Pittsfield Board of Health recommends taking proposed camping ban off the table, proposes outreach and data investments

The Pittsfield Board of Health on Jan. 7 recommended that the City Council take the proposed camping ban off the table and instead focus on coordinated outreach, data-sharing, and staffing to address unhoused residents’ needs.

Board members and Health Department staff said they reviewed Northampton’s approach and local services and concluded that a punitive camping ban as written could push people farther from the city and impede contact with people in need. Board Member Dave Pill said he did not support the camping ordinance in its current form. Chairperson Roberta Elliott described homelessness as needing a community-based solution and suggested the Board help organize agencies already working on the issue.

The board agreed on a set of recommendations to send to City Council that, as described in the meeting notes, would include: removing the ordinance from consideration; creating an asset map of existing services; requesting a HIPAA-compliant shared data system to coordinate outreach and follow-up; seeking two community health worker positions to provide outreach and behavior-change support; and requesting a UMass planning evaluation to help shape service models. Board members said combining outreach and follow-up and consolidating data would help allocate resources more effectively.

Health Department staff and board members agreed to draft a working document containing these recommendations for review and modification by each participant before submission to City Council. The Board did not vote on a formal ordinance change at the meeting; the discussion focused on advisory recommendations and next steps for staff and council consideration.

Next steps: the Board and Health Department staff will prepare a working document with the recommended items for submission to City Council.