Barney Chapman had been homeless off and on for about 17 years until two months ago when Kate Monroe found him living under a tarp in Oceanside. But where California and its billions of dollars earmarked for homeless services failed, the local activist took action, providing Chapman with shelter and reuniting him with a sister he hadn’t seen in decades.
"If two regular people can do this, why can't all of our billions of dollars do more?" Kate Monroe asked Fox News.
‘YOU’D BETTER NOT DISAPPEAR NO MORE': WATCH EMOTIONAL REUNION BETWEEN HOMELESS MAN AND HIS SISTER:
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Monroe is the CEO of VetComm, which has a nonprofit arm helping homeless veterans obtain disability compensation and transition into housing. In early May, she interviewed dozens of people living on the streets of San Diego and Oceanside, hoping to gain a better understanding of the region's homeless crisis.
Barney, a 65-year-old man who lost his leg in a car accident prior to becoming homeless, was the final person she interviewed. A local news station aired the video and, the next morning, Barney's sister called Monroe after friends saw the clip and recognized her long-lost sibling.
"The guy with the helmet in a wheelchair," Marjorie Chapman said on Monroe's recorded business line. "That's the brother I've been looking for, for like 25 years."
On Sunday, she came to California to see her brother.
"You'd better not disappear no more, that's all I've got to say because I need you in our life," she said, tearfully embracing Barney. "I don't ever want to see a picture of you lying on the side of a hill in the grass again."
Monroe says the reunion was "like a fairy tale ending," but she's upset with the city for "100%" failing Barney.
Marjorie Chapman embraces her brother Barney on July 2, 2023. The siblings hadn't seen each other in about 25 years. Barney spent much of that time homeless in Oceanside, California. (Courtesy Kate Monroe)
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When she first met Barney, he gave her a business card from an employee with the city department responsible for helping homeless people secure housing. Barney said he'd called "a hundred times" without a response. So Monroe and others interested in Barney's case started calling too — she estimates a combined 50 times — but never heard back.
The City of Oceanside says it served 622 homeless individuals last year. Of those, 39 became permanently housed, according to the city's website. The city lists a motel voucher program among its services, but with their calls going unreturned, Monroe and another woman decided to split the cost of a motel room for Barney. He's now been off the streets for a month.
"It's embarrassing that two regular citizens had to go take someone off the street," Monroe said. "The government is not doing a good job taking care of anyone, let alone your homeless relatives."
Monroe said Barney was one of the easiest people to help off the streets.
"He does not have a drug and alcohol problem, doesn't have a mental health problem, he desperately wanted to be inside the whole time," Monroe said. "If this is happening to Barney … you got to think what's going on with all the people who aren't good self representatives."
Oceanside Housing Management Analyst Salvador Roman couldn't confirm whether people had reached out on Barney's behalf, but did say demand for help often exceeds available resources.
"Frustration is understandable," Roman said. "We are constantly looking at how we can improve and we recognize that we can do better and we should always be striving to do better."
Services also usually need to be requested by the person who will receive them rather than a third party, Roman said. Homeless individuals can call 211 or visit a resource center in person.
"America, my word for you is lean in," Monroe said. "Lean into this problem. Stop waiting for the government to fix every single thing because they are not going to."
Oceanside had the second-highest number of unsheltered residents in San Diego County last year, according to a regional report, beat only by its much larger neighbor to the south.
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More than 2,100 people were living on the streets of downtown San Diego in May, the highest level in the 11 years the Downtown San Diego Partnership has been tracking the numbers. During the same period, spending on homeless services has soared.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's proposed city budget earmarks $81.7 million for homelessness, a nearly $20 million increase from the last fiscal year. Oceanside has received millions in government funds for construction of a homeless shelter that has tripled in cost since its original budget was approved in 2021.
"The government is not doing a good job taking care of anyone, let alone your homeless relatives," Monroe said. "In less than two months, we've been able to completely transform Barney's life. There's more of us out there that want to help, and there's more Barneys out there to be helped."
Monroe hopes to get Barney into permanent housing soon. He gets some government benefits and has already saved $2,000 to put toward the purchase of an RV so he can live in an RV park with full amenities, Monroe said.
Kate Monroe, Barney Chapman and Marjorie Chapman pose for a photo July 2, 2023. (Courtesy Kate Monroe)
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"It's amazing what a month inside will do," Monroe said. "He's all smiles. We got him cleaned up, new clothes, got his hair cut. He's looking and feeling like his full self again."
To see Barney's reunion with his sister, click here.
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