Pets, couples and belongings: Some Turlock homeless people question shelter policies
Since Turlock began its homeless emergency plan in March, some unsheltered people have raised longtime concerns over shelter policies on pets, couples and belongings.
Some rules at the two non-profit shelters in Turlock are clear cut, but providers explained other policies are more flexible and complex than common objections describe.
For instance, some people have said they will not enter shelters because they do not want to be separated from their pets. The We Care Program shelter currently does not accept pets, but Turlock Gospel Mission allows pets to stay in kennels or crates on its shelter patio, executive director Christian Curby said.
Staff for the mission have talked with every individual living in Turlock homeless encampments, Curby said, informing them of shelter policy changes. Many people living on the streets also interact with the mission daily for meals, pet food and clothing, Curby said.
“So, it’s not necessarily about a reality that they don’t know what’s available to them or they have nowhere to turn,” Curby said. “It is about an instinct, that behavioral pattern that they’ve developed to get their needs met.”
Some of those needs may include feelings of love and belonging or managing an addiction, Curby said. Both Curby and We Care executive director Maris Sturtevant responded to frequent questions and concerns raised about shelters they oversee.
Do Turlock shelters accept couples?
Only men qualify for We Care’s shelter, Sturtevant said. Shelter staff have always referred women and children to the mission two or three blocks down South Broadway Street, she said.
Meanwhile, the mission changed its women and children-only rule during the city’s declared emergency. Curby said the mission runs two dormitories — a women’s and a men’s — and a mixed gender overflow space in its dining room. Men and women cannot sleep in the same bed, however.
The mission does not own any beds for couples to share, Curby said, but couples can sleep on separate beds near each other.
Do homeless shelters allow pets?
The We Care Program is working with the city to add pet kennels outside, Sturtevant said, but does not accept pets now. One reason the staff do not allow dogs inside is because they do not want them to bark and disturb others when people walk to the shared bathrooms.
People staying at the mission’s shelter can keep their pets in kennels on the property, Curby said. The pet area is by the front door, he added, and people can walk and interact with them. Staff provide access to veterinary services and volunteers offer mentoring on how to take care of pets, Curby said.
The mission has accepted pets since its founding, he said. But allowing pets inside poses liability issues, such as if a dog hurts someone staying at the shelter.
How many belongings are allowed?
Men staying in We Care can bring a backpack of belongings up to their room, Sturtevant said. They can store other items inside a plastic bin, but cannot bring that inside. The restrictions help prevent bed bug issues.
Outside, they can also leave their bike on racks built by the Boy Scouts years ago, Sturtevant said.
The Turlock Gospel Mission similarly allows people who stay at the shelter to store belongings in either a bin or a duffel bag, Curby said. The non-profit does not have the space to store trailers, couches, or televisions, but can work with some people on an individual and first-come, first-serve basis. When the mission adjusts its general offerings, Curby said staff looks for people with a plan for a transition period.
For example, after Union Pacific swept the encampment on First Street in March, Curby said the mission offered short-term storage for people to put the bulk of their items. Ideally, he said it gave people time to figure out their next move or reassess what they owned.
Can job schedules be accommodated?
If men work a job and receive a paycheck, they can enter the We Care shelter after they finish their shift, Sturtevant said. Gates open at 6:15 p.m., but someone who gets off work at midnight can go to the shelter then, she said. We Care has held that policy before the city’s declared emergency, she said.
The mission is also working with people who finish their jobs after the normal shelter entering time, Curby said.
This story was originally published May 11, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
