14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Us and Them The White House wants to criminalize homelessness even more. That is the wrong direction. By Staci Alziebler-Perkins FORUM It’s already hard to fathom. Waking up one day, leaving your home for the last time, taking with you only the possessions and important papers that you can carry. Now you must find a safe place to park your car or hide when you sleep; go hungry or find inexpensive places to get food; identify a public restroom; navigate an often-hostile environment. That already seems unbearable. Now with the latest executive order, issued by President Donald Trump on July 24 advancing efforts to criminalize homelessness, you could be arrested and institutionalized just for being poor. It’s unfathomable and inhumane. At Gathering for Women– Monterey, we have seen a rapid increase in the number of homeless and housing-insecure women who rely on our services. Over the past six years, our nonprofit has served an average of 400 unique women per year. As I write these words on July 25, we have already seen more than 300 in the first seven months of 2025—nearly a 50-percent increase in new guests from this time last year. Increases in rent and food costs, job loss, divorce, domestic violence, unanticipated medical expenses—even just one of these can tip the balance for our neighbors and put them out on the street. Contrary to common belief, the majority of homeless people do not have a substance abuse issue. (The executive order itself falsely claims “The overwhelming majority” have an addiction or other mental health challenge.) In fact, the national, state and even Monterey County average of homeless individuals who have a substance use disorder is around 40 percent. It is easier to categorize the homeless as “them” than to realize most of us are just one bad day away from crisis. Painting a picture that all homeless people are addicts or mentally ill who should be thrown in some sort of detention center, as the new executive order does, is just one more way to dehumanize those among us. One of our guests told me yesterday, “The least we can do is be kind.” How is it that so many in our society appear to have forgotten how to be kind? Empathy is not a weakness; it is the foundation of community. Over half of Gathering for Women’s guests are over 50 years old. The oldest guest we have served so far was 92. A 65-year-old guest was evicted due to the sale of the house she rented. This guest found her way out of homelessness and is now in her own home. But what will happen to the next 65-year-old who cannot afford her rising rent? Or the next senior whose Medicare-allotted days in assisted living have run out? You can’t punish people out of poverty. This executive order will make the journey out of homelessness even harder or even legally impossible. In this new environment, it’s going to be more important than ever to press your elected officials to take action to support rather than punish the less fortunate in our community. Staci Alziebler-Perkins is the executive director of Gathering for Women–Monterey. She and her husband have been renters on the Peninsula, who like millions of Americans, wonder each year if the next rent increase may be the one that prices them out of their home. OPINION “The least we can do is be kind.” *Most cars/light trucks. Excludes 1234yf refrigerant. Must present at check-in. Cannot be combined. Limited time only. 831-230-0910 1730 The Mall | Seaside SullivansAutoService.com Apply in person at Pebble Beach Human Resources Offices 2790 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach (Next to Pacific Grove Gate) Interviews on the spot The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the week of August 11–17. Applicants must be able to work Friday, August 15 – Sunday, August 17. Please come prepared to provide proof of employment eligibility. Hiring for all areas Bartenders, cashiers, cooks, servers, shuttle drivers, and many more. Special event applications will be available on-site. Questions: (831) 649-7657 The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Monday - Friday 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. WE ARE HIRING FOR
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