The Joe Callari Team’s Post

Hamilton faces a significant challenge with the increasing number of tent cities, particularly in high-visibility areas like Bayfront Park. ⛺️💉🗑️🥫🌳🏃♀️ While our community values compassion, we must address critical concerns to balance support for the homeless with the rights and safety of all city residents. Key Concerns: Waterfront Views: A Right or Privilege? Does setting up tent cities, such as the one in Bayfront Park, serve the community's best interest, or should prime public spaces be preserved for their intended recreational uses? Safety on the Waterfront: The safety of individuals, especially vulnerable groups like young women who wish to feel secure while running along the Hamilton waterfront trail at night, is becoming an increasing concern. How do we ensure these areas remain safe for everyone? Public Health and Safety: The presence of garbage and needles in public spaces, where families frequent, poses serious health risks. How can we maintain cleanliness and safety in these communal areas? Feedback and Actions Needed: The overwhelming feedback from residents and law enforcement indicates that the current approach to managing encampments needs to be revised. As the city council revisits potential solutions, including sanctioned encampments, we must critically assess whether these measures address the root issues or merely apply temporary fixes. My Perspective: We need a bold, comprehensive strategy that provides immediate relief and long-term solutions to homelessness. This includes creating more affordable housing, improving mental health services, and providing job training to help integrate unhoused individuals into society. This issue affects us all, and your voice is crucial in shaping how our community addresses this challenge. We need actions that reflect our compassion and commitment to maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming city for everyone. Together, we can work towards solutions that uphold the dignity of every Hamilton resident and the beauty of our public spaces. What do you think about addressing these pressing issues? - - - #Hamilton #RealEstate #Investing #CommunitySafety #Homelessness #UrbanPolicy https://lnkd.in/gNnYA7ie

Grants Pass, Oregon, recently faced scrutiny over its anti-camping law, leading to a Supreme Court review. With around 600 homeless people, the city’s vague zoning ordinances highlighted the urgent need for more explicit land use rules and better shelter options. Like in ABQ, planners and city officials around the country are challenged to find long-term solutions. Washington County’s approach—reducing homelessness by 35% through outreach and support services—offers a promising model. Meanwhile, cities like Denver and Atlanta are exploring "micro-communities" using shipping containers for housing. This situation underscores the need for innovative, inclusive planning that addresses the needs of all community members. #HousingSolutions #HomelessnessAwareness #InclusivePlanning https://lnkd.in/gV4xSFkA

The washingtonpost.com just published Esther Chung and my letter about #SCOTUS deliberation on homelessness as part of Grants Pass v. Johnson in #Oregon. #SCOTUS and policymakers should consider two key questions: Are people who are living outside doing so voluntarily or involuntarily? And is shelter available to them? As part of a 2023 study evaluating Oregon’s drug possession decriminalization #Measure110, we conducted a study of 468 people who use drugs in eight Oregon counties, including Josephine County, where Grants Pass is located. In our study, 92% of people had slept outdoors, in a vehicle, or a tent in the past year and 85% reported they were homeless or unstably housed. Among people who reported they were homeless, 93% said they wanted to obtain housing (That figure was 87% in Josephine County). Among the people who wanted housing, 71% sought housing in the past year. Yet, of those, only 25% – and noone in Josephine County – were successful in obtaining housing. The average length of time for those on a waitlist was 17 months. These findings show that (a) people in Oregon are living outside involuntarily, and (b) housing is unavailable for most who seek it. Until these facts change, people will continue to live outside. https://lnkd.in/ekt-JtaZ

Homelessness as it currently stands is a construct of available affordable housing stock and the human health condition. The narratives have been politically structured such that the issue of housing stock is juxtaposed against addressing the human health conditions of homelessness. This misalignment distracts us from addressing how structural racism is the linchpin barrier for both issues. Reducing homelessness requires addressing both components to ensure access and sustainability. We cannot let this redirection undermine the specific and relevant goals that will actually achieve reducing homelessness.

The #GrantsPass ruling “is going to significantly worsen the challenges that people face in regaining housing,” says Dr. Margot Kushel MD "And it is not going to get us any closer to the solution that everyone in San Francisco wants.” Immediate responses to homelessness, such as criminalization and forced displacements make homelessness worse, by traumatizing people and making it harder for them to regain housing. We know how to solve homelessness. It’s time to redirect resources from ineffective methods to evidence-based solutions that consistently work. ➡️ Discover how the Veterans Administration and Santa Clara County successfully reduced homelessness with Housing First strategies: https://lnkd.in/gvrm5cUb ➡️ Learn how Denver's evidence-based encampment resolution strategies have helped move 1,600 people indoors: https://lnkd.in/g2GJxGxC https://lnkd.in/gnZKu-jV

https://lnkd.in/enPhzxB2 I’m not a constitutional scholar but I know that locking someone up because there is no available housing or temporary shelter options is a morally bankrupt position. If that’s not enough, it’s also way more expensive, harmful, and inneffective than investing in supportive and affordable housing. In Virginia, we spend roughly $230M on affordable housing and homelessness programs - many of which haven’t seen funding increases for a decade despite the cost of housing skyrocketing. In Virginia, we also spend $1.5B per year on our prison system. Don’t like seeing fellow humans living on the street or in tents? Neither do I. This is absolutely something we can collectively fix. Virginia can start actually investing in affordable housing and homelessness programs. Local governments can streamline permitting, cut fees, change their zoning to accommodate a wider variety of housing types, and figure out other ways to incentivize affordable housing options. Affordable housing and homelessness are complex and difficult issues but they are absolutely solveable. Locking people up is just going to make it worse.

With the cold and wet weather in full swing, and homelessness on the rise, landlords can be at higher risk of squatters taking over their vacant properties. Don't wait for squatters to take over your property - get effective protection today. Call us today on 01234 340 091. #squatters #landlords #propertyprotection #ethicalenforcement

Portland's Battle: Balancing Homeless Rights and Public Spaces as Supreme Court Weighs in on Street Sleeping Laws This spring, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which challenges a city's restrictions on outdoor sleeping by homeless individuals. The case follows the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in Martin v. Boise, which ruled that punishing homeless people for sleeping outside when there is no adequate shelter space violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The outcome of Grants Pass v. Johnson could significantly impact how cities nationwide address homelessness and enforce camping bans on public property. Cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles have shown interest in the case by filing amicus briefs, indicating the national importance of the issue. Oregon has enacted HB 3115 in response to these legal challenges, providing a framework for municipalities to manage public camping by homeless individuals. The legislation requires city laws regulating activities such as sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property to be "objectively reasonable" in terms of time, place, and manner. It also provides an affirmative defense for those experiencing homelessness, emphasizing the need for regulations to respect their rights and needs while balancing the broader community's use of public spaces. The outcomes of legal cases like Grants Pass v. Johnson and the implementation of legislation like HB 3115 in Oregon could have far-reaching implications for how cities and states address homelessness while balancing the rights of homeless individuals with the needs of the broader community. https://lnkd.in/de2QYBT8

This initiative by Governor Gavin Newsom represents a significant step forward in addressing homelessness through innovative housing solutions. As advocates for sustainable living and community building, we are inspired by projects that align with our mission to create spaces where people can live and thrive. The construction of these tiny homes is not just about providing shelter; it's about building a future where everyone has a place to call home. However, having a home is different from merely having a shelter. If we don’t address the root issues—mental health, addiction, and the breakdown of the nuclear family—this project may not make the lasting impact we hope for. We're excited to see which companies will take the lead in this important effort and are hopeful that the focus will remain on quality, sustainability, and the well-being of the residents. It’s not enough to just build shelters; we must build communities. It's exciting to work together on building a better California.