Homelessness

It is unconscionable that, after nearly 8 years, the incumbent is only beginning to fashion a plan

This performance by our incumbent is disqualifying, in my opinion. This issue that has so many in Concord suffering with actual homelessness, as well as the fear of surrendering to such a state for themselves and possibly their family members, should have been among the highest priorities for the incumbent’s Year 1 — not Year 8. And we have yet to know whether the plan that is being developed is even (1) properly designed and (2) will be shepherded properly towards effective execution over the next years.

The Council have been guilty of not doing anything of significance to address the real suffering of our community. 8 years and counting. They, even now, will not commit to setting up measurable objectives by which they will judged on the success or failure of this plan that has finally been devised. Real leadership is being transparent and making oneself vulnerable by agreeing to some reasonable basis by which one will be assessed on performance. Year after year goes by without leadership and empathy on this issue affecting us.

A state audit recently discovered that much of the $24 billion spent towards homelessness has not been properly accounted for; so, do we really have the highest level of confidence in our current City Council – most of whom, once again, have waited many years to even get to this stage of having a *plan* — to maintain the proper oversight and drive towards executing the plan with transparency and accountability?

On this issue of homelessness, we need people who will unrelentingly seek contrarian arguments/views, will provide a compelling argument to the public as to how the plan will meet the needs/expectations of both homeless individuals and the public’s concern for safety and for the wellbeing and peace-of-mind of their fellow residents, will post our current baseline statistics and some clear objectives and their measurements by which we will determine success or failure, and will have no fear of sounding the alarm when deliverables are not being met or the course needs to be corrected.  8 years into District 2’s incumbency, and I don’t see the level of transparency and accountability  — or the results – that we deserve.