During Wildfires, Many Homeless People in Santa Rosa Are Staying Put

Genene Marinello sits on Sixth Street in downtown Santa Rosa with a blanket over her legs. The city around her is covered with smoke from the North Bay fires.

"I feel for the people who have lost their homes and lost everything. I know what it's like," Marinello said.

Marinello lives in one of the city's most visible homeless encampments underneath Highway 101. A cigarette, lighter and radio sit on her lap. The radio was donated to her with fresh batteries so she could monitor fire updates. People have been stepping up to help those living in the encampment -- more than usual, she said.

"A lot of police and firefighters have stopped and have given us food, clothing, blankets, water," she said.

Santa Rosa’s homeless outreach provider -- Catholic Charities -- has been short-staffed and without power at some of its buildings, officials say. The organization is also trying to serve an increasing number of people who are displaced because of the North Bay fires.

The Sixth Street encampment is as full as it was before the fire. Tents line both sidewalks underneath the highway.

A woman named Jessica who lives at the encampment agrees that the sense of community since the fire began has been remarkable. But it’s also been necessary.

"The majority of people here don’t have anywhere else to go. There has been no talk that I’ve heard of anybody leaving anytime soon," she said.

Jessica is surprised other homeless people haven’t showed up to this Sixth Street encampment from places that have been impacted by the fire. She expected a wave of people to come, but that hasn’t happened.

"It seems like they are very geographically partial to their locations," she said.

The Sixth Street encampment is conveniently located near Catholic Charities. Jennielynn Holmes, director of shelter and housing, has spent these first days of the fire trying to triage the disaster. Catholic Charities has taken in more than the 500 people they serve on a normal day.

"We fit beds everywhere we are right now. Our dining room is full of beds. We added additional cots at one of our other shelters," she said.

There has also been a fair amount of outreach to help homeless people who aren't coming into shelters or evacuation centers or who don't have any option but the streets.

Holmes said they've tried to educate people -- like Marinello, who has bronchial asthma -- on how to use masks to protect themselves from the smoke. But many people at the encampment aren't wearing the masks that have been handed out. Holmes said Catholic Charities has had to transport some people to the hospital because of respiratory issues.

There are a ton of immediate concerns to help homeless people right now. But Holmes is also concerned about the long-term impact.

After the foreclosure crisis, former homeowners entered the rental market, pushing lower-income people into homelessness. Holmes is afraid the fires -- which have already destroyed thousands of homes in Santa Rosa -- will have the same impact, she said.

"There’s going to be this next wave of people who are displaced. Then in six to 12 months, there will be another wave of people who are pushed out of the rental market and into homelessness," Holmes said.

But right now Holmes says the focus is serving the increasing number of people needing help now.