Rockwood Plaza shade removal disturbs homeless
The city of Calexico removed a shade at Rockwood Plaza last week that prompted concerns among the homeless population taking shelter.
They’re taking it as a sign that they are not wanted at the park.
The city says that the removal of the shade was not an attack against the homeless population.
“The homeless population has the right to use space as needed, given that they don’t have an opportunity to have a permanent roof over their head or just a shelter they can go to,” said assistant city manager, Miguel Figueroa.
According to the city, the shade was removed so it could be relocated to another park in order to protect exercise equipment purchased by the Heffernan Memorial Healthcare District.
“When it came to the options, the shades that sit behind city hall, were considered an option,” said Figueroa.
Homeless locals taking shelter under the shade were forced to evacuate the area.
A video taken by a resident in Calexico, shows city workers taking the shade down. It also shows a worker warning the homeless that are using another shade that they have one day to evacuate because additional shades are set to be removed.
As of now only one shade has been removed, while the others still remain. The city says there is no plan to remove the remaining shades.
“The motive behind the removal of that shade structure is to accommodate a need specified in an agreement with Heffernan Memorial and the city of Calexico,” said Figueroa.
Seeing the impact that this is causing, we will come back to the table and like I mentioned, find viable options before we proceed,” said Figueroa.
Martha Bernal lives directly in front of the park, she says that in her fifteen years living there she has never seen so many homeless people.
She says she has never had a problem with any of them, but admits she takes her grandson to another park across town to play.
The brown bag coalition feeds about seventy homeless people daily in Calexico. The organization estimates about twenty to twenty-five of them take shelter at Rockwood Plaza park. That number has dropped since the removal of the shade.
As far as helping the homeless community, the city says they are working with the county. Together they are looking into plans to help alleviate homelessness in Calexico.
