2021/03/03 Council Agenda Packet

Deb Williams From. Jazz J <msjasmineleigh@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2021 7 40 PM To: DL-Council Subject: Ordinance CB 2102-06 My name is Jazz Jarrell. I live in Unincorporated Snohomish County. I lived at 1323 Maple Street in Everett for 3 years with my 2 children before having to move 2 yrs ago due to lack of affordable housing in the city. I worked full time at a wage above the minimum, as an individual service provider contracted by the state serving the community and was still unable to find affordable housing. Housing issues have only increased exponentially since then due to the pandemic, pushing people out of the city or into homelessness. Unemployment rates are extremely high. Families are struggling to pay their rent mortgages and feed their families. Ordinance CB 2102-06 seeks to further criminalise poverty and homelessness in the midst of an economic crisis unlike we've seen in our lifetimes. It also seeks to criminalise providing basic human needs for survival that we have a right to, and a right to provide to our friends, families and neighbors as humans. In 2020, the city of Everett spent 102.2 million on what they call "safe communities"- the largest chunk of safe communities goes to law enforcement. Alternatively, the city spent only 4 million on housing. The city, at the urging of Mayor Cassie even increased the number of police officers and the taxpayer burden overall longterm with the COPS grant, during a pandemic and budget crisis, when other necessary programs are being cut. While increasing its number of officers during a pandemic, Everett has not increased its amount of affordable housing. There is no evidence that shows increasing police officers makes a city safer, yet there is mountains of evidence that shows a city is safest when it provides basic human rights to every single resident. Think of the safest countries in the world. They are not the safest due to high numbers of law enforcement or strict punishment systems They are the safest due to what they provide their people. It has been said many times and I will say it again: a budget is a moral document. Everett is showing its morals, or lack there of by investing so much on policing people and less than 4% of that amount on housing them Something mentioned at the budget meeting that wasn't further discussed enough was the rate change for the Snohomish county jail that's being charged to Everett city. It was explained that the old system was a 3 tiered system. The lowest rate charge was for people locked up in General Population. The next highest rate was for those with medical needs and the next highest rate was for those with mental health needs and medical needs that were severe. The rate change was due to the vast majority of inmates coming in having severe medical and mental health needs, qualifying them for the highest cost tier. Instead of helping those in poverty and those experiencing mental health crises, we are locking them up and throwing them away. How can humans do this to other humans? People experiencing homelessness stay close to shelters and resources because they do not have transportation. They do not have access to a phone or Internet. They do not have access to the time. They need to be near what they need at the limited scheduled times resources are provided. During the recent severe snowstorm, lives were saved by community members helping out their neighbours providing cold weather survival needs for those that were unable to meet the requirements of the limited shelter space that exists in Snohomish county. Had this ordinance been in place before the storm people would have died and it would have been on the conscience of the people that are trying to pass this ordinance. Everett claims to be a progressive city. Progressive cities do not criminalise poverty and homelessness. Progressive cities do not criminalise being neighbourly and providing mutual aid. Progressive cities do not criminalise feeding your neighbour, providing temporary shelter to your neighbour or providing warmth to your neighbour. That is not something progressive cities do. Do not deny people their basic human rights. Do not deny people their constitutional rights This is wrong and you know it. Please be humans with beating hearts and put a stop to this ordinance today. Human lived depend on it. Also, in addition to the increased costs incurred by attempting to enforce this brought up by Councilmember Vogeli, add much more additional arrests to that cost because every person I know that provides services to the houseless community will be continuing to provide those services. It is my human right and responsibility to care for my fellow humans. I will always do so. 1