Before The Gavel: Local Correspondence Overwhelmingly Against Grants Pass Enforcement Ahead of Monday’s City Council Meeting

Ahead of Monday’s study session on Grants Pass at the City Council meeting, local residents called on the City Council not to criminalize homelessness.

“I write not only as a concerned city homeowner but one who knows how difficult life is for persons living with mental illness or addictions,” said Areta Crowell, Ph.D. “Our society puts barriers everywhere — often with some plausible rationale — but equally often out of cruel wishes to make a problem disappear. Sweeping the streets is no real solution. It may push homeless people out of our sight — moving them to the next community, or driving them into hiding out of desperation, but not making our larger community safer.”

Earlier this summer, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court, led by Associate Justice Nell Gorsuch, overturned a Ninth Circuit’s ruling. The ruling allows municipalities more power to deal with homeless encampments and enforce laws that some say criminalize the homeless.

The majority opinion argued that the ordinances did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment because they regulated behaviors rather than punishing the person’s status of being unhoused.
Some activists say the ruling will only make matters worse.

The City Council could provide guidance to the City Manager on Monday.

“I wanted to encourage the City Council to avoid moving towards overly simplistic methods of fining, arresting, and jailing our unhoused neighbors,” said Brian Brenhaug. “If effective, I believe this will simply push the unhoused to other communities and cities. We need to instead work towards solutions to the root causes of homelessness, and I believe a housing-first approach will ultimately be more effective in the long term and for the San Gabriel Valley as a whole.”

But the matter has other implications. The problem does not just impact those living on the streets, but also impacts neighborhoods and the business community.

“I agree that jailing for poverty or sleeping in public space is not the best way to help,” said John Fauvre. “I have volunteered with Station and Euclid Villa and support full service approaches.

“But very recently a camper in the Arroyo started a fire that could have burned up the west slope to houses on San Rafael Ave. Unless removal of campers from the Arroyo is somehow provided for another worse fire could easily happen. Better surveillance [by drones?] would help. As a last resort, removal of campers should be available to protect our neighborhoods.”

Volunteers counted 556 homeless people living unhoused in Pasadena, during the last homeless count.

The City Clerk posted 20 letters addressed to the City Council and the Mayor by 11:30 a.m. Three supported some type of enforcement, and 17 others opposed it.

A letter by the Chamber of Commerce was not posted with initial correspondence from the group.

“As a small business I support enforcing the City’s anti-camping ordinance as an option after services and housing are denied,” said ValSklar Robinson. “I feel a deep well of compassion for our unhoused folks, especially those with addiction and mental health issues, but it is time to take action when they refuse services and housing that is offered to them.”