Summary
City staff said a homeless-services working group met with county and local partners to discuss collaborative solutions; public commenters described extensive trash, needles and volunteer cleanup work and urged comprehensive services and harm-reduction measures.
City staff reported on a recent homeless-services working-group meeting and several members of the public used the Aug. 20 public-comment period to describe outreach, cleanup and service needs related to homelessness.
A staff speaker (identified in the meeting as a city staff member) told the council the homeless-services working group included representatives from the county, the local shelter-focused nonprofit Arcata House, the community development department and community arts groups; staff described the meeting as productive and said participants discussed collaborative pathways and identified consensus approaches to potential solutions.
Public commenters described the scale of litter and public-health concerns and detailed local volunteer cleanup efforts. Scott Davies, a resident of 36 years, said he was “outraged” by recent meetings about homelessness and described “more than 4,000 hypodermic needles and hundreds of thousands of pounds of garbage,” urging stronger action for public health and safety. John Shelter, speaking for an organization he identified as People of New Directions, said his group has removed more than 225,000 pounds of trash from local areas and employed people experiencing homelessness as part of cleanup contracts; he said the group has signed contracts with other local jurisdictions and entities to continue work and that the partnership provides people with employment opportunities.
Other callers urged the city to prioritize services: Amy (Zoom caller) urged the council to provide housing, dumpsters, bathrooms, sharps-disposal containers and wraparound care including mental-health and social services. Multiple speakers asked the city to avoid punitive “sweeps” and to expand harm-reduction and outreach services.
Council members thanked staff for convening the working group and said they would continue to support collaborative approaches. The council did not take formal policy or funding action at the Aug. 20 meeting on homelessness beyond the staff update; staff described ongoing coordination with county partners and community organizations.
