Businesses along this Fresno street have a homeless problem: ‘Only so much I can take’

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Businesses owners along Blackstone Avenue in Fresno say they have had enough dealing with vagrants and homeless people causing problems. The situation has forced the President of the Blackstone Merchants Association to raise those concerns to the City of Fresno to force officials to make a change.

“I’m thinking about moving. In fact, I’m thinking about shutting down my business because there’s only so much I can take,” said the owner of Shobu Japanese Cuisine Jerry Yang on Saturday.

“This is my patio right here at night. After we close, they will come and they will camp there. And when I get here, I would have to chase them away,” Yang said.

Yang says he doesn’t want to do that, but homelessness has become a burden on his restaurant and along Blackstone Avenue.

“I came from a very poor background. I came out as a refugee from Thailand. And I know what it’s like to be poor, to be hungry. But our politicians need to open their eyes and to really address these issues because it’s affecting the business owners on this on the street,” Yang said.

The Blackstone Merchants Association President AJ Rassamni says the City of Fresno isn’t helping business owners.

“I read that the city passed an ordinance called blighted buildings. That means if you have a building that’s all boarded up and that that’s in that entire district, they’re going to give a notice to the property owner to fix it,” Rassamni said.

Rassamni said businesses are boarding up and moving out to avoid being broken into.

“The tenant there at Jeb’s Blueberry had been broken in. The business was broken in on a regular basis. So they move to Clovis and they’re very happy in Clovis,” Rassamni said.

One business that fell victim to break ins is All Access Automotive.

“11 cars were vandalized. All the windows are broken. The only thing he got out of them was whatever was in the cupholders in the spare change this caused me. This cost me roughly about $7,000,” said All Access Automotive owner Givan Bznuni.

Bznuni says the homeless population needs real help – not handouts.

“We have also unmarked vehicles from certain organizations showing up on my private property and feeding these people when they’re loitering on my property,” Bznuni said.

It’s all part of what Rassamni describes as a growing issue.

“We need to have safety. And safety is going to start by removing the homeless people from the street,” Rassamni said.

YourCentralValley.com has reached out to the City of Fresno but has not received a response.