At the outset, in May 2020, there appeared to be little that could cause controversy around a program offering showers to homeless people in Glendale.
There was clearly a need, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Homeless shelters were shedding capacity to avoid overcrowding. Public health officials urged frequent hand washing and cleanliness. The program was operated by a nonprofit, Shower of Hope, that had successfully operated similar services throughout Southern California for several years. And cities had access to new federal funding, under the COVID-relief CARES Act, allowing them to expand services.
Five months later, Shower of Hope had shut down its Glendale operation after being hounded by the city of Glendale for information it said it could not provide. Looking back now, a top city official says it was all a mistake. But some critics see the specter of racism in the bureaucratic standoff.
At the core of the dispute was the city’s insistence that federal regulations required the program to verify that anyone asking to take a shower was actually homeless. Shower of Hope officials said that rule was almost impossible to fulfill and ran counter to the organization’s philosophy of helping anyone who needed it.
But there was no such requirement.
“There was a misunderstanding on the city’s part,” said Onnig Bulanikian, Glendale’s director of community services and parks.
By the time the city acknowledged the mistake, the program was long gone. Rather than risk turning people away, Shower of Hope ceased operations in Glendale as relations between the two camps became increasingly strained. Roughly 20 to 30 people a week had used the service, accepting warm showers and hygiene basics such as shampoo and towels when they were offered Mondays in the parking lot of the Glendale Central Library.
After the program ended, library staff members have reached out repeatedly to the city to “communicate that there is a need in our community,” said Arsine…