Council hears calls for coordinated response to homelessness; visiting expert offers community-based model

Several councilmembers said encampments and visible homelessness are increasing and urged a coordinated response involving the county, nonprofits, businesses and community leaders.

Councilmember O'Shoemaker said he had observed encampments near Division Street and urged a multisector approach: "If a group of us can come together, a large group of just everybody, the county, the city, business owners, citizens, and everybody, I think we may can hopefully figure out something to combat and help get these people houses and get them off the streets." He said the situation had worsened in recent months and asked for urgent attention ahead of warmer weather.

During public comment, Sheila Delaney, who described herself as a practitioner from out of state working on homelessness, introduced community-based strategies the council might consider. "The core of what we did had to do with community coming together," Delaney said, describing use of cross-sector planning and targeted sites such as tiny-home communities and temporary safe outdoor spaces used in other municipalities.

Delaney said successful efforts involved people with lived experience, businesses and providers sitting together to design locality-specific solutions. She offered to meet with city staff and stakeholders and left contact information to follow up.

Councilmembers thanked Delaney and encouraged work with local providers already engaged in temporary shelter and outreach. No formal action was taken; councilmembers discussed follow-up meetings and interagency coordination.