By Rachel Lampert
Being charged with a purpose could have major effects on someone. Especially if someone is experiencing homelessness, this is something that needs to be taken into account. A gentleman by the name of Wickey Two Hands, who is 77 years old, has been experiencing homelessness. In fact, according to Marisa Kendall – LAist|CalMatters, “ supposed to be the first person tried in court under an ordinance Fresno passed last year making it a crime to camp in all public places. Over the past six months, he’d spent hours in a courtroom, arriving early for each hearing. He’d packed up and moved his campsite multiple times, trying to find out-of-the-way spots where he could avoid getting arrested again.”
Kendall also states, “Fresno’s new camping ordinance went into effect in September, making it a misdemeanor to sit, lie, sleep, or camp in a public place. But most people arrested aren’t prosecuted, and even fewer come close to a trial. Fresno police made 322 arrests under that ordinance from October 2024 through January 2025.” This is a serious issue as it causes people to move from place to place to fight for survival. Housing is a tough spot to come by as it can be tricky with financial aspects or support, but luckily, there are plenty of programs that do their best, as well as helping with materialistic items.
That is the sad reality of it all: people have no place to face consequences such as these, but there is so much that could be done in the meantime. If you would like to reach out for more inquiries, please contact Fresno’s local services & housing options at (866) 559-4211.
References:
City of Fresno. (n.d.). Housing and homelessness: Local services & housing options.https://www.fresno.gov/citymanager/housing-and-homelessness/#local-services-&-housing-options
Kendall, M. (2025, April 18). What happens after a homeless person is arrested for camping? Often, not much. LAist. https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/what-happens-after-a-homeless-person-is-arrested-for-camping-often-not-much