General
Jennifer L. Hall
From:Michael Lopez <
Sent:Friday, October 8, 2021 9:18 AM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] RE: Suggestion for Homelessness Approach
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Good Morning Council Members,
I hope you are all safe and well.
As the weather begins to shift once again in Southern California, my heart and mind rest with those in need of
the greatest support on our community. This, of course, includes those without stable housing. Upon my
morning run today I saw something I hadn't seen in my local park in my short time as a home owner these past
two years: a tent. Normally folx might see that and think a myriad of things, including, I can't believe this is in
my neighborhood, or how could this happen in my own backyard. Yet again, some folx may go a step further
and call law enforcement to "clean up the mess" rather than seeking out humane resources for their fellow
neighbor.
I say all this to say, first, that I appreciate that Anaheim has a Community Care Response Team. Homelessness
is absolutely not a criminal act, therefore law enforcement has no direct reason to respond to homelessness in
and of itself, and so I applaud our city's efforts to take this out of the hands of law enforcement as the immediate
responders.
That being said, I have a couple of asks today.
One, I would ask that we update the language on the CCR Team webpage to something that does not appear to
criminalize homelessness at worst, or stigmatize it at best. Currently it reads, "...If you have a complaint
regarding homelessness..." which implies it is something for folx to complain about rather than respond to with
humanity. (https://www.anaheim.net/5808/Community-Care-Response-Team)
Second, with any seasonal shift in weather extremes, now compounded with the ongoing effects of the
pandemic, we must protect those without stable housing who are at risk to the elements. I kindly request the
council make it a priority to ensure the community is aware of our CCR Team and encourages folx to use them
as a first response instead of law enforcement. Our neighbors deserve the same level of dignity that any of us
would want to be afforded with, and so the first step is empowering our community to use the resources best
suited for our overall community health.
I hope this is taken to heart and that you stand with me in protecting all of our neighbors. Thanks for your time
and work.
-Michael A. Lopez, ASW
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