Hey, Turlock residents: We need a morality check on homelessness | Opinion

In April, the Turlock City Council voted 3-2 to deny $1 in funding and a letter of support to We Care, the city’s only men’s homeless shelter. This $1 match was required to unlock a $270,000 state grant that covers half of the shelter’s total operating cost. The disagreement stemmed from We Care’s refusal to comply with Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak’s request to provide public bathrooms 24 hours a day.

We Care, which has operated for two decades and provides shelter for up to 49 men, is now at risk of losing the state grant providing half of its funding. The program estimates that it will have to close indefinitely on June 30 without a new funding stream.

The loss of the only men’s shelter in Turlock is shocking and will have devastating impacts both on the 49 men who rely on it as well the broader community. The decision, however, is less surprising, given the anti-homeless sentiment that has grown in town and on the council. False and problematic ideas about unhoused people — sentiments like “they deserve it” and “they moved here from other areas” — do not recognize the reality of homelessness nationally or locally.

In 2025, nearly 60% of Americans couldn’t afford an unexpected $1,000 expense, let alone the cost of a missed rent or mortgage payment. Just in Stanislaus County, more than 2,000 people are homeless, including 200 children. Housing prices in Turlock have reached nearly half a million dollars — previously unthinkable rates for an area known for its affordability. The county itself estimates that it is short more than 12,500 affordable homes.

In recognition of these challenges, we need to re-imagine what our community looks like. We need more affordable houses of all types, which includes temporary shelters. We should be investing into programs that help families by protecting and building more affordable housing. We have a responsibility to address this crisis in any way we can, which means expanding — not defunding — successful programs.

In late 2023, Councilmember Rebecka Monez generated some social media controversy for saying that homeless people “are part of the fabric of our town.” She was right.

On April 16, Monez appeared to go back on her statement by voting against We Care shelter funding along with Bublak and Councilmember Erika Phillips.

Councilmembers Cassandra Abram and Kevin Bixel were the only members to vote in favor of We Care shelter funding. Now more than ever it’s important we express support for them and their positions, and urge the rest of our leaders to not look away from our complicated housing challenges.

Turlock deserves a future that is rooted in equal opportunity and dignity — not denial. We can build a community that looks out and supports one another. The choice is for us — and the individuals we elect to public office — to make.