After weeks of contentious exchanges, today the city of Chico fined nonprofit Safe Space for using the former downtown 7-Eleven building as an intake center to bus homeless people to a winter shelter.
Hilary Crosby, executive director of Safe Space, said she thought she’d made progress toward working with the city after a meeting with city officials yesterday.
Today seemed to prove otherwise.
“I was, to be honest, completely surprised by the citation,” Crosby said.
Crosby said the city cited Safe Space for violating the city’s zoning laws.
The fine is $300 for operating today, $600 the next day, and $1,200 dollars each day after.
“We financially cannot afford to pay those fines,” Crosby said.
Safe Space will be closing operations at the downtown location tonight and does not plan to use the location again.
Instead, tonight’s intake will take place at the “Our Hands” sculpture near city hall after the organization directs its clients to the new center. Crosby said the organization is exploring alternative locations for an intake center in the coming days.
This comes as a cold snap drops temperatures below freezing this weekend, and as unhoused advocates are concerned at an increasing number of homeless deaths in the city.
Safe Space was given use of the original Main Street location by the owner of the building.
In December, the nonprofit received a cease-and-desist letter from the city. Recently, the city denied Safe Space emergency use of the location after several disputes over whether the nonprofit was out of compliance with the city’s land use rules.
