PHOTO GALLERY: Homeless women begin moving into historic Sunset Labor Camp

Nov 20, 2019
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The historic Sunset Camp — a housing complex for migrant workers — is receiving its first wave of homeless residents this week. About 10 were scheduled to move in Tuesday and more will arrive in the coming days and weeks. In October, the Housing Authority discussed plans to use the Sunset Camp during the winter months to house homeless women. At least 51 will have temporary housing and several other services provided to them through March 30. By then, the goal is to have all the women in their own apartments or other permanent housing options. If they find themselves without a solution, however, an emergency homeless bed will be available for them at the Bakersfield Homeless Center.

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Katrina Smith shares a reading accomplishment with her 5-year-old daughter Airabella Smith in the common area of the historic Sunset Camp. Katrina is one of the first wave of homeless residents arriving this week. The Housing Authority plans to use the Sunset Camp during winter months to house homeless women.

Alex Horvath / The Californian

Katrina Smith reads to her 5-year-old daughter Airabella Smith in the common area of the historic Sunset Camp, a housing complex for migrant workers. Katrina is part of the first wave of homeless women arriving this week at the camp, a temporary housing solution for the group until March 30.

Alex Horvath / The Californian

Chairman of the Kern County Housing Authority Max Bacerra looks over the well-supplied kitchen in one of the bridge housing units at the historic Sunset Camp, a housing complex for migrant workers. The camp will be getting its first wave of homeless residents this week. The Housing Authority plans to use the Sunset Camp during winter months to house homeless women.

Alex Horvath / The Californian

One of the bridge housing units at the historic Sunset Camp. The camp will be getting its first wave of homeless women this week in an effort to drum up temporary housing for homeless residents. About 51 women are expected to move in between now and March 30.

Alex Horvath / The Californian

Alex Horvath / The Californian

Jule Menard checks out the ceiling fan in her room in one of the bridge housing units at the historic Sunset Camp, a housing complex for migrant workers. The camo will be getting its first wave of homeless residents this week. The Housing Authority plans to use the Sunset Camp during winter months to house homeless women.

Alex Horvath / The Californian

(2) comments

yorkies2014 Nov 24, 2019 9:46pm

illegal..or...legal...it was a place for downtrodden folks to have a roof over their head...to be treated as human beings...... wiki...The camp is significant in the history of California for the migration of people escaping the Dust Bowl. These migrants were known by the derogatory term of Okie and were the subject of discrimination from the local population.

The plight of the Okies and a description of Weedpatch Camp were chronicled by novelist John Steinbeck in his book The Grapes of Wrath. The book is dedicated to camp administrator Collins who was the model for the character called Jim Rawley.[2]

Migrant advocate Dr. Myrnie Gifford revealed in a 1937 Kern County Public Health Department annual report that 25% of the Okies in Arvin Federal Labor Camp tested positive for a disease associated with agricultural dust exposure called "valley fever."[4]

The camp was subsequently taken over by the Kern County Housing Authority, which administers it as the Sunset Labor Camp to assist migrant farm workers.