Chico can learn from other cities

Hope Street’s “Report on Policy and Law Impacting Homelessness Reduction Efforts” — paid by and created for Chico’s government. The author critiques many alleged obstacles in governmental policies, but provides no references. Instead, the implication is that those seeking governmental help will likely run into major obstacles.

What Chico needs is a list of effective programs and policies, e.g., Chico citizen Charles Withun found them in Eugene, Oregon. Others: Seattle, Medford, Columbus, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Denver. Successful strategies include housing first policies. Unfortunately, when Chico’s homeless advocates asked the City Council to consider positive results elsewhere, the response has been quite negative — as if we cannot learn from other cities.

Consider the Sept. 20 Sacramento Bee article about the state capital’s Department of Community Response team: it addresses 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 calls from or about the homeless. Compassionate, helpful personnel — not gun-toting police — approach the homeless to address their concerns: medical, psychological, safety, interpersonal, housing, etc. “When the team arrives, the first thing they do is assess basic needs. The team might provide campers water and food, get them medication refills, connect them with services, reunite them with family members and get them into motels and shelters. They always go back to check on people. …The city is planning to open 20 new sites for shelters, tiny homes and Safe Grounds.”

Let Chico become proud of how we help the homeless! This would benefit all of Chico, including the downtown which won’t need a wasteful ice rink to attract shoppers.

— Grace M. Marvin, Chico