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From:Paul Bergeron <br />To:publiccomment; MGR-Melissa Stevenson Diaz; MGR-Liz Lange; Council-Elmer MartinezSaballos; Council-Kaia <br />Eakin; Council-Isabella Chu; Council-Jeff Gee; Council-Diane Howard; Council-Marcella Padilla; <br />csturkin@redwoodcity.org <br />Subject:Agenda #8.A -- Oppose Ordinance Criminalizing Homelessness <br />Date:Monday, July 21, 2025 1:40:57 PM <br />You don't often get email from bergeronpd@gmail.com. Learn why this is important <br />My name is Paul Bergeron. I live in Redwood City (Council District 4), a science teacher, and <br />also a volunteer community organizer. <br />I am deeply concerned that Redwood City has proposed an anti-camping ban. It will hurt the <br />same people it's supposed to help. Anti-camping ordinances don't address the root causes of <br />the safety problems they are supposed to solve. While some unhoused people do need support <br />for mental health and substance abuse, they fundamentally also need homes. <br />This ordinance prioritizes a “law enforcement first” approach to homelessness. Law <br />enforcement presence only amplifies the trauma that unhoused people already experience and <br />entraps them in the criminal justice system. We already have laws that deal with illegal <br />activities that make our communities unsafe, but this creates illegality out of existence. <br />Redwood City should continue to prioritize providing high-quality affordable housing and <br />unarmed crisis response for unhoused people, not criminal law enforcement. <br />Redwood City, please do not pass an ordinance that criminalizes homelessness. It’s bad for the <br />community. Instead, please do the hard job of solving the root problem our unhoused <br />neighbors face: they don’t have a home. <br />Paul Bergeron <br />City Council District 4