Residents and service providers accuse councilmember of demeaning language as council debates homelessness policy
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Summary
Multiple public commenters, service providers and councilmembers pushed back on recent remarks by Councilmember Bashar Tosh about people experiencing homelessness, urging supportive housing, outreach and respectful rhetoric; Councilmember Tosh defended his record and intent but did not retract his prior language.
Several dozen residents and service providers used Tuesday's public-comment period to criticize recent remarks by Councilmember Bashar Tosh characterizing people experiencing homelessness in negative terms, and to urge policy alternatives rooted in housing and services.
Marian J. Wright opened the non-agenda speakers by proposing a low-cost activation of Sumner Station with food trucks and a community garden to increase safety and community use. That segue gave way to a longer series of speakers focused on homelessness, several of whom directly addressed Councilmember Bashar Tosh's comments from a prior meeting.
Noe Garcia, vice president of the Kern County Young Democrats, and Carter Beardsley, secretary of the group, said elected leaders should "come up with solutions" rather than denigrate constituents. "Don't wanna take up too much more of our time, but just wanna share that disappointment, to Councilmember Bashar Tosh," Garcia said. Jacqueline Aguilar, president of the Kern County Young Democrats, recounted her father’s history with homelessness and warned against grouping the unhoused as a single category.
Service providers and those with lived experience described outreach and placements. Jim Wheeler of Flood Ministries said the organization housed over 300 people last year and currently case-manages more than 400 in permanent supportive housing, citing thousands of community referrals in 2025. "Come see what we're doing," he said, inviting councilmembers on ride-alongs. Janessa Fisher of the Youth Action Board described her own experience living outdoors and urged empathy and direct engagement.
Several speakers framed the problem as a housing and jobs crisis rather than a moral failing and pointed to evidence-based approaches. Hannah Garber, who runs a community behavioral health clinic, noted re-housing and supportive services can be far less costly than incarceration, referencing comparative figures discussed during public testimony.
Councilmember Bashar Tosh responded during council remarks, saying he had spent years working on outreach and stressing his goal is to slow individuals long enough to get them resources. He acknowledged that his comments provoked strong reactions and said he would continue to press for solutions rather than punitive measures, while not retracting his prior language.
The exchange prompted council discussion and public referrals to continue outreach and foster collaboration with nonprofits and county partners. Several councilmembers thanked providers and urged others to inspect programs and meet with frontline staff.
The council did not take a formal action on policy changes during the meeting; the exchange remained in the domain of public comment and council statements.
