This Program Works - and So Do the Homeless

This is a story about a lot of what is wonderful in our community, and a little about what’s not going so well. Plus an opportunity for us to pull together and solve a problem.

Most of us are familiar with the Downtown Ambassadors and the work they do, but just in case:

The Ambassadors are employed under the umbrella of Chico’s Property-Based Improvement District (PBID). The PBID is basically an assessment paid by property owners within a set district, in this case essentially from 1st St – 9th St and Normal St. to Flume St. (this is a bit of an oversimplification; you can find details here near the bottom of the page: http://www.chicopbid.com/services/

You have probably most often seen the Ambassadors sweeping and cleaning up downtown, but they do far more than clean. Their duties also include hospitality for locals and visitors alike, courtesy escorts, and merchant support. The scope of their work is incredibly diverse; they might get a call from a merchant to pick up dog poop in front of a store, or they might work with merchants and law enforcement to address crimes like shoplifting, or to de-escalate an issue with someone who has become unruly. In our dealings with them, they have been unfailingly polite and helpful, and we believe their presence has been a major value add for the community.

I have become most familiar with the Ambassador’s in the past two years for the work they do with the homeless community. As we all know, homelessness presents complex and difficult issues within the community. It is not unusual to find homeless people downtown (nor, I would add, has it ever been – I worked downtown from 1990-2003 and there were serious issues even back then). A fair amount of the work the ambassadors do involves interacting with this population.

They do the obvious, which is to try to connect unhoused people with appropriate services, where they are available. But they also make a real effort to create relationships; to get to know the people on the street, to meet them where they are and to understand their particular circumstances.

Relationships are key to solving homelessness. Getting to know people establishes a basis for trust, and allows service providers to develop solutions that will work for the individual; one solution doesn’t fit all and these relationships are critical for success. We’ve seen the Ambassadors reach out time and time again, seeking help for the unhoused for everything from getting a charger for a phone, picking up meds or helping someone seek treatment for a medical issue, and connecting them to housing and other types of placements and services.

We can’t stress enough how important these relationships have been for our community, both housed and unhoused. The Ambassadors regularly go above and beyond to help people, and because of their work many people have been connected to resources and are now off the streets. This work is critical to our entire community and we are grateful for the many times we’ve seen them offer kindness and respect, de-escalate a situation that might have involved law-enforcement if they weren’t there, and literally dig into their own pockets to provide something for someone in need.

So we were thrilled but not altogether surprised when we recently learned they have employed 2 of the homeless people they have gotten to know. Talk about being part of the solution!

Unfortunately, we also found out that one of those they have employed is still homeless. Jeff (not his real name) has been homeless in Chico for a number of years. He grew up in the area – he remembers his dad trimming trees onsite back when we still had a drive-in move theater. Jeff had been looking for work for some time, even leaving Chico at one point to work elsewhere, while still homeless.

The Ambassadors got to know him, saw he was willing and able to work, and when a position came available in March, they took a chance on him. By all accounts, he’s been an outstanding employee. Despite remaining homeless, he shows up on time and ready to work. He’s followed the rules scrupulously and become a valuable member of the team.

Even with all of this, he has had trouble finding housing. Jeff and his partner can afford around $700 per month (he also pays child support, which affects what he can realistically afford), and they are looking for a studio or 1 bedroom. He has been saving money and has enough for a security deposit. He just needs to find a place he can afford.

Unfortunately, this is a classic Chico problem. There is a common misconception that if people don’t want to be homeless, they should just get a job. It’s simply not the case. The dearth of affordable housing affects even working people, and for folks trying to escape homelessness, transitioning to a house remains particularly difficult, even with a job.

We are asking the community for help on this one. Surely there is a place to be found in Chico for someone who is working hard in our community, for an organization that betters our community. Let’s spread the word and get Jeff into a permanent home.

The easiest way to reach us is through Facebook Messenger, but you can also contact us here: https://www.standupforchico.com/contact