SAN DIEGO — On Wednesday, the City Council of Escondido will take into consideration public safety standards regarding the housing-first policy to address the housing and homelessness crisis.
"The City of Escondido is committed to a compassionate, needs-driven approach for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Escondido that are willing to receive help," The City of Escondido said in a policy statement.
The goal of this approach would be to take public safety concerns like arson, vandalism, and human waste disposal and focus resources in those areas.
"We [City of Escondido] will prioritize the following areas: Grape Day Park; Grand Avenue (with focus on Centre City Parkway to Ivy Street); and Valley Parkway (with focus on Ash Street to Midway Drive and the Home Depot located at 1550 West Valley Parkway)," the City said in that policy statement.
The aid provided by the City of Escondido would be focused on programs mitigating homelessness and drug use. The goal would be to require sobriety as a condition for aid.
"The City of Escondido will not support any program that enables continued drug use or allows individuals to continue living on the street, regardless of how well-intentioned the programs may be or who may endorse them. We will not participate in the distribution of free resources such as tents, tarps, syringes, drug pipes, or anything else that enables substance abuse or homelessness," the statement reads.