Amador County – Amador County Supervisors heard a report of a survey of the homeless in the county, and discussed the issue last week.

Denise Cloward, coordinator of the Jackson Emergency Shelter told about some information she gleaned during the annual survey of the homeless conducted by the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency, the Shelter, and volunteers.

Cloward said many say they have “never been in this position in my life,” and she can personally say that, as her husband, a general contractor is leaving soon for Colorado “because there is no work here.”

She shared a portrait of the Amador County homeless she saw in January helping with the survey. She heard from people “one paycheck away from losing their home,” people who have tried everything and leveraged everything, sold their grandmother’s ring, have lived on a dozen eggs for a week. She said Amador homeless are people with educations, medical technicians, families, people with addictions and mental illness.

Supervisor Richard Forster said: “Do they ask for help?” He saw a man at the DMV office, trying to get a driver’s license, shoeless and unkempt. Forster said “I’ve worn dirty pants before, but these were the dirtiest pants I’ve ever seen in my life.” He said: “Do they ask for help, to clean up for interviews?” He said he should give the man credit for trying to get his license.

Cloward said they will ask for help, but many are in the shelter for the first time. One recent visitor was a substitute teacher in the school district. Another was a trained medical technician. Some may be embarrassed, and it is hard to ask for help.

The shelter sleeps more than 30 people, but it is “always consistently 15 people,” half full. She said moms with children are nervous about Child Protective Services. Some cannot handle the rules they have to follow at the shelter, such as no alcohol or drugs. Some are ready to follow the rules, some are not.

Supervisor Ted Novelli said he heard on the radio recently that the United States has the highest number of homeless people it has ever had, in the hundreds of thousands. Then on the same station, they “say that the economy is turning around.” He asked where that turnaround is showing. Cloward said a lot of peoples’ unemployment is running out, leading to more loss of homes.

Novelli said “if anybody could get help, I think Amador County is up there” among those with a good chance. Supervisor Brian Oneto said he sees people come into the food bank, who were there donating two or three years ago, and now they are getting food.

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