Homeless “Solutions” Only Raise More Issues

Homeless “Solutions” Only Raise More Issues

Inyo County Supervisor Jeff Griffiths made a strong case before the Bishop City Council for some solution for the area’s homeless, emphasizing that they are “our people, they won’t magically disappear.” The agenda item before the Council last week was a proposed anti-camping ordinance on public lands presented by Bishop Police Department’s Chief Nate Derr in line with Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order.

Most of Inyo County is owned by government entities and the County has yet to approve any of the multiple proposed solutions to affordable housing presented by its planning staff. One of the arguments presented by a member of the Inyo Planning Commission is that Inyo is a tourist economy and tourists would rather see cows grazing than houses.

Another question unique to Inyo County: with so much of the land owned by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, who does Inyo answer to, California or LA? Do we follow homeless guidelines set out by LA’s Mayor Karen Bass or Gov. Newsom? Bishop, the only incorporated town in Inyo, covers 1.9 square miles. For Derr and his department, booting homeless encampments out of town would only move them to land outside city limits.

Derr was caught between a rock and a hard place. According to his write-up in the agenda packet, his intent was to give some teeth to be able to enforce. “We’re legally bound to do that,” he stated.

Currently, the City has been calling in Inyo Health and Human Services’ Mobile Crisis Unit to refer campers to available resources as well as providing temporary shelter. In addition, Griffiths referenced work being done by IMACA and the Continuum of Care, a group working on homeless and housing issues.

Councilmembers Stephen Muchovej and Karen Kong both asked Derr to come back for a second read of the proposed ordinance including his procedures to implement the ordinance. With those caveats, the first reading passed 4-0, with Muchovej abstaining.

Deb Murphy