The RV encampment that was once home to 632 unhoused residents in Richmond is officially closed.
CollaboRising co-founder, Ramon Quintana, says the community of Richmond can’t leave the Rydin camp residents without continued support.
“You can’t expect anybody to say - oh yeah I can do it, pull myself up by my own bootstraps. That’s not a real argument for somebody who’s been unhoused for X amount of time.”
Thanks to local advocacy from organizations like the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program and CollaboRising, Rydin residents had some money to move to temporary housing.
But some residents see the issue as bigger than a one-off check. Ex- Rydin resident Jessi Taran told Richmond Confidential that she doesn’t “agree with our current economic paradigm.”
Lea Murray, also with CollaboRising, agrees.
“We need to do something about changing the wealth income gap. There’s such a huge disparity of wealth in such a rich Bay Area that should not be.”
The Richmond City Council is in the process of drafting a strategic plan to address homelessness. It is slated to adopt that plan by February.
