I’ve been reading the Chico Chamber of Commerce’s response to the City’s proposed 2027–2031 Unhoused Strategic Plan.

Read the original document: Chico Chamber of Commerce letter to the City on the Draft Unhoused Strategic Plan (PDF).

There are several points in their letter that I agree with, and a few where we clearly have different ideas about how to accomplish the same goals.

That’s fine.

I’ve never been against the Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, churches, nonprofits, or any other organization working to improve Chico.

As long as we’re working to improve Chico for ALL Chicoans … I’m willing to work with anyone.

And that includes people experiencing homelessness.

Where We Agree

The Chamber raises several concerns that I’ve also been raising in my own reports and communications with the City Council.

We need better goals and measurable outcomes.

The City’s proposed five-year plan calls for a 25% reduction in unsheltered homelessness by 2031. The Chamber wants more ambitious targets.

I agree that the current goals aren’t enough.

But I want us to measure something more important than how many people are no longer counted on the streets.

How many people have actually moved into permanent housing? How many remain housed? How much are we spending to accomplish those outcomes?

We need more permanent supportive housing.

The Chamber identifies a shortage of permanent supportive housing in Butte County and recommends directing additional investment toward permanent housing and successful exits from shelter.

Absolutely!

I’ve been asking the City to address its documented shortage of affordable housing for years.

We cannot continue building systems to manage homelessness without creating enough housing to actually end it.

We need options when shelters are full or don’t meet people’s needs.

The Chamber calls for temporary alternatives developed with private and faith-based partners when shelter beds aren’t available.

I’ve been advocating for more interim sheltering options, including safe places to sleep, tiny houses, and low-barrier alternatives.

Organizations like North State Shelter Team, Safe Space, and others have a role to play.

We need more options … not fewer.

We need more community participation.

The Chamber specifically recommends including CHAT and Safe Space in the City’s list of partners.

I agree.

And I’d expand that invitation to additional community organizations, service providers, housing professionals, and, most importantly, people with lived experience of homelessness.

I’ve also proposed establishing a City Commission on Housing and Homelessness so this issue receives ongoing public attention, accountability, and community involvement.

There is no reason the business community shouldn’t be part of that conversation.

Where We Still Disagree

The Chamber’s letter supports returning to enforcement of camping restrictions after the Warren settlement expires.

That’s where I have a fundamental disagreement.

We cannot criminalize people for having nowhere to go.

An offer of a shelter bed is not necessarily an accessible or workable solution for every person.

Refusing one particular shelter does not mean someone is refusing help.

I also disagree with making treatment, sobriety, or participation in services a condition of receiving housing.

Housing First means housing first … everything else second.

Services should be available, accessible, and voluntary.

And while the Chamber raises legitimate questions about costs and accountability, I believe we must be just as careful about protecting people’s rights, belongings, privacy, and dignity.

Those disagreements deserve discussion. They don’t prevent us from working together on the things we agree need to happen.

The Business Community Has a Role to Play

Businesses need customers, employees, accessible streets, and safe neighborhoods.

People experiencing homelessness need safe places to sleep and opportunities to obtain permanent housing.

These aren’t mutually exclusive goals.

In fact, housing affordability affects the very workforce local businesses depend on.

The people struggling to afford rent in Chico include workers, seniors, people with disabilities, families, and people who have lived and worked in this community for decades.

When someone loses their housing, they don’t stop being a member of our community.

They’re still Chicoans.

I would welcome the opportunity to work with the Chamber and other community organizations on expanding housing opportunities, supporting interim sheltering projects, finding additional funding, and improving accountability.

But those efforts need to serve the whole community, not just move the visible consequences of homelessness somewhere else.

Let’s Work on What We Agree On

I’ve said repeatedly that the housing crisis isn’t a partisan issue.

And I don’t believe solving it requires everyone to agree on every policy, every program, or every approach.

We can disagree about enforcement while agreeing that we need more permanent housing.

We can disagree about treatment requirements while agreeing that people need access to services.

We can have different priorities while still working toward measurable improvements for the community.

What matters is whether we’re willing to sit down, examine the facts, listen to one another, and actually accomplish something.

I have no interest in making enemies out of people or organizations simply because we see certain issues differently.

I’m interested in solutions.

And I’m willing to work with anyone who shares that objective.

Housing is the issue … homelessness is the outcome.

Let’s put our differences aside where we can, be clear about them where we can’t, and get to work on solutions that benefit ALL Chicoans.

Scotty Franzyshen
Building • Fixing • Serving
sfranzyshen.org