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AVA NORGROVE, ANCHOR:
There are currently over 1,200 unhoused people living in Butte County according to the 2023 Point-in-Time count, which surveys unhoused residents. Nearly 1,000 of those counted live in Chico where the debate about how to best help our unhoused neighbors continues. NSPR's Alec Stutson reports.
ALEC STUTSON, REPORTER:
Not every homeless shelter is right for every person. This is something you hear time and time again from both unhoused residents and homeless aid organizations.
According to the most recent Point-in-Time count, one of the main reasons for avoiding emergency shelters is feeling unsafe.
That's true for Misty Kimerer, who's camping at Depot Park in Chico. She said she had stayed at a local shelter, but doesn't plan on going back.
KIMERER: "I went there, like many years ago, and had a traumatic experience. So I can't really go there without reliving that part.”
Instead, she gets aid from Safe Space, a local group that opens cooling centers in the summer and overnight emergency shelters in the winter.
They aim to have as few barriers as possible. You don't have to be sober and residents are allowed to bring their pets, which often keeps people from staying at other shelters.
The Torres Shelter is working to make their services more accessible too. Taylor Bunch directs True North Housing Alliance, which runs the shelter. She says currently, sobriety is not a requirement.
BUNCH: "But we do administer drug and alcohol tests upon entry. But we will be shifting that policy. To just allow more people to access shelter.”
Bunch says they are designating a gender-neutral dorm space, and will be building a pet recreation area. She hopes this will draw more people to the shelter, where they can then receive on-site counseling and other services.
But the question remains: how do you best serve people who don't want to come inside?
