AR 5 SUPP CORR CORRESPONDENCE — Pasadena City Council, September 9, 2024

McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Kelly Burlingham
Monday, September 9, 2024 7:58 AM
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Public Comment on Agenda Item #5 for Sept. 9th 2024
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Hello my name is Kelly and I am writing in for comment on Agenda Item #5 of today's City Council meeting.

I have worked in Pasadena for over 10 years and enjoy making the commute 5 days a week from Monrovia to the City of Roses. I love the stunning architecture, the local community and the amazing people I met everyday, including my unhoused neighbors. But in a city so full of beautiful architecture and community spirit, it is disappointing that the council has failed to act with the urgency the housing crisis requires and provide the necessary shelter and housing services needed for our unhoused neighbors. I hope that this meeting today on Grants Pass is the first step in the right direction.

I reject and strongly urge the council to reject any solution that plans to fine, arrest and/or jail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property and instead strongly push for a housing-first solution. Sweeps are a barbaric practice that only shuffle people around, dehumanize them and remove their personal belongings like tents, live saving medication or vital documents. Sweeps DO NOT address the systemic root causes of homelessness, are often more traumatizing to the individuals, and are not a long term solution. We should not be implementing policies that target those living in poverty. Instead we should be expanding housing development and supportive services like interim housing, and work with county agencies to build AFFORDABLE housing. If the city establishes a dedicated funding source for homeless housing and services we can provide the live saving resources we need to help get our neighbors into permanent housing. I also suggest that the city adopt a "Good Neighbor Pledge" which would promise to our surrounding communities that Pasadena will not push our unhoused neighbors into other cities like we are seeing in Northern California, and instead provide housing and services to them. Many of Pasadena's unhoused population have been long time residents and we cannot fail them.

I hope Pasadena shines as a leading example for the rest of the San Gabriel Valley by demonstrating the success of a housing-first plan and approaching our unhoused neighbors with compassion and kindness, not criminalization and cruelty. Thank you.

Best,
KelLyBurlingham
She/Her
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Charles Sargent
Sunday, September 8, 2024 11:10 PM
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Correspondence - 9/9 City Council Meeting
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Hello,
I would like to submit the following correspondence for Agenda Item #5 of the 9/9/24 City Council Meeting:

I understand that there can be a lot of pressure to quickly resolve the visible symptoms of homelessness, and I can see how the recent Grants Pass Supreme Court decision may encourage people to take the seemingly easier path of further criminalizing and punishing our unhoused neighbors in an attempt to get them out of our sights. However, I think taking this path is not only morally wrong, but it is also an ineffective approach to reducing homelessness or even making it Less visible.

Instead of criminalizing the misfortune of our most vulnerable neighbors, making their lives even harder and sweeping them around from city to city, I want Pasadena and the City Council to prioritize supportive actions and a housing first approach, working with our neighboring cities and counties to actually improve the lives of the homeless, get them housed, and ultimately uplift our communities together.

Criminalizing and sweeping these people away may seem like the easy fix while underpressure, but it will not work, and it is wrong to do this to people no matter how different they seem or how uncomfortable we are with them.

Thankyou foryourtime,
Charles Sargent
,Pasadena, CA 91107
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Allison Henry ^ _-.—.,..

Sunday, September 8, 2024 9:45 PM
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Agenda Item 5 City Council meeting 9-9-24
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Dear Mayor Gordo and Pasadena City Council Members,
Thank you for your service to the city of Pasadena. I write regarding item 5 on the 9-9-24 Council Agenda—The Grants Pass Decision and our Unhoused Neighbors. Please remember that more of us are at risk of homelessness than not. If that statement will never pertain to you, you are indeed very fortunate. The Pasadena community is concerned about the fate of our unsheltered neighbors.

I also want to bring some items from the staff report on pages 11-12 to your attention, which remind us of the power of local control:
"There is existing case law from 2012, Lavan v. City of Los Angeles, 693 F.3d 1022 (9th Cir. 2012), which prohibits cities from seizing and destroying the personal property of unhoused individuals without providing reasonable notice and an opportunity for owners to reclaim their possessions before they are destroyed. The Lavan decision remains applicable, even with the recent Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass.

Additionally, following the Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision, the American C/v/7 Liberties Union of Washington filed a new lawsuit utilizing the "cruel and unusual punishment" clause of the Washington State Constitution to challenge some Spokane, Washington ordinances. The suit alleges that Spokane's ordinances governing camping and lying in public spaces are unconstitutional and impose cruel punishment on people experiencing homelessness. In other words, the lawsuit argues that the ordinances functionally criminalize homelessness and impose cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Washington State Constitution. One Spokane ordinance makes camping and sleeping on public property a misdemeanor; the second makes sitting or lying between 6:00 a.m. and 12.00 a.m. on public property that is encompassed by a designated zone a misdemeanor; and the third authorizes the city to remove, destroy, or store the property of individuals who have been cited for unlawful camping.

California's Constitution contains a similar clause to Washington in Cat. Const. Art. 1, 109/09/2024
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section 17, which states as follows: "Cruel or unusual punishment may not be inflicted or excessive fines imposed." The City Attorney's office is not aware of any post-Grante Pass lawsuits challenging local anti-camping ordinances in California but will continue to monitor the issue."
Community requests:

Reject the enforcement policies that indiscriminately target folks living outside and in poverty.
• Adopt a "Good Neighbor Pledge", a pledge to our surrounding communities that Pasadena will not seek to push our unhoused neighbors into other cities but will instead provide housing and services to them.

Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless housing and services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Councilmember Gene Masuda posed a question last month when the Homeless Count Report was presented and there was a very brief discussion of Grants Pass—"where are people supposed to go?" This compassionate and prescient question is one that should roll around your minds and hearts. Please take the opportunity to show our community and the rest of the cities in our area that compassion yields rewards and is the best way forward given the amount of data shared with you by service providers, community members, and those with lived experience of homelessness.

We are better than this—we have ads highlighting elder abuse and how to act to prevent it; a well-funded animal homeless shelter (the Humane Society); and an engaged populace on housing and homeless issues. Pasadena is a compassionate and practical city, please keep leading with those principles and take input from those with information to help!
Thank you.

Allison hlenry
District 3 and Garfield Heights resident
At Large Member, Pasadena Rental Housing Board
LA Forward Institute, SGV Lead Organizer
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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hlannah Cantrell
Sunday, September 8, 2024 9:22 PM
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Re: September 9th, 2024 City Council "Study Session" on the Implications of the Grants Pass Decision
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Dear Pasadena Mayor Gordo, City Council Members, and City Manager Marquez, On September 9th, 2024, the City Council will hold a "study session" on the implications of the Grants Pass v.

Johnson decision and Governor Newsom's Executive Order to remove encampments. As you know, the decision grants cities the constitutional right to arrest and jail unsheltered persons sleeping on public property, even if there are no shelter beds available for them.

Sweeping encampments is not a solution to homelessness; it exacerbates the problem. Persons experiencing homelessness have reported losing life-saving items due to encampment sweeps, such as medication, blankets, warm clothing, as well as ID cards and other important documents. Current enforcement policies and ordinances, such as Los Angeles City's 41.18 Anti-Camping Ordinance, have yielded mixed results in reducing homelessness, homeless encampments, and other unhoused dwellings.

This is a cmcial moment for the City of Pasadena; the September 9th, 2024 meeting is critical in determining how our city will treat its most vulnerable residents. Due to the devastating effects of these enforcement-based policies, I urge the City Council to take the following actions on Monday:

Reject enforcement policies: any suggestion or plan to fine, arrest and/orjail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property and, instead, push for a housing-FIRST so\ut[on to homelessness.

Adopt the Good Neighbor Pledge, that our city will not utilize law enforcement to push homelessness into other communities and cities. Providing housing and services for them is OUR City's responsibility.

Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Hannah Cantrell
Resident of District 30
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Sunday, September 8, 2024 8:08 PM
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Item 5. Provide Guidance Relating to Efforts to Address Homelessness ^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet Do not click links or open attachments unless you frnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button viewarticle "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Pasadena's current heat emergency is the most extreme recorded in a summer that has been consistently hot. Pasadena is not alone. Global temperatures for the year to date have far exceeded anything seen in more than 80 years of recordkeeping, making it all but certain that 2024 will be the hottest year known to science. The heat emergency affects infants, school children, the elderly, persons with underlying conditions, persons working outdoors and especially persons who are experiencing homelessness.

Unless we limit greenhouse gases we will only see an exacerbation of these high temperatures. Pasadena can address the climate emergency by following the mandate of Resolution 9977 and enacting necessary policies for Pasadena Water & Power, its municipal utility, to achieve the goat of zero carbon emissions from electric generation in 2030.

With respect to addressing the regional problem of homelessness, criminalizing homelessness would lead to greater need for police services which in turn would require more funds for enforcement without ever addressing the root causes of homelessness. The City of Pasadena is home of Union Station, one of the region's finest homeless service agencies.

Is Pasadena ready to criminalize the need for homeless persons to sleep? • What is accomplished by imposing fines for homelessness on a population already suffering from lack of financial and medical resources? Is Pasadena prepared to send its homeless population to nearby jurisdictions? Please commit to the following actions:

1. Reject the enforcement: any suggestion or plan to fine, arrest and/or jail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property.

2. Adopt the Good Neighbor Pledge, committing to not utilize law enforcement to push homelessness into other communities and cities. Providing housing and services for them is OUR City's responsibility.
109/09/2024
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3. Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Genette Foster
District 2
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Areta Crowell _ ^ __-....._
Sunday, September 8, 2024 6:45 PM
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Lisa Hansen; Carol Kaufman; Suzanne Bruins; Jean Burns; Lyon, Jason Sept. 9 2024 Agenda #5: Homelessness Policies
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Mayor Gordo and City Councilors:

I write not only as a concerned city homeowner but one who knows how difficult life is for persons living with mental illness or addictions. Our society puts barriers everywhere- often with some plausible rationale- but equally often out of cruel wishes to make a problem disappear. Sweeping the streets is no real solution. It may push homeless people out of our sight- moving them to the next community, or driving them into hiding out of desperation, but not making our larger community safer.

Our wellbeing depends upon treating those who need treatment and making affordable housing available.

Similarly, we must help those who are unable to support themselves get all the skills they need to find a way off the streets. To do less only multiplies problems for the future.

We pride ourselves on being a society worth emulating. Surely we can do better than to criminalize those who are homeless through no fault of their own , or through our societal failures to educate for this complex society or provide enough treatment for all who need it.

I urge you to adopt policy guidelines which will not make criminals of sick neighbors. Continue our efforts to expand treatment and housing . Put our city resources into that. Let us not pretend that fining people who have no money,or jailing those who need treatment will make our city safer or more attractive.

Areta Crowell,Ph.D.

Director, Retired
LACounty Dept. of Mental Health
Dist.7 Homeowner
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109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Brian Brenhaug
Sunday, September 8, 2024 5:00 PM
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9/9 Council Meeting - Comment on Agenda Item 5
•ass
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Subject: 9/9 Council Meeting - Comment on Agenda Item 5 Hello,
I wanted to provide public comment on Agenda Item 5 (the study session on homelessness):

I am a resident of the San Gabriel Valley and frequently visit Pasadena. Regarding tonight's study session on homelessness, encampments, and police intervention, I wanted to encourage the city council to avoid moving towards overly simplistic methods of fining, arresting, and jailing our unhoused neighbors. If effective, I believe this will simply push the unhoused to other communities and cities. We need to instead work towards solutions to the root causes of homelessness, and I believe a housing-first approach will ultimately be more effective in the long term and for the San Gabriel Valley as a whole. Thank you councilmembers for your time and consideration of this matter.

Brian Brenhaug
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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John Fauvre
Sunday, September 8, 2024 4:12 PM
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Campers in the Arroyo Lower Park; item 5 on Council Agenda [Some people who received this message don't often get email from at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderldentification ]
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Greetings:

I agree that jailing for poverty or sleeping in public space is not the best way to help.

Station and Euclid Villa and support full service approaches. have volunteered with Union
But very recently a camper in the Arroyo started a fire that could have burned up the west slope to houses on San Rafael Ave. Unless removal of campers from the Arroyo is somehow provided for another worse fire could easily happen.

Better surveillance (by drones?) would help. As a last resort, removal of campers should be available to protect our neighborhoods.

Regards,
John Fauvre
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109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Moya Marquez m>
Saturday, September 7, 2024 7:32 PM
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Written Public Comment for 9/9/24 Meeting - Study Session on Homelessness Some people who received this message don't often get email fromLearn why this is important ^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you frnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Dear Pasadena City Mayor and Councilmembers,
My name is Moya Marquez. Since moving to the Pasadena area three-ish years ago, I have been a volunteer with Pasadena for All, a local group made up of volunteers who provide food, water, clothing, toiletries, and resource information to the homeless community of Pasadena.

Every Saturday, we meet, pile together what little we have, and hand-deliver everything we collect to our homeless neighbors, some of whom we've come to know quite well.

Pasadena is the largest and best-known City in the SGV. Your actions are studied, talked about, and set precedent in the communities of the SGV. I urge you to use this leadership and adopt a "Good Neighbor Pledge", a pledge to our surrounding communities that Pasadena will not seek to push our unhoused neighbors into other cities but will instead provide housing and services to them.

I also urge you to listen to the voices of the homeless and of volunteers like us who work with them, when we say that criminalizing homelessness is NOT the solution to the problem of homelessness. In fact, study after study has shown that sweeps don't reduce homelessness. It just shuffles people around, creating a cycle of suffering, injustice, and trauma that makes it harder for a person to get on their feet.

Instead, use what resources you have at your disposal to help alleviate some of the root problems of our situation. Expanding housing development and supportive services - providing interim housing - creating a dedicated funding source for homeless housing and services - or partnering with county agencies to build affordable housing - all of these will do so much more to benefit our neighbors who sadly, sleep on the streets.

The problem we face is a challenging one. It's time to put away inhumane and ineffective policies that sweep the problem under the rug. We want homes, not sweeps.

I hope that when history looks back at this period, and your names are on the list of leaders of this period, you will be remembered as stewards of the public interest who cared about their community more than their career - people who didn't sweep problems under the rugs, but who rolled up their sleeves, got to work, and did what was right for their community.

Sincerely,
Moya Marquez
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Bert Newton
Saturday, September 7, 2024 10:52 AM
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Rivas, Jessica
Item 5 - RECEIVE INFORMATION AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE RELATING TO THE CITY'S

EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH HOMELESSNESS
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Dear Mayor and City Council,
I worked for 15 years in direct service for people with severe mental illness who found themselves incarcerated or on the streets, so I understand the temptation to use arrest or the threat of arrest to get people to cooperate, but it is a dangerous tool, and, in this case, unnecessary.

It is unnecessary because people who are causing an actual disturbance can already be arrested, or in some cases, hospitalized, which is a better option. In my experience with the Pasadena PD when I was doing direct service, the PD didn't like to arrest people when it wasn't necessary, and they were able to hospitalize people if a licensed mental health professional could write a legal hold order.

It's also unnecessary because we already have an anti-camping ordinance in our city.

Pasadena's 2016 anti-camping ordinance states that it is illegal "to camp, erect, maintain, any tent, lodge, structure, temporary or makeshift shelter, or unattended installation or display" on public sidewalks or in parks.

What we need,of course, is more housing. Our housing and homelessness providers where able to house 410 people last year, but the point-in-time homelessness count remained the same as the year prior because housing costs have continued to soar which resulted in a significant increase in people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The pipeline into homelessness is probably the number one reason that we can't make more progress in bringing down the homelessness numbers.

In recent years we have seen a lot of affordable housing built in Pasadena. Just this past year 134 units of permanent supportive housingfor people experiencing hometessness opened up. But housing production locally and regionally is so far behind that the market has continued to put housing costs out of reach of many people resulting in record numbers of people being displaced or made homeless. So our homeless count has not decreased.

This is the situation we need to address. Measure H rent control has also helped prevent more homelessness, but it is not enough. We need to support prop 33, the repeal of Costa Hawkins, so that more people are protected.

And we need a dedicated source of fundingfor building affordable housing, such as transfer tax. 109/09/2024
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Only with more affordable housing and more tenant protections will we be able keep more of our neighbors from ending up on the streets.

Rev. Bert Newton
Making Housing and Community Happen
MvPodcast
"Blessed are God's poor ones, for they will inherit the Land." Matthew 5:5 EWN Translation 2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Gloria Newton
Saturday, September 7, 2024 9:33 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse; Hampton, Tyron; Williams, Felicia; Jones, Justin; Lyon, Jason; Masuda, Gene; Rivas, Jessica; Madison, Steve; Gordo, Victor Public Comment Agenda Item 5 : Fight the Criminalization of Homelessness CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you fcnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Dear Mayor and City Council,
I'm a homeowner and 34-year resident of Pasadena. During my decades of living here, I've been able to witness the good work of the many organizations in our city that are providing resources and seeking solutions for our unhoused neighbors. I know people who have worked in direct service with those experiencing homelessness to help them find housing and get the services they need. It's demanding work on a complex problem. I'm grateful for how our city council and staff have taken this issue seriously, I want to thank you for decisions you have made in the past that helps to address the housing crisis, such as approving the construction of the now-newly opened Heritage Square South, just one of many affordable housing options you have supported.

However, today I am very concerned about Governor Newsom's recent executive order for the removal of encampments on state property. While I understand the safety and health concerns that encampments may pose, the governor's order is vague and broad, and could easily be misinterpreted by municipalities as license to abuse and punish those who are living outside because they have no other option.

This sounds to me like a classic case of "blaming the victim." It makes more sense to me that we would fine, arrest, and/orjail those who cause people to have to live unsheltered: landlords who raise rents or evict tenants in ways that defy the law, employers who engage in wage theft, and insurance companies who refuse to cover tens of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

As you undergo your study of this order and how Pasadena will address it, I urge you to take the following three actions:

Reject the enforcement: any suggestion or plan to fine, arrest and/orjail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property.

Adopt the Good Neighbor Pledge, committing to not utilize law enforcement to push homelessness into other communities and cities. Providing housing and sen/ices for them is OUR City's responsibility.

Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.
109/09/2024
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I believe that each one of you cares about our unhoused neighbors and would like to see Pasadena eliminate homelessness. Governor Newsom's tactics are worse than counter-productive, they are cruel and inhumane. Please reject his approach and continue to adopt policies that honor the dignity of every human, regardless of housing status.

Sincerely,
Gloria Newton
District 5
A*******************
"Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can."
—Arthur Ashe
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Saturday, September 7, 2024 9:20 AM
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Our unhoused neighbors during this heat wave
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Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I am very concerned about our unhoused neighbors during this heat wave. According to Climate Scientist David Hondula. Hondula heads Phoenix's new office for heat mitigation, people experiencing homelessness are 200 times more likely to die from heat-related causes than people who have shelter. In Santa Clara County, California, eight unhoused people died from heat-related causes during a heat wave in July 2024.

It could happen here in Pasadena.

I understand that there is a cooling center at Jackie Robinson Center, and at the libraries, but is that adequate? Who is monitoring this situation to ensure that our homeless neighbors don't die of heat stoke. This is a horrible way to die Your head is pounding, your muscles are cramping, and your heart is racing. Then you get dizzy and the vomiting starts. Heatstroke kills thousands of people. Let's make sure that this doesn't happen here in Pasadena.

Anthony Manousos
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Rita Kapadia
Friday, September 6, 2024 9:19 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Re: September 9th, 2024 City Council "Study Session" on the Implications of the Grants Pass Decision, etc.

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Dear Pasadena Mayor Gordo, City Council Members, and City Manager Marquez, On September 9, 2024, the City Council will hold a "study session" on the implications of the Grants Pass v.

Sweeping encampments is not a solution to homelessness; it exacerbates the problem. People experiencing homelessness have reported losing life-saving items due to encampment sweeps, such as medication, blankets, warm clothing, as well as ID cards and other important documents. Current enforcement policies and ordinances, such as Los Angeles City's 41.18 Anti-Camping Ordinance, have yielded mixed results in reducing homelessness, homeless encampments, and other unhoused dwellings.

This is a crucial moment for the City of Pasadena; the September 9th, 2024 meeting is critical in determining how our city will treat its most vulnerable residents. Due to the devastating effects of these enforcement-based policies, I urge the City Council to take the following actions on Monday:
•
•
•
Reject
enforcement policies:
any
suggestion
or plan to fine, arrest and/orjail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property and, instead, push for a housing-FIRST
solution
to homelessness.

Adopt
the Good
Neighbor Pledge,
that
our city will not utilize law enforcement to push homelessness into other communities and cities.

Providing
housing and services for them is OUR City's responsibility. 109/09/2024
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Expand
housing development and supportive services,
including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Rita Kapadia
Resident of District 6 in Pasadena
2 Me Mil lan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Marjorie Lindbeck
Friday, September 6, 2024 6:03 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
City Council Agenda Item 5 -- September 9, 2024, meeting 2 Some people who received this message don't often get email from<rn why this is important ^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Dear Members of the City Council,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the upcoming Council discussion related to encampments on public property, particularly in light of the recent ruling by the Supreme Court related to Grants Pass, Oregon. While I understand the complexities of addressing homelessness and the need for compassionate solutions, I believe that allowing encampments on public property is not the most effective or sustainable approach and only exacerbates the problem and strains our Limited resources.

This ruling has brought significant attention to the issue of homelessness and the rights of individuals living in encampments. However, I am concerned about the proliferation of encampments on public land, which could have negative impacts on our community. Public spaces, such as parks and sidewalks, are intended for the enjoyment and benefit of all residents. When these areas are used for encampments, it can Lead to a range of issues, including sanitation problems, safety concerns, and diminished access for the general public. I have participated over the last five years in the homeless count and tried to educate myself on the complexities of this issue. I am aware how long it takes to house anyone (maybe this is a place to start) and how many individuals refuse services when offered — just a few tips of the iceberg. Surely we can find a better solution.

I believe that our city should prioritize finding balanced solutions that address the root causes of homelessness while ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents. This includes investing in permanent supportive housing, expanding mental health and addiction services, and creating more comprehensive support systems to help individuals transition out of homelessness. There are also responsibilities for those who are homeless to take advantage of the services offered.

I urge the City Council to consider alternative approaches that do not involve encampments on public property. Let us work together to find innovative and compassionate solutions that respect the rights of all individuals while maintaining the integrity of our shared public spaces.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I appreciate your dedication to finding effective solutions and hope that my concerns will be taken into account as you make decisions regarding this issue.

Sincerely,
Margie Lindbeck
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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> Jenna Cobb
Friday, September 6, 2024 4:05 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse; Hampton, Tyron; Williams, Felicia; Jones, Justin; Lyon, Jason; Masuda, Gene; Rivas, Jessica; Madison, Steve; Gordo, Victor Public comment on city council agenda item #5
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Dear City Council,
As a resident of District 2 and a person of faith, I am strongly opposed to the Grants Pass decision because it neglects our moral duty to take care of our neighbors. I ask that you reject the enforcement policies that indiscriminately target folks living outside and in poverty. Instead, please adopt a "Good Neighbor Pledge", a pledge to our surrounding communities that Pasadena will not seek to push our unhoused neighbors into other cities but will instead provide housing and services to them. The solution to homelessness is making housing more affordable and accessible. I askyou to expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless housing and services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

JennaCobb
District 2
Pasadena, CA 91106
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Kevin Litwin
Friday, September 6, 2024 3:30 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Item #5 Sept 9th Council Meeting
Litwin Pasadena Op Homeless Hysteria.docx
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Please see attached for Monday's upcoming meeting to discuss homelessness.

Sincerely,
Kevin M. Litwin
109/09/2024
ItemS
I feel like there is a lot of hysteria in Pasadena about whether the City should reaffirm its laws against camping on public property and obstructing rights of ways. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit Court's decision that cities, like Pasadena, can't enforce their laws because of the homeless crisis. Now, cities are acting to protect public spaces from the impacts of homeless encampments.

As someone who works in the DTLA region, not far from Skidrow, I have seen the devastation of homeless encampments and the dangers they pose to the public. They are dirty and unsafe, and no one should live in them. It is simply not compassionate to allow people to live on the street.

Cities like Pasadena bear the burden of the Federal Government and State of California's unworkable and unsustainable scheme to give away expensive housing to homeless people. Pasadena has done its best to shelter and house people, but is this compassion being taken advantage of? Activists use terms like "criminalization" to browbeat reasonable positions and hold the public hostage.

Let's be clear, the last decade has seen a deterioration of public spaces due to the increase in homeless encampments and the crime and safety issues that accompany them. I believe we have unintentionally or maybe even intentionally created what appears to be a "Protected Class", immune to all rules and regulations. Encampments are unsanitary and vectors for public and behavioral health issues.

Moreover, they are susceptible to violence, exploitation, and a host of criminal acts - preying on both the housed and unhoused. This is an indication that the current approach to homelessness simply doesn't work. People widely support restoring public rights of way to their intended uses and moving individuals into appropriate housing and shelters.

When the Federal Government and State provide bitlionsof dollars to get people off the street, and the lawsuits run their course, it's time to say enough is enough. Governor Newsom is saying what everyone is thinking: no more excuses, local governments do their jobs and put an end to the madness on the streets.

The City Council should re-affirm its long-standing ordinances against public camping and obstructing rights of way because it protects and helps everyone - housed and unhoused. Neighboring cities are doing so and are beginning to see the results. Anything short continues an unworkable, costly, and unsustainable situation that puts everyone at risk.

McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Paul Little rg>
Friday, September 6, 2024 10:40 AM
City_Council; PublicComment-AutoResponse
Jomsky, Mark; Marquez, Miguel; Huang, William; Paul Little Agenda item 5 - camping on public property
Pasadena Chamber letter re homeless encampments in Pasadena 9-6-2024.pdf ^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you frnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Hello,
Please find attached a letter from the Pasadena Chambe Board of Directors (and myself) related to the discussion on the Grants Pass decision and homeless encampments in Pasadena.

Please consider our thoughts as you deliberate the issue.

Please be sure it is part of the record of public comment on the issue.

All the best,
Paul
Pa^^uttCe/
Paul Little
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association
44 North Mentor Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91106
626.795.3355
www.pasadena-chamber.org
This information could be sensitive or privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete this email immediately. Thank you.
109/09/2024
ltem5

McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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FW: Contribution to September 9th council meeting
FID Factsheet and Opportunities for City Council 9_9_24-2.docx From: director Friends In Deed <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2024 6:08:55 PM
To: Gordo, Victor <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tvron <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Masuda, Gene <gmasuda(5)citvofDasadena.net>; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Williams, Felicia <fwilliams(5)citvofpasadena.net>; Marquez, Miguel <[email protected]>
Subject: Contribution to September 9th council meeting
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Dear Mr. Mayor and Council Members,
Attached please find a short factsheet and suggested opportunities that Friends In Deed has put together to help inform your conversation at the meeting. While we would have appreciated being invited to offer an official presentation, this sheet represents an abbreviated version of what we would have presented.

I hope that you will take the time to read this and seriously consider some of the suggestions we are making, which could make a big difference in the handling of encampments in our city.

If you have any questions or want to discuss this further with me before the meeting, please reach out to me at anytime.

Best regards,
Joshua
Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater
Executive Director
(he/him/his)
626.797.2402x201
www.friendsindeedDas.org

FRIENDS
IN
DEED'

CELEBRATING
130
* i5I.1894
*Bolng together what we cannot do alone
109/09/2024
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FRIENDS
DEED
Encampments and Unsheltered Homelessness in
Pasadena - Key Notes
Homelessness is first and foremost the result of a severe shortage of affordable housing, poverty, and insufficient resources. Encampments are a visual representation of the lack of those resources and of policy failures to address those needs.

Encampments
• What Kinds of options are available for responding to encampments? o In general, the process of addressing encampments falls into three main categories: positive outcomes for those who stay in the encampment, positive outcomes for the broader community, or both.
o Cities have a variety of responses to encampments that typically fall into four distinct categories:

Clearance with little or no support
Clearance with support
Tacit Acceptance
Formal Sanctioning of Approved Locations
• Clearing encampments does not address homelessness
o By relocating people it makes it more difficult to provide services to those who need them as they become more difficult to find.
o Experience can be traumatizing and destroys trust between those experiencing homelessness and the entities that are paid to protect and support them
o During sweeps, people's personal items, including important documents, medication, cell phones are often discarded, lost or stored in facilities that people can't easily access.

What about Pasadena's shelter capacity?
Pasadena does not operate a full-time emergency shelter 5 months out of the year the Bad Weather Shelter is in operation and has capacity to shelter approximately 50-70 people; this constitutes approximately 15% of the total unsheltered population within the city. 0 0
Immediate Oppo rtu nities to Address Encampments
Emergency Shelter in partnership with local motels
o It would cost approximately $2,000,000 to provide emergency shelter right now for 70 households for an entire year
o These households continue receiving case management for the duration of their emergency shelter stay or until they are successfully matched to a bridge or permanent housing solution
Extending Overnight Shelter capability for the entire year o It would cost approximately $3,800,000 to provide a 24-hour year-round shelter for 70 individuals right now if a location was available o It would cost approximately $1,277,500 to provide a 12-hour overnight shelter year-round for 70 individuals right now if a location was available MobileHab/Tiny Homes
o MobileHab units available for $4,000 each
httDs://mobilehabora.wixsite.com/home
Contact:

Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Executive Director
ioshuala(5)friendsindeedDas.ora
Ryan Greer, Senior Director of Programs
rvana(5)friendsindeedDas.ora
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Erica Hoitsma
Monday, September 9, 2024 9:34 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse; Gordo, Victor; Masuda, Gene; Lyon, Jason WendyWang; Stan Rushing
Public Comment on behalf of unhoused Transitional Aged Youth in our City Some people who received this message don't often get email fromam why this is important CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you frnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Dear Mayor Gordo and City Council members,
I am writing to express concerns about the potential impact of our implementation of the Grants Pass decision on transition aged youth (TAY) who are unhoused in Pasadena. While the decision aims to improve public spaces and address homelessness, its effects on TAY—who are particularly vulnerable— could be significant.

Transition aged youth are typically not found in traditional encampments; instead, they often seek refuge in cars and parks, still considered illegal under this ruling. The implementation of the Grants Pass decision may inadvertently push them into even more precarious situations, worsening their circumstances.

Currently, resources provided by the City of Pasadena for TAY are Limited. The California Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) funding has been crucial, with a portion allocated specifically for TAY to provide emergency hotel shelter. However, future funding is uncertain, and hotels offer only a temporary solution. Without additional safe long-term housing options, criminalizing TAY's current means of survival could place an additional burden on these young people.

Pasadena's own Homelessness Plan reveals that a significant number of unhoused individuals in our city were previously residents, including many former foster youth. These young people often remain in Pasadena to find stability and connection. Many Transition-Age Youth (TAY) are enrolled in local community colleges, such as Pasadena City College, and face challenges in securing stable housing.

Sycamores collaborates with PCC's Basic Needs office to offer resources to these students facing housing insecurity, and we have a deep understanding of uncertainty of their situations. Stricter enforcement measures could negatively affect their access to education and support services, thereby worsening their difficulties and hindering their ability to overcome their circumstances. The Homelessness Plan advocates for solutions that prioritize supportive services and stable housing, which are crucial for addressing these issues effectively.

In light of these considerations, I respectfully urge the City Council to consider the following actions:

1. Reevaluate Enforcement Policies: Avoid policies that may disproportionately impact individuals living outside and in poverty, as these could exacerbate the challenges faced by unhoused youth. 109/09/2024
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2. Adopt a "Good Neighbor" Pledge: Focus on retaining unhoused individuals within Pasadena by providing adequate housing and supportive services, rather than displacing them into neighboring communities.

3. Expand Housing and Support Services: Invest in affordable housing and supportive services, including interim housing options. Explore dedicated funding sources for these initiatives and collaborate with county agencies to address the housing needs of all vulnerable populations, including ourTAY.

Our community's approach to homelessness should reflect our values of compassion and support for all residents, particularly those who are most at risk. I encourage you to consider these factors in your upcoming discussions and decisions.

Thankyou foryour attention to this important matter.

Thank you,
Erica Hoitsma, MFT 47635 (she/her)
Director, Housing and Homeless Services
Office I Mobile 626.503.0896
[email protected]
851 N. Oakland Ave Pasadena CA 91104
sycamores^rg
Sycamores
a better life
To submit referrals for YCES SPA 3 Services please follow link to http://bit.lv/SPA3YCES and complete referral questions This email message and any accompanying data is intended only for the use of the named recipient(s), and may contain information that is privileged and confidential and is subject to applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employer or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender at the email address above, delete the material from your computer, and destroy any copies immediately. Thank you for your cooperation. 2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Val SklarRobinson
Monday, September 9, 2024 9:47 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
I support enforcing the City's Anti-camping ordinance as an option after services and housing is offered
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To Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council,
I am writing to you in regards to the meeting Monday Sept 9th - as a small business I support enforcing the City's anti-camping ordinance as an option after services and housing are denied. I feel a deep well of compassion for our unhoused folks, especially those with addiction and mental health issues, but it is time to take action when they refuse services and housing that is offered to them.

In my opinion, it is neither kind nor humane to have folks suffering on the streets even if they prefer it. Lately I have also been threatened as I try to handle many of these issues at my business myself by nicely asking folks that camp out in our parking lot to, "please move on as you are on public property." It is ridiculous to keep calling out PPD, but in the last 6 months I have had a man run after me with a knife, and other one threaten to "bang my fucking ugly face into the ground" as clients for both my business (hlot Yoga Pasadena) and the neighbors (Orange Theory Fitness) tried to safely go to class. It is time to enforce these policies.

Thank so much for Listening to the concerns of our Local businesses that need the city support to help clean up our streets and allow all citizens to feel safe and able to enjoy our wonderful city best,
ValSklar Robinson
ValSklar Robinson
owner, Hot Yoga Pasadena
Anyone can build physical and mental strength by practicing our Hot Yoga and Pilates classes because they work your whole body and relaxyourmind, EVERYTIME
www.hotyogapasadena.com
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Val SklarRobinson
Monday, September 9, 2024 9:47 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
I support enforcing the City's Anti-camping ordinance as an option after services and housing is offered
II
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In my opinion, it is neither kind nor humane to have folks suffering on the streets even if they prefer it. Lately I have also been threatened as I try to handle many of these issues at my business myself by nicely asking folks that camp out in our parking lot to, "please move on as you are on public property." It is ridiculous to keep calling out PPD, but in the last 6 months I have had a man run after me with a knife, and other one threaten to "bang my fucking ugly face into the ground" as clients for both my business (Hot Yoga Pasadena) and the neighbors (Orange Theory Fitness) tried to safely go to class. It is time to enforce these policies.

Thank so much for Listening to the concerns of our local businesses that need the city support to help clean up our streets and allow all citizens to feet safe and able to enjoy our wonderful city best,
ValSklar Robinson
ValSklar Robinson
owner, Hot Yoga Pasadena
Anyone can build physical and mental strength by practicing our Hot Yoga and Pilates classes because they work your whole body and relax your mind, EVERYTIME www.hotvogaDasadena.com
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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hannah belk-yee
Monday, September 9, 2024 9:54 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Implications of the Grants Pass Decision on our Pasadena Unhoused Neighbors Some people who received this message don't often get email fromearn why this is important-I |^] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Dear Pasadena Mayor Gordo, City Council Members, and City Manager Marquez, On September 9th, 2024, the City Council will hold a "study session" on the implications of the Grants Pass v. Johnson decision and Governor Newsom's Executive Order to remove encampments. As you know, the decision grants cities the constitutional right to arrest and jail unsheltered persons sleeping on public property, even if there are no shelter beds available for them.

Sweeping encampments is not a solution to homelessness; it exacerbates the problem. Persons experiencing homelessness have reported Losing life-saving items due to encampment sweeps, such as medication, blankets, warm clothing, as well as ID cards and other important documents. Current enforcement policies and ordinances, such as Los Angeles City's 41.18 Anti-Camping Ordinance, have yielded mixed results in reducing homelessness, homeless encampments, and other unhoused dwellings.

Reject enforcement policies: any suggestion or plan to fine, arrest and/orjail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property and, instead, push for a housing-FIRST solution to homelessness.

Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Thankyouforyourtimeand consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Hannah Belk-Yee
Resident of District?
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Gary H
Monday, September 9, 2024 1 1:36 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Support Enforcing the City's Anti-Camping ordinance
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To Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council,
I do not send this email lightly or without compassion. I have both Empathy and a deep concern over the homeless situation throughout Southern California and particularly in Pasadena. I represent one of many many small businesses within Pasadena who fully support enforcing the City's anti-camping ordinance as an option after services and housing are denied. I believe I speak for thousands of residence and workers within Pasadena when I say we have a strong sense of support for the homeless and would like to see real solutions and options for them to better their conditions. However, allowing people with violent histories, mental illness and addictions to remain on the streets and do as they will is not what any reasonable authority with compassion and empathy would do.

I have personally witnessed homeless people getting aggressive with someone who is just walking down the street to their car. We have had customers ask for escorts to their vehicles concerned for their safety. My neighbor was chased by someone wielding a knife running after her. Now is the time that we, as a community, take action to those refusing services and housing for their benefit, and make sure they are put into a safe environment that can get them the help that they so badly require. I implore the city to please use all resources available to help everyone in need, so that our city can be safe again for anyone who wants to take a stroll down the street, go to a park or stop at a local business and go inside without incident.

I thank you for your time and look forward to a community for everyone to enjoy and for those who need help, to receive the help.

Thank you
Gary Hirsch
Owner
Orangetheory Fitness - Pasadena
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Lou Bloom
Monday, September 9, 2024 1 1:38 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Public Comment: Council Meeting 9/9/24 Agenda Item #5
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Dear City Council:

I'm writing regarding the City Council meeting today and Agenda Item #5.1 Live at and I moved to Pasadena from Ohio about 4 years ago with my partner for their job. In light of the recent Supreme Court Grants Pass decision, it is incredibly important now to be clear where we stand as a city through how we spend our tax dollars. Please affirm our commitment as a city to be Good Neighbors, and invest money in social services and affordable housing, not more law enforcement. I see billboards on the bus stops around town that say "LA Belongs to alt of us". We have to actually demonstrate that through our actions, and you as a Council Member need to show that through how you invest our public money. If you decide to beef up Pasadena law enforcement so they can cite and arrest our neighbors living on the street more, or eventually chase them away to neighboring towns in LA County, you are making it clear that LA does not belong to all of us, and you wilt also not make our city or community any safer.

I have been volunteering since 2021, along with other caring neighbors, bringing food and other necessary supplies to our neighbors living on the streets and in their cars around Pasadena. I have gotten to know people, listened to their stories, and talked through decisions with them. Time and again, the story is the same: people want housing and stability, but the resources are not there to help them get a leg up.

I know that Pasadena as a city has the resources. I know that we as a community have enough caring hearts to put those resources where it will do the most benefit for everyone in our city. At this time, after the Grants Pass decision, and Governor Newsom's Executive Order, we need to remain firm and clear as a city that we are done spending money on "solutions" that have been proven time and again not to work. Putting people in jail or making them spend days on end in and out of the courthouse on Walnut St. does not end homelessness. Giving people a genuine option for housing that they can afford and call home does. The data is beyond conclusive on this. Punitive measures don't work; caring ones do. Please, affirm your commitment to be a Good Neighbor. Invest our public money in solutions that actuary work long-term. Invest in more social services and affordable housing, not law enforcement.

Thankyou foryourtime, conscious consideration, and courage.

All the best,
Lou Bloom
109/09/2024
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McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Liberty McCoy
Monday, September 9, 2024 12:47 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Rivas, Jessica; Morales, Margo
Item #5 - City Council
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Dear Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing to urge you to reject sweeps and the denial of humanity that is the Grants Pass decision, and Governor Newsom's executive order. I do not accept the logic of Grants Pass and note that Newsom's order is related to removing encampments and only those that pose a public health and safety risk. I participated in past Pasadena Homeless Counts and have gone throughout the city door knocking on political campaigns and speaking to people in parks and there are currently NO encampments that I can see that fall under this. After speaking with unhoused individuals all I can see are people in very unfortunate situations, trying to do the best that they can.

I spoke about this at an earlier city committee meeting discussing this issue, but I wanted to draw attention to it as this issue is now being taken up by the full council. According to an article on the unhoused in Los Angeles (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/articte/2024/jun/28/los-angeles- number-unhoused-homeless), Sam Levin wrote that "Of newly unhoused people living on the streets, the count found that 54% said "economic hardship" was the cause of their homelessness, 38% cited a "weakened social network", 17% cited a "disabling health condition". He also wrote in an article titled "Thousands of senior citizens are dying homeless in Los Angeles, records reveal" that:
"Thousands of senior citizens died in Los Angeles while homeless in the past 10 years, with residents age 60 and over representing a quarter of all deaths of unhoused people in that period, according to a Guardian analysis of public records.

A common misconception about California's homelessness crisis is that the majority of people on the streets are young adults who came from out-of-state, drawn to warm weather and homeless services.

But death reports obtained by the Guardian reveal more than 3,000 of the 11,500 people who died while unhoused in Los Angeles county between 2014 and 2023 were 60 and older, highlighting the vulnerability of older residents in one of the US's most expensive regions.

The crisis has grown over time, the records indicate. Last year, the Los Angeles county medical examiner recorded a record high of 496 deaths of older and elderly unhoused people, nearly four times the fatalities from 10 years earlier."
Our own homeless counts in Pasadena have revealed the issues of elder homeless and that their numbers are continuing to grow. From the count: "In Pasadena, seniors over age 62 comprise 15% of the total unhoused population ... Nearly three in four seniors (74%) reported living in Pasadena before falling 109/09/2024
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into homelessness. Two out of three seniors did not experience hometessness until they were 40 or older, notably higher than the general homeless population (67% vs. 34%). The overwhelming majority of seniors (72%) surveyed cited financial reasons as a contributing factor to their experience of homelessness." The issues of senior homelessness and our response to it is particularly relevant here, as this is a growing population of the homeless, who are experiencing tremendous hardship in the years they should be enjoying retirement.

I stand with Pasadena for All and urge you to do the following:

1. Reject the enforcement policies that indiscriminately target folks living outside and in poverty.

2. Adopt a "Good Neighbor Pledge", a pledge to our surrounding communities that Pasadena will not seek to push our unhoused neighbors into other cities but will instead provide housing and services to them.

3. Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless housing and services, and partner with county agencies to build affordable housing.

Please do not go down the shameful path of other cities that have adopted sweeps policies. Thankyou.

Best,
Liberty McCoy
Districts Resident
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Brianna Lugo
Monday, September 9, 2024 12:54 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
09/09/24 Study Session Item 5
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Greetings council members,
My name is Brianna Lugo, I work with Pasadena for All, which is a grassroots houseless outreach organization. I have been a volunteer working in Pasadena for over 2 years now.

I'd like to thank the council at this point for providing an opportunity for community members and housing advocates to voice their concerns and provide suggestions the city may take at this study session.

I had previously spoken at the special meeting on July 30th in regards to GOV. Gavin Newsom's executive order and the implications of it. I unfortabeably am unable to attend tonight's meeting, but the protection of our neighbors is very important and worth comment. I want to stress that homelessness and housing insecurity is a complicated issue that will not have an immediate solution.

Getting our houseless neighbors sheltered and having homeless individuals numbers down to "functional 0" requires cooperation, dedication, and as I had said in my previous letter regarding that July 30th meeting- compassion.

The enforcement of "camping" ordinances or "sweeps" creates barriers to permanent housing. As it feels active and immediate I understand why some would view it as an acceptable response.

However - sweeps are expensive, and ineffective. I have linked this 2023 report from RAND, a non- partisan research organization. Their research showed that sweeps only created temporary declines in the number of homeless persons, which lasted only a couple of months before returning to pre- sweep counts. This makes it clear, sweeps don't work.

Important identification documents required to work, tools required to work, as well as irreplaceable sentimental items, electronics and phones - are often lost and destroyed during sweeps.

Replacing these items creates setbacks to finding housing or security. This also exacerbates the issues of institutionalized distrust and makes homeless outreach more difficult to perform, preventing those who provide aid to these groups to do their jobs. There is also the mental duress and trauma that can occur watching the destruction of your possessions. It's cruel In addition to being ineffective and wasteful to taxpayers.

There is no overnight solution to this problem. We have to remember that Pasadena's homeless residents are our neighbors. They deserve to be treated with basic human decency, to have privacy and dignity. We need a housing first solution. We cannot push the problem down the road and need to take responsibility for our community members in need. 109/09/2024
ltem5
For immediate/emergency/interim housing, we had the benefits of Project Roomkey before its termination. An extension of the program or the implementation of a similar program would continue the success Project Roomkey had in protecting the lives of houseless individuals as well as provide a pathway to permanent housing. As sheltered in place individuals would generally remain in the same area it provided a point of contact so they could be reached more effectively by outreach and aid programs. The only way to get people off the street is to house them.

We also need the construction of affordable housing units. While Project Roomkey has been ended, Project Homekey still exists to provide cities funding for building housing for homeless and housing insecure individuals.This can look like poorer performing hotels/motels being converted to assisted living or supportive housing facilities, or former office or commercial buildings being converted to mixed use locations. I feel this is an option that could use more investigation as to how this could work for the city of Pasadena.

Another aspect of this issue is we need to take more effort in preventing homelessness. We need to not only look at who is homeless now, but who is at risk of becoming homeless in the future. All this work to create housing would mean nothing if families and individuals still cannot afford to live in Pasadena and have to consistently live above their means to afford safe and secure shelter. The city's life blood is its residents. Rent control and tenant protections are just as much part of the solution as production and preservation of low income housing.

Again I would like to thank you for time,
Brianna Lugo
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Ralph Frammolino
Monday, September 9, 2024 1:00 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Council Agenda Item #5 — Homelessness
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September 9, 2024
Dear Honorable Mayor and CouncUmembers:

I respectfidly ask that you vote to direct the City Manager and Police Department to reinstitute the City s anti-camping ban on public property as aUowed under the U.S. Supreme Courts June 28 Grants Pass decision. It is the fair and right thing to do.

Cities like Pasadena stopped enforcing these bans in 2018 after the Ninth Circuit ruled in Martin v.

Boise that barred local government's from enforcing them unless they could provide alternate shelter. That decision led to a massive redirection of public resources, including in Los Angeles County, home of the nation's largest homeless population.

Under Measure H, County taxpayers have paid nearly $2 billion for homeless relief. The Board of Supervisors has declared homelessness a public emergency and directed County Departments to reallocate hundreds of millions of addidonal public dollars toward homelessness programs and projects.

Meanwhile, a September 2023 settlement in the l^A Alliance case now comniits the County to spend an additional $1.5 biUion in public funds on homelessness. In the first 90 days under the setdement, the County out-performed its commitment — opening 900 new shelter and housing beds, subsidizing 100 more in board and care facilities and standing at the ready to provide wrap- around services for permanent housing units. The BOS now wants to raise the Measure H tax to 1 / 2-cent and make it permanent.

It's only reasonable and fitting, then, that in return for funding this infrastructure of care that Pasadena leaders anti-camping bans so aU. citizens can enjoy safer/cleaner sidewalks, bus benches, alleys, parks and other public spaces without fear, inconvenience or unsanitary conditions. The time has come.

You wiU hear lots of testimony tonight about how enforcing anti-camping laws criminalizes homelessness. This doesn t add up.
109/09/2024
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Enforcing the City's anti-camping ban no more renders homelessness a crime than enforcing DUI . laws makes driving a crime. Or, more relevant to tonight's discussion, ticketing dog-owners $500 for playing fetch in a park with off-leash pets makes dog ownership a crime.

I also urge you to resist the sway of dire predicdons that an and-camping ban would lead to the mass sweeps of the homeless, a la LA'S Skid Row. Pasadena's homeless population is much smaller and, as recent reports from our HOPE teams show, more wiUing to accept offers of shelter and help to get off the streets.

In truth, those affected by the ban would be a relatively few yet highly visible "resource-resistant" people who have been asked to leave public spaces but refuse, coming back time and again to places to treat, and mistreat, these areas like their private possessions. In the Northwest, we see this outside the JacUe Robinson Community Center and the corner of Washington and Lake — two gateways to the community.

Those among the resource-resistant with substance abuse disorders, an anti-camping ban could act as intervention and incentive to finaUy get help. In any event, I am sure the City can enforce its ban firmly yet humanely.

The highest court in the land has ruled Pasadena s anti-camping statutes do not violate the Eighth Amendment. I ask that you embrace this ruUng and direct the City Manager and Police Department to reinstitute anti-camping ordinances as soon as possible.

In doing so, I also the following things:
• That the City enforce its ban uniformly, so that citizens in the Northwest — home to a disproportionate number of affordable housing units, social service providers and half-way houses —can enjoy their public spaces as much as those who live, work and shop south of • That the City lobbies to make sure it receives its fair share of the County s expanding inventory of services and beds to help those experiencing homelessness.

As California Governor Gavin Newsom has said, it's time for local governments to take a balanced approach to homelessness and begin enforcing anti-camping bans. Or, as Mayor Gordo put it when he told the LA Times that he welcomed the Grants Pass decision:
"Individuals will be offered the assistance they need. But we cannot allow people to sitnply take over public spaces and parks while they refuse the assistance that is being offered." Sincerely,
?»
Ralph A. Frammolino
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Anup Gampa
Monday, September 9, 2024 1 :48 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Subject: Public Comment: Council Meeting 9/9/24 Agenda Item #5 Some people who received this message don't often get email from 1.earn why this is imp9rtant L&J CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button, For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the Do!T portal.

Good afternoon Council:

I'm writing regarding the City Council meeting today and Agenda Item #5. I live at . I moved to Pasadena about four years ago for my position as a Professor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, and I love this community. In light of the recent Supreme Court Grants Pass decision, it is incredibly important now to be clear where we stand as a city through how we spend our tax dollars. Please affirm our commitment as a city to be Good Neighbors, and invest money in social services and affordable housing, not more law enforcement. I see billboards on the bus stops around town that say "LA Belongs to all of us". We have to actually demonstrate that through our actions, and you need to show that through how you invest our public money. If you decide to beef up Pasadena law enforcement so they can cite and arrest our homeless neighbors even more, or eventually chase them away to neighboring towns in LA County, you are making it clear that LA does not belong to all of us, and you will also not make our city or communities any safer.

I know that Pasadena as a city has resources. I know that we as a community have enough caring hearts to put those resources where it will do the most benefit for everyone in our city. After the Grants Pass decision and Governor Newsom's Executive Order, we need to remain firm and clear that we are done spending money on "solutions" that have been proven time and again not to work. Putting people in jail or making them spend days on end in and out of the courthouse on Walnut St. does not end homelessness. Giving people a genuine option for housing that they can afford and call home does. The data is beyond conclusive on this. Punitive measures don't work; caring ones do. Please, affirm your commitment to be a Good Neighbor. Invest our public money in solutions that actually work long-term. Invest in more social services and affordable housing, not law enforcement.

All the best,
Dr. Anup Gampa
Anup Gampa
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts Harvey Mudd College
Pronouns I use: he, him and they, them
A People's Psychology of {Anti-)Racism
1 09/09/2024
Item 5
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Erika Foy
Monday, September 9, 2024 2:20 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse; Gordo, Victor; Lyon, Jason; Steve Madison; Thyret, Pam Homeless
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Hi Mr Jomsky-Would you mind passing the message along to council that Paul Little's letter has my full support? As many on council may recall, the homeless issue is what originally brought me to council to speak for the very first time many years ago. I am sorry I cannot be there to speak in person tonight, but Mr. Little's letter encompasses everything I would have presented with the most important point of safety.

We must keep our city functioning, healthy and safe. For those who refuse housing/support, and would rather live on the streets, must be removed. On a positive note, the PORT/HOPE Teams have done amazing work, and I know they are striving daily to get all homeless individuals shelter. For those who refuse housing or help, a different approach needs to be made. In fact, time has now told us from the Supreme Court to the Governors office that enough is enough.

I know for a fact that PORT/HOPE is well aware of the number of individuals who fall in the refusal category. Questions of both teams must be asked as to the number of these persons and records they can share of these cases. I am almost certain they know most of these individuals and can give you actual numbers related to times they have reached out to give assistance and the number of refusals for help.

Our parks, businesses and streets must be made safe, walkable and clean. A successful city and the future of our entire state depends on this. It is time to make certain of these goals. I have recently been lucky to spend time in Spain and Portugal and not one park or sidewalk was seemingly been dealing with the same issues we have in CA. It has gone too far especially since 2014.1 would love to see our parks, trains, and streets be more usable and safe for everyone. The time has come for change.

Thank you,
Erika Foy
Sent from Erika's iPhone
109/09/2024
ltem5
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Matt Hertel
Monday, September 9, 2024 2:34 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse

09.09.2024 Agenda #5: Homeless Policies
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Public Comment - City Council Meeting
Support of Grants Pass Decision
Pasadena City Council,
The allowance of public camping exacerbates and perpetuates the complex challenge of helping those who have lost the will or ability to help themselves. All efforts should be made to address the root causes behind why many unhoused individuals refuse shelter—often, addiction and mental illness. By permitting public camping, we are putting many of those suffering from addiction and mental illness out of reach of recovery, risking their personal safety, and hindering lasting life change. Let us use all available tools and resources available to us to help those suffering on our city streets from the life-threatening power of addiction and mental illness, rather than perpetuating and enabling it.

Public camping comes at a high cost. Those costs come primarily in the form of human suffering, borne by unhoused people living on city streets, but also in the impact it has on the rights and quality of life of our citizens. Often overlooked, public camping also transfers risk and financial burdens to property owners and employers. We cannot allow the indignities, inhumane conditions, and personal-safety risks endured by those living on city streets. At the same time, we must protect the rights of citizens to walk city streets without fearing or experiencing assault, intimidation, or harassment from unhoused, and sometimes violent, individuals camping on city sidewalks. Further, we ask you to be sensitive to the significant risk and cost transferred to property owners and employers, who must spend significant capital on security infrastructure and personnel to manage very real security concerns.

Ultimately, we are not helping unhoused people by permitting public camping. We urge you to use the power and privilege of your office to address the root causes of these unfortunate circumstances. While we understand that this entails making tough choices, the need to make them could not be more urgent.

Thankyou,

MATT HERTEL
Senior Vice President - Security
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
26 North Euclid Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
0 626.578.0777
M 626.720.2246
[email protected]
www.are.com
109/09/2024
Items
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Generallinfo
Monday, September 9, 2024 2:57 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
City Council blameless Issue - Sept 9, 2024 - Members of public may submit correspondence of any length prior to the start of the meeting Some people who received this message don't often get email from. Learn why this is important CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0010263" on the DolT portal.

Hello,
i belong to District 5. My Council member is Jess Rivas. I'd like to stari: off by saying that I think Jess Rivas and Margo Morales are fabulous women and I so appreciate having them representing my district.

I would now like to address the homeless situation since I live at the HOA Townhomes that face the Villa Park in Pasadena.

For several months this year, my neighbors and I have been tracking the homeless situation at the Villa Park. The park is supposed to be vacated at 10pm at night. For a while it WAS vacated. But several months ago, around May and June, the picnic tables closest to the pool area started to become a sleeping area for homeless people. I would venture to say it's become a homeless encampment. First I noticed one person sleeping there. Then I noticed two people. Then it became more people. The area was strewn with persona] sundries. The homeless people started to make it their home camp and early in the morning when I would walk my dog, I would see them still sleeping there. The community would start to walk around that area, and feeling as though they could not use that space for community gatherings. Who would want to? It's not clean. Homeless people were were/are brushing their teeth there, sponge bathing, etc. It's not a healthy environment for the community to want to have a picnic there or even sit there knowing that spit and other unhygienic practices are occurring there. The problem was eventually cleared and then it started again and cleared again, (it's a constant battle) But I feel that it was only cleared after the community began to complain. In my opinion it should not have even gotten to that point.

I'm not the expert on how to solve this issue and it breaks my heart that people don't have a place to sleep but i'm also concerned about my safety at night (I walk my dog at night) because encampments can be unsafe and violent as well as unhealthy places. I am asking that the park laws be enforced by making sure that the park is cleared out at 10pm. We can tell when it's not being cleared at night because we wake up in the morning, walk by that area and there are homeless people sleeping there in sleeping bags and items like beer cans and other things are strewn all over the tables and ground. I know it's a very complicated matter and I truly hope there's a solution to handling the matter.

Thank you for listening to my concerns.

Luzmaria Garcia
I
109/09/2024
ItemS
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Amy Sullivan
Monday, September 9, 2024 3:38 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
9/9/24 City Council Meeting: Comment on Agenda Item #5
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Pasadena City Council,
My name is Eimi Sullivan and I live in district 6 -1 am writing in regards to item #5 on the agenda.

I have seen opinions, Like the one expressed by Pasadena Chamber of Commerce President Paul Little, statingthat anti-camping ordinances should be enforced in Pasadena to curb issues stemmingfrom who he refers to as a "small few unhoused persons who suffer from mental illness, addiction issues or a combination of both and who, either by circumstance or choice, cannot be housed." The idea that certain groups are not worthy of housing would be hard to imagine in any other context - would we say that people with heart disease or diabetes cannot be housed? Like these 2 conditions, mental illness and substance use disorder are both recognized by the World Health Organization and the CDC as diseases influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

Further, the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances will not suddenly encourage people to find housing in a city without enough interim housing beds, something I have heard repeatedly from unhoused Pasadenans through volunteering with Pasadena for All. Even if these individuals choose to leave Pasadena, surrounding areas face the same issues-the LA City Controller's office reported that at the end of 2023, the number of unhoused people in the city of Los Angeles exceeded the number of beds by nearly 3 times.

As such, sweeps are not only inhumane, but largely ineffective, serving as a band-aid without addressing the larger issue at hand. I hope that the City of Pasadena will choose to reject the criminalization of homelessness, adopt the Good Neighbor Pledge, and work on longer-term solutions such as increasing interim and affordable housing.

Regards,
Eimi Sullivan
109/09/2024
Items
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
Subject:FW: City council meeting 9/9
From: Ellen Finkelpearl <
Sent: Monday, September 9, 2024 4:05:40 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: cityclerk <[email protected]>
Subject: City council meeting 9/9
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Dear Mayor and City Council members,
I write to urge you to reject the cruel measures of the Supreme Court's Grants Pass decision. Pasadena should follow humane policies and find solutions to hometessness rather than clearing encampments and subjecting the unhoused to jail time and fines because they don't have the means to find housing.

Do not criminalize poverty. In any case, studies have shown that such draconian measures do nothing to solve the problem. Resources are better spent on real long-term solutions.

Thankyouforyour attention.

Ellen Finkelpearl
Districts
109/09/2024
ItemS
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
Subject:FW: Grants Pass
From:jwburns
Sent: Monday, September 9, 2024 4:07 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse <[email protected]> Subject: Grants Pass
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Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo
Steve Madison, Council District 6
By Email
Re: September 9th, 2024 City Council "Study Session" on the Implications of the Grants Pass Decision, etc.

Dear Pasadena Mayor Gordo, City Council Members, and City Manager Marquez, On September 9th, 2024, the City Council wilt hold a "study session" on the implications of the Grants Pass v.

Reject enforcement policies: any suggestion or plan to fine, arrest and/orjail our unhoused neighbors for sleeping on public property and, instead, push for a ftous/ng-F/ffST solution to homelessness.

Adopt the Good Ne/g^hborPfedg'e, that our city will not utilize law enforcement to push homelessnessinto other communities and cities. Providing housing and services forthem is OUR City's responsibility.

Expand housing development and supportive services, including interim housing, creating a dedicated funding source for homeless services, and partnerwith county agencies to build affordable housing.

Thankyouforyourtimeand consideration of this request.

Sincerely,
Jean Wong Burns
Resident of 6th Council District
109/09/2024
Items
Jomsky, Mark
Subject:FW: drug addicts near schools
From: Kelly G
Sent: Monday, September 9, 2024 8:59 AM
To: De La Cuba,Vannia
Subject: drug addicts near schools
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Hi,
I just left you too long of a message, but I'm writing to say that today I witnessed two unhoused men doing drugs on del mar between st. John and pasadena avenue at Sam when kids are walking to school. I called the police, but the mayor needs to do something. The situation in this area is not ok. There are unhoused people camping on the freeway side of the fence on Pasadena ave, there is trash everywhere and then there are always these clearly drug addicted people begging on pasadena ave and st. John on del mar. Waverly and Marantha and Sequoyah schools are located here. Kids walk to and from these schools. As a long time resident of Pasadena and a parent, I'm fed up. Homeless drug addicts can be dangerous, as we saw in the metro/freeway incident. Having them hanging out near schools is un safe for the kids who attend these schools. Even if these people don't harm kids, I don't want my kid exposed to seeing people using drugs. People using a crack pipe on del mar at Sam, is just not ok. The mayor needs to do something about this area and keep the places close to schools in Pasadena safe for kids and free from drug addicts.

Thanks in advance for your help,
KellyG
Sent from my iPhone, please excuse typos
109/09/2024
ltem5
Jomsky, Mark
Subject:

Importance:

FW: Message from Office of the Mayor & City Council (Pueblas Tacos #1) High
From: City Web
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2024 1:28 AM
To: Gordo, Victor
Cc: Mellem, Araceli; Stewart, Jana ; De La Cuba, Vannia Subject: Message from Office of the Mayor & City Council MESSAGE Dear Mayor Gordo,
I am writing to you as a deeply concerned business owner who has proudly operated in the heart of our city since 1994. My business, Puebla Tacos #1, has long been a part of the vibrant economic fabric of Pasadena, contributing to both the local economy and the community.

However, I am compelled to bring to your attention a growing issue that threatens not only our business but also the many others in the area—the escalating homelessness crisis in the city's business center.

In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the homeless population near our business. While we understand that homelessness is a complex issue that requires compassion and long-term solutions, the situation has begun to directly impact our ability to remain open.

Our sales have steadily declined due to concerns from customers about safety and the overall environment surrounding our store. We have received complaints about the lack of cleanliness, disturbances in the area, and instances where staff and patrons feel unsafe.

Despite our best efforts to remain operational and contribute positively to the community, the financial burden has become overwhelming. The loss of sales, coupled with increasing operational costs, is making it extremely difficult to afford our monthly rent. After decades of serving the city, we are now faced with the heartbreaking possibility of closing our doors.

I know the City of Pasadena values its local businesses, as we are a cornerstone of the community, providing jobs and services that enhance the city's character. That is why I am asking for your help in addressing this issue. We believe that with stronger city support and collaboration between local government and businesses, we can work towards solutions that balance the needs of the homeless population while ensuring the vitality of our business community.

Possible solutions might include the development of more shelters or resources in areas that don't directly impact business centers, increased security or police presence to create a safer environment and initiatives to keep the streets cleaner. I believe these measures would not only improve conditions for businesses but also help individuals experiencing homelessness receive 109/09/2024
ltem5
the support they need.

I respectfully ask that you consider our plea and take immediate action. The businesses in Pasadena are a critical part of the city's future, and without urgent intervention, more of us may be forced to close, negatively impacting the economy and community alike.

I would be grateful for the opportunity to discuss this matter further with you and work towards viable solutions. Thank you for your time, attention, and dedication to the betterment of our city.

Sincerely,
Margarito Rico, Hortencia Rico
Owners, Puebla Tacos #1
2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
Subject:FW: Homeless Encampments and Tents on Sidewalks From: Pasadena NYC&G
Sent: Friday, September 6, 2024 2:08 PM
To: City_Council <[email protected]>
Cc: Samaiullah Mehirdel <f 'fafiz M <L
i>; Emmanuel M ' ~ m>; New York Chicken And Gyro
Subject: Homeless Encampments and Tents on Sidewalks
n>; Support NYC&G <
n>
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Dear Pasadena City Council
I hope you're well. I'm writing as the owner of a restaurant on Green Street to express my concern about the increasing number of homeless encampments and tents on Pasadena sidewalks. This rise in hometessness is affecting our business operations and raising health, safety, and accessibility issues for the community.

Could you share the city's plans for addressing these concerns, such as shelter or housing alternatives and public health initiatives? Additionally, I'd like to know how Local businesses and residents can support efforts to find sustainable solutions.

Thankyouforyourtime and any updates you can provide.

Best regards,
Moe
New York Chicken & Gyro Pasadena
"Where food makes us family"
109/09/2024
Items
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
Subject:FW: Public comment: Item #5
From: Betty J White
Sent: Monday, September 9, 2024 4:44 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse <[email protected]> Subject: Public comment: Item #5
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Hello city council,
I am writing in as a Pasadena resident of 4 years, as well as a public educator. In public schools, I've worked with homeless families & youth and feel it's important to remind everyone here that the majority of unhoused people have jobs & many have children in school.

Most of the people in this room can understand how untenable the cost of everything is right now, rent first and foremost, but also basic necessities, food, healthcare etc.—yet we blame poverty on the poor rather than the system that has failed them. We lock up deodorant and toothpaste at Walgreens rather than asking why people can't afford deodorant and toothpaste! We understand that this is a difficult problem with no easy solution.

As a community member, I do what I can to provide cold water, meals & supplies to individuals via Pasadena for All every Saturday. And as council members, it's your responsibility to find system level solutions. Please think of our unhoused neighbors as constituents just as much as homeowners on Orange Grove. You have the community behind you. Thankyou. 109/09/2024
Items

Pasadena City CouncilSeptember 9, 2024

Pasadena City Council
September 9, 2024