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Council cautions against short-term county-funded pop-up for homeless services; proposes alternatives
Summary
Councilors expressed reluctance to host a county-contracted provider's pop-up services in Wood Village park because the funds must be spent by June 30; they recommended partnering on summer meal programs and targeting locations where unhoused people congregate.
Councilors raised concerns May 12 about a county-funded contractor that was offered money to provide enhanced homeless services in East County but must spend the funds by June 30. One councilor said the short timeline and lack of an exit strategy risked creating temporary services that would disappear: “That doesn't give a lot of confidence that if people start getting used to coming here, then services 1 day are just gone,” the councilor said.
Councilors discussed alternatives, including using the funds to continue the city's summer meal program (Run by PlayEast) and directing outreach to places where unhoused residents already gather, rather than creating a short-lived pop-up at the park. A councilor said the peer company had requested space for a weekly pop-up from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering housing support, meals and bus tickets, but the council expressed caution about hosting such a program without a longer-term plan.
Councilors asked staff to work with the county contractor to identify appropriate sites and to explore sustaining summer meals and other supports through existing partners. The council did not adopt a formal action at the meeting but asked for further options and community-engagement planning.
