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July 14, 2017 (eastbayexpress.com)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The city of Berkeley passed an innovative new proposal to build more transitional housing for homeless residents this week \u2014 and officials say they plan to put a measure on the 2018 ballot to help pay for it.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, city council unanimously voted to fund 100 new beds at city-operated temporary and transitional-housing shelter, to the tune of approximately $2.5 million a year.<\/p>\n
The plan, referred to as a \u201chybrid\u201d model,\u00a0was one of four proposals under the city\u2019s \u201cPathways Project.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Council voted for the lower-cost alternative.<\/p>\n Specifically, the funding would combine a proposed STAIR Center, which will provide twenty beds and focus on providing temporary shelter for homeless individuals, and a Bridge Living Community, which will feature 80 beds and connect individuals to permanent housing. A location for this facility is not yet determined.<\/p>\n The housing will be constructed in the form of a \u201ctent village,\u201d using bungalow-style tent-cabins, along with port-a-potties, mobile showers, trailers for office and storage space, and security fencing around the perimeter. Each cabin would house eight people.<\/p>\n The project also includes funding for the first phase of Homeward Bound, a program that will help homeless individuals connect to friends or family who can offer permanent housing. This program also funds one-time travel expenses to relocate, including 100 travel vouchers every year, as part of a pilot program.<\/p>\n Several councilmembers stated that they see Pathways as part of a broader city effort to address homelessness. Ongoing city plans include the ambitious Berkeley Way project, which is slated to create 89 affordable units, 53 permanent supportive housing studios, and 53 shelter beds; and the Step Up Housing initiative, which will create up to 100 units of supportive housing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe scale [of homelessness] is so big that minimal resources do not address the magnitude of the need,\u201d argued Councilmember Ben Bartlett. \u201cWith this scale, we can see some demonstrable impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Jesse Arreguin said the plan will help to focus on getting people out of encampments and into better living situations. The increase in transitional housing, he said, will also make it easier for the city to connect homeless individuals to rapid-rehousing.<\/p>\n Some members of the homeless community, however, were not satisfied with the new plan. Clark Sullivan, with First They Came For The Homeless, or FTCFTH, said that any efforts to address homelessness that aren\u2019t focused on building permanent housing are a \u201cbig waste of money.\u201d<\/p>\n Another big problem, according to FTCFTH member Mike Zint, is the tent villages\u2019 density. He called housing eight people per tent \u201clike a concentration camp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re living in the streets, the most treasured commodity you have is your privacy,\u201d Sullivan said.<\/p>\n FTCFTH members live in tents near the \u201cHere There\u201d sculpture at the Berkeley-Oakland border, and everyone has their own tent.<\/p>\n Arreguin, who co-authored the plan with Councilmember Sophie Hahn, said that they are looking to put a revenue on the ballot in 2018 to generate more funding for the project.<\/p>\n Several private sponsors, Hahn said, have also expressed interest in donating to pay for transitional housing. Money from the city\u2019s Housing Trust Fund might also go toward the program.<\/p>\n \u201cAddressing homelessness is a very expensive challenge. It\u2019s an investment that we have to make, and really what we need is help of state and federal governments to assist cities,\u201d Arreguin said at the meeting, making his case.<\/p>\n The mayor also mentioned concerns that, under the current federal administration, housing and social services resources will be cut, leading to increased rates of homelessness. He and other councilmembers stated that passing Pathways now helps to get a plan off the ground before any potential budget constraints.<\/p>\n The long term goal, Arreguin said, is to see everyone permanently housed. \u201cHousing first works,\u201d he argued. \u201cIf we can create enough housing or housing resources to get people off the streets, that solves the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Contact<\/em><\/a>\u00a0the author of this piece,\u00a0send<\/a>\u00a0a letter to the editor,\u00a0like<\/a>\u00a0us on Facebook, or\u00a0follow<\/a>\u00a0us on Twitter.<\/em><\/p>\n Note from Mike Zint:<\/strong><\/p>\n To stack 8 humans into a bedroom is what this plan calls for. It’s not about helping them, it’s about getting them out of sight. This IS a concentration camp. To say otherwise shows a lack of understanding. To tolerate this plan also shows a lack of compassion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Several tents dotted the “Here-There” homeless encampment on the Berkeley border this past spring. City officials aim to build more transitional housing to move people off of the streets. City council’s plan will create 100 new beds and permanent housing connections for homeless individuals. July 14, 2017 (eastbayexpress.com) The city… Continue reading <\/div>\n\n