The City of Chico will continue running its Genesis Pallet shelter site after the Warren v. Chico homelessness settlement expires next January. But how the shelter will be run could change quite a bit.
That’s because the City Council voted on Tuesday, May 19, to add new rules and regulations at the shelter. They include a nightly curfew and a 12-month maximum length of stay.
Amber Abney-Bass, CEO of the Jesus Center that operates Genesis, said there will also be a lower tolerance for rule breaking.
“We have to have compassion, but we have to create an environment where people are going to make more accountable decisions and have changed lives,” Abney-Bass said.
Abney-Bass said the terms of the settlement agreement made it difficult for her team to enforce rules at the site. She’s optimistic this next phase for Genesis has a lot of potential.
“We'd like to see improved outcomes for the folks that are choosing into shelter,” she said, “and we'd also like to reduce barriers to entry for people who are interested in seeking shelter.”
City staff said the goal in bringing these new rules forward is to reduce the number of residents at the shelter and therefore costs.
The Council also voted to immediately shut down the alternative camping site on the north side of town once the settlement expires.
Staff said the site on Eaton and Cohasset roads was never meant to be a long-term solution, and that it’s posed significant environmental, public health and safety concerns.
