CM @KateHarrisonD4 and her co-sponsors (Davila, Arreguín and Robinson) say there is space available for sanctioned camps, that this would clean up the streets for everyone, and that it would save money and resources #berkmtg
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"I will be watching you and it will follow you like a bad stink if you don't support this," says Mary Behm-Steinberg to council.
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"I'm still unsure of exactly what we're supposed to be hearing tonight," Kirsten Macdonald of the Berkeley Chamber tells council. She says it's bad precedent to talk about this when there's no location specified. She asks for more clarity about rules and regulations.
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Now Mayor
@JesseArreguin is speaking about how this process came about, which began with getting feedback from people experiencing homelessness about what they need.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
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@JesseArreguin says "housing first" must be the city's priority, but adds that some people are not ready to be housed, or don't want to go to a shelter: "I do believe this is an idea whose time has come." This will be a path to permanent housing, he says.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
It will be a structured program with services, says the mayor. Of the underpass, he says: "We've learned today that this location is owned by the city." But he says this will come back once a final location is identified, along w/the plan: "This is beginning the work."
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"I think we need to ensure that we're not just hiding people in plain sight," says CM
@loridroste, who describes this as an idea close to her heart. She has done work in homeless services and housed a homeless person, among other connections, she adds.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
CM
@KateHarrisonD4 says this differs from the Pathways program: a different staffing model (includes two housing counselors) and different shelter model. CM@loridroste asks whether there is re-housing money. Harrison says there isn't any for this.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
CM Harrison says there are no additional outreach services budgeted for the camp bc the city already has outreach workers, but that it creates a place where outreach can take place.
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CM
@loridroste asks how this would cut down on enforcement $$ if people are still allowed to camp anywhere in Berkeley. CM Harrison says she hopes a lot of the people will come to this camp from the freeway area. She says city's approach to existing camps won't change#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
Mayor
@JesseArreguin says Caltrans, the CHP etc. will force people to leave the area around the freeway. The city needs to have an alternative, he says. The growing number of people sheltering by the University and Gilman freeway ramps has in part inspired this, he adds.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
CM
@loridroste says she still has questions about staffing and outreach, ADA and physical conditions around the proposal. CM@KateHarrisonD4: "What we're trying to do is move from the hellish to the better."#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
CM
@CherylKDavila says four people have died on Berkeley streets in January: "It's important that we do this. It's a stopgap really, it's not a solution." But she says having a sanctioned encampment in Berkeley will be an important step forward.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
Davila says there are community members who understand the dynamics around people experiencing homelessness "and have the built-in relationships already" who should def be part of the process, not just a nonprofit org overseer: "We cannot continue business as usual."
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CM
@RashiKesarwani says she was at a meeting last week with Caltrans and other council members to talk about the 100 people living near the University freeway ramps. They talked about possibly relocating people, which is "in essence" how she sees this proposal.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
Kesarwani says staff has visited the freeway camps dozens of times and made hundreds of contacts with people living there: "We are doing everything we can to engage with people."
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Harrison says there would be only one location as a pilot program to start (the proposal referenced the possibility of multiple camp locations). Kesarwani notes that one portion of the underpass recently fell and she wants to be sure it's safe.
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Harrison says the city is also looking at the public right-of-way on Second Street north of Pathways as well as the marina as possible locations. Kesarwani notes that all of the locations are in her district (District 1). She'd like other areas to be considered too
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Kesarwani says she'd like to know about ways to keep people from repopulating the area around the freeway because it's so dangerous, but notes that nut hasn't been cracked yet. Harrison says no one would have to move.
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"I'm just not ready yet on it," says Kesarwani, because there's no identified location and not enough info on the Caltrans situation. Seems likely that there are enough votes to approve this proposal without her, though.
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Now it's CM
@SophieHahnBerk's turn: "I'm a little confused about why there's so much angst" about the details around the proposal. She says it's just asking staff to figure out how to do "something like this."#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
"They are going to come back to us," says CM
@SophieHahnBerk. This would come back to us, she adds: "It's such a wide-open invitation to our staff" to figure it out. She says she doesn't understand the "prosecutorial" questions from some council members.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
Hahn calls this a "Pathways light" program that will create some respite: "I guess I"m just surprised with the level of concern," she says. She says there aren't a lot of details in it. One member of the public replies: "Exactly." (And doesn't mean it as a compliment.)
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Hahn says this is a "pretty limited reasonable ask" to move forward on something other communities are already doing. In the absence of other ideas, she said, I don't understand why people are picking this apart.
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CM
@benbartlettusa: "In the absence of funding supportive housing and treatment facilities, this [issue of homelessness] will grow. So we've gotta at least make it orderly." He's also in support.#berkmtgPrikaži ovu nit -
CM Susan Wengraf notes that the city does not have a homeless coordinator right now + there may be new director for the division: "We're in transition, so introducing a new program at this point in time from that perspective is going to be a real challenge on our staff."
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Wengraf notes that folks have a suggested stay of 180 days but there is no plan or capability for sheltering them afterward: "I think it's short-sighted not to think about it."
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Wengraf says, even though Hahn described this as a very general proposal where details will be filled in by staff, council has been asked to approve $615,000 for this sanctioned camp. (And in fact council already approved it in December.)
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Wengraf says she'd like to be sure people experiencing homelessness or have a background with them are able to weigh in on the good neighbor policy etc.
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Davila says the city can copy what the "here there" camp in South Berkeley has done with its good neighbor policy.
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In response to Davila question about outreach, City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley says, "We have had some conversations around RVs" with community members, but not about a sanctioned encampment. Davila says it's basically the same thing.
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