Occupy Extension Tonight?

The City Council will be voting on a resolution tonight, and the County Board will vote on a similar one later, temporarily extending the time for Occupy/homeless tent ciy and looking for better solutions for the homeless camping there.

If you’re not familiar with the situation, here is the testimony that occurred last Tuesday, making many people aware that what started as a political protest had turned into a homeless tent city. I think several city council members and county board supervisors were surprised by what they learned last Tuesday and felt the need to do something, but with limited time left, it makes it difficult, so they are asking for a short extension to try to figure something out.

Here’s the resolution – that needs a few fixes, so there will likely be a substitute. My comments about the Mayor and some other things below.

Title
That the City of Madison will continue its efforts in the short-term to provide additional time for interested parties to pursue creative and compassionate solutions for the current homeless population on the 800 block of E. Washington Avenue.

Body
WHEREAS, on November 29, 2011, the City of Madison Common Council unanimously voted to declare that the City of Madison recognizes housing is a human right and made a commitment that all people who desire a place of shelter and stable long-term housing be prioritized to have this basic need met both temporarily and permanently; and

WHEREAS, in the Housing as a Human Right resolution, the City of Madison committed to exploring creative uses of the public and private dollars; and

WHEREAS, the Occupy protest that began on the 800 block of E. Washington Avenue site has evolved over time to a tent city for the homeless and has become a creative use of the City of Madison’s limited dollars to implement Housing as a Human Right for Madisonians in need; and

WHEREAS, in a resolution on April 10, 2012, the City of Madison Common Council voted unanimously to thank the Occupy movement and the current Occupy Madison residents for their efforts to address important community needs during this recession, recognized their potential to be an important resource for this city, and applauded their creative response to the growing poverty and homelessness caused by the economic crisis; and

WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes that a tent city is not a permanent solution, nor is it the only solution to solve gaps in the homeless services system, but it has proven to be a viable temporary strategy and should continue to be a part of the solution; and

WHEREAS, lack of resources in 2011 forced the homeless services system in Dane County to turn away 2,003 individuals, while serving 3,079; and

WHEREAS, due to the lack of resources in the Dane County homeless services system, men are limited to 60 days in shelter per year while families are limited to 180 days in shelter; and

WHEREAS, a tent city provides services for people who have used their limited time in shelter, have been turned away from shelter or whose individual needs are not adequately met by the current shelter program models; and

WHEREAS, we recognize the need for additional federal, state and local city and county funding for Housing First programs, more SRO units, and adequate shelter for those without housing, to eliminate waiting lists for mental health and AODA treatment, a better health care system for the uninsured, financial support for those unable to work, job training programs for those who lack the education or skills they need in our job market, a child care system that is affordable for all, a “wet shelter” that provides a safe environment for those whose addiction makes it impossible to function safely within our existing shelter system, and an end to the revolving door at our jail that currently substitutes for mental health and AODA treatment; and

WHEREAS, we recognize that the City of Madison played an important role in facilitating the provision of critical services in a time of great need by providing a campground permit for the 800 block of E. Washington Avenue; and

WHEREAS, the 800 block of E. Washington Avenue will not be needed for redevelopment prior to the extended deadline to leave; and

WHEREAS, the residents of the 800 block of E. Washington Avenue have maintained a positive relationship with the police during their tenure on the site; and

WHEREAS, several police departments across the nation have found that tent cities have no more crime than the rest of the community; and

WHEREAS, we recognize that the City of Madison is not the only entity that shares responsibility for the solution to this problem, but is a partner with Dane County, United Way, Community Shares of Wisconsin, the non-profit community, the faith community and the private sector;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison will continue its efforts in the short-term to provide additional time for interested parties to pursue creative and compassionate solutions for the current homeless population on the site as follows:

1. The City of Madison will apply to the State Department of Administration for an extension of the waiver and continued campground permit to allow the tent city to remain until June 30, 2012.

2. The City of Madison will ask Madison Urban Ministry to convene a committee to explore alternative public and/or private sites and to report back to the Common Council at the meeting of June 12, 2012.

3. Appoint a joint city-county committee on homeless issues to explore many of the issues that have been brought up such as restrooms, showers, laundry, third party complaint system, a place to store belongings during the day, the ability to utilize public spaces free from harassment and other issues identified by community members.

4. Allow the cars to stay on site for the same amount of time as the tents will remain.

5. Ask the police to support enforcement of the good neighbor policy if called by residents on the site.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a the Homeless Issues Committee shall consist of three (3) members of the Homeless Services Consortium, two (2) alders, two (2) County Board supervisors, three (3) currently or formerly homeless persons who have used Dane County homeless services and one (1) member of the Madison Police Department.

Fiscal Note
No expenditure is required.

So, a few things about the Mayor’s statements. And some things to think about.

1. Look at the fiscal note. NO EXPENDITURE IS REQUIRED! Yes, despite all the mayor’s fuming about people saying that it doesn’t cost the city, there it is, from his own financial department staff. NO EXPENDITURE IS REQUIRED!

2. The mayor loves to go on and on about the city being a magnet for the homeless, a national magnet. However, the numbers FROM HIS OFFICE tell a pretty different story. As he worried about people moving here from Chicago or Rockford (many consider this code for black people), the numbers are clearly moving in the opposite direction. Showing that more and more people who are homeless are from here in Madison. Or at least Wisconsin.

SINGLE MEN IN 2011 CAME FROM
59% Madison (up from 54% in 2010)
5% Dane County
16% from Wisconsin out side Dance County (down from 20% in 2010)
7% from Illinois (same as year before)
13% from other states (same as year before)

SINGLE WOMEN IN 2011 CAME FROM
48% Madison (up from 56% in 2010)
8% Dane County (up from 5% in 2010)
18% from Wisconsin out side Dance County (up from 17% in 2010)
8% from Illinois (down from 14% in 2010)
12% from other states (down from 14%)

FAMILIES IN 2011 CAME FROM
48% Madison (up from 41% in 2010)
8% Dane County (down from 13%)
11% from Wisconsin out side Dance County (up from 7% in 2010)
22% from Illinois (down from 36% in 2010)
11% from other states (up from 3% in 2010)

Ironic, since he keeps talking about the 930 (actually 991 as of last week) kids in our schools, but they are the ones most likely to come from out of state/Illinois. And, these numbers came from his office.

3. The mayor talks about how the we have stellar services. And how poverty went up from 28% in the schools when he left office in 1997, and its now doubled to 56%. I find that interesting, because look at the numbers of people served and turned away since he left office – so need is going up, services are going down. Again, numbers from his office.

SERVED IN 1997/2011
Individuals 5145/3089
Single Men 1397/1257
Single Women 467/492
Families 963/394
Children 1966/803

TURNED AWAY IN 1997/2011
Individuals 3409/2003

So, we’re turning away roughly 40% of the homeless these days. We’re serving roughly 40% of the families we used to serve. We’re serving roughly 40% of the kids we used to serve. Single men and women stay about the same. And yet he says its the kids more likely to be from out of state he’s worried about?

Something doesn’t add up. I wonder if he looked at his own numbers before the press conference?