Breaking News: Airport “Resting Site” Being Closed + We Get the Cost Breakdown
Ugh. This is not great news. You might be thinking so, but hear us out...
While we (and most of the community) believed the airport site was never going to be appropriate for the 500+ plus people in tents the city envisioned on that barren and remote property, it has proven appropriate for one thing: RV, camper and car parking.
Over 30 vehicles were parked on the site as of yesterday, many with more than one person living in them. In fact, at least one family with small children is living on the site in an old RV.
Meanwhile, the city still has not created a single safe, legal place for people who live in their vehicles to park. In the past week or two, they also towed 8 vehicles from the Comanche Creek parking lot, either because they were obstructing access to the lot or had expired tags. Once this latest eviction takes place, there will be at least another 40-60 people displaced without a safe, legal place to go.
It's surprising that Magistrate Newman has agreed to this, given that it once again creates a situation where people are being evicted without options.
20k sunk costs + 35k per month for an exposed, dystopian site 5 miles from town without access to services, hygiene (think showers), or meals was always doomed. But many individuals and organizations have asked for the creation (really, assignation) of a safe and legal place for people to park for years, and if there is anything the airport site made clear, it's that safe parking is desperately needed. Instead, we get more evictions.
What will it take for Chico city "leadership" to get it? More and more, it appears to us the only thing that will get through to them is being replaced.
