Supervisor candidates take on homeless crisis at forum hosted by Father Joe’s Villages
From left John McCann and Paloma Aguirre campaign photos County supervisor candidates Paloma Aguirre and John McCann joined Father Joe s Villages for a virtual fireside chat this week offering suggestions on tackling the homeless emergency Aguirre and McCann participated in the -minute forum with Deacon Jim Vargas on YouTube The South Bay mayors Aguirre of Imperial Beach and McCann of Chula Vista are seeking the vacant District seat on the Board of Supervisors with the runoff in the special poll set for July Voters have been able to mail their ballots or leave them in a Registrar of Voters drop box since the week of June According to a news release from Father Joe s Villages which provides a range of services for people who lack shelter the balloting is an opportunity to explore new ideas and perspectives Voters will now have a chance to hear directly from their prospective District candidates on what they see as the biggest challenges we face in addressing homelessness and most of importantly what they see as our county s path forward the nonprofit revealed The candidates agreed at the Wednesday forum that the homeless dilemma is not just caused by addiction or mental wellness issues but they diverged there Aguirre noted that homelessness also is tied closely to housing affordability We know that a large portion of our unsheltered residents are local she explained Although there s nothing wrong with these million-dollar homes with three bedrooms and a white picket fence there should be more options for working families be they low or middle income she added McCann also mentioned homelessness is not a one size fits all citing mental illness financial or family difficulties or substance abuse or a combination as factors He explained people can t just stay in citizens spaces but instead should have incentives to stop doing drugs as one example I don t want to help somebody just get a voucher and stay in motel for a weekend and they re back on the streets McCann declared While Imperial Beach is a small city it has made strides in housing Aguirre disclosed including adding a project that will offer seniors homes while featuring wraparound services Those are the types of projects that we need more of countywide in addition to everything else that we re already doing she added Aguirre also commented more financing is needed in behavioral fitness materials especially in South County which has a limited number of facilities An improved continuum of care system is needed for those leaving a hospital exigency room for addiction or behavioral strength healing she added McCann stated the county has to do a better job at taking a leadership role in terms of work with nonprofits and identifying a homeless person s demands The agency also must locate the greater part impactful place for them to be able to get help while leveraging the hundreds of millions of dollars it has received to combat homelessness McCann explained Chula Vista put together a comprehensive strategy to get people off the streets with shelter and wraparound services He cited a tiny homes project as one shelter option Deacon mentioned he appreciated the conversation with both candidates Solving homelessness in our region requires visionary leadership that not only understands how complex homelessness can be but is also steadfast and laser focused on removing the hindrances that keep people from being able to stay housed or thrive Vargas added Aguirre and McCann also shared their views during a Tuesday night debate on ABC covering topics ranging from the county budget to immigration raids
