Escondido city council passed a new policy statement on homelessness late Wednesday night on a 4-1 vote.
Before the vote, a small group of public commenters voiced concerns about the policy.
“I'm asking you to consider not criminalizing homelessness,” said Escondido resident and social worker Kymberly Walker.
“You're making all of the homeless sound like addicts and that's not the case,” Walker said. “A lot of the homeless that are here in Escondido today are families.”
Escondido Mayor Dane White and councilmember Joe Garcia drafted the new policy statement, which said it supports “a Public Safety First approach towards homelessness that ensures the safety of our community and economic viability of our future.”
The statement also said, “The one-size-fits-all approach of Housing First has proven ineffective and unsustainable with the exception of seniors who may have been priced out of the housing market due to their limited and/or fixed income.”
KPBS asked White for an interview, but he was not available.
In 2022, he said he had lived experience with substance abuse and homelessness.
Garcia did talk to KPBS after the vote. He said this policy tries to balance compassion and enforcement.
“As part of the policy, we designed specific areas that we are going to work with,” Garcia said. “To deal with the hotspots. What are the areas that have more homeless population, more encampments?”
During Wednesday’s meeting, White and Garcia both reiterated crime statistics, drug abuse issues and mental health concerns in the city’s homeless population.
“If this policy doesn’t create more places for people to go, we won't be making any progress,” said Interfaith Community Services CEO Greg Anglea.
Interfaith is the largest homeless service provider in the city.
Anglea attended and spoke at the meeting. He’s concerned about how the policy could affect his organization.
“The reality is there are no available shelter beds. The treatment beds are full, there are no places for people to go,” Anglea said.
The policy statement also stresses the need to help Escondido's specific unsheltered population before helping homeless residents from other areas.
Garcia admits the city’s budget deficit could add challenges for future homeless efforts.
“We are looking at creative ways how we can put shelters, available beds in Escondido. Or other means of where they can be safe and protected from the elements,” Garcia said.
The 2023 Point In Time Count found 304 unhoused people in Escondido. It’s the largest population of homeless residents in North County.
