Berkeley Homelessness Targeted
in City Initiative

Proposal Raises Street Sitting Fines,
Increases City Aid for Homeless

MICHAEL KAY / The Daily Californian 15mar2007

[More on Homelessness]

“Criminalization of the homeless is not going to help the homeless, and it’s not going to help the business”  — Councilmember Kriss Worthington Mindfully.org note:  It's quite plain that this is a campaign against homeless people. And the City of Berkeley, like so many others, is trying to disappear them all. Also see: Berkeley Camping Cleanup Imminent East Bay Daily News 20mar2007

Emotions erupted Tuesday night over a proposal to get tougher on the city’s street sitters while expanding services for them, as the Berkeley City Council heard arguments from homeless advocates and business and community representatives. After more than 30 speakers and each council member voiced their opinions, the council voted to pass the proposal, referring all parts of the initiative to city staff for research and drafting.

Mayor Tom Bates—the proposal’s author—and other backers argued that the climate on the city’s streets has led to residents staying away from some city shopping districts and said the initiative would provide a “compassionate” response to problems such as “prolonged sitting” and “problematic” street behavior.

But opponents of the proposal said it targets the city’s most disadvantaged population in a move that will not improve business and could threaten Berkeley’s special character. Arguments invoked the U.N. Charter, George Orwell’s “1984” and Jesus in calling for rejection of the proposal.

Billed the “Public Commons for Everyone Initiative,” the proposal contains a range of suggestions, but controversy flared over whether to implement three sections—creating a program to divert more homeless into services, amending the city code to increase provisions against sidewalk obstruction and expanding citations for violators.

“Criminalization of the homeless is not going to help the homeless, and it’s not going to help the business,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington, one of two council members who voted against the initiative’s code and enforcement suggestions.

Other council members and representatives of many of the city’s business districts countered that the initiative will help make the city’s public common areas welcoming to everyone.

“There are lots of people who don’t go to Shattuck Avenue, who don’t go to Telegraph Avenue, because they don’t feel safe on the streets of Berkeley,” said Councilmember Laurie Capitelli.

But many asserted Berkeley draws tourists and residents precisely because of its unique street culture.

“I live in Berkeley because there is still some life here—it’s not Orange County yet,” said Adam Wight, who has lived in Berkeley for 11 years.

Many of the initiative’s opponents used satire, with one asking if “prolonged sitting” would be prevented by having parking officers chalk the homeless as they do cars, and another offering mock support for the initiative as a “representative of the truly wealthy shopper.”

But representatives of local rehabilitation centers lauded the proposal, saying intervention could save lives on Berkeley’s streets.

“It’s not about a violation of their rights, it’s about compassion to your fellow man to get out there and give services,” said Tom Gorham, clinical director at Berkeley-based Options Recovery Services, who said he saw “dozens” die when he was homeless.

But some other homeless advocates said the proposal’s approach to treatment took too much of a hard line.

“You can’t coerce treatment,” said Michael Diehl, a community organizer with Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency and a former chair of the city’s mental health commission.

Lester, a 20-year Berkeley resident who is homeless and declined to give his last name, said the initiative threatened constitutional rights.

“People should be able to live without constantly being harassed by the police,” he said.

Other report suggestions, including expanding street cleaning, public seating and city non-smoking zones, as well as working to guide donations to the homeless community organizations, were supported more widely by the public and passed unanimously in a separate council vote.

The city manager’s report and recommendations on the initiative are expected at the May 8 council meeting.

source: 15mar2007