Update: Modesto council narrowly rejects so-called safe camping sites for homeless people
The idea of so-called safe camping sites for homeless people failed Friday to win over a majority of the Modesto City Council.
It voted 4-3 against a motion to have city staff research the proposal and return for possible final approval Dec. 12.
Proponents said these sites would provide temporary help and basic services, while reducing illegal camps in parks and elsewhere. Critics questioned whether they would be truly safe and effective in moving people toward permanent housing.
Mayor Sue Zwahlen and council members Rosa Escutia-Braaton, Jeremiah Williams and David Wright voted against the motion. It had support from Eric Alvarez, Nick Bavaro and Chris Ricci, who jointly crafted the plan over several months.
Williams said he might reconsider the proposal if the sites were run by nonprofits rather than the city. This is separate from a new program that allows homeless people to park their cars overnight.
About 100 people turned out for Friday’s council workshop at Modesto Centre Plaza.
Safe camping supporter Diane Kroeze said the sites are needed because of a lack of space in shelters. The sites would offer “a place for people to be secure,” she said. “... You have to be able to find them. You have to be able to help them. You have to be able to talk to them.”
Resident Deanna Garcia said the need is especially dire for children, with some of them “couch-surfing” or living in cars. “It’s very hard to attend school, get good grades, be able to prosper in your own life when your family is struggling with homelessness,” she said.
The proponents on the council suggested there be multiple safe camping sites, at locations to be determined. They would not be nearly as large as the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter, which had nearly 300 tents under the Ninth Street Bridge in 2019.
A city staff report Friday said MOES, as it was known, had trouble with fire, theft, vandalism and other activities. It also cited poor tracking of social services for the residents.
Zwahlen said even smaller collections of tents would leave people vulnerable to heat in summer and cold in winter. “I can’t even call this ‘safe sleeping’ because there’s just nothing safe about sleeping in tents,” she said.
The mayor suggested “pod” units, which would have their own heating, cooling and bathrooms. She also urged continued support for the shelters at The Salvation Army and the Modesto Gospel Mission.
Escutia-Braaton questioned whether the camping sites would really help people toward long-term homes. “While safe camping may seem like an immediate solution to house our unsheltered individuals,” she said, “I feel that other options truly end up being more humane options for addressing this very complex issue.”
