Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives would like to share our understanding of the benefits of a shelter crisis declaration for Humboldt County. AHHA is asking the Board of Supervisors to place a shelter crisis declaration on the board agenda before the end of the year. Doing so will allow public input and discussion of the lack of housing for homeless people in the county. There’s tremendous value in declaring a shelter crisis in Humboldt County: increased funding for services and savings in public health and safety.
In a rural county, with a widespread chronically homeless population, a county shelter crisis declaration can support solutions. California legislation on shelter crises was intended to allow elected bodies to relax zoning, not incur liability, and be broadly applicable. This state law was intended to be a way for a county or city to give critical assistance to efforts to create multiple solutions to this crisis of lack of housing. The city of Eureka, so far, has applied its shelter crisis declaration very narrowly. A countywide, general declaration would be helpful to create housing solutions across the county.
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