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Candidates name homelessness and substance misuse among top Ward 5 concerns
Summary
Forum candidates cited homelessness, substance misuse and related service gaps as primary Ward 5 problems, calling for coordinated agency action and better communication with existing service providers.
At the LCTV Ward 5 forum, candidates listed homelessness and substance misuse as leading neighborhood concerns and urged coordinated use of existing community agencies and services to address both visible and hidden homelessness.
Why it matters: Candidates warned that homelessness in Ward 5 includes families and people who lack a stable address and that housing instability affects school attendance, food security and access to services.
Liliana Patino said downtown homelessness and substance misuse “is affecting not only Ward 5, but it's affecting the entire community,” and urged proactive partnerships with service agencies rather than what she called “Band-Aid” responses. Patino added that many Ward 5 families experience housing instability — “there's a lot of families...that every single night, they are sleeping in a different home” — and that the city should recognize less visible homelessness when crafting responses.
Kataliz “Cardi” Paez and Josh Polonsky also ranked homelessness, substance misuse and public safety among the top concerns for the ward, alongside infrastructure and cleanliness. Candidates recommended better coordination with nonprofits and a focus on wraparound services that involve housing, mental-health supports and employment assistance.
No formal directives or votes resulted from the forum; candidates described approaches they would pursue if elected.
