1 Amanda Martin
From: Amanda Martin
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 2:40 PM
To: Amanda Martin
Subject: FW: Comment on the Here To Stay Report regarding encampment seeeps
From: Bob McCloskey
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 1:13 PM
To: Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Comment on the Here To Stay Report regarding encampment seeeps
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Please submit for public comment
On Thursday, April 7, a massive fleet of CHP cars, FPD cars, public works vehicles, trash trucks, skip loaders, and other heavy equipment arrived in the early morning hours to evict and remove about twenty five plus unhoused residents of an encampment community called Camp 180 in west Fresno.
Dozens of city employees both salaried and hourly, were present as they were the day before when the encampment sweep and “trash removal began. The camp was located in a remote industrial area near highway 180 and has been in existence for about two years. Many of the residents have lived there some time and it was a real community of people supporting each other. Camp residents were told that no housing would be offered. On March 31
st, the city posted an announcement that read: “The
City of Fresno has received complaints concerning individuals who are loitering near or residing in temporary shelters that have been constructed.
Any persons in this area may be trespassing, and will need to immediately move off this site and remove and personal property they own. On 4/6/22, at 8:30am, the City of Fresno will seek the voluntary cooperation of any individuals who remain on site to relocate, and will enforce trespass laws against any individual who fails or refuses to move off this site.” A subsequent notice said property would be stored by the city, but on April 7, the second day of the sweep, I witnessed a lot of personal property being destroyed and put into trash trucks and containers. I personally
2 assisted many individuals attempting to save their only possessions including an elderly, disabled man that did comply with the city’s orders to vacate. I used my truck to move all his property to the back of his relative’s apartment, where half was later stolen and the other half was taken by the police and thrown away. Everything he owned in life was taken, including his I.D. and debit card. He returned to the destroyed encampment on Friday April 8 seeking shelter and was initially denied, however, through the efforts of Homeless Advocate Dez Martinez and other advocates on the scene he did get a room at one of the motels being used as shelters.
To be clear, it was the City’s intent, from the beginning, to destroy this encampment, offer no shelter, and to simply disperse people into the neighborhoods. I emailed the mayor and his response to my inquiry as to why the city was not offering shelter was “private property”, just two words, which I assume meant that since the encampment was on private property, the city did not have to comply with the Martin vs. Boise court decision that requires cities to offer shelter before destroying encampments. In the author’s opinion, shelter should have been offered, as the intent of the decision is to protect the constitutional rights of the unhoused community. No one came in the days prior to the raid to offer shelter. No one from the Poverello House Outreach Team came to the camp. It wasn’t until Wednesday, April 6, when camp residents staged a vocal protest, and several residents, in a brave act of civil disobedience, lay down in front of a trash truck, blocking its path, when things changed.
Councilman Miguel Arias had just arrived on the scene and observed the action. When I informed him that no shelter was being offered, he acted surprised and said he would talk to the mayor, however, it wasn’t until Ms.
Martinez, several other advocates and several residents of the encampment showed up and threatened to disrupt the mayor’s press conference at Chaffee Zoo did the city agree to offer shelter to those displaced by the sweep. Shelter was finally arranged for twenty five people on Friday, April 8. It must be noted that, as in every encampment sweep, many individuals left prior to the sweep, moved to other locations nearby and suffered immense disruption to their lives, including the loss of their property.
This latest sweep was very cruel and costly. Not only cruel to the residents as the whole three day experience was highly stressful for everyone due to the uncertainty but costly in terms of property loss for the unhoused and the costs to taxpayers. I would estimate that over the three day period, seventy five to a hundred public employees or contract employees were involved in the sweep, including top city officials with average salaries of $100,000 per year, numerous law enforcement personnel with big salary and benefit packages, well paid public works employees and other city, state, and contract employees. All to implement a sweep at an encampment of about twenty five people? What is the cost? It will take an information request and audit to find out.
City leaders estimate that Fresno’s homeless population is about 4,200, while the Fresno-Madera homeless population is about 5,200. Between July 2019 and December 2021, the Fresno area received more than $144 3 million from federal, state, and local sources to increase housing and services for the unhoused. No permanent housing has been provided and all of the transitional, temporary housing provided now in the renovated motels will end because the motels are to be converted for sale, allegedly in two years after opening as a shelter. The process has already began with the scheduled conversion for sale of the Days Inn, now called the Sun Lodge, in June, seven months earlier than promised. Instead of creating more housing for the unhoused, incredibly, the city is reducing it at this time. The city also claims it has used some of the funds to assist about 8,000 people with one or more services between July 2019 and December 2021, however, some people could have been double-counted if they engaged with one or of the city’s services.
The county, city, FMCoC and Fresno Housing Authority need to use all available resources to shelter and house the growing population of unhoused people, or the number of encampments will rise. Instead of razing encampments, the county and city of Fresno can approve and establish safe camps with services. Understanding the reasons why individuals experiencing homelessness live in encampments and how servicing encampments can be part of a response to homelessness is important to developing a more compassionate and effective temporary solution until more housing is built and a Housing First program is established. Sweeping encampments without providing comprehensive support is an immense and costly failure. The county and city can direct the same resources toward assisting people with moving out of encampments and into safe, quality and affordable housing. As mentioned previously, funding sources are available and more funding is coming from the state.
The City will soon release its new housing plan and there is a new effort at cross-sector coordination between the county, city, FMCoC and other agencies called MARCH, Multi-Agency Response to Community Homelessness. This multi agency plan is soon to be released and is a step in the right direction. The city and county have long been criticized for a lack of coordination. Any new plans will require it.
Robert McCloskey
Fresno Homeless Union
1 Amanda Martin
From: Brandi Nuse-Villegas
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 11:31 AM
To: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment, 4-27 Here To Stay
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear city council,
I am asking you for boldness in accepting the Here To Stay report. I have been a part of the process and heard the community members voicing their experiences and their recommendations. I ask that regardless of the inclusion of Here To Stay Report recommendations in the mayor’s housing strategy, that all ten items be approved when it comes time for a vote and that a vote will come soon and the community needs these in place, and that you also work toward implementing the other recommendations in the report.
I see and am glad that some of the top priorities and other recommendations are acknowledged as a priority in the city housing plan.
I have also read the Mayor’s disappointing response to the other Here To Stay priorities and ask that you approve of these, when it comes to a vote, as they were written in the report.
The Deposit Program is extremely important. It is hard enough to try to find housing that one can afford and having to pay a deposit in addition to first and last is an additional hardship. If a renter needs to move, at least they should have the peace of mind that they get their deposit back, but so man
y landlords have used dishonest means to “charge” and withhold a deposit. If they are honest, this system shouldn’t cause them trouble. We have other means of keeping businesses accountable; we should do so for the most vulnerable and housing insecure.
Regarding the moratorium on encampment sweeps, the Mayor Dyer says that they do not do encampment sweeps anymore. We have been told that that are not "sweeps," they are "clean-ups." They say the people can come back, but they have to pack up every morning. It is still a sweep. The homeless taskforce, under the name HART team, continues to force people to pack up and leave in a very uncompassionate manner, does not give them enough time to move, and often discards their belongings. They are not offered shelter because there are no rooms at the shelter. People have no idea where to go. I know that for you as council members, you have the pressure of constituents complaining about encampments, but continue these displacements, which Dyer actually said last year doesn’t work….doesn’t work and simply harms those without housing and deters them from getting back on their feet. The city is continuing to push people around with the optics of having gotten rid of the problem for the people seeing it, but without solving the problem.
I met a woman who got a job and when she was gone, the HTF took all her belongings, including her professional clothing. Last week, my friends were waiting for their mother to help them move, after losing their place to stay. The HTF mistreated them. They detained my friend, who has muscular problems and gets muscle weakness, so she couldn't move as fast as they demanded. Many coolers with food were thrown out. And afterwards, the problem they faced is that they didn't know where to go. The problem wasn’t solved, just shuffled around. Stop excuses such as “they were obstructing sidewalks,” or other claims to justify this emotional and physical upheaval of people with no options.
2 Stop allowing Dyer to falsely claim to the city that he isn’t taking tents anymore, as he said Tuesday, and approve a encampment sweep moratorium.
One of the top items is the department of anti-displacement and homelessness. We need a department, however that is centered on those being served and informed by them and managed with substantial ongoing involvement of those affected, and that should include the unhoused as well as those recently unhoused within two years who have lived experience. There should be a commission of those who are unhoused. The administration D
yer has mentioned in his report the team he has, but
for too long, those without lived experience, or whose experience may be drastically different than those on the street, have been making decisions without any meaningful involvement and it is affecting the success of homeless response. In business, this would be unwise.
Regarding expansion of the Right to Counsel, the community is aware of the eviction protection programs, but this isn’t enough and right to counsel is a need to properly protect our community.
With rent stabilization that the city is proposing, ensure that there is a ‘Just Cause’ Eviction Ordinance in place. As well, Conversion Restrictions and “Affordable in Perpetuity” Designations helps accomplish the aim of preventing homelessness.
Regarding Fair Housing, I understand that there are limits, but we also have people you are trying to get into shelters who are on the streets because of their record. Prevention of homelessness is much easier than trying to help someone who has become homeless.Ask for experts in this that educate on fair chance housing to address concerns, and not make decisions on a possible correlation.
I want to note, lastly, that the Here to Stay meetings that brought in many community members were in the evenin
g, when the community could attend. Many cities have meetings in the evening. Having a workshop that the community can participate in, but holding it at 1:00pm is counter to real community engagement. Please show good faith in the desire to have public participation by having such meetings in the evenings.
1 Amanda Martin
From: Karla Martinez
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 12:59 PM
To: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment for ID 22-627 WORKSHOP - Here to Stay Report Attachments: Here to Stay Comments.pdf
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Good Afternoon Clerk,
I am attaching comments for ID 22‐627 WORKSHOP ‐ Here to Stay Report in favor of the Here to Stay report.
Best,
‐‐
Karla Martinez (she/her/ella)
Policy Advocate
Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability
April 26, 2022
City of Fresno Council Office
2600 Fresno Street, Room 2097
Fresno, CA 93721
Dear Council President Esparza and fellow Councilmembers, The undersigned individuals and organizations write to you in response to the upcoming Housing Workshop scheduled for April 27, 2022. As reported in countless media outlets, the City of Fresno has one of the most inflated housing markets nationwide, leaving thousands of Fresnans priced out of their own neighborhood. For six months and counting, Fresno communities have been waiting on this Council to take action on the Here to Stay Report —a report with extensive research, community participation, and comprehensive solutions addressing Fresno’s displacement and housing vulnerability. We urge this Council to listen to your constituents and enact the following:
1. Direct staff to create a comprehensive timeline to implement the Anti-Displacement Task Force’s (ADTF) recommendations for consideration at the May 16th City Council Hearing. Those policies are as follows 1 :
a. Expanded Right-to-Counsel
b. Rent Stabilization with ‘Just Cause’ Eviction Ordinance c. Conversion Restrictions and “Affordable in Perpetuity” Designations d. Homeowner and Renter Assistance Programs
e. Fair Chance Housing
f. Increase Local Hire and Living Wage Minimum on Local Contracts g. Community Land Trust
h. Deposit Program
i. Moratorium on Encampment Sweeps
j. Environmental Justice and Climate Resiliency Planning Tenants and residents of Fresno have come together to identify the tools necessary to secure safe, affordable, and fair housing. It is time for the City to match the community’s effort 1 See Appendix A for additional information regarding the ADTF recommendation and policies. with immediate action to adopt and implement identified policies. The time to just talk about the housing crisis has passed. It is now time to act.
In community,
Alexandra Alvarado, Faith in the Valley
Amber Crowell, Fresno State and Faith in the
Valley
Araceli Sanabria, Resident of Fresno, District 7
Brandi Nuse-Villegas
Benita Vasquez, Resident of Fresno, District 7
Ericka and Lance Kruse, Residents of
Fresno, District 1
Ernesto Saavedra, District 1, Organizing
Director-Californians For Justice
Fabiola Felix, Resident of Fresno, District 7
Fabiola Sahagun, uSpark Valley
Hashid Kasama, HEAL - Healthy
Environment for All Lives, Resident,
District 4
Galvia Juarez, Resident of Fresno, District 3
Gloria Hernández, Resident of Fresno, District 7
Haley White, Resident of Fresno, District 1
Ilda Villa, Resident of Fresno, District 5
Isabel Vargas, Resident of Fresno, District 3
Josefa Vega, Resident of Fresno District 7
Karla Martinez, Leadership Counsel for
Justice and Accountability
Kevin D Hamilton, CEO-Central California
Asthma Collaborative
Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, South Tower Trust
Kimberly McCoy, Fresno Building Healthy
Communities
Lilia Becerril, Resident of Fresno, District 5
Lisa Flores, Resident of Fresno, District 1
Matthew Ari Jendian, Ph.D., Resident of
Fresno District 1 & Member of Faith In the
Valley
Maria Gasco, Resident of Fresno, District 5
Maria Sahaguan, Resident of Fresno, District 5
Marisa Moraza, Power California
Mike Rhodes, Executive Director, Community
Alliance newspaper
Noe Paramo, California Rural Legal
Assistance Foundation
Pedro Navarro Cruz, Community Organizer,
Communities for a New California
Education Fund, District 3
Sergio Cortes, uSpark Valley
Simone Cranston-Rhodes, Resident of
Fresno, District 1, President of Central
Valley Progressive PAC
Teya Looney, DSA Fresno Co-chair, District 3
Yonas Paulos, Veterans Advocate
Appendix A
Policy A: Expanded Right to Counsel — Having access to legal representation when facing eviction or other legal questions has shown to keep tenants housed, including in the City of Fresno through the Eviction Protection Program. However, a more comprehensive version of this program is necessary to ensure over half of Fresno’s population who are renters have the resources necessary. The Fresno Right to Housing Coalition has prepared a comprehensive Right to Counsel Proposal aimed at reducing displacement, increasing housing stability, and fit for the City of Fresno.
Policy B: Rent Stabilization with ‘Just Cause’ Eviction Ordinance — Such an ordinance would limit the allowable annual rent increases for certain rental units to a percentage that allows landlords to make a profit and maintain their property, while keeping rents affordable for tenants.
In order for rent stabilization policies to work, they need to be coupled with additional restrictions on “no-cause” evictions or abusive use of the option to remove units from the rental market.
Policy C: Conversion Restrictions & “Affordability in Perpetuity” Designations — Although Fresno has limitations in place for condominium conversions, there’s a need for a system that provides notification of conversions, along with prioritization of existing residents to purchase the unit. Additionally, the City should explore supporting the establishment of Community Opportunity to Purchase Act programs (COPA) that would require advance notice and a right of first offer on the sale of multifamily residential properties to nonprofits, tenant organizations & public agencies to help keep properties affordable in perpetuity.
Policy D: Homeowner & Renter Assistance Programs — A homeowner assistance program would assist owners with renovations and energy upgrades and first-time homebuyers with down payment and closing costs. This can target residents seeking to purchase a home within their current zip code and the loan would be forgiven after seven years of occupancy. A renter assistance program would provide residents and landlords short-term immediate relief, meanwhile they assess options and interventions to address the problem at hand. Additionally, the City should implement a complimentary housing equity system that tracks landlords and census blocks where excessive amounts of people have to seek aid. A department dedicated to anti-displacement initiatives would then investigate the conditions that lead to certain areas or landlords being attributed to higher demand rates assistance.
Policy E: Fair Chance Housing — This policy would prohibit housing discrimination in rentals, leases, subleases, or occupancy agreements in Fresno, on the basis of arrest or conviction record. Landlords and real estate brokers would be prohibited from doing background checks or inquiring about arrest or conviction record information. Fair Chance housing policies have been enacted in several cities across the United States and early data shows these programs have contributed to reductions in houselessness.
Policy F: Increased Local Hire and Living Wage Minimum on Local Contracts — The City of Fresno should establish a policy that mandates a 51% minimum of hours spent on renewal, development, and transportation planning projects that cost more than $100,000 will go directly to City of Fresno residents. Minimum wage rates for employees or sub-consultants associated with projects that fit into this mandate should be proportionate to the value of the contract and anticipated revenue
Policy G: Community Land Trust — Community land trusts (CLTs) create affordable housing that remains affordable over an extended period of time. The City should take an inventory of city-owned properties, abandoned parcels, and chronically vacant dwellings and begin the process of granting that land (and applicable structures) to a CLT.
Policy H: Deposit Program — The City of Fresno should establish an alternative rental deposit system that would allow renters to submit their deposit directly to the City, which would be placed into a high interest yielding account. Through this alternative deposit program, landlords would be able to draw from the balance of a renter’s alternative deposit. When the resident moves out of the rental unit, the landlord can submit a ledger of reasonable repair costs to bill against the balance. The remaining amounts in the account can be transferred to a deposit on a new rental or can be withdrawn by the resident and applied toward the purchase of a home.
Policy I: Moratorium on Encampment Sweeps — The City of Fresno should review the guidance set forth in recent encampment sweep litigation in other regions. A 30- day working group should establish a viable set of objectives and alternatives to encampment sweeps. We are recommending an indefinite moratorium on encampment sweeps.
Policy J: Environmental Justice and Climate Resiliency Planning — Fresno is already experiencing some of the most extreme summer conditions in the state of California. As we continue to see a rise in wildfires across the state, it's important to preemptively plan for climate change emergencies that will happen in the City of Fresno. The people and places who have historically been under-resourced will experience the worst impacts of these climate change events. The City of Fresno should immediately begin working on an Environmental Justice Emergency Management plan to make sure Fresno residents are protected in the event of natural disaster in extreme weather.
Appendix B
Op-ed written by residents: