From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment: Housing Element Progess Report Public Hearing Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2025 9:27:20 AM
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First, I want to thank those in the Housing and Community Development Department for their work on this report and the hard work in many of the programs that have been addressed in this report. I have seen and participated in a lot of the efforts, including the
Climate Action Plan and Environmental justice work. We need these efforts to include the community and I appreciate how the department is working on ways to improve community engagement.
I appreciate the efforts to expand homeless prevention and assistance, including partnerships with school districts.
I appreciate the efforts that the department has made, including that which has resulted in 1,300-1,500 housing units between extremely low to moderate housing in the process of being built.
There is still work to be done in areas where the city is behind in program goals and the city in budget and efforts should prioritize ensuring that these goals are met and consider this when developing the 2026 budget, which should include protecting and expanding the
EPP. The numbers of those helped represents lives prevented from potentially becoming unhoused.
This report shows the continued and deepening need for affordable housing.
In Fresno.
Every unit built is deeply needed. I appreciate the 201 extremely low to low income housing that were built this past year.
This report also is sobering in the vast amount of need for housing that does not currently exist, especially the continued need for extremely low and low income housing. And the need to overcome challenges in housing that need to be priority.
This is crucial information that needs to be the central context for understanding the challenges those who are unhoused face and the main underlying issue regarding addressing homelessness. According to the University of Stanford, the number one reason for homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. There are complexities to overcome, which we can see that HCD is working to address in the various programs, and we need this to provide realistic expectations. During public discourse regarding ordinance to
prohibit those who are unhoused from being on public property, a number of claims were made by elected officials including that people were refusing services, despite corrections made by those in housing services, such as FMCOC.
However, it is unrealistic to expect
people to exit homelessness when, even with progress, there is still a lack of permanent housing.
The report notes the number of people served in the shelters, which can include duplication of persons served. For the shelters to be a viable component of the Housing Element, to meet the housing needs of those in Fresno, the shelters need to serve as interim housing that leads into permanent housing. However, because the shelters have a limited number
of days in which an occupant can stay, with the cost of rent and lack of affordable housing, not enough days are allowed to realistically find housing. As a result, many people are returning back to the streets, which, someone shared to me, is traumatizing to have that security and safety and then lose it. We need a change of policy to allow those who are being sheltered to stay until housing can be identified.
The goal also needs to be housing first, as is noted in the City of Fresno housing element, to continue to prioritize getting permanent housing viable for those who are unsheltered so that they are placed in permanent housing first and then given supportive services as needed.
I want to point out in the housing assistance program at the end, that HART is listed, While outreach is a component, which needs permanent housing to be successful, the current operation of the remainder of HART is impeding the process for people trying to getting into housing, as the team throws away important documentation, phones, and other essentials, as well as cause them to have to focus on replacing living essentials rather than on getting housing ready. As long as the city allows for the HART team to operate as it does, this element will deter progress.
I think we need to continue to work on improving engagement with those who are displaced, as there are accessibility issues and the percentage of those engaged who are directly affected means that valuable insight still needs to be gained in more significant numbers. This should be continued to be explored and a lived experience board would be a great asset in the process,, as well as going to where people are to get community feedback, such as at shelters,
would help.