Twentynine Palms community roundtable on housing and homelessness well-attended

Led by Twentynine Palms City Councilmember Octavious Scott, approximately 30 people participated in a community meeting to share concerns, describe challenges, and offer solutions around the daunting problem of homelessness.

Scott began the meeting promptly at 5:30 p.m. with a guiding thought, “Let’s focus on solutions, not blame.” Residents shared their thoughts, fears, experiences, and ideas to attack the challenge of caring for the unhoused. Attendees included many who work with the homeless, disabled veterans, former homeless individuals, local college students, a county worker, and a grocery store employee on lunch break.

A ‘sweep’ had occurred that very morning, stated resident Tanja Maddox, meaning a homeless encampment had been removed. No one could confirm who had conducted the sweep or where individuals had been taken.

Challenges discussed included lack of jobs, low-paying jobs, lack of affordable housing, and the urgent need for a central resource building in the city. Many noted that there is a surge of young homeless as they age out of foster care at 18 and have nowhere to go and no job training. Others noted that individuals often face a refusal of resources if they do not have mental illness or drug issues.

Jenn DeFalco, director of a non-profit, Act of Kindness, was openly worried about the coming winter season. “Each year, for the past couple of years, we have lost an unhoused individual due to hypothermia due to it being cold, so I think one of the very first things we should worry about is blankets or clothing, sleeping bags, hats, gloves, something that keeps them warmer because it is very cold,” said DeFalco.

Faith Nicholson, who had experienced homelessness as a youth, addressed the generational cycle of drug abuse and poverty that can grip family members for decades. She also stressed the need for a homeless liaison between the county and city so resources can be easily located.

Frustration was directed at the city’s Code Enforcement, the City Council, county services, and overall bureaucracy. A lack of cohesive communication between agencies was repeatedly addressed. One attendee, Eric Menendez, suggested using Discord, a group chat app utilized by gamers, to centralize outreach/resource efforts.

There was a general dissatisfaction with the 2025 Point-in-Time Count (PITC) that is conducted every January. All felt strongly that the numbers were notably low, reporting just 17 homeless individuals in the city. The numbers are crucial for the county to determine funding, so the perceived inaccuracy felt to many like an egregious oversight.

Mobile showers were a hot topic at the meeting, with many noting that having them parked so close to the highway did not offer the homeless much privacy or dignity. Also, reports of disrespect by the drivers of the showers did surface.

Many also expressed frustration with the city’s tourism efforts noting that short-term rentals have eaten into the housing supply. “Twentynine Palms is not Palms Springs,” said DeFalco, “No one is clamoring to come here.”

Erica Watkins, who conducts street outreach for the county’s Community Development and Housing Department, made the drive from San Bernardino to attend. She noted that the county is stretched thin over a vast area and funds often get applied to “communities with higher (homeless) numbers.” She hopes to streamline the way that various agencies respond and to “leverage our funding and services.”

In closing, Scott encouraged attendees to share contact info with one another as he promised to keep the issue alive with the city council.

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