Three Meetings This Month For Concord's Homeless Strategic Plan

As the month of May closes, there will be three meetings on the subject of homeless in the city of Concord. Organizations who have the capacity to provide housing, health, or mutual aid should come forward and get involved. Concord residents who want to help develop a humane and dignified strategy to uplift our homeless neighbors, and protect their civil rights, are urged to get involved.

The first meeting this week is tonight, 6PM at the Concord Senior Center. This location is in Baldwin Park, on Parkside Circle. The meeting is in person only. This is a regular meeting of Concord's newly formed commission on homelessness. This is a temporary commission that will develop a homeless strategic plan, to be presented to city council this Fall. Two city council members sit on the commission, along with a member of the business community, and people who have experience with homelessness or providing services to the homeless.

This Thursday at 6PM, the second meeting will be held at the Willow Pass Community Center, 2748 East Olivera Road. This is a townhall style meeting to allow for greater public input. Residents, both housed and unhoused can put forth what priorities they want the city to pursue. This meeting will be in person only.

The final meeting for May will be next week on the 31st, also at 6PM. This will be an online townhall, similar in style to the Community Center meeting, but through video-conference. Instructions on how to connect and participate is on the cityofconcord-dot-org website.

The city of Concord needs to develop a strategic plan that acknowledges that different homeless people have different needs and are facing their own individual circumstances. Concord needs a plan that looks beyond stereotypes. There should not be gatekeeping restrictions, such as strict work requirements that limit assistance to only those who are able, and denies assistance to those who cannot work due to physical, developmental or psychiatric disabilities. As the sweeping of encampments continue, rough-sleepers need the establishment of safe camping areas, and leniency for sleeping in spaces where they feel safe.