

And that's a, it's

like the rich people are
judging the homeless people

the dirty drug addicts

the homeless people are
judging the rich people

You know? They're hoity toity

the idea that you're not
like me, and I'm not like you

that's it that simple to literally be like

You can get it that raw.

this is my sister.

You're my brother it
doesn't matter who you are

I've never met you before...

So being as Mayor Larson is out. I will

So the only thing I have
to say is yesterday evening

or yesterday day council member Rowe and I

both attended the Tacoma federal hearing.

So I'm going to have some
clarification when we get

to the actual meeting on that one.

But it was an interesting
process to go to federal court.

That's for sure.

It was back and forth

between our attorney and the city attorney

but the judge and the
city attorney were kind

of making the argument
that folks down at the river

they just want to stay there.

They don't want to go anywhere else.

And our attorney was like,
where else will they go?

Like, do you have like,
Nope, there's nowhere else.

The city has identified nowhere else

for people to be the judge
gave a lot of, it seemed

like a lot of openings to the
city attorney to just name a

an alternative site, any
alternative site, any park.

And they wouldn't.

So then the judge got mad and it was like,

Um...

and it was like,

What'd he say?

He said, you need to get an oar, and put it

in the water and start
working on this thing.

He got very kind of like
grumpy grandpa about it,

the 3rd reading is

an adoption of bill number 1905

prohibiting public access

to river street properties for life safety

public safety and public
welfare reasons I moved to.

Pass the 3rd reading.

2nd

Its been moved and 2nded
that we adopt the third reading

is there any discussion?

I would like to make an
amendment to the 3rd reading

Uh, amendment would

Take the bill 1905

through the third reading

and amend only as to the affected day.

Is not sooner than June 5th, 2019

That would be the first Monday

after the stay on the TRO

he did grant the restraining order

or the injunction as written,
but he said, I'm putting a

stay a 30 day, stay on this eviction.

And within that time

the city has to find a place for people.

You need to talk to each other?

So um, uh...

So the ball's on the city's court

at this point in terms
of identifying a place.

So that's what I heard.

No, for the sake of
discussion, please bear with me

because I am more in
favor of an option where

we postpone the third reading,
but direct staff to prepare

to identify an alternative
location for our consideration

and

you have that right to make that amendment.

And that's what I, I'm not familiar enough.

Robert's rules

of order to know how
to get that considered.

So I'm going to take it as your word

and the amendment you'd
like to bring forward is

that we, u table this

and then direct staff-

-Not table, postpone the 3rd reading.

postponed the 3rd reading until when?

Until June 12th.

So you'd like to post on the third reading

to the June 12 council meeting

and direct staff to come up
with an alternative location.

Would anyone like to 2nd that amendment.

Sure I will.

It's been moved and seconded all in favor.

Aye.

All opposed

Nay

That amendment is failed.

What else did other people hear?

Well? Yeah.

And he said he wanted them to negotiate.

The, the two sides needed
to negotiate something

because he didn't want to see us back

for the actual litigation that we filed.

He wants something
resolved out of court rather

than in court,

Back to the original amended ordinance

Is there any discussion
on that original amendment?

All right, so it's good.

Could you restate the amendment.

So the, the amendment was to

change the effective date

to June 10, 2019

in respect of the

which is the Monday

after the stay of the
temporary restraining order.

All right.

So this is a roll call vote

roll call as amended
Alstrom is absent Andrews.

Yes.

James Cook.

Yes.

Jeff Cook is absent Gordon is absent.

Maki is absent.

Prieto

Yes.

Rodgers.

Yes.

Rowe.

Yes.

Schave

Yes.

Shaw.

Yes.

Shortt.

Yes.

Madam Mayor Pro Tem

that it has passed
unanimously eight to zero.

All right.

DSHS statistics for December of 2017, was

that there were a thousand
people homeless in Aberdeen.

So about five, roughly
500 people unsheltered

and 500 people couch surfing.

And that number is constantly revolving

and changing all of the time.

But that's a lot of people
in a town of 16,000.

But that's a lot of people
in a town of 16,000.

Um...

That's a lot people to be unhoused.

unhoused or very unstabley housed

and not a lot of places for them to go.

I'm James. I live in Aberdeen, B street.

I don't know what ward that is

I just want to say, man, one

of the things that upsets me the most

about our mayor or any of
you is when you go to that river

you want to just say these
people, these river people

that's the city of Aberdeen.

That's your people.

That's ward, whatever you want on here.

That's Aberdeen.

We just need to sit down
and discuss some stuff.

I don't care to go to court for anybody.

I don't like dressing up, like I'm going

to a funeral all the
time, but it feels that way.

Every time I walk in
those doors with you all.

I just want

I've seen dreams and visions for this town.

We should be living in skyscrapers by now.

We're still trying to figure

out crap out on the ground that's sad.

That's pathetic.

I mean, in the
end, I think the conversation is.

I mean the two things that I
keep in mind is number one

like

people are people.

Whether they're homeless

or drug addicted or any
of that, people are people

and they deserve dignity
and they deserve respect.

And they deserve to be
treated as people, no

matter who they are and no
matter what they're dealing with.

And if we started the conversation there

we would have a lot more
productive conversations.

But if we start the conversation

with this idea that there
are respectable people

and trash people and trash
people don't deserve anything.

And we really would
rather that they weren't

they were either out of town or not alive.

Because literally people have
come to city council meetings

and said that they just
wish everyone would die.

So, I mean

So, I mean

So, I mean

it's really hard to
have a conversation when

we don't accept the basic
dignity of every person.

You know, we just have
differences of opinion.

We know nothing about
each other at this point.

There's, there's gotta
be some way that each

and every one of us has
an ideal end goal here.

Nobody wants those
people to live like that.

At the river, nobody hates anybody

nobody wishes that they
would all just like, Oh, go away.

I didn't put them there.

I don't want to leave them
there because it's a danger.

Not only to them at this point, it's

it's inhumane to leave them living like that.
- It's a danger to our city.

You can't provide port-a-potties

and accept that that's sanitary.

But when we can't even have an interaction

When these people are
calling us out of Facebook live.

Yeah it gets to be a little petty.

I've never had a conversation with Ms Obai

in real life we've

and I don't even think we've had banter

on Facebook because I've
connected with Shelby.

She lumps me in with this.

I hate everybody group

and she doesn't know how I feel we've

never had a conversation.

And that's my thing too, is
that some people come out here

and like, Oh, I feel so bad for them.

We can't kick them out of the river

but it's not because they care.

They don't want them
in their neighborhoods.

That's the bottom line.

There's Oh, there's a whole handful

of people that are doing
this whole like, Oh

the poor homeless people at the river.

They don't give a shit.

You know?

And I don't know what
the end result goals is.

There's gotta be a way
to work together instead

of constantly battling on
Facebook for Christ sake

and a mayor that doesn't even show up.

On the count of
three. One, two, three, freeze.

So plum street village is our first effort

in a tiny home approach to

the elements of this crisis.

It's a high level of management

which you'll see when
we got there that hand

up to the community that holds community

with our street outreach

try to get them into a managed site.

And then once they stabilize
in the managed site and show

that they can be successful
with that level of oversight

then they can interview to
go into the plum street village.

And that's one more
level of case management.

So right now we have 29 houses after this.

We're also going through a tour.

We're looking at housing
anywhere between 40

and 45 residents here, we
currently have one meal a day.

That's provided from union gospel mission

around five and five 30.

And then also we have a
local food bank that drops

off donations here.

And then residents can come here

and bring food as they, like.

We also have a resource center here.

Full bathrooms, three of them.

Washer and dryer on
the backside smoking area.

Of course, cigarettes only
because there's no drugs

and alcohol.

and whatever
barrier they come in here with.

We do our best to try to make sure we

can overcome that barrier.

So when we looked for them
for permanent supportive housing

they can sustain that housing.

Cause it's a different thing.

We can always find housing

but can they sustain that
housing is the biggest thing.

And we don't want them to
fall back into the cycle.

And so this is what the
village is here for this is that

pit stop for us to get
them physically, mentally

financially stable, to go back

and be productive citizens in
whatever County they live in.

So this is the purpose of the village.

We had a local hotel
actually bring blankets here

that they weren't using anymore.

I mean, we've had mothers come here

drop off food, Tide pods.

And you know

we've actually had the St
Michael's people that go

to their faith organizations
come and drop off things.

They actually built one of the houses here

the blue house they actually
built one of the houses here.

The person who lives
there they always want to meet

every time I've heard, Oh
can I meet the person in 19?

Cause that's our house.

Very true

and it really took the community of Lacey

and it really took the community of Lacey

in Olympia coming together
and really making this happen.

And it's been great.

We've been as an agency protecting citizens

on riverfront for decades.

And you know, I think
sometimes we lose sight of that.

I think the citizens may lose sight

of that because of course what comes

to the forefront is the criminal element.

Not everybody on the
riverfront are criminals.

Not everybody on the river,
front property are addicted

to drugs or have mental
health issues are, are alcoholics.

Obviously there are those
who have a combination

of perhaps all three.

I think there's a lot

of positive interaction
that is not really spoke of.

I think you're going to
get an opportunity when

you speak with some

of the officers that do
frequent the riverfront property

and you'll hear that same information

Like this sleeping bag right here, you know

like this thing saved my fucking life.

I remember the first night I was out here

like the very first night
I had this tent and like

I didn't even have a blanket.

You know what I mean?

And it was cold.

It was like cold and windy.

And like, it was my first
time setting up a tent.

So like my dumb ass didn't
even put on like the tarp on.

Right. You know what I mean?

And like

Fucking... so like

it was a little bit
exposed to wind coming in

and I was in here like fucking freezing

until like about two in the morning.

And then fucking...

I ended up having to, I
was like, dude, I can't do this.

I ended up having to, fuck I
was like, dude, I can't do this.

I got the, I seen this cop drive by

and I got the idea, you
know, like, you know

as much as I fucking hate
cops, you know, as much

as they ruined my life,
you know, like, like I was

I was in a tight spot,
you know what I mean?

And I fucking looked up
the police department

non emergency number
and I, I told them my situation

and you know, they fucking hooked me

up with this fucking blanket right here.

They gave me

like a little fucking
care package and shit.

And I was like, you know

like I was like, you
know, like, thank you guys.

You know?

Like I was appreciating
like, you know, I don't

I usually don't like cops, you know?

But like

they fucking they saved my life that night

What's going on, man?

How are you?

I can't find my brother.

Your brother?

Chubby

Chubbzzz

Isn't he over on Wishkah?

Yeah.

I want to check on him though.

All right. Cool. I'll go
check on him too in a little bit.

Yea thats all I want to do.

Cool.

I'll go check on him too in a little bit.

Yea let me know.

All right.

take care.

What's wrong with Chubbzzz?

I know he, he's probably sitting

down to throwing back, but.

And that was his

that was

his way of saying

I'm not doing nothing.

I'm just trying to check on Chubbzzz

here's chubbzzz right here.

I'm looking for Ken Pinkernell.

Has anyone seen, we're
also looking for David gangle.

If anyone had seen,

how are you doing Ken?

I just gotta check on these people.

That's a good thing.

Hey, Ken, take care of Homer.

All right.

Awe, cmon. I can't take care of both!

I think Dave, I think Dave
needs the most help though.

I love you, brother

Take care.

He's always pretty cool.

Always, always laughing, joking.

Harbor Two Seven Six

Two Seven Six, go ahead.

I'll be down at the river camps

checking on things

276, 1550

as this situation is getting worse

and you realize, well, you
know, work in these people go.

They there isn't somewhere they can go.

And there's no single answer.

Everyone has a different story to tell.

It's not like you can just say

this is the way we're going to fix it.

And so I'm just trying to do as much

as I can to show them
it's better for everybody.

And it's certainly better
for us in our careers.

If they can fix their
issues, they have and...

become uh... uh... happier

with their life and, and be in a better

situation

to where they want to
get up in the morning.

And they have goals like,

hi, what's up

out for a little jog

going down to get some food

getting some food, huh?

Oh, it's down at the gate now.

right.

Oh its down at the gate now.

You better get it before
everyone else does.

Yeah. All right.

Good, good.

You I'm glad you're
looking good and everything.

So, all right.

You keeping them all in line down here.

Oh, you bet. Trying.

All right.

All right.

We'll go grab some of that food.

All right.

All right.

Have a good day.

And we just need to do the
best we can to help them.

They're the ones that decide.

If they're going to make
those decisions to get back

on their feet, you can't
arrest the problem.

You know, you got to try
to get them to take control

of their life and try to get out of it.

Someone ever help you carry that stuff.

Once somebody did last week.

Oh

Dude, he is very, very, very capable.

That man is one of the strongest men.

I know.

I know he is.

I know he is.

If you were to ask 30 years ago

when I started in this profession
and mission statements

really weren't a thing.

If you were doing choir, I would say, well

it's the serve and
protect, serve and protect.

I think the protect thing is pretty

evident that that's
what we should be doing.

I think the serve thing in some

with some agencies has gotten

a bit skewed

as to what that translates into.

What's like the ugly part

of relating to folks down here?

of relating to folks down here?

Ugly... part?

Some would say, they're like in the gutter

they don't care about it.

They don't care about
what, what they look like.

And we're looking like this is a sad thing

and they don't want to change.

And you're, they're, trying to
like speak some sense into them.

And it's

it's hard to see that know
they're hurting their life

and they, they just don't
really care about that.

What do you tell-

- Two PaulThirteen, go ahead.

What do you
tell Rick Walters when he falls off

when he falls off

and you find them down there at the river

What do I tell Rick?

Yeah.

I'll go grab him

and put him in my uh

Chevy express van.

And then I'll duct tape
him to my tree at home.

I'll tell him, honestly,

I'll just be there for him.

He's my friend.

And I would probably go down

and visit him and just talk
hope into his life, you know

because

I shouldn't give up on him.

That's, that's what it is.

You know,

I probably want to like
punch him a few times but,

you better not fall off.

But if he does, I'll be there for him.

I mean,

that's what family

that's what brothers do

stick together.

I got to admit there was some people I was

uncomfortable talking to.

I met this cat named Samuel

and he scared the shit out of me.

When I first saw him,

I wasn't able to record what he said

but I figured I'd tell you anyway

because he's pretty much me.

I've been on the streets and a lot

of different States since
I graduated high school.

What else there is to say,
but being with my friends

being outside in nature, I
get cabin fever sometimes.

And I just want to travel.

You got to take care

of things and all that bull crap in life.

I understand that.

I don't even know what
to say right now, man.

I rather live in a tent in the forest

and sleep around the
birds and the bees than a

than a house full of problems.

I love the road.

I love the river.

I love hopping the trains

the streets and all the different places

I've been over the years and years.

Right now I feel like

I'm stagnant having to,

Having to...

I don't know, flip the page

or turn the chapter on life.

Sometimes

almost all the time.

I wish I could find like one

solid girl around my age

and just

travel all over the country
with her or something.

See this beautiful world.

But,

that has yet to really happen.

I don't know how much more
I want to say other than that

I don't know how much more
I want to say other than that

I don't know...

I guess thank you for letting me speak.

Put a smile on my face.

Just...

Just stopping and talking to me

for a minute.

You know the difference

between a right hug and a left hug?

When you hug someone this
way your hearts beat apart.

When you hug someone this
way they beat together.

Not everybody
wants to be part of the system.

Not everybody wants help

but everybody's definitely somebody.

I've known since we were little kids.

He wasn't always like this.

what was he like before?

He was a normal
bright young man very athletic

And what happened?

He got a hot dose.

He got, a-

Somebody shot him up with a hot dose

Hot dose what do you mean?

Its drug induced schizophrenia.

Yeah. And I remember I was a teenager when

the timber industry crashed

and I remember loggers going door

to door and I remember
people becoming homeless

and I remember all of that happening.

And I remember people
turning to drugs as an alternative

not just as a coping skill

but also as an alternative economy.

Right.

Right. It's an, it's a way
to make money, you know?

And you know, that's part of the problem.

There's not a lot of
ways to make money here.

And when you're 18, 19
and end up on the street.

Yeah. People like
pissing and shit into fucking

to bottles just to fucking cook with

so like like fucking piss into a bottle

and like pour under the
fucking spoon just to cook with

with like dude really you're
gonna fucking put that in you.

I'm like, man.

That's why I only smoke like,

That's why I only smoke like,

I don't fuck with any-like

I don't fucking slam nothing, like...

I'll smoke it all.

I'll smoke it all.

Fucking

put it on a foil, put it in
the fucking glass pipe.

Like I'm down with black.

I'm down with white.

I'm down with white.

Fucking

I'll do anything

on the fucking face of the earth.

I'll take tabs.

I'll fucking, I'll do ecstasy.

I'll fucking I'll shoot pills
fucking all day.

Do you have your lighter?

Yes I do.

Yeah. fucking heroin made
me into the person that allowed

my boyfriend at the time

and a friend of his basically
robbed my mom's house.

Let them into my mom's house

let them take whatever they wanted just

so I can get my next fucking

get well.

Fuck...

And realizing that and
realizing the person I really am.

And that wasn't it.

Gave me the... the...

confidence to

fucking kick it.

And I kicked the cold
Turkey smoking chronic weed

for two weeks.

If I get beat up

on throw me in that fucking fire.

just make sure my mom gets my body

don't just pit me in garbage can.

I don't like that.

I died three times in Seattle.

That's how you communicate.

Heroine and cocaine, shit.

I've had a problem since I was 11

I don't even have anything against needles.

Like I'm just like as
sketchy, like dude fucking...

I died a couple times. Its bad

He can be within, you know

a normal state of mind when he is sober

but it takes a long time
months, you know, when

they get back and they still
it's never the same, but yeah

he's lucky to be alive.

What is, where is he?

Not sure.

His mother, family, everything.

Everybody has tried, but I don't

I don't really know if it
can be completely rectified.

He lost a lot.

When he went, he lost our brother

Daniel and him were very best friends

and he died right down
there is his Memorial.

And they both had the same thing.

Drug induced schizophrenia.

They were very close.

And since then

he's never really never
really tried as hard.

You know, he lost a lot
when Daniel passed away.

You know, he lost a lot
when Daniel passed away.

He lost is best friend.

Yea.

Thats why I asked twice

You got bad hearing.

Hi, my name is Tom
Davis, I live in Aberdeen.

Third ward.

I'd like to share with you,
what I consider maybe

what sometimes people
call it the wrong perception

and a little reading here.

Bear with me, please.

A man once had to leave
home for a long time.

Before he left home, his wife got pregnant

but he didn't know it.

When he returned, his wife
had given birth to a child.

He suspected that little
boy was not his and believed

that he was the son of the
neighbor that he used to come

and work for the family,
the little boy with suspicion.

He looked at the little boy with suspicion.

He hated him.

He saw the neighbor's
face in the little boy's face.

And one day.

The Man's brother came to visit

for the first time when he
saw the little boy he said

to the father, he looks just like you.

He's your exact duplicate.

The brothers visit

was a happy event

because it helped the father get rid

Get rid of his wrong perception.

But the wrong perception
had controlled the man's life

for 12 years.

It made the fathers suffer deeply.

It made his wife suffer deeply.

And of course the little boys suffered from

that kind of hatred.

We act on the basis of
wrong perceptions all the time.

We should not be sure of
any perception we have.

When you look at the beautiful
sunset, you may be quite sure

that you're seeing the
sun as it is in that moment.

but a scientist will
tell you that that image

of the sun that you see is an image

of the sun from eight minutes ago

sunlight takes eight
minutes to reach the earth

from such a long distance.

Also,

when you see a star, you
think that the star is there

but that star may have disappeared already.

One, two or 10,000 years before

we have to be very careful

with our perceptions.

Otherwise we will suffer.

It is very helpful to
write on a piece of paper.

Are you sure

and hang it up in your room

and medical clinics, hospitals,
they're beginning to hang

up these kinds of signs,
even if you are sure.

Check again.

It is a caution that if
disease is not detected early

it can be very difficult to heal.

Medical doctors are not thinking

in terms of mental formations.

They are thinking in
terms of a hidden disease

but

we can also make use of this slogan.

Even if you are sure, check again

we have made ourselves suffer.

We made a hell for ourselves.

And our beloved ones
because of our perceptions.

Are you sure of your perception?

There are people who suffer

from wrong perceptions for 10, 20 years.

They are sure

as the other person has
betrayed them or hates them.

And even though the other person

has portrayed only good intentions

a person who is the victim
or wrong perception

makes himself

and the people around him suffered a lot.

When you're angry

and you're suffering,
please go back and inspect

very deeply, the content and
the nature of your perception.

If you're capable

of rebuilding the wrong perception,

peace

happiness

will be restored you

and you will be able to, uh...

love the other person again.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

In Aberdeen, we're kinda
in a unique postion, similar to Olympia.

There's kind of the elephant in the room.

The fact that the city is
currently being in a lawsuit

and a lot of that has stemmed
from, I think, a disconnect

between some of the people
who were looking to advocate

for homeless individuals in our community

and the realities of
what, what is attainable

and also understanding
that, you know, ultimately

we're government agencies,
we, we represent all people.

We have to be thoughtful

about how we're using the public's money

how we manage public
spaces for everybody's right.

And so it's a very challenging thing

because sometimes everybody
has different expectations

about what the city should do.

And as far as they're concerned

their expectation is the
one that everybody supports.

And you always find yourself

in the situation of trying
to find that common

middle ground that you know
is going to be sustainable.

And then you make everybody mad.

I think that's the biggest

challenge is that
homelessness is a continuum.

You know, every program
has a discreet population that it

that it deals with and you're
always going to have gaps.

And I think, I think even when you talk

about temporary housing,
you know, it's really temporary

for the individual and not temporary

for the community in the
sense that it's, it's

it's always going to be
a need the word temporary

applies to the person
that you're helping, not

not the housing

And it's, it's a very difficult thing.

Cause people think, Oh,
well, we'll do this.

And then we'll, we'll get
all of these people housed

and then there'll be no more
homelessness in the city.

Good luck with that.

The value of the home in
general is so depreciated

by the need for flood insurance

that yes the banks won't lend

in many of those homes
reviewed do over 50% improvements.

You're going to have to raise it

up up five base flood elevation.

Which more than doubles
the cost of any of the models.

It's a very delicate situation.

We're working on addressing that.

We've got a major levy
project that's that's

in the works that we've
gotten significant state funding

from working on the
federal component to it.

And that should take about 3,300 properties

out of the flood plan.

And it represents about half

of the city's real estate.

When we build this levy and we

and we have all of this growth

and we've got to manage all of this.

We aren't going to see any
increases in funding to do that.

So that's, that's the other challenge.

So it's, it's, it's, it's always
complicated, isn't it?

Yes. And like I said,
we're all in this together.

Really.

Hello?

Hey, what's what's going on, Barb.

Hi. How are you doing

Who is this?

Dean

oh

its that long lost idiot son.

How are you doing.

Oh, I'm doing all right.

I'm down on the river.

How are you guys doing?

Do you still have you
apartment there in Aberdeen.

Oh, no, no, no, I don't got that either

but I am going to treatment
there within two weeks.

You're going to treatment.

Yeah, I got a bed date.

I haven't told anybody.

You're the first one, so, yeah.

So you're camping out too.

Hey, I love camping.

I should've did this a long time ago.

Who needs a truck and shit

When I can just live down at the river.

What's father doing.

sitting at the table
he can't hear on this phone.

Well, just tell him to say hi to me anyway.

Just say, Hey.

Oh, Hey, you dumb son.

Anything.

I met him right here for my first time.

Hello?

Hey, what are you doing.

I can't hear

Hey, what are you doing Pops. anyway.

Anyway.

It's all right.

I want to hear his voice.

There you go.

Can you say anything you want brother.

You know, my brother and my friends.

What keeps you happy?

What keeps me happy?

I mean, fucking...

society, I guess, fuck.

Knowing that there's a fucking possibility

of going back.

I mean, like this isn't forever, I guess.

Like, I don't want to do this.

The rest of my life.

It's a fucking stepping stone.

What, what keeps you happy?

I don't know.

My son has been teaching me.

I don't know the Bible, but
even kind of working, you know

teaching me the word
about God and everything.

It keeps my hopes up

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want and makes
him lay down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his namesake though, I walked

Though I walk through the
Valley of shadow and death

I shall fear no evil.

For his rod, his staff

they shall comfort me.

He prepares a table before me.

He annoys my head with oil.

My cup runs way over.

I don't want anymore.

Surely goodness and mercy
will follow the rest

of my days in life.

And I shall dwell in the house
forever in Jesus' Holy name.

Amen. And that's Psalm 23.

I learned that in jail.

and it seems to work sometimes
and keep a positive attitude.

How do you stay happy?

Um...

I just go on with my day,
do what I, whatever I gotta do.

Get my things taken care of that daily

like water and getting
fed and everything and

make sure that dried
clean clothes and stuff.

It just became a habit, something normal.

You know, and you can't
help everybody, you know

but I can make sure everybody's got coffee.

Everybody's got food in their bellies.

You know, there's, you
know, there's some people

that are just so far gone that

You really...

you try to just make sure
that that they're safe

at night and that they
I've got some, you know

they go home or go outside
with food in their bellies

but that's about all you can do for them.

And it it's sad and it's
depressing, but you know

but, you know

we're here every day
trying to just make sure

that everybody's at least taking care

of a little bit and there's
no easy or neat solution to it.

There's a lot of different
cities that are doing a lot

of different things,
but really, I mean, it's

it's not going to be not gonna be
easy to fix the homeless problem

if you could even fix it.

So.

But, you know, everybody's got to eat.

And there was also

what always happens when
there's lack is there's always

there's always the
temptation to fight each other.

Do you have any, is it like contested

like your relationship with the city

or the police department?

Or are you guys working together?

Well, it's always contested
particularly, you know

now we're in the middle
of I'm, I'm in the middle

of litigation with the
city, so it's contested

but is there anyone that you, I mean

do you guys talk sensibly,
like when you have phone calls

or like in other situations, like,

I mean I've had many
one-on-one conversations

and also group conversations with

both the mayor and city
officials on numerous occasions.

And I'm always open to continuing that.

Um...

What I would like to see is
those conversations move toward

you know, actual solutions.

You know, I I'm cognizant of the fact

that right now there's a large
number of people homeless

in this area that are
trying to find a place to go.

And no matter where they go, they, they

there there's somebody
that doesn't want them there.

I get that.

And that's something that we're struggling

with and we're trying to find solutions.

I very much appreciate what
people come together and say

I understand, I understand
both sides of this issue.

How do we go from the
divisiveness that we're at now

and find to find a
solution that that might not

be everything everybody was looking for

but it's better than what we have today.

And, you know, that's
something that I still

am hopeful we'll be able to get to.

But a lot of the comments
there tonight were not

comments that were coming

from a place of trying to reach that point.

And so, you know, it's
something that is frustrating for me

but you know, we're

we're just going to keep moving forward.

on trying to address this
issue, like many other areas

in this state and this
country are trying to do.

I think we have the
opportunity as a community.

We, we either can choose healing.

We can choose to invest in solutions

or we can self-destruct

um...

and tear each other apart.

um...

And I hope we choose healing.

I hope we choose solutions.

I'm gonna say right
now, you don't know me and shit.

and I'm...

I don't know, probably sound weird.

I don't know, fuck.

but um...

I'm in a similar situation, I guess, but

Right.

But, um...

if you ever need anything and
you see me around or anything

like holler at me,

I do appreciate that.

You too.

Like, I mean, even somebody
to talk to you, you know?

And just like I tell people, you know

I don't got much, but like, you know

like I know how I know
what it is, like how it's like

when you like feeling like,
you know, like, like you wanna

you just want to give up, you know?

And like, you got nobody to talk to you.

You know what I mean?

Yea.

I'm going to come up.

You know what I mean?

I still got faith.

Good don't let go of that.

But you know exactly like,
cause if you don't have that

then what the fuck do we have?

Exactly.

Every day-

- No matter how hard and
fucking fucked up it is

at least you have
something to learn from it.

The only way you can really look

at things and keep moving forward.

Uh, what's your name, sir?

Uh, David.

David, okay David.

Do you have anyone we can
contact for you, David?

Get some assistance to help you get moved?

Because we have some
tent sites set up by city hall...

Long as I'm warm

middle of the night till I wake up.

Ill sleep nice and warm.

and that's all I need.

The rest...

It's love.

I'm surrounded by love.

Heya, Heya, Heya,

That's sort of my old sayings.

Actually its a-Actually its a song.

Heya, Heya, Heya,

can I sing it?

Yeah.

All right.

This is how the, Heya,
Heya, Heya, song goes.

♪ Heya heya he heya heya heya heya ♪

♪ Heya heya

♪ Heya heya

♪ indistinct

♪ river comes to the ocean ♪

♪ at home heya heya

♪ Taholah Washington

♪ Heya Heya

♪ oh the big family, go on the river bed ♪

♪ gonna say hi to grandma
and hows everybody else ♪

♪ Heya Heya

♪ All the way to Taholah ♪

♪ Heya Heya Heya

♪ Everybody okay?

Heya Heya.

Like that one?

That's the one I wrote.