While we are long past being particularly surprised by Bay-Area transplant Rob Berry's demagoguery, we were surprised to see him openly threaten community members and city leaders last week. The latest salvo in his long drawn out war to make Chico into a pristine enclave free of the unsightly riff-raff, is this letter (see pics) he sent last week threatening city leaders and community members with vigilante action.

We are demanding that city leadership, city council, and Chico PD publicly denounce this behavior and make clear that threats and vigilantism aren't acceptable…

A new study shows that crimes not only didn’t increase in Chico neighborhoods when Safe Space Winter Shelter hosted their rotating low-barrier shelter there, but in some cases they actually went down.

A neighbor of the Boucher camp sent us this photo of a distraught man who stopped in the alley after being evicted. She is upset to see people forced out with nowhere to go, as are many neighbors. Meanwhile, Sean Morgan says, “we’ll keep moving them, and keep moving them...until they leave.” Leave to where?

The current city “strategy” is to make people’s lives so hellish that they leave town.

𝐆𝐂𝐇𝐓𝐅 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.

Denlay has never, in the 25 years existence of the task force, attended a single meeting of the group she is attempting to disband.

A group that she of all people desperately needs. Her ignorance in all things related to homelessness is stunning and disheartening. From saying that 30% of the people on the streets are "unregistered sex offenders," (a complete lie, but hey, serves to further demonize people she wants to disappear) to using the bible to justify starving people, her ignorance and open hostility to those living in poverty is horrifying.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭.

The current council won’t tolerate any organizations working towards solutions because their goal is to force people to leave they attack service providers and organizations, saying they are part of the "homeless industrial complex" even when that work has proven effective, and in this case, virtually FREE.

𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 - 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 "𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲"

A new round of 72-hour notices has gone out to the folks who were evicted from the triangle. In practice, they will likely be forced to leave on Tuesday.

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐨.

In the February 2nd Chico Enterprise Record article “Chico business community focusing on building; pandemic increases homeless concerns”, Chamber of Commerce President Katy Thoma doubles down on this objective. She states that there is a need for “higher-level housing” for people migrating from “urban areas that are from higher income areas” because “they’re coming with cash…”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. Chico PD has already been onsite, warning people to be gone by noon or face possible citations/arrest. Many of the people there are folks that were already rousted from lower park.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬….

Excellent column addresses myths:

“I’ve been in this chair long enough to learn one thing: I do not have the answer for ending homelessness in Chico.

I’ve also noticed many of you think you have the answer, and it goes something like this:

“We should just buy all of these people a bus ticket and send them back to wherever they came from. They come here for the benefits. Everybody knows Chico is the place to go for homeless benefits.”

Today, on the Business Summit and State of the City Address, I've heard the term "root causes" used twice by elected and City officials. I have also heard the words "code enforcement" coupled with "root causes."
Let's be clear here: there is no evidence showing us that lack of enforcement is a root cause of homelessness. There is no evidence that shows us enforcement reduces homelessness in communities. Indeed, evidence shows us that enforcement costs everyone -- taxpayers, people experiencing homelessness, and the community.
Here's where our attention should be…