City of Eugene Human Rights Commission

1 City of Eugene Human Rights Commission Meeting packet for Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 5:30 – 8:30 PM (online) https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/98574174494 Packet Contents Draft Agenda Page 2 Draft Minutes from 05/2020 Page 3 Draft resolutions (2) supporting Black Lives Matters Page 6 Recommendations on Homelessness Page 10  2 City of Eugene Human Rights Commission Human Rights Commission Agenda for Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 5:30 – 8:30 PM https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/98574174494 Human Rights Commissioners: Joel Iboa (Chair), Amanda McCluskey (Vice Chair), Ela Kubok, Ibrahim Hamide, Serena Markstrom, Rick Guerra, Bonnie Souza, Ibrahim Coulibaly , Daniel Borson, Kirstin London, Councilor Emily Semple Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement Staff: Lorna Flormoe, Fabio Andrade, Kazim Zaidi The mission of the Human Rights Commission is to promote implementation of universal human rights values and principles in all City of Eugene programs and throughout the wider community. To carry out this mission the commission shall affirm, encourage and initiate programs and services within the City of Eugene and in the wider community designed to place priority upon protecting, respecting, and fulfilling the full range of universal human rights as enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To support and promote human rights, the commission will: provide human rights education, be proactive in human rights efforts, address human rights violations, ensure active public participation, be transparent and open, be publicly accountable for human rights progress. Item Description Action Time Duration 1 Agenda/Minutes Review (Chair) Discussion/Vote 5:30 - 5:35 5 min 2 Public Comment (Chair) 5:35 - 6:50 75 min 3 Commissioners' response Discussion 6:50 – 7:20 30 min 4 EPD Liaison – Lieutenant Chris Harrison Updates 7:20 – 7:30 10 min 5 Draft resolutions on 'Black Lives Matter' protests Discussion/vote 7:30 – 8:00 30 min 6 Recommendations on Homelessness Discussion/vote 8:00 – 8:15 15 min 7 Council Liaison and work group updates Updates 8:15 – 8:25 10 min 8 Emergency meetings and retreat planning Updates 8:25 – 8:30 5 min The Human Rights Commission will not hold regular meetings in July and August The Eugene Human Rights Commission welcomes your interest in these agenda items. This meeting location is wheelchair accessible. For the hearing impaired, FM-assistive listening devices are available or an interpreter can be provided with 48 hours’ notice prior to the meeting. Spanish-language interpretation will also be provided with 48 hours’ notice. To arrange for these services, contact staff at (541) 682-5177. La Comisión de Derechos Humanos agradece su interés por participar en los asuntos de esta agenda. El local de la reunión tiene acceso para personas en silla de ruedas. Para las personas con dificultades auditivas ofrecemos sistemas FM para ayudarlo a escuchar, o intérpretes de lenguaje de señas. También ofrecemos intérpretes de español. Si necesita cualquiera de estos servicios por favor solicítelos con 48 horas de anticipación, llamando al (541) 682-5177.  3 City of Eugene Human Rights Commission MINUTES Eugene Human Rights Commission - HRC Atrium, Sloat Room Eugene, Oregon May 19, 2019 - 5:30 p.m. PRESENT: Daniel Borson, Amanda McCluskey, Rick Guerra, Serena Markstrom, Ela Kubok, Councilor Emily Semple, Lorna Flormoe (staff), Fabio Andrade (staff). Absent: Kirstin London, Joel Iboa, Ib Hamide, Bonnie Souza, Ibrahim Coulibaly. Opening Vice Chair McCluskey called the meeting to order at 5:35 PM Agenda Review – Not reviewed due to lack of quorum. Minutes Review – April minutes approved by six votes as amended to list Rick Guerra as absent. Rick Guerra, Emily Semple, and Ella Kubok abstained. Public Comment - No public comments were submitted for this virtual meeting Eugene Police Liaison Updates Lieutenant Harrison presented on current statistics for Hate Crimes reported to EPD and talked about a perceived increase in number of cases targeting Asian community members. EPD has not received reports in which people of Asian descent have been targeted in Eugene. Commissioners Borson asked about working with EPD liaisons to marginalized communities. Lt Harrison mentioned that calendar of meetings was suspended due to COVID-19, but he looks forward to restarting this work once restrictions are lifted. Vice chair McCluskey asked about issues related to people of color wearing face masks. No reports received by EPD. Lorna Flormoe added considerations regarding Hispanic/Latino communities. Commissioner Kubok asked what can be done to support people of color in accessing services and reporting, specially UO students. Fabio Andrade offered information regarding partnership with UO groups and EPD’s social media posts regarding graffiti reporting. City of Eugene Budget Proposal Vice Chair McCluskey mentioned satisfaction with continued funding for CAHOOTS and surprise with reduced amount of money for communications. HRNI staff offered some possibilities and committed to asking for more information. HRC members can provide comments on two upcoming Budget Committee meetings. Commissioner Borson was satisfied with overall funding for many initiatives including climate change. Fabio Andrade provided information  4 regarding impact of crisis being felt one or two years later due to Eugene’s relying mostly on property taxes. COVID-19 response updates Fabio Andrade presented updates on the process the City of Eugene is using to address response and recovery vis the Emergency Operation Center. Lorna Flormoe presented on a needs assessment model prepared by HRNI to consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities. A copy of the document was sent to all commissioners. Request for Support Commissioner Kubok motioned to donate the remainder of HRC’s budget to support the Oregon Workers Relief Fund, seconded by commissioner Borson and amended by Councilor Semple to request funds be spent in Eugene. The motion was approved by six votes. Work Group and Liaison updates Police Commission Police Commission talked about the suspension in enforcement of camping ban and that just a few cases required EPD to remove camps due to safety issues. Camping ban will be enforced as the County enters new phases of reopening. Mayor’s Ad Hoc group for Cap 2.0 Commissioner Borson updated the commission on the public engagement meetings and survey on draft plan. The plan is turning out to be quite ambitious and that he has volunteered to participate in a Triple Bottom Line group to analyze the measures being adopted in the Cap 2.0 plan. He volunteered to provide more information at upcoming meeting Housing Policy Board Commissioner Kubok shared an update that agency representatives shared how they are working under COBID-19 restrictions and impacts on the communities served. MUPTE Panel Commissioner Kubok shared that the review panel met to conduct a mid-project review of the Eugene Manor project. That project is complying with usage of local provider and subcontractors. City Council Liaison Updates Councilor Semple mentioned that most of the work related to COBID-9 is being done by staff. She is concerned about camping if the ban is lifted. She expressed concerns on how to conciliate the needs of unhoused people with the needs of neighbors to temporary camps. Council is moving forward with development in the River Front Park but may vote to delay construction of City Hall. Councilor Semple believes the model of temporary shelter at Amazon Park is a good option and could be replicated at other locations. Vote on the Asian and Pacific  5 Islanders heritage month proposal was delayed per request of Councilor Yeh for the inclusion of stronger language in the proposal. Councilor Semple will talk to Laurie Huber about the work session on decriminalization of homelessness and will provide updates later. HRNI updates Fabio Andrade updated the commission on the status of purchasing Zoom licenses to allow work group to start scheduling meetings. Most updates were provided in response to commissioners’ questions throughout the meeting. Lorna Flormoe talked about new material available in Spanish at the City of Eugene website. Hate and Bias report is mostly complete and HRNI is planning the release event and using it to raise awareness of increased risk for Asian Americans due to the characterization of COBID-19 as a Chinese virus. Lorna Flormoe talked about autogenerated messages from EWEB notifying clients about discontinuation of service. The messages should not result in any action from EWEB. Power and water will not be discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic. June 2020 agenda Commissioners prosed discussing the Council Work Session on decriminalization, planning for the August retreat and welcome of new HRC members, guidelines for Zoom meetings Meeting adjourned at 6:50pm Recorded by Fabio Andrade An audio recording of this meeting is kept by the Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement Office  6 June 9, 2020 Draft Resolution Supporting Black Lives Matter (Drafted by Daniel Borson, Bonnie Souza, Ibrahim Coulibaly, and Ibrahim Hamide) 1) For consideration and discussion by the Eugene Human Rights Commission at their June 16, 2020 meeting 2) Once considered and possibly revised by the HRC, for the HRC to vote to recommend to the Eugene City Council that the Council adopt this draft resolution WHEREAS, Minnesota resident Mr. George Floyd was murdered in the custody of police in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, in an action of gross police misconduct; and WHEREAS, police officers across the United States, including in the City of Eugene, have displayed and used a militarized police force, including the use of urban assault vehicles, SWAT gear, teargas, and rubber bullets, which has the effect of intimidating and terrorizing the population; and WHEREAS, the United States of America, the State of Oregon, and the City of Eugene have a long and storied history of oppression, discrimination, and mistreatment of African Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other persons of color, which includes the use of police force; and WHEREAS, thousands of citizens of the City of Eugene have expressed opposition to police misconduct against African Americans, other persons of color, and against brutal police enforcement practices; and WHEREAS, police officers across the United States, including in the City of Eugene, have engaged in deliberate acts of force against peaceful demonstrators, protesters, and journalists during recent protests; and WHEREAS, the Eugene Police Department (EPD) has used tear gas against demonstrators and protesters, which is known to be dangerous to public health, especially during a pulmonary disease pandemic, and which has caused injury to protesters and non-protesting bystanders; and  7 WHEREAS, EPD has implemented and expanded curfews, sometimes with little notice, which disproportionately affect members of marginalized communities who work late hours, could not get to a safe place in time, and often depend on public transportation, which shuts down during a curfew; and WHEREAS, EPD has arrested and detained protesters for low-level crimes, increasing the risk of transmission of COVID-19; and WHEREAS, outside agitators and provocateurs across the United States, including in the City of Eugene, many of them affiliated with right-wing, white nationalist, or extreme-left groups, are known to have perpetrated crimes and violence against police, against protesters, and/or against public and private property; and WHEREAS, a 2006 report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of the potential consequences of white supremacist groups infiltrating local and state law enforcement agencies; and WHEREAS, police employee unions across the country, including in the City of Eugene, have wielded undue influence over police budgets and policies, have inhibited community-led police reforms, and have protected police officers who have been charged with misconduct; and WHEREAS, the protection of civil liberties under the U.S. Constitution, the Oregon Constitution, and the ordinances and policies of the City of Eugene, especially the right to peaceful assembly and protest, is essential to a well-functioning democracy; and WHEREAS, the EPD has recognized the need for reforms and has begun to reach out to marginalized communities; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE EUGENE CITY COUNCIL THAT: The Eugene City Council expresses solidarity with and support for Black Lives Matter and for racial justice protesters in Eugene, commits to policies that lead to immediate implementation of significant use of force reforms in the Eugene Police Department, and further strongly commits to a fundamental redesign of the role, structure, and funding of policing in Eugene -- with regular and meaningful input from communities historically targeted by the police -- to make public safety more effective, more accountable, and fully equitable for all members of our community.  8 ANDRADE Fabio From: Ralph McDonald Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 9:10 AM To: ANDRADE Fabio Subject: Please Distribute Attached Resolution To Human Rights Commission Members! Attachments: Eugene Human Rights Commission Resolution Against Police Actions toward George Floyd and Against Excessive Use of Force to Quell Eugene Black Lives Matter.docx [EXTERNAL ] Hi -- As city liaison, I'm requesting you to provide the attached short resolution to the individual Eugene HRC members. I'm also requesting consideration by the Commission through a discussion and vote and the June HRC general meeting. The document is written in Microsoft Word .docx. If approved, I'm also requested the HRC forward any resolution to City Council, the Police Commission, and our Sustainability Commission for endorsement consideration by these other bodies. Thanks in advance, Ralph McDonald Member Eugene Sustainability Commission 1  9 Eugene Human Rights Commission Resolution Against Police Actions toward George Floyd and Against Excessive Use of Force to Quell Eugene Black Lives Matter (BLM) Protests. Draft Only, June 3, 2020 WHEREAS Minnesota resident Mr. George Floyd was killed in the custody of police in Minnesota on May 25, 2020 in a manner indicating potential police misconduct, and; WHEREAS Many citizens of the City of Eugene have expressed opposition to policy misconduct against persons of color and against brutal police enforcement practices, and; WHEREAS noxious gas, “pepper bullet”, and other Eugene Police Department (EPD police offensive practices against demonstrators and protesters have caused injury to both protesters and non- protesting bystanders, and; WHEREAS the Eugene Human Rights Commission condemns violence by either party and specifically condemns the destruction of downtown property as it has occurred during recent protests, but nonetheless calls for the maximum protection of public assembly protest civil liberties under the U.S. Constitution, the Oregon Constitution, and the ordinances and policies of the City of Eugene, and; THEREFOR the Eugene Human Rights Commission expresses solidarity and support the human rights demands of the American Black Lives Matter movement and also the Eugene Human Rights Commission calls for City Council and other Eugene boards and commissions to join with us in this statement of support. THE EUGENE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (DRAFT ONLY, SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION JUNE 3, 2020)  10 ANDRADE Fabio From: Heather Sielicki Sent: Friday, June 12, 2020 12:34 PM To: Ibrahim Coulibaly; Amanda McCluskey; Kirstin London; Bonnie Souza; ANDRADE Fabio; SEMPLE Emily; IBOA Joel (SMTP) Subject: HRC Agenda Item Request: Prohibited Camping Re-enforcement Attachments: HRC Agenda Item Supporting Documents.pdf [EXTERNAL ] Hello, Forgive my ignorance around process but I wanted to ask for an agenda item for the next HRC meeting. The commission previously supported a request to hold a work session to review the findings and recommendations in the 'Persecution of the Unhoused' report and address the constitutionality and effectiveness of Eugene laws that criminalize the status of homelessness. Although this is still an important need, there are more immediate human rights concerns that need our attention and that is the resumed enforcement of the prohibited camping ordinance. I have been working with a wide range of stakeholders to pursue solutions that are less harmful than our current response to unsheltered homelessness during a time when (1) supporting sheltering in place and social distancing is a public health priority, (2) the current shelter capacity is less than 500 beds for 3,000 individuals, and (3) evictions at a scale we have never seen before are scheduled to resume. I am attaching recommendations for an approach that would better reflect our priority of protecting, respecting, and fulfilling the full range of universal human rights as enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the City of Eugene Human Rights Code, along with supporting arguments from Eric Tars, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. I request that the commission discuss this document in the hopes of advancing better outcomes during this immediate crisis. Thank you, Heather Sielicki 1  11 Where Can People Go? City of Eugene Homeless Services Immediate Policy Recommendations “For those of us working on policies that intersect with re-opening and law enforcement, we can make public our commitment to establishing policies that don’t create more harm.” - Oregon Public Health Association In the past three months, social distancing measures have left us with only 250 shelter beds for the thousands of people experiencing homelessness in Lane County, 45% fewer spaces than we had at this same time last year. On Friday, the temporary respite sites that provided overflow capacity for people to shelter-in-place will close, leaving those who sought refuge there to join with the flood of newly unhoused people as residential evictions resume. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Federal advisor on the COVID-19 pandemic, along with top epidemiologists, have stated that without a vaccine this virus will likely be with us for the next six to twelve months or more. The CDC clearly recommends that the unhoused need sanctioned places to shelter in small social distancing groups. Lane County has a population of 4,100 unhoused people. Research estimates that up to 40% of people experiencing homelessness could be infected during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic without efforts to prevent the spread of this disease. The City and County have expended significant time and money responding to unhoused complaints: citing, arresting, adjudicating, and jailing the unhoused because they do not have the resources to maintain shelter, sanitation, or garbage disposal. Penalizing people for having nowhere to go has tremendous costs, both to the unhoused individuals and the community at large. Whether intentional or not, punitive measures against people who are unhoused create additional, often insurmountable barriers for people to access housing and employment. The accumulation of debt from unpaid fines, which adversely impacts credit scores, along with outstanding warrants and/or jail time traps people in a cycle of homelessness that becomes increasingly difficult to overcome. The mere threat of a citation takes a significant toll as well. This fear, along with frequent move-along orders force people into more remote, less secure settings where the risk of being a victim of a crime increases, and the constant fear of being a victim poses detrimental health risks. In addition, maintaining the current system is very expensive, it is far less costly on communities for people to have housing. Policing the homeless for their mere status of being unhoused overcrowds our court system and our jails and diverts much-needed resources away from addressing crime that is a real threat to public safety. With limited resources, preventing noncriminal interactions with the police should be a priority. The immediate recommendations below are proposed short-term policy changes to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 and until additional temporary sheltering locations have been established. This is in the best interests of all citizens of Eugene, housed and unhoused. Recommendation 1. Define places where sheltering in place, including sheltering in a vehicle, is prohibited at all times, such as residential areas, within 15 feet of building entrances and the Downtown Activity Zone (other cities have enacted similar measures).  12 Recommendation 2. City Council should direct law enforcement to follow CDC guidance and not disperse existing temporary shelters to other locations as long as there are no violations such as private property trespass or other criminal behavior, and the site does not pose a significant health and safety risk that outweighs the need for individuals to shelter in place. It is important to note that there are several examples around the country of cities that modified their enforcement practices in the past few years with respect to laws that disproportionately impact the unhoused, including practices to minimize closure of encampments until viable shelter or housing becomes available. Establish guidelines for people in unsanctioned sites to protect health and safety and to reduce the need for law enforcement to shut down a temporary shelter site. It must be clearly communicated that unsanctioned camping is a violation of Eugene Code 4.815, Prohibited Camping, and therefore the site could be closed by EPD at any time. The purpose of these guidelines is to give individuals concrete information to help them maintain a healthy, safe living situation that does not interfere with surrounding residents and businesses. Recommendation 3. Establish an alternative dispatch system to using law enforcement when a complaint only involves prohibited camping and there is no threat to public safety or crisis response necessary. Instead of directing callers to the Eugene Police Department’s non-emergency line or Public Works, create a “One Point of Contact” type reporting system available online or by phone staffed by trained information and referral specialists (possibly managed by designated nonprofit) to assess resource needs, track interactions, and provide follow up communication. Supporting groups might include adequately trained service-based nonprofits, faith organizations, businesses, or neighborhood associations. Recommendation 4. Require non-EPD sworn officers as the first responders when a complaint only involves prohibited camping and there is no threat to public safety (in addition to the City’s outreach team, this could involve CSO’s and possibly designated nonprofits). This would reduce EPD’s expenses and is more likely to result in a positive outcome with the unhoused. Partnerships with security agencies could provide support when problems occur to assist support teams and divert the need for police involvement. Supporting groups to serve as responders could include service-based nonprofits, faith organizations, businesses, and neighborhood associations. In Support: Service Providers Laurie Hauber, Staff Attorney, Oregon Law Center/Lane County Legal Aid Heather Sielicki, White Bird Clinic Operations Coordinator Alex Farmer, White Bird Clinic Front Rooms Program Coordinator Benjamin Brubaker, White Bird Clinic Executive Director Chris Hecht, White Bird Clinic Executive Director  13 Priscilla Gould, Chair PacificSource Foundation for Community Health and Retired United Way of Lane County Executive Director Dan Bryant, SquareOne Villages Kirstin London, Human Rights Commission Wayne Martin, Nightingale, House Everyone, and pastor Amanda Hampton, Looking Glass Rural Program Supervisor Amanda Hampton, Program Supervisor, Looking Glass Rural Program Carrie Copeland, Community Supported Shelters Board Secretary Terry McDonald, Executive Director, St. Vincent De Paul Mike Yoshioka, St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County Youth and Family Services Manager Elaine Walters, Trauma Healing Project Paul Solomon, Sponsors Executive Director Laura Johnson, Sponsors Director of Program Development and Amazon Neighbors Michelle Hankes, ShelterCare Executive Director Sheryl Balthrop, Eugene Mission Executive Director Faith Community Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein, Temple Beth Israel Ruba Byrd, Pastor, Eugene Friends Church Businesses Nick Ciufo, President, Tao Gardens Dan Issacson, CEO, Nakd Farms Neighborhood Associations Jefferson Westside Neighbors Friendly Area Neighbors South Hills Neighbors Association Southeast Neighbors South University Neighbors Association Neighborhood Association Board Members Anne Millhollen, Chair, Neighborhood Leaders Council Committee on Housing and Homelessness and North East Neighbors, East Area (1) Representative John Faville, Northeast Neighbors, Board Member David Saul, South Eugene Neighbors, Board member Ian Winbrock, Co-Chair, Neighborhood Leaders Council, At-large board member, Whitaker Community Council Kara Steffensen, Chair of Amazon Neighbors Association Melissa Takush, Board Member and Social Media Manager, Amazon Neighbors Association Rachael Latimer, Board Member, Amazon Neighbors Association Tom Peck, Board Member, Friendly Area Neighbors Residents  14 Steve Piercy, Co-Chair, Friendly Area Neighbors Transportation Committee Branden B. Johnson, resident of Eugene, JWN, and Ward 1 for the past 7 years Richard Self aka Sam Broadway KEPW Newsday, Eugene Debbie Hebert, South Eugene Neighbors Jay Mosely, JWN and Westside Shelter Search Team David Huffman, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Stephanie J. Coopman, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Nancy Hafner, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Chris O’Neil, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Paul and Peggy Boudin, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Vanessa Wheeler, Jefferson Westside Neighbors Derek Lamson With Caveats Lane Independent Living Alliance: LILA supports the recommendations, but we ask for specific wording "accessible sites" as this is essential for people who experience disability.  15 NATIONAL LAW CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS & POVERTY June 8, 2020 Mayor Lucy Vinis, lvinis@eugene-or.gov City Council of Eugene, http://www.eugene-or.gov/ City Manager Pro Tem Sarah Medary, smedary@eugene-or.gov Via email Dear Mayor, City Council, and City Manager, I write on behalf of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (“Law Center”) regarding the closure of temporary shelter facilities for people experiencing homelessness in Eugene, OR during the COVID-19 crisis, the lack of individual housing options for the 50+ residents of these facilities, and the enforcement of anti-camping ordinances against people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. We call for the city to provide immediate individual housing units for people experiencing homelessness for the duration of the pandemic, or, in the alternative, to ensure safe, legal places where people can shelter in place with access to adequate sanitation and services. As you are probably aware, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidance against clearing homeless encampments during the present pandemic. The CDC has also recommended to “continu[e] homeless services during community spread of COVID-19,” including temporary housing such as the overflow sites being shut down. These recommendations are designed to ensure that people experiencing homelessness are able to safely shelter-in-place without fear of punishment. Displacing encampment residents from their private tents or overflow facilities without providing individual housing units or alternative housing for those displaced will create a breeding ground for COVID-19 and rapidly increase the number of people requiring hospitalization and intensive care. The Law Center has documented more than 85 jurisdictions across the country that have placed people experiencing homelessness into individual units, primarily vacant hotel rooms, but also a number of communities working with their local universities to place people into vacant dorm rooms. Boston, for example, is housing both shelter staff and clients in dorms. Eugene could certainly look to the University of Oregon for similar partnership. Failing individual housing, the city must ensure that the former residents of the shelter facility, and all other people experiencing homelessness, have safe, legal places where they can continue to shelter in place. The CDC recommends installing hand-washing stations, portable latrines, and other sanitation services for unhoused people near the areas where they are located outside. With the passage of the federal CARES Act, which allows for reimbursement of costs already incurred in response to the COVID-19 crisis, implementing these approaches immediately is highly recommended. The CARES Act specifically sets aside $4 billion “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, among individuals who are homeless or receiving homeless assistance.” This money would be used to reimburse Eugene for costs associated with responses to coronavirus for people experiencing homelessness, including providing individual housing units such as hotel or dorm rooms.  16 Though congregate shelter facilties are not a substitute for providing individual housing to people experiencing homelessness especially during the COVID-19 crisis, eliminating them as a legal place for people to be without ensuring an alternative will only return Eugene to its expensive and counter- productive whack-a-mole process of chasing encampments around town while not addressing the underlying need for housing. As demonstrated by the use of the overflow shelter, people are not resistant to utilizing these services when they are appropriate for their needs. The Law Center is the nation’s only legal advocacy organization dedicated solely to ending and preventing homelessness. In 2017, we published Tent City, USA: The Growth of America’s Homeless Encampments, and How Communities are Responding, collecting data on 187 cities’ policy responses to encampments, and best practices, model policies, and case studies from across the country. Additionally, since 1991, the Law Center has documented a dramatic increase in laws that criminally punish homeless people for performing harmless, life-sustaining activities in public places, as well as the negative consequences of these discriminatory measures nationwide. See National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, HOUSING NOT HANDCUFFS: Ending THE CRIMINALIZATION OF HOMELESSNESS IN U.S. CITIES (2019). The Law Center’s recent reports demonstrate that encampment evictions, citing, arresting, adjudicating, and jailing unhoused people all fail to address the underlying causes of homelessness. Rather than provide adequate alternatives, such enforcements of criminalization injure homeless persons’ rights and waste taxpayer resources by temporarily cycling people through the costly criminal justice system, only to have them return to the streets, now with criminal records that make it more difficult for them to access needed employment, housing, and benefits. Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that communities actually save money by providing housing and services to those in need, rather saddling them with fines, fees and arrest records and cycling them through expensive hospital and jail systems. See HOUSING NOT HANDCUFFS, supra. The Economic Roundtable of Homelessness in Los Angeles found that housing reduced average monthly spending by 41% per person, even after including the cost of providing housing. This savings included a 95% reduction in jail facilities and services costs. We all share the goal of a Eugene without homeless encampments—and the best, most cost-effective, and permanent way to achieve that is to ensure that all who live in those encampments are able to access adequate, alternative housing, not criminalization. Likewise, providing people experiencing homelessness sanctioned places to shelter, especially individual housing units, is the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness. These approaches are necessary for the current crisis, but they are also the best practice for the long term, from both a public health and fiscal policy perspective. We urge you to follow the CDC recommendations as well as the Law Center’s Encampment Best Practices and Procedures found in the Tent City Report by ensuring the availability of 1) individual housing units or 2) clearly identifying legal places for people experiencing homelessness to self-shelter and providing services and sanitation to them in place until they are able to exit to permanent housing. This is not a matter of charity, but of public health that will not only benefit people experiencing homelessness, but the housed members of your community who will have hospital beds available to them when they need them, instead of having those beds unnecessarily occupied by people who were swept from encampments or removed from temporary shelter facilities and subjected  17 to increased risk of infection. If Eugene would like, we would be happy to work with you to develop and implement solutions that work for everyone. Please feel free to contact me at etars@nlchp.org or 202-638- 2535 x. 120 with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Eric S. Tars Legal Director