๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
In their first two council meetings, the new council has moved forward on enhancing criminal penalties for camping, and removing campers from the parks. (They have also, inexplicably, hurried through an ordinance that will get your car impounded if you are caught soliciting โ not seeing a ton of crime reports on that one, but, umโฆI digress.)
We wish there were a lot of new information to catch you up on regarding what the city, county and service providers are doing to provide legal alternatives for those camping, but there simply isnโt much. As it stands, there is no shelter in Chico is accepting new clients, and there will be no temporary winter shelter.
There is also, literally, no legal place to camp in Chico. (More details on those things below if you want a deeper dive into what is and [mostly] isnโt, going on)
Because of these things, we were heartened to see Cory Turner from Legal Services of Northern California take up the legalities of the issue in his recent letter to the City Attorney. He points out that the city is very likely in violation of the 9th Circuit Ruling on the constitutionality if it enforces the law as written. From Coryโs letter:
โ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ [๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐] ๐กโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ [๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ],โ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐, ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐๐ก ๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก, โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ โ๐๐ ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐.โ
You can view Coryโs letter in its entirety as well as the accompanying press release here: Demand Letter and Press Release
There is no place for people to move right now.
The city must create sanctioned camp sites so that people will have some place to go when they are moved out of the parks.
๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐.
While it may take legal action to force the city to do the right thing, it would be preferable if this doesnโt have to go to court. That money could certainly be better spent towards programs to that solve the problem rather than exacerbate it.
๐๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ:
debbie.presson@chicoca.gov
dani.rogers@chicoca.gov
stina.cooley@chicoca.gov
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐:
Mark Orme, City Manager: mark.orme@chicoca.gov
Chris Constantin, Assistant City Manager: chris.constantin@chicoca.gov
Suzi Kochems, Homeless Solutions Coordinator: suzi.kochems@chicoca.gov
๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ง: ๐๐๐-๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐
The Chico ER has also been providing regular and excellent coverage of these issues; see their article from the 22nd here: No Shelter
For those who want a deeper dive:
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ\๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
๐. ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the pandemic and a building lease that fell through. But there is also a critical but little discussed reason: they are not being allowed to use churches as they have done in previous years because the Fire Marshall has decided buildings without sprinklers are unacceptable โ which eliminates virtually every place that has provided emergency overnight shelter in the past.
There is a lot to unpack (still a pandemic and that presents significant issues for shelter providers) about this, but a few key points:
a. One, those churches have been and remain good enough for congregations and a variety of other types of events that fill them to capacity.
b. We have an emergency shelter declaration in place (and have since 2018) that allows the city to make exceptions to the usual requirements in the interest of emergency sheltering. While safety is certainly important, other municipalities have done things like posting a trained โfire watchโ on site to ensure that in the case of a fire, it is spotted early and those occupying the facility are evacuated swiftly.
๐. ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐. There are beds available at Torres, but for them to fill them to capacity would be irresponsible during this pandemic, endangering both guests and staff. In addition, following guidance from Public Health, Torres stopped accepting any new clients while we are in the Purple Tier.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐จ.
Let that sink in.
Camping is illegal in Chico except in designated campgrounds, of which there are none.
So while having folks camping in the parks has never been a good solution, the reality remains that they literally have no other place to go.
The short answer is that winter sheltering could be done, and done safely, swiftly, and effectively โ if the city would insist on it and use the tools at their disposal to do so.
In the same spirit, there needs to be sanctioned campground made available on city property. This also could happen in a matter of days; under the shelter emergency declaration the council could act to move this solution forward once land is identified.
Phew. Long one! Please take a moment to contact the city about these issues.
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