By: Ashley Ritchie & Charlene Lee
National experts, public officials and homeless people across the country gathered Wednesday night for the 11th annual Homelessness Marathon.
It's a 14 hour nationally syndicated radio program that focuses on the problems and solutions for getting people off the streets.
Last year, all 14 hours of this marathon focused only on Fresno's homeless population.
This year, an hour-long segment was broadcasted from the KFCF studio, and homeless advocates hope it will make an impact.
Al Williams has been homeless for the last three years and remembers clearly when the city came through his encampment with bulldozers.
"They totally destroyed everything with no regard to dignity or anything whatsoever," Al Williams said.
"It was one of the most barbaric policies anywhere in the nation. That's why the homeless marathon came here last year to put a spotlight on that situation," Mike Rhodes, Peace Fresno, said.
After the marathon, the bulldozing stopped.
City leaders came together to address Fresno's homeless situation and reacted by putting portable toilets and trash bins at homeless encampments, as well as tool sheds near the Poverello House for people to sleep in.
"They're not fit for human use or anything. They're not up to the housing code. They put 44 tool sheds up to cover 8,000 people," Williams said.
"It's better than what they were doing, which was the bulldozing. But we can do a whole lot better," Rhodes said.
Rhodes says the city hasn't done enough.
"You want to end homelessness in Fresno, you provide housing. It's a really simple answer," he said.
"The only thing they've done is slow down on taking people's property. But as far as taking the people off the streets, so far they haven't," Williams said.
This is Al William's second year speaking in the Homelessness Marathon.
He says he's tired of waiting for the city to take action and is learning to rely on himself.
"I'll be off the streets. I guarantee it," he said.
Fresno's segment lasted until 11:00 p.m. Wednesday.
