Chico designates second alternative site for the homeless

CHICO, Calif. — The Chico City Council has decided on a second alternative site for the homeless if they do not qualify for the Torres or pallet shelters.

During the city council meeting, Interim City Manager Paul Hahn said that out of 100 people the outreach and engagement team assessed, only five have been identified as not fit for either shelter.

Those would be the individuals allowed to stay at the alternative sites for up to 60-days to avoid enforcement, but community members are still concerned these alternative sites will end up housing more.

"I understand that you’ve made the point that there’s gonna be limited campers there; I don’t have any faith and how that process will go," said Natasha Shelton at the city council meeting.

"It’s hard to believe that the numbers are only going to be five when it’s over. It’s going to be five people that are permanent or 10 people or 20," said Brad Montgomery, another concerned citizen.

Hahn said that for the council to enforce its ordinances and clean up its parks, up to three alternative sites needed to be designated.

"The issue that keeps coming up that we see on social media is that the city, according to the settlement, the city may provide three alternative states. This has been, I think, misconstrued and a lot of times mean that the city does not have to provide these sites. That would only be the case if, basically, we allow that person to stay camping in an illegal site, whether that be lower Bidwell Park or outside of this building. If we want to clear an area, we basically have to agree that these folks have to go somewhere else."

In the end, the council voted five to two to designate a half-acre acre of land on Eaton and Cohasset, which is across the street from the first alternative site they chose in May.

Portable bathrooms, washing stations, and garbage cans will be provided, and the site will only become operational when the first one reaches capacity.

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