Homeless Coalition proposes 7-acre homeless campsite

Beaumont City Councilman Mike Getz announced that the city will soon be presented a proposal to consider developing a 7-acre campsite for the homeless population of Beaumont during a June 1 meeting of the city’s Homeless Coalition.

Following said development, should it be accepted, Getz reports that City Council plans to decide if an ordinance banning camping on private property will be put in place.  

“It is currently against the law for the homeless to camp on public property, but there is nothing we can do about them camping on private property at the moment,” Getz detailed to a group of assembled nonprofit, private sector and civilian representatives part of the homeless outreach efforts. 

According to Getz, a proposal was brought to the attention of city council by “some business people,” offering a 7-acre tract of land within city limits to be utilized as a designated campground for the homeless.

“It’s in somewhat of a secluded area, but it is near the bus route,” Getz said of the proposed campgrounds. “This would be a first step program for our homeless and, as part of that, we would then consider passing the ordinance banning them from private camping within city limits.” 

While Getz stated that he could not specifically divulge the location of the property, The Examiner has been able to establish that the proposed property is in the general area of State Highway 124 and South 23rd St., approximately 4.6 miles away from Some Other Place, 590 Center St., where the homeless population is served free meals at the Anne Rogers Vaxler Nutrition Center 7 days a week. 

Should the homeless population be relocated to the proposed campsite, the most direct walking path would take approximately an hour and a half via Fannett Road and South 4th Street, requiring a walk past Sawdust Saloon, under the U.S. 287/96 overpass at Cardinal Drive, past the Theodore Johns St. Library, and Beaumont United High School, before turning onto 4th Street to Cedar Street, South MLK Jr. Parkway to Ewing, and finally across Calder to McFaddin Avenue and Center Street to Some Other Place (SOP) and Henry’s Place, where meals, showers, laundry service, and telephones are readily available.

SOP Vice President Chris Johnsen was on hand for the meeting and expressed a desire to see the proposal become a reality. 

As a representative for SOP, Johnson expressed the dire need for a place for people experiencing homelessness to go, stating that a meeting was held last year to discuss possible initiatives and that a collaborative effort between multiple organizations seemed to be ideal, as each organization at the meeting expressed willingness to provide a variety of needs based on specialized skillsets.

Getz stated that the facility would be required to meet certain criteria from the Texas Department of Housing and will come with a cost. 

“Allowing people to camp anywhere they want on private property also comes with a cost in terms of hygiene, sanitation, unsightliness, and valuation of nearby properties,” said Getz. “We have to recognize that, when we redid Calder, it was the largest municipal project ever done in Beaumont in terms of dollars, and yet Calder fails to thrive in large part because of all the transient and homeless population walking up and down it, and we need to find a better way to help our community move forward.” 

With that in mind, Getz stated that the campsite would not be run by the city, but that there is funding available and annually earmarked for community development that could possibly be utilized to help cover the cost of things like portable restrooms, a shower trailer and electricity to allow the residents to charge their phones as needed, but that the project would not include any type of structures. 

Getz says that individuals utilizing the campground will not be permitted to bring alcohol or drugs on the property, and specifics regarding establishing and maintaining the rules would be discussed if and when the proposal moves forward. 

“We are modeling this off of similar programs that have been put in place in cities like Seattle,” said Getz. The campground would be considered a step one facility, with step two being a way to bridge these individuals between primitive camping and traditional housing.” 

According to Getz, the proposed campground being considered is modeled specifically after Camp United We Stand Tent City in Seattle, a community designed by the homeless for the homeless in transition, a legally sanctioned encampment founded in 2014. 

The Seattle tent city houses up to 35 individuals, and provides garbage pickup, restrooms, recycling, toiletries and other accouterments such as paper plates and paper towels. 

The residents are screened, and sex offenders are not permitted. According to the nonprofit, weapons, drugs and alcohol are not permitted and the rules are strictly enforced. 

The camp receives no city or government funding, is self-governing, provides its own security, and those who violate the rules are given a bus ticket and escorted to the nearest bus stop to ensure they leave the area, being barred for 1 to 30 days or even permanently, depending on the severity of the infraction. Individuals interested in learning more about the model program may do so by visiting campunitedwestand-tentcity.org/. 

With regard to a timeline, Getz stated that Beaumont City Council is currently working on the upcoming budget and, should the proposed campsite project continue, he would foresee it coming to fruition sometime this fall. 

According to recent data collected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Texas is reported to have the fifth highest rate of people experiencing homelessness, accounting for 90 homeless people for every 100,000 residents.  

Community members with questions regarding the proposed campsite are welcome to join the Mayor’s Homeless Coalition monthly meetings, held the first Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Lakeside Center Meeting Room, 150 Magnolia St., Beaumont. 

While the Mayor’s Homeless Coalition serves in an advisory role to the council and the city administration, it is not a function of the city, and in no way speaks on behalf of the city council as a whole, the mayor or the administration. 

Additionally, actions taken regarding the proposal are subject to the approval of city council and can be followed by attending weekly Beaumont City Council meetings, held at 801 Main St., typically each Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., with notices available online at beaumonttexas.gov/city-council/council-agenda/.