A Shift from Blaming to Belonging

Homelessness is a housing problem … not a character flaw.

After spending more than a decade experiencing homelessness here in Chico, I’ve come to realize that one of our greatest challenges isn’t simply the lack of affordable housing. It’s how we see and treat the people who don’t have it.

I’ve heard people experiencing homelessness referred to as trash, vermin, criminals, and worse.

I’ve watched people walk past someone without making eye contact, as though that person doesn’t exist.

And I’ve watched our community spend an enormous amount of energy debating how to remove homeless encampments rather than addressing why people are living in them in the first place.

I want to change that narrative.

I want us to make a shift from blaming to belonging.

Because these aren’t strangers invading our community. They’re our neighbors. They’re our brothers and sisters. They’re human beings who happen to be experiencing homelessness.

And we are all part of the same community.

Instead of Complaining … Let’s Start Solving Problems

Consider one of the most common complaints about homelessness in Chico … trash.

Nobody wants to see garbage scattered throughout our parks, neighborhoods, waterways, or public spaces.

I certainly don’t.

But think about something for a moment.

If you live in a house or apartment, you probably have a garbage can. You have somewhere to put your trash, and someone comes along regularly to collect it.

Now imagine having none of those things.

Where does your trash go?

It doesn’t magically disappear.

So rather than blaming people experiencing homelessness for accumulating garbage, why don’t we work together to provide a solution?

We could provide garbage bags. We could place dumpsters or collection bins in accessible locations. We could establish regular collection schedules.

We could even encourage people living in encampments to collect their trash, tie off their bags, and place them somewhere designated for pickup.

Community volunteers, service organizations, and the city could work together to make that happen.

Instead of treating trash as evidence that people don’t care about their community, let’s recognize that they may lack access to the same basic services the rest of us take for granted.

That’s a problem we can work together to solve.

What About Restrooms, Showers, and Other Basic Needs?

The same principle applies to many other complaints.

People complain about human waste in public spaces.

But where is someone supposed to use a bathroom when public restrooms are closed or unavailable?

People complain about poor hygiene.

But how do you maintain personal hygiene when you don’t have reliable access to showers, laundry facilities, or clean water?

People complain about tents and encampments.

But where is someone supposed to sleep when they have no home and the available shelter options don’t meet their needs?

And people complain about belongings accumulating in public spaces.

But where do you store everything you own when you don’t have a closet, garage, or even a door you can lock?

These aren’t impossible problems.

They’re practical challenges that deserve practical solutions.

Public restrooms. Accessible showers. Laundry services. Trash collection. Secure storage. Safe places to stay.

None of these services replaces the need for permanent housing.

But providing them can help preserve human dignity, improve public health, and make our community a better place for everyone while we work toward lasting housing solutions.

There Is No Them … There Is Only Us

I don’t believe responsibility belongs exclusively to the city, the county, nonprofit organizations, or people experiencing homelessness.

I believe responsibility belongs to all of us.

That includes people experiencing homelessness participating in solutions whenever possible.

It includes local government providing reasonable access to basic public services.

And it includes those of us who are housed recognizing that we have a role to play, too.

We can continue pointing fingers, assigning blame, and demanding that people simply disappear.

Or we can recognize that we’re all neighbors who share the same community.

Instead of asking, “How do we get rid of these people?” let’s start asking, “How do we help our neighbors become safely and permanently housed?”

Because homelessness isn’t an us-against-them problem.

There is no them.

There is only us.

Changing the Narrative Starts With Each of Us

I have a vision for Chico.

It’s a community where nobody has to sleep outside because they have nowhere else to go.

A community where our parks and public spaces are clean, safe, and welcoming.

A community where people experiencing homelessness have access to the services and support they need to move into stable housing.

And a community where compassion isn’t mistaken for weakness.

We don’t have to choose between caring for our public spaces and caring for the people living in them.

We can do both.

But getting there requires something more than another ordinance, another encampment cleanup, or another argument about who is responsible.

It requires changing how we think about homelessness and, more importantly, how we think about one another.

My Simple Request

I’m not asking you for money.

I’m not asking you to open your home to someone experiencing homelessness.

I’m asking you to do something much simpler.

The next time you encounter someone experiencing homelessness, make eye contact.

Say good morning.

Say good afternoon.

Say, “Hi, neighbor.”

Acknowledge their presence.

Let them know you see them.

Let them know that they’re part of our community.

Let them know they’re human.

Because sometimes the first step toward changing someone’s circumstances is changing how we see them.

Let’s stop blaming and start belonging.

Let’s stop managing homelessness and start working toward ending it.

And let’s remember that a better Chico isn’t something we build for some of our neighbors.

It’s something we build together … for all of us.