Vigil held to support housing plan for homeless people

A group advocating for a homeless shelter in Sherman Oaks gathered on Tuesday night to show support for the project

Paul Dumont was once homeless and living in Sherman Oaks. He said he would have stayed in a local shelter if it was available.

"I stayed in the area for awhile because I knew my neighbors," Dumont said. "It was a level of comfort me."

The Bridge Housing Development proposed near Ventura Blvd. and Sepulveda is part of a city wide effort to put homeless housing in each district.

Those opposed to it packed a September meeting with City Council Member David Ryu.

John Pelzner, who has lived in Sherman Oaks for 35 years said, he came out to show the other side.

"I think that most of my neighbors are sympathetic to what's going on and understand what's going on," he said.

The candlelight vigil was organized by the #SheDoes Movement supporting homeless women although the Sherman Oaks shelter hasn't been specified for strictly women and children.

Josh Valencia, who said he's been homeless about a month, opposes the shelter. As a recovering addict, he said shelters aren't the right place for him.

"Every other person in there is telling you, hey can you score this, hey do you know how to get that, hey hoard your pills," Valencia said. "And if you don't that's when their mental illness kicks in that's when they're anger management that they don't have kicks in and they start trying to fight you."

Valencia prefers to sleep on the bus, but advocates say the homeless need beds.

"There are people who are on the street and they are not drug addicts they just need a place to restart," advocate, Stephen Metoyer, said.

"Instead of saying to people lets just give them a free room, lets give them see food, no lets give them mental health treatment," Valencia said