We need your help to immediately email our elected representatives to support a Joint Policy Statement on Homelessness.
Please submit your comments by 5:00 p.m. on Monday 4-13-20 to:
1. EDC Board of Supervisors, Clerk of the Board at edc.cob@edcgov.us, Subject Line: 4-14-2020; Agenda Item 25 Joint Policy on Homelessness, AND
2. Placerville City Clerk by email at roconnell@cityofplacerville.org, Subject line: 4-14-20 Agenda item 12.2 Joint Policy on Homelessness
Background:
There is a Joint Policy Statement on Homelessness coming before the Board of Supervisors and Placerville City Council this Tuesday, 4/14. It proposes that "the County and City shall work together to establish immediate solutions to reduce and work toward elimination of the homeless problem in our jurisdictions." The policy will authorize staff to immediately evaluate the feasibility of using the Placerville Armory and to explore other facilities as a Navigation Center with Support Services and Transitional Housing.
Here are some important points to support this proposal and counter the negative publicity about using the Armory:
1. The majority of the homeless neighbors in EDC are from EDC. They are not transient people, according to the most recent Point in Time Count.
2. Our County is in desperate need of a Navigation Center with Transitional Housing. Locations all over the state have done this. A recent visit to one in Marysville found it clean and well supervised. According to one of the Yuba County Board of Supervisors, the neighbors in the area reported no problems.
3. The Armory is not on Fairground Property and is the property of the State. It is being made available by the State of California only for housing and is not available for other purposes. If the Armory was chosen, the location is away from the Fairgrounds itself, it is fenced off and not even within view of New Morning or the Skate Park.
4. Providing services for the homeless has been found to protect the community from problems and makes the community a safer place. Sanitation services, mental health and substance abuse counseling can be provided when the unhoused population has housing. Studies have found that this approach can help people lift themselves out of homelessness.
5. The large number of homeless families and children in our community will be dramatically helped by finding solutions to this crisis.
6. Children attending events at the fairgrounds will not be adversely affected by a well supervised facility on an adjacent property that is separated by a fence.
Please share and forward this request so that we can get as many people as possible involved.
Thank you very much for your support of this important step for our community.
Frank Porter, Maureen Dion-Perry, Sean Frame