Chico can teach Washington a thing or two

We begin by saying we have no illusions that most people in Washington, D.C., would ever stop their daily shenanigans in hopes of learning something from people in Chico.

They should.

All eyes are fixed on our nation’s Capitol today for the swearing-in of Joe Biden as our 46th president — an action that’ll bring sighs of relief and tears of rage to our readers in pretty close to a 50-50 split.

With Biden as president, and with Democrats in charge of both houses of Congress, no one is anticipating a great amount of “bipartisan” work to be done for at least the next couple of years. The Democrats run the show. They’ll pass their agenda pretty much as Donald Trump was able to pass his for the first couple of years of his term.

Meanwhile, closer to home, we have a fantastic example of what happens when people with opposing views actually begin working together.

For the first time in many years, there seems to be some actual forward progress taking place on the issue of homelessness. While the recent removal of campers from Bidwell Park led to the usual down-party-lines reaction locally, some other moves have received largely positive reviews from everyone involved.

First came the Chico City Council’s actions at its Jan. 5 meeting. Knowing local sheltering options had been hamstrung by building requirements, Councilor Sean Morgan asked for an emergency consideration of changing building codes to allow for new sheltering possibilities.

After all, doesn’t it make more sense for people to have indoor shelter in a less-thanstate-of-the-art building than it does for them to continue sleeping outside in the rain, wind and cold? Common sense won out here as the council passed a motion “to engage the city with churches and

Safe Space in a lease contract, allowing shelter operation as soon as possible.”

The momentum carried on Friday, when local nonprofit True North Housing Alliance, Inc. announced individuals from park encampments can seek emergency shelter and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in a limited new program.

The nonprofit’s Torres Shelter had been closed to new occupants due to the stay at home order in place in Butte County during the coronavirus pandemic. However, as new enforcements by Chico city staff began moving people from Bidwell Park, the nonprofit is working with the city and partners to provide more access to emergency shelter — with new restrictions to prevent spread of the virus.

Again, they’re doing this with some simple commonsense measures, the type that are long overdue in addressing this issue.

The organization opened a 14-day, non-congregate motel sheltering program where unsheltered individuals staying in parks and waterways can temporarily shelter in place in a motel room to quarantine. Each person will receive case management from True North and meal preparation and delivery service from the Jesus Center, and belongings will be stored securely at the Torres Shelter.

Once a person is determined to be COVID-19-negative, they will enter the Torres Shelter and continue to receive case management, working on self-sufficiency and securing housing. True North will utilize this program until the Torres Shelter reaches capacity.

True North Executive Director Joy Amaro said the organization wants to be part of the solution to address the needs of the community and the community’s unsheltered. “We tried to think creatively about how we can offer a full continuum of services while protecting our current guests and staff,” Amaro said.

Chico City Manager Mark Orme said “True North is showing their desire, capability, flexibility and heart for helping those in need. What the city bore witness to this week alone was simply amazing, as True North stepped up to ensure some very vulnerable individuals received vital support and care.”

We agree. It takes desire, capability, flexibility and heart to address these issues. It also takes people of different political stripes working together.

It was refreshing to see that happen in Chico. We can only dream that more people in Washington figure that out too.