PHOTO/DAVID FREEMAN
SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Dear friends and fellow homeless advocates, my name is R. Joshua Collins. While in Spokane, Washington, I was a mathematics instructor, had graduated Magna Cum Laude from Eastern Washington University and had never been homeless before. Eventually the LORD JESUS got a hold of me and called me to live with the homeless for over 10 years in various cities on the West Coast.
Starting in Spokane, I traveled to Seattle in 2002, then to LA, Venice Beach, Las Vegas, and Anaheim as well. Las Vegas and Anaheim were the cities where I saw the most persecution against the homeless, and I got heavily involved in advocating for the homeless in both of these cities. I spoke at city council meetings and connected homeless people with attorneys when their rights were violated.
I of course experienced firsthand some of these human rights violations, and did many peaceful protests that caused me to be arrested many times in Las Vegas. I fought over 30 cases as my own attorney, and through my study of the law I learned the city of Las Vegas was guilty of treason and great hypocrisy for their promotion of immorality and oppression of the poor.
One thing I know, just because you are financially stable now does not mean that will continue in the future. Sickness, legal issues, divorce, death of a family member, the end of a work opportunity, high rents, low wages, physical and sexual abuse, and so many other factors can cause one to become homeless. My request would be that we all pray for the advocates and for those who are so angered by the homeless that they may not think clearly.
As an advocate for affordable housing, I am not condoning criminal activity by the homeless as some may claim, but I do believe not all the homeless should be judged the same. I also know much more needs to be done in the area of affordable housing. San Clemente still has not built a homeless shelter in their city, and instead provided a dirt lot for the homeless to sleep in despite Judge David Carter’s request that shelter be provided for the homeless before they are forced to leave public areas where they may be camping.
A UCI study stated it is about twice as expensive to keep the homeless on the street as it is to provide permanent supportive housing. Let us pray those tax-payers who are against permanent supportive housing will soon realize they are only defeating themselves. Let us also pray GOD’s love fills every heart, and that we can stay free from materialism, hatred and pride and see people as GOD does, knowing that JESUS was homeless too (Luke 9:58). Thanks so much for your prayers and support friends, and may GOD bless you as you seek first HIS kingdom always!
The author welcomes correspondence at his email address: servingjesus99212@yahoo.com
Those public areas at the beach in San Clemente were not ADA compliant. I saw Lou Noble’s video and there was a tent half on and half off a raised flowerbed. Not only does that destroy the plants but obviously not ADA complaint.
And some homeless were blocking sidewalk access to the disabled at the beach location. Saw the picture in the newspaper and heard the person interviewed on KFI radio.
I consider Joshua Collins a friend and from what I have seen is on the front lines of doing the right things.
San Clemente is one of few a cites in the OC that moved forward on giving their homeless an ADA complaint space with bathrooms which almost no other cities have done. All cities in Orange County and Los Angeles need to set up an AlfrescoGardens.org type of campsite now while we wait and wait and wait for housing to arrive.