Published: 1 years 173 days ago
Sacramento Bee: While the issue of the homeless vexes cities across the country, Mayor Kevin Johnson is understandably frustrated that there hasn't been more progress toward a solution in Sacramento.
On Friday, he declared a "new day in the fight against homelessness" and put the issue firmly back atop his agenda.
Good. Better yet, the mayor made crystal clear that his push for a "safe ground" campground for some homeless is only one part of a much more comprehensive approach to help the different kinds of homeless with housing and services.
"The old way involves good people moving in many directions, placing patches, hoping for the best, making minimal progress," he wrote on his blog. "Let's close out the old way. Today, we must look at the larger issue of homelessness through a single lens."
In his urgency to get something done, the mayor hadn't adequately explained earlier in the week that "safe ground" is meant only as a stopgap – and that he is still firmly behind the long-term goal of providing permanent shelter, as laid out in the 10-year plan adopted by the city and county in 2006 and backed by business leaders and others. He embraced that campaign last November with Sacramento Steps Forward, which seeks to fund and establish 2,400 housing units for homeless people over the next three years.
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/15/2958072/homelessness-makes-return-to-mayors.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=8177803#Comments_Container
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