STOCKTON, Calif. — The city of Stockton declared a local emergency effective Aug. 15 as the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless gets ready to close.
According to a news release from the city, the emergency is intended to protect around 250 people who are at risk of being displaced.
“The local emergency declaration is being made due to the potential public health and safety emergency, which includes the risk of severe injury, suffering, and extreme peril of life and safety that could result should the hundreds of unsheltered individuals currently served by the Shelter be displaced within the Stockton community,” says the release.
The city says the declaration is a precaution to address the needs of people being served by the shelter. It allows the city to allocate funding, enter contracts and make immediate decisions related to public health.
City Manager Harry Black called the situation his number one priority. He said he was shocked two weeks ago when he learned in an email that the operators were closing the shelter. He said they did not give a reason as to why the shelter was closing. The director of the shelter told ABC10 the organization was facing financial issues.
"It was abrupt. And then I went into solution mode automatically," said Black.
The state of emergency declaration followed to hasten their efforts. Now, the city is in talks with nearby St. Mary's Dining Room and another organization to take over the shelter, hoping for a seamless transition. The worst case scenario would be 350 people suddenly back on the street, but Black says that option isn't on the table.
"Even if I myself have to directly go to the shelter and man the station, that is not going to happen," said Black.
Jessica Velez works with the homeless, and she hopes the closure will cause people to rethink the issue.
"Thinking that people are going to go from living in the streets to cramming into a container... it's not feasible for them. Mentally, it's too much for them to handle," said Velez.
She envisions an alternative community in the future. However for now, the city is scrambling to keep the shelter open, but they're also rethinking their approach.
"The current model could be flawed. It could be too much pressure being placed on the shelter itself, and as a result, I think the city and the county may need to take a more direct role with respect to both operations and funding," said Black.
This closure comes as a brand new homeless navigation center remains under construction with a price tag of about $5 million.
That project was supposed to be complete by now but it's running behind. The city manager says they are looking into a solution for that too.
