Wednesday, 5/28/97 Homeless drifting onto UCLA look for shelter,
not trouble Campus, village represent distinct worlds for local
vagrants
By Steven Tanamachi Daily Bruin Contributor While the television
in the corner of UCLA’s Cooperage reported on the recently released
movie "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," Dave Walton reflected on his
own world. The life of a homeless man is no blockbuster hit, a
world that is often overlooked by those with cash in their pocket,
according to the clean-shaven man dressed in corduroys and collared
shirt. Some UCLA students, faculty and staff may never even see a
homeless individual on campus, but the problem of homelessness on
campus exists, nevertheless. Walton appears to be a middle-class
campus visitor and proves that it’s not impossible to assimilate
into the campus population. Blending into the background, however,
doesn’t remedy the situation. "Coming onto campus is like a
pleasant way of getting away from my Westwood self," he said. "When
I come here, I come to be like everyone else." Walton is an example
of the Lost World population of homeless men and women in Westwood
who occasionally drift onto campus. In his eyes, he exists in two
separate worlds. One is the world off campus, where he readily
accepts handouts. The other is the world on campus, where he
refuses offers to be bought lunch. Amongst the political scandals,
university fee hikes and stock market activity, the matter of
homelessness in Westwood and on the UCLA campus isn’t often in the
media spotlight. "It depends on perspective," said Nancy
Greenstein, head of Community Service for the university police.
"From the police perspective, it’s not much of a problem. Part of
(why it is not a problem) is we have a good staff on patrol." It
terms of security, homelessness may not be much of a problem, but
Greenstein and the police department recognize that it still needs
to be addressed. One service she organized when she worked in West
Los Angeles, was Operation Outreach – a program in conjunction with
the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department – which provides medical and
psychological help for homeless people in Southern California. The
Venice Family Clinic also gives medical attention to hundreds of
homeless men, women and children, many coming from the Westwood
area. In 1996 alone, the clinic served 2,554 homeless individuals.
Though it is the nearest service to UCLA, the clinic is close to
five miles away. One facility that is close, however, is the roof
over the campus buildings. It may not be a home, but it’s a
shelter. "There are people living in sub-basements for months,"
said Wilford Crasca, a facilities worker. Walton notes how "there
used to be days I’d sleep in the dorms. I stopped that," he added.
"I don’t want to create a situation between me and the police."
Although no one disputes that the homeless do occasionally sleep at
UCLA, their numbers are less certain. Maria Walker, a UCLA
custodian, reported seeing a homeless person on campus every two
weeks. Walton knows of up to 10 others that regularly sleep on
campus. The police keep an eye on anyone who appears to be
homeless, though Walton is an example of one who could pass as a
housed Westwood resident. "Being homeless isn’t a crime, so if they
walk through, using the facilities, no one bothers them,"
Greenstein said. However, sleeping in campus buildings could be a
breaking-and-entering offense, and wandering around outside could
result in a loitering charge. She noted an "awful lot of eyes"
watching the homeless, referring to the university police and
Community Service Officers who regularly patrol school grounds. It
is sometimes impossible to tell the difference between a homeless
man, a vagrant and a student, but Walton notes that many of the
homeless in the area prefer to stay in Westwood simply to avoid any
confrontation with the eyes of security. "I don’t need the added
stress of dealing with the authorities," Walton explained. "I stay
in Westwood because I don’t want the hassle of being run off," he
added. The money for his food (which he often buys while on campus)
comes from panhandling in Westwood. "Whatever my needs are, I take
care of them before so I don’t have to bother anyone. It’s
reprehensible, people begging and panhandling table-to-table,"
Walton noted. "(The homeless) shouldn’t do anything to bring about
the police to have to arrest you or anything." Student reaction to
the homeless on campus range from first-year physics student Shan
Wong’s feeling "nervous" and "guilty" to that of first-year
computer science student Pat Sivro. "I don’t care," Sivro said.
Many homeless are stuck in a dilemma of refraining from potentially
pesky begging while searching for help from those who can offer it.
And there are those at UCLA who offer help. The UCLA Hunger Project
delivers food and donations of clothing and furniture while also
tutoring homeless children. Hands for Empowerment is another
student-run organization that sometimes works closely with the
homeless. A possible step in the right direction, according to
Walton, would be to start hiring homeless men and women who are
looking for work. He noted that change can’t happen unless
merchants of Westwood start hiring without the bias of housing
status. Walton attested that such action would raise esteem among
the homeless and show that there is a chance to move forward. An
issue such as homelessness is too complex to determine a single
solution. Even for local homeless people, the Westwood-UCLA
community is divided into two worlds – Westwood being reserved for
panhandling, and campus for relaxation. "I don’t want to bring my
Westwood world into (the campus) world," Walton said. The dinosaur
movie made millions of dollars over Memorial Day weekend. Dave
Walton and many others can only dream their lost world can find
such national attention. Previous Daily Bruin story: Helping
homeless a sticky business for Jewish group