Op-Ed Urges Pasadena to Adopt Balanced Homeless Measures

With homelessness growing worse, and both the city and county of Los Angeles recently adopting comprehensive plans to address homelessness, it's time for Pasadena to do the same, urges Jonathan P. Bell, an urban planner and Pasadena resident. Such a plan was brought before Pasadena's Public Safety Committee on March 23, 2016. It included a number topics listed below in abbreviated fashion: 

1)  Enact local ordinances to bolster responsive law enforcement

• New ordinance defining “camping,” “maintaining a camping facility,” and “lodging”
• New ordinance delineating the spatial boundaries of business districts 
• New ordinance prohibiting begging or soliciting in any public right-of way using “threatening, coercive, or menacing” behavior 

2)  Create and expand housing programs

• Landlord Reimbursement Fund 
• Homeless Prevention Fund 
• Motel to Housing Voucher Engagement Program
• Rapid Re-housing Program 

3)  Consider additional municipal responses and social welfare programs

• Public Libraries Homeless Caseworker
• Additional Homeless Outreach-Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team 
• Enhanced Security at City Parks 
• Code of Conduct Policies 
• Expedited Demolition of Vacant Buildings 

4) Adopt a permanent supportive housing policy statement

The op-ed provides a more a detailed explanation of these measures. In an unusual move, on March 23, 2016, the city's Public Safety Committee moved the staff recommendation to adopt a homeless measures ordinance to the full City Council without a committee recommendation. Council will likely consider the measures ordinance at its April 11, 2016 meeting.