Laserfiche WebLink
5.A. - Page 3 <br /> Homelessness <br /> Homelessness is an unfortunate social condition with many nuances and <br /> underlying causes. The condition of homelessness is not criminal in nature, nor <br /> should the condition of homelessness itself be addresses through the application <br /> of criminal enforcement. Yet police officers encounter homeless individuals at <br /> Sequoia Station on a daily basis. Indeed, homelessness rarely presents itself as <br /> a solitary challenge, but rather in conjunction with other conditions such as <br /> mental health and chemical dependencies, thus complicating attempts to apply <br /> sustainable solutions. <br /> While some individuals, families and youth find themselves homeless as a result <br /> of economic or other extraordinary circumstances, the vast majority of those <br /> routinely found at Sequoia Station are solitary homeless adults. Most are facing <br /> mental health and/or debilitating substance addictions. This demographic has <br /> traditionally proved difficult to program with since the very nature of their <br /> disorders inhibits the voluntary application of treatment. <br /> While resources exist to assist the homeless, a significant proportion of those <br /> homeless individuals frequenting Sequoia Station will not avail themselves to <br /> homeless placement services when such services are offered to them. These <br /> efforts are further complicated by well-intentioned overtures by employees and <br /> patrons who provide food or other accommodations to these individuals outside <br /> the structure of an organized program. While they may seem to be humanitarian <br /> gestures, providing free food or washing facilities, circumvents other structured <br /> programming designed to assist homeless adults. In order to realize greater <br /> success in placing and treating the homeless, wrap-around services must be <br /> applied in conjunction with subsistence resources in order to be successful. <br /> When comforts such as unregulated access to restrooms, expired food <br /> giveaways, and permanent common-area seating are removed, homeless <br /> individuals requiring therapeutic and restorative services are more likely to seek <br /> structured alternatives. <br /> In keeping with these concerns, the Department has begun working with <br /> homeless advocacy services in an attempt to bolster placement rates through <br /> stronger interoperability practices and in-field activities designed to pair services <br /> with prospective homeless clients on the spot whenever possible. <br /> Business Collaboration <br /> Tremendous incentives exist for businesses to become more educated on the <br /> totality of circumstances that affect the climate at Sequoia Station. Of key <br /> importance for the Department has been imparting a clear understanding of the <br /> roles that all businesses and their employees have in the effort to improve this <br /> climate. With this in mind, the Department has met with many businesses at <br />