What is your actual plan for reducing homelessness in Eureka, rather than simply moving unhoused people from one location to another, and what measurable results should voters expect to see by the end of your first term?

— Forkintheroad

Responses

Jason McCutcheon

I believe what the current City Council is doing when it comes to homelessness and mental illness is absolutely inhumane.

Let me be clear: no one deserves to be homeless. But we also have to be honest about the different situations people are facing and stop pretending that one solution will work for everyone.

For those struggling with addiction, we need to provide a real path to recovery. For those who graduate from rehab, we need to help them transition into stable housing and give them the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

For people who are homeless through circumstances such as eviction or financial hardship and who are not struggling with addiction, I believe they should be prioritized for available housing. With the amount of new housing being developed, we need to make sure we are actually helping the people who need it most.

For those who are dealing with serious mental illness, we need to have a legitimate conversation about treatment. These people deserve real care and treatment—not to be left on the streets to deteriorate.

And when someone is committing a crime or dealing drugs, the answer cannot simply be to ignore it because they are homeless. Jail should never be punishment for being homeless. It should be a consequence for breaking the law.

There are people who have spent their entire lives on the streets and don’t know any other way of living. We cannot simply continue the cycle and expect different results.

I believe we need three things: rehabilitation for those battling addiction, housing for those who can successfully live independently, and appropriate treatment and accountability for those who need it.

My goal by the end of my first term would be to see significantly fewer people living on our streets—and, more importantly, to see the people who remain struggling actually receiving the help they need.

These are human beings. They deserve better.

Eureka deserves real solutions—not just continuing the same policies and hoping things change.

Victor Garcia

The scale of suffering that is occurring on our streets is heartbreaking and continues to grow. Still, we must do more with less and act quickly. It is important to note that we are also fighting a war on two fronts. The current economic crisis is pushing more and more people to the brink. Seniors, vets, and other folks on fixed incomes are not able to keep up with the rising costs of housing, medication, and food. It bears saying that the main reason people end up losing their housing is not substance abuse but a loss of income. Keeping people who are currently housed in their homes is key to reducing houselessness. 

It is much more expensive to help stabilize someone who has experienced the trauma of living on the streets than to keep people in their homes. The City needs to identify funding that can be used to provide immediate rental assistance. If the war in Iran drags on and our economy continues to suffer, rent stabilization and other emergency actions have to be on the table. 

For people already experiencing houselessness, getting folks into stable housing is the first step. Permanent supportive housing is an important part of my plan to address chronic houselessness, but services can be costly to start /operate, and beds are limited. I support all sorts of approaches to housing, but given our financial constraints, we have to get creative.  Many people experiencing homelessness work side jobs or gigs. Some, like seniors or vets, have access to a fixed income. This group of folks is prime for boarding-style housing or a home-sharing program paired with supportive resources and counseling. We have a lot of big old homes that are underutilized and are in need of maintenance. Why not take advantage of a resource and model already existing in our community? In my first term, I will work with Council and staff to make this program a reality.

I firmly believe that people have a right to privacy and autonomy, and I would not seek to make sobriety a precondition to getting people housed. Anyone who has had experience with trauma or people in recovery knows that sobriety is not a straight path. Yet humans are resilient, and given the space to heal and a supportive community, can achieve lasting results. 

When it comes to individuals in an acute medical crisis, we need to be able to provide immediate treatment. Easier said than done, given our isolation and impacted healthcare system. That is why I am pushing so strongly for the formation of an elected Healthcare District within my first term. While new treatment facilities are in the works, like the one up in Weitchpec or the proposed behavioral health triage clinic in Arcata, we still need more beds. A Healthcare District can serve as a focal point for coordination and funding to maximize the impact of our tax dollars.

I also support the current work by the City aimed at building trust with the houseless population. The CARE program, CSET, and Uplift Eureka are all doing good work in creating a safer Eureka. We need to treat others with the dignity and humanity we expect to receive for ourselves. However, that does not mean ignoring violent or organized crime.  I need to be clear: living on the streets or struggling with addiction does not make someone a criminal, but true predatory or antisocial behavior endangers everyone in the community, housed or unhoused.

 

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