BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — "They said this area was safe, but it isn't anymore."
That's Sue Meek, lifelong Oildale resident, talking about her concerns regarding the proposed Tiney Oaks Transitional Homeless Shelter. The county-backed housing project has raised some safety concerns for the neighboring communities who feel left in-the-dark about the plans.
"We have to go by this homelessness when we leave the park. There is people sleeping on the sidewalks, on the front door of the grocery store begging," said Meek.
The 50 individual mini homes that will make up the Tiney Oaks transitional shelter are set to be ready by October or November of this year. The biggest question that neighbors here are asking is why the county picked this area to build the shelter.
Some of the residents gather almost weekly to discuss their concerns about the project.
Meek has lived in Oildale for 80 years, 17 of them at the senior mobile home community across from the proposed location for the transitional homeless shelter. She says that in the past couple of years, car break-ins, mail theft, and trash-digging have soared in the community. She attributes these activities to the homeless population.
Some of the residents shared several Ring videos showing the behaviors Meek is talking about.
James Zervis, COO of Kern County, argues that the Tiney Oaks project is aimed at reducing the issues those residents are currently seeing.
"Our operational plan will include 24-hour law enforcement, 24-hour security cameras, lights, and really a full array of services that not only help individuals get out of homelessness, but also dissuade some negative activities that are occurring today," said Zervis.
But Meek says this is hard to ensure when there is already a shortage of law enforcement officers. Other neighbors suggest locations closer to industrial areas, land next to the sheriff's office, or land near the airport as a better option for the Tiney Oaks shelter than right across the street from senior housing.
Retired nurse Georgia Misheau, who attends the nearby Rasmussen Senior Center, is concerned about the seniors' safety.
"I think the county is opening up a can of worms for the seniors beside the mobile park here, because they are older and the homeless people will see them as weak and vulnerable and be able to take advantage of them," said Misheau.
Still, the county backs their choice of location, according to Zervis.
"Many of the homeless individuals work, or they are going to school, or they are taking classes, and so we need them in some kind of proximity to those services, and that is why you typically see these types of projects in developed areas," said Zervis.
But for Misheau, she says those comments just leave her more confused.
"First they told me they were not capable of living in a community living situation. Now you are telling me they are able to got to the doctor and go to work," said Misheau.
Zervis says there has been a lot of confusion on this project.
"We heard residents under the misunderstanding where people are going to be dropping in or dropping out. That is not the case. This is a managed facility and it is through referral only," said Zervis.
Residents, including Janice Botwell, are saying they were not given a notice or a forum other than board meetings, which they did not know about, to ask questions.
"Who is going to take care of these people? Are they going to be vested? A lot of unanswered questions. If they could answer some of these questions, that would be a lot of help for us," said Botwell.
One of those questions was whether the homeless people living at the Tiney Oaks shelter would be from Oildale. Zervis said the county would prioritize the homeless people already living in the area, but that the shelter would not be exclusive to unhoused people living in Oildale.
