From: Brandi
To: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment items 2-q and 2-R
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 9:11:33 AM
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While provision of low barrier shelters are no substitute to the provision of permanent affordable housing that is accessible to those who are unhoused, and we need to prioritize the meeting of our housing element goals on the city of fresno budget, low barrier shelters have the potential for being an important refuge and stepping stone towards permanent housing placement.
There are
two policy considerations that I ask that the council makes that would make this true:
1. How the shelters are run is a vital component of the success of the shelters and occupants need a voice and need protection from actions and operations that would harm the viability of the shelter as a safe place in which one's humanity and dignity is protected. We need to have and require the providers to have a system of accountability and I ask that the city develop and require these. Fresno Housing began this process by having a grievance system that went above the staff in the shelters. I ask that the city develop a system in which grievances and concerns could be addressed safely as well as a system to ensure that exits are just. It would be
important, as well, to have third party accountability system, in which those who are occupants can reach, that has no conflict of interest in oversight.
2. The city's policy puts a limit on how long one can be in the shelter. However, these limits are unrealistic given the increased challenges in finding viable affordable permanent housing. We see in the housing element the lack of extremely low to low income housing in the thousands and average rent costs exceeding benefits of those who are elderly and disabled and out of reach for those seeking employment or already employed, among the other challenges. If people are not retained until they can find housing, they end up back on the streets, which in itself is retraumatizing, and causes the shelters to be a revolving door rather than an exit out.
While this is directly related to the conditions of these contracts, these show the need for the city to develop a means by with those who are experiencing displacement, especially those unhoused to be at the table of decision making and evaluation and have a voice that is given priority, such as a city lived experience board and efforts to reach out and regularly hear from those who are affected by the policies and services rendered by the city.