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Vice Mayor <br />Redwood City Council – District 5 <br />Phone: (650) 368-3428 <br />E-mail: keakin@redwoodcity.org <br />www.redwoodcity.org <br />From: Debbie Mytels <debbie.mytels@gmail.com> <br />Sent: Monday, August 25, 2025 5:35 PM <br />To: Council-Elmer MartinezSaballos <emartinezsaballos@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Kaia Eakin <br /><KEakin@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Isabella Chu <ichu@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Jeff Gee <br /><jgee@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Diane Howard <DHoward@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Marcella <br />Padilla <mpadilla@redwoodcity.org>; Council-Christopher Sturken <csturken@redwoodcity.org> <br />Subject: Arrest for Homelesness Shouud NOT be a "Criminal" offense <br />Some people who received this message don't often get email from debbie.mytels@gmail.com. Learn why this is important Dear RWC Councilmembers, As a long-time member of the Unitarian-Universalist Churc <br />Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization.Allow sender | Block sender <br />sophospsmartbannerend <br />Some people who received this message don't often get email from debbie.mytels@gmail.com. Learn why this is <br />important <br />Dear RWC Councilmembers, <br />As a long-time member of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Redwood City's Social <br />Action Committee, I'm writing to ask that you remove the criminal punishments in the <br />anti-camping ordinance. Most people who are living in encampments are NOT criminals. <br />They are people who do not have the economic means to pay rent in a community like <br />Redwod City. By imposing criminal penalties, you will only compound the problem and <br />make life even more difficult for these individuals: <br />· Incarceration increases mortality, for both incarcerated individuals and non <br />incarcerated individuals in the community. <br />· Arrests and convictions create barriers to stable housing, with 4 in 5 landlords <br />reporting using background checks. <br />· Fines and fees further increase court involvement for low-income people. <br />· The model ordinance from the State does not include criminal punishments. <br />RWC can still address encampments safely, rapidly, and humanely without these <br />punishments, which cause undue harm to unhoused residents. Please DO NOT include <br />criminal punishments in the City's anti-camping ordinance.