Chico reports 2-year results of anti-camping enforcements; housing and shelter effort

Chico presented some measurable results about two years after it began adhering to the Warren v. Chico settlement agreement — resuming enforcement of anti-camping ordinances and beginning a formal shelter referral process.

The settlement directed the city to operate 177 Pallet shelters which opened

April 25, 2022, at Genesis Emergency Housing Site; and it required the city follow rigorous advanced noticing for enforcements.

The settlement itself is enforced by the United States District Court Eastern District of California until Jan. 13, 2027.

Results of both initiatives, which arose from the settlement, were presented Tuesday to the Chico City Council by Jesus Center Director Amber Abneybass, whose organization operates Genesis; and by Public Works Director Erik Gustafson.

Gustafson began the presentation breaking down operation costs for the 2023 calendar year; a total of $4,924,868 with $422,490 towards outreach and Genesis staffing, $4,242,306 for contract services including food, laundry, showers and site operation; and $26,072 for utilities.

He emphasized an effort to save cost as much as possible, with site operation 27% under budget, food service 35% under budget, and city staff under budget with two maintenance positions reduced to one, and three operation and engagement positions reduced to one.

“We’re done with the very large encampments; the hundred or so people at Comanche Creek; the

120 people at windchime park (Humboldt Park), and now we’re really focused on smaller encampments,” Gustafson said, allowing the outreach and engagement process to operate with just one full-time employee.

In the year, Public Works removed 4,247 cubic yards of material, weighing 612 tons or 1,224,642 lbs.

Gustafson praised Outreach and Engagement staff member Brian

Whitley, who provided

210 individual shelter assessments in 2023.

“I can’t say enough good things about Brian. He’s a fantastic individual; really cares about Chico, really cares about the job, loves what he’s doing and performs at a very high level,” Gustafson said.

Since 2022, a total of

541 people were assessed for shelter and a total of 2,302,642 pounds of material removed from public spaces, according to Gustafson.

Abney-bass presented services provided to people at Genesis, where 368 unique people stayed at least one night since opening April 25, 2022.

She highlighted that about half of the people who come to Genesis report substance abuse disorders and about 77% report having no reportable income.

Abney-bass highlighted 78% of people reported being chronically homeless, or being homeless for more than one year.

“This is another why, when you have 368 people come through, you’re not going to have triple digit numbers in the first year, and obviously now into the second year, of people get into housing,”

Abney-bass said. “There’s a lot of things to unpack, there’s a lot of things to address ... but people are doing work out there.”

The average length of stay at Genesis was 341 days, and the median stay is 254 days. One hundred fortyfive people spent at least one year in the shelter and 78 people spent at least one and a half years in the shelter.

The Genesis case management team met with 330 unique people in 2,358 sessions, resulting in 544 referrals to 323 people.

Other statistics presented by Abney-bass include:

– Its partnership with

Butte County Behavioral Health resulted in 338 visits providing 100 resource items to 77 unique people at Genesis.

—Housing navigators with Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services saw 191 clients at Genesis with 246 cases reviewed and 92 people assessed for housing.

– Eligibility services with the department, which provides assistance applying for public benefits, saw

313 clients completing 79 Cal Fresh applications, 30 Medi-cal applications and 121 general assistance applications.

– Oroville Southside Community Improvement Center’s Haven of Hope on Wheels supplied 6,664 showers and 2,300 loads of laundry.

– The Ample Health Mobile Medical Unit, which visits about four days per month, provided services to 88 people since May 2023.

– Pet care provider The Manager Clinic provided treatment to 260 animals across 10 clinic days held in 2023; and gave cat and dog food to pet owners.