2021/03/03 Council Agenda Packet

The timing of this ordinance makes all these predictable, negative outcomes even worse. We are in the midst of a pandemic that has placed a particular burden on vulnerable populations. The CDC has issued extensive guidance on how to mitigate the impact of coronavirus infection and its spread among persons experiencing homelessness. According to the CDC, displacing homeless people from their customary routines is particularly harmful, because it 'can cause people to disperse throughout the community and break connections with service providers. This increases the potential for infectious disease sprear' " (CDC, Updated Feb 26, 2021) Not only are our homeless patients worse off, but the broader community is put at greater risk just as we try to emerge from this pandemic. Following in the footsteps of Everett's Safe Streets plan that emphasizes diversion and "housing first," we suggest the following approach: 1. Perform a needs assessment of the people staying outside in this area. As with any legislation that would affect your constituents, understanding their needs and the potential impact should be clarifying. They may already have potential solutions to the crowded sidewalks issue of which we are not aware. Constituents with lived experience with homelessness can provide a vital perspective. 2. Accept federal funding for hotel rooms. You may not be aware, but FEMA is now providing 100% reimbursement for hotel rooms for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. Many of the people in this area are likely to qualify, as homelessness disproportionately affects the aged and disabled. Communities in our region that have accepted this help have found the individual rooms have helped people stabilize their lives and more quickly move to permanent housing. This is a win all around. 3. Reassess. As with any intervention, whether you choose to go with your initial criminalization ordinance or a different approach, it's important to define and measure success. Will success be measured solely by the sidewalks in this area, or will it also include the cost to local medical services, the cost to the criminal justice system, and most importantly, the cost to those people who are moved or fined? If you do choose to pursue this particular ordinance, we would also ask that an equity assessment be performed. We know that due to systemic racism and discrimination, homelessness falls disproportionately on people who are Black, Native, LGBTQ and disabled. While the intent may be non-discriminatory, the impact of the ordinance might well be. We would also suggest you perform a more thorough legal and cost analysis. In light of recent Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit rulings, we are concerned with the plan to ask people to move along when stable shelter is not available at the scale required. Finally, as Anatole France first ironically noted in 1894, "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." This ordinance targets the most vulnerable at a time when they are most in need of help. We are confident the Mayor and Council will find a more practical and humane approach forward. We are happy to discuss this in further detail or help you in any way we can. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, Tom Robey, MD, PhD 2