"I really appreciate this because the police are the only one who come when we call"

Charles Phillip was given the Challenge Coin by Interim Eureka Police Chief Todd Jarvis. On December 4, EPD responded to a sexual assault in progress. Phillip aided an unconscious victim who was being sexually assaulted and separated her from the perpetrator.

Phillip said he lives in low income housing. "I really appreciate this because the police are the only one who come when we call" said Phillip. 

"Until the County stops putting in drug addicts and meth dealers into housing because they have a deal with Danco...The only people who come out are the police because management don't do anything," said Phillip.

I spoke with him after he left the meeting. I thanked Phillip. The female EPD officer who responded to that call also thanked him with tears in her eyes. She said the victim would have been dead if Phillip had not intervened.

Phillip is afraid of being evicted because he spoke out about Danco and was hesitant to talk further with me.  Two of his female friends accompanied him to the Eureka City Council meeting. The women are scared to go out of their apartment. Philip has to escort them even if they step out of their apartments "to take out the trash." If they complain to management, they are told they can find another place to live.

The fear of eviction and retaliation from other tenants and the property management companies is real. Phillip repeated, "don't let me be evicted" to me and the officer several times. 

Phillip could have been speaking about any property management company in Humboldt because there are several others who do the same thing. There are a few decent ones. 

There are others who have the same fear. If you are the one calling EPD or complaining about chronic issues where you live to EPD or any agency  the property management or owner or landlord just gets rid of you and can use any reason. Usually, the problem tenants and their troublemaker friends collude and say whatever they need to and sadly in evictions, it is people like Phillip that end up losing their home.

When a few people own or control most rental properties and real estate in an isolated County which is hours away from options, state offices, you are stuck and trapped because the same people who control the roof over your head are a part of the Humboldt Connected who will destroy, ruin lives and makes sure they kick you when you are down because they can.

City of Eureka Code Enforcement is useless, the attorneys who represent  local slumlords and certain property management companies in Humboldt and strongarm people with barely any money or resources are snake oil scum. 

I have repeatedly seen certain attorneys on the second floor of the Courthouse and heard so many experiences like Philip. If you have the misfortune of getting the wrong Humboldt Superior Court Judge, you lose the roof over your head and you are screwed finding another place you can afford in Humboldt. You are stuck in a cycle of couch surfing or being on the street. Unless you have experienced it, you have no clue.

All the laws cannot protect someone in a corrupt and callous state with greedy property owners, souless lobbyists, cowardly government and incompetent Judges. The local craigslist is full of scammers. Agencies who are supposed to help people don't care if housing providers take advantage or what kind of place they offer.

Phillip is right to call out the County because DHHS makes it easy for property owners and landlords to rent to their clients, collect checks for substandard properties and no one checks on these clients except for EPD.  I can speak about Eureka from personal experience and observation. 

Property rights are used as an excuse by developers and landlords for their greed  They rent sub standard properties and get rich off government subsidies and charging over inflated prices. The non-existent housing availability is further impacted because these  selfish people choose travel nurses, growers, out of towners, and rent their properties as Airbnbs instead of renting to working people and fight rental protection because they like their golden goose.

 The Cities are not exempt. Arcata residents and other places put a burden on Eureka housing, hotels, sheters because they don't want to allow  housing to be built or hotels for construction crews, travel nurses and students.

1.6 million to house 50 people by Betty Chinn is one example of the problem because most of the money is not going towards room. How many facilities, new kitchens does Betty Chinn need for what will be temporary housing? The NIMBYS fight every effort to build more housing because to them as long as they are okay, screw everyone else.