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Speakers urge council to act on homelessness: Safe-spot proposal and better-managed camps urged after nearby shooting
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged the council to adopt North State Shelter Team's "safe spot" tiny-home proposal and to take stronger action on a persistent homeless encampment after a nearby shooting; speakers also called for better maintenance of sidewalks and trees.
A string of public commenters urged the Chico City Council to take stronger, immediate action on homelessness, including support for a proposal from North State Shelter Team to place tiny homes on church parking lots and to establish supervised "safe spot" communities.
Charles (last name not specified) said North State Shelter Team had two proposals on the city desk and that one proposal would cost the city "virtually nothing" because the group would pay the bill; he described programs in Eugene and other California cities that operate similar safe-spot communities and said such sites can move people into more stable placements in six months to two years.
"Our proposal could have 4 unsheltered little old ladies in a safe place to sleep at night in a matter of days," Charles said, adding that the model has been used in other cities. Several additional speakers, including Anna Rose Devine and Ryan Encarnacion, echoed support for the plan and urged the council to consider the proposals through the ad-hoc committee process.
Speakers also called attention to a shooting at a nearby campground and asked for better-managed camps and more proactive city response. Michelle Cooper said a shooting at a homeless camp less than a mile from her home left residents fearful and urged the city to address persistent hazards such as fires, overdoses and violence at encampments.
Several commenters said the city's response has emphasized cleanup but not long-term solutions, and urged more shelter, housing and management options; some also asked for improved maintenance of trees and sidewalks in neighborhoods. Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and said the item would be discussed further by the appropriate committees and staff.
