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neighbors to help each other. The existing ordinance permitted a business, public agency or church <br />to have up to three campers on their property if sanitation was provided. One camper per property <br />owner was permitted. If the council wanted to allow more than one camper per property owner, an <br />ordinance change was required. <br /> <br />Mr. Clark asked for information on how the ordinance could be tweaked to make it more helpful <br />and provide the community with more tools to enable them to help their neighbors. <br /> <br />Ms. Ortiz asked how the council could encourage more organizations to sign up for the spaces that <br />were monitored by SVDP. She cautioned about relaxing the ordinance and creating enforcement <br />challenges for EPD. She suggested the Police Commission could be asked to review the ordinance. <br /> <br />Mr. Weinman said the challenge was getting more spaces. Willing organizations could contact him <br />at 541-682-5533 or SVDP at 541-687-5820. <br /> <br />Ms. Piercy stated the council’s goals had been to get people into permanent housing through <br />affordable housing projects and other strategies, as well as preventing people from becoming <br />homeless. She asked if there was a role for the HRC to reach out to identify additional camping <br />sites. She noted Looking Glass was interested in acquiring a housing site on West Seventh Avenue <br />which needed upgrades to receive the necessary City permits. She asked if the City could work <br />collaboratively with local partners to assist Looking Glass. <br /> <br />Mr. Pryor appreciated the efforts to be evenhanded in addressing homeless camping issues. It was <br />helpful to recognize both a condition and a behavior were being addressed, and that recognition <br />would impact what action was taken. Most of the complaints he received were not about the <br />condition of homelessness but rather people’s behavior. When the condition was confused with the <br />behavior, the brush became broad and painted many people unintentionally. While it was <br />important to be compassionate about a condition many people had no control over, it was also <br />important to be thoughtful and deliberate about unacceptable behaviors. Many of the behaviors <br />were being committed by people who did have homes. He agreed that finding homes or shelter for <br />people could be life-changing and was a goal for which the council should strive. <br /> <br />Mr. Zelenka stated the model the City was currently using worked better than it used to. SVDP <br />did great work. He commented that having 4,000 community members homeless was too high. <br /> <br />Mr. Weinman, responding to a question, explained the national best practice model was to move <br />people from homelessness into permanent housing with supportive services, noting the shelter <br />system was the most expensive service with the worst outcomes for the amount of money spent. <br />He added the cost of subsidizing housing was beyond the capability of local and state governments, <br />and needed to come from the federal government. <br /> <br />Pearl Wolfe, Lane County HSC, responded to questions related to the one night homeless count. <br />She said of the 3,971 people counted, 1,411 were in some kind of a shelter and receiving some type <br />of services in the community. There were more people getting some kind of rental assistance for <br />emergency shelter, and mortgage assistance for the prevention of homelessness than in the past. <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 24, 2010 Page 4 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />