By J. Shadé Quintanilla
The city of Pasadena is submitting an application for funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support many of the city’s homeless services. While the City Council is on board with asking the federal government for funding, some council members are concerned about the penalty the city could potentially face if they do not adhere to one of HUD’s conditions for maintaining the funding. According to HUD, if Pasadena adopts ordinances or policies that criminalize the homeless solely based on their economic status, the city can lose their funding for their programs.
At Monday’s city council meeting, Councilmember Steve Madison, among many other council members, expressed concern about HUD’s condition due to the city’s problem with the chronically homeless who refuse to receive help.
“If you went with me down to Old Pasadena and walked around, we’re talking about severely dysfunctional people who are causing commotion, running around, stealing, fighting, screaming, who have severe mental health issues, who have severe substance abuse issues,” Madison said. “It is harming the fabric of this quality of life we created and if anybody in Washington thinks we don’t have the right to address it, then we need to talk.”
Councilmembers were also worried about how HUD’s restriction could affect the way the city confronts homeless encampments. They claimed that the various encampments on both public and private property, including the encampments along the 210 freeway and in church parking lots, are public health and safety concerns for the community. Councilmember Margaret McAustin stated that the encampments made up of the homeless with mental health and substance abuse problems are frightening for the surrounding residents in the neighborhoods and that the city needs to tackle the issue.
Director of the Pasadena Housing and Career Services Department, William Huang, told the council that many of the health and safety issues created by the homeless can still be addressed, if a homeless person is committing a crime or if an encampment is violating the city’s existing laws. But, he noted that the city will not be able to create policies that specifically target the homeless for their status. For an example, laws that prohibit the homeless from lying or sitting down on public benches. He also pointed out that the existing homeless services and the two programs they plan to introduce through federal funding will hopefully help out the chronically homeless the department often has trouble reaching.
“The most difficult population we can serve is not the one committing crimes,” Huang said. “They are the ones who are homeless not ready or not willing to accept the services, often times chronically mentally ill. Still, we cannot arrest someone for being mentally ill.”
The Housing and Career Services Department will submit their application, called the 2015 Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Application, for federal funding to HUD this month. By requesting more than $3 million, the city hopes to address homelessness through sixteen projects, the majority of them projects Pasadena already has in place. Outside of existing services, like permanent supportive housing and rental assistance, the city also has reallocated some of the previous funding from the Union Station Adult Center Transitional Housing Project to expanding the city’s coordinated entry system, which will increase street outreach workers and case management for the homeless. In addition to the existing programs, the city is also asking for funding for two new projects–a permanent supportive housing bonus and funding for costs associated with planning and monitoring CoC activities. If HUD awards Pasadena, the city will be able to serve over 1,000 homeless individuals and families with supportive services and housing.
