The City of Chico’s ad hoc committee on homelessness was supposed to meet this week. But the meeting was cancelled at the last minute, and just days after a fatal shooting at the City’s sanctioned alternative campsite on Eaton and Cohasset roads.
The shooting happened on Monday after a fight between two people staying there. A camper at the site, who asked to be identified by NSPR as Kenny, said he tried to intervene before the fight escalated.
“It was just an isolated thing between two people that I tried to stop,” he said.
Charles Withuhn, an unhoused advocate, said he's been at the alternative campsite every day since the shooting.
"... in the words of one of the leading members of the City staff — the Eaton and Cohasset alternate site is a disaster."— Charles Withuhn, unhoused advocate
He said there’s a lack of management from the City at the site, and that makes the camp dangerous and inhumane.
“People adapt to their circumstances and without experienced management of following successful programs. This one — in the words of one of the leading members of the City staff — the Eaton and Cohasset alternate site is a disaster,” he said.
The 2023-24 report from the Butte County Grand Jury found the City’s neglect of the alternative campsite had led to “appalling” conditions.
The City cleared and overhauled the site after that report, but advocates like Withuhn still have concerns. For example, the site contains no staff or security personnel.
The alternative campsite is a result of the Warren v. Chico settlement agreement that prevents the City of Chico from enforcing anti-camping ordinances on homeless residents when there isn’t available shelter. The alternative site is a camping facility for unhoused people who don’t qualify for other shelter space. While the City of Chico has attempted to shut it down ahead of the settlement’s expiration, those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
A request for comment from the City of Chico was not received by deadline.
Homelessness meeting postponed days after shooting
Two days after the fatal shooting, the ad hoc committee on homelessness canceled its regular meeting.
The committee was formed to respond to Chico’s ongoing homelessness crisis. The focus of Wednesday’s meeting was going to be the role codes and ordinances play in addressing the city’s housing issues.
According to City officials, it was canceled the day of because key staff members were unexpectedly unable to attend.
“With every meeting that we have to push back or cancel, I get a little worried that that's perhaps a few more weeks before we can actually take action, and that could mean projects getting delayed and then people dying, or perhaps causing issues like fires in our parks.”— Bryce Goldstein, Chico City Councilmember
Councilmember Bryce Goldstein is on the committee and said she feels like the delay could hurt future initiatives.
“With every meeting that we have to push back or cancel, I get a little worried that that's perhaps a few more weeks before we can actually take action, and that could mean projects getting delayed and then people dying, or perhaps causing issues like fires in our parks,” Goldstein said.
Goldstein called Monday’s shooting a tragedy and said it illustrates why the importance of the committee and why it needs to discuss and change Chico’s homelessness policies.
"This is just a prime example of why we need an actual managed campground with security, and why we shouldn't just say, ‘Well, people can go camp in this one site and be crowded with no security.’ Like that's just not a safe environment for people,” she said.
NSPR also reached out to Chico Mayor Kasey Reynolds and Councilmember Mike O'Brien who are on the committee.
Reynolds told NSPR the City would try to reschedule the meeting. If it’s not rescheduled, the next one will take place in August.
NSPR did not receive a response from O’Brien by deadline.
