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9 months agoon
With more storms predicted for Fresno, the city announced it will convert its overnight warming shelters to 24-hour storm relief centers for homeless people.
“A meal goes a long way when you’re staying in a storm relief center and it’s pouring rain and windy outside.” — Poverello House CEO Zack Darrah
Mayor Jerry Dyer also announced at a Monday morning news conference that code enforcement will leave homeless encampments undisturbed.
“If there is an encampment set up of seven or eight people in tents, we’re not going to be relocating those folks. However, should they wish to be relocated to one of our storm relief centers, we will be more than happy to arrange for transportation for them,” Dyer said.
The centers, at the same locations as existing warming centers, will be active until at least Sunday, Jan. 15.
Related Story: Rivers Rise, Trees Drop, Storm Continues. And Tuesday Will Be Just As Bad.
The storm centers will include blankets, 24-hour security, and three meals a day provided by Poverello House.
“A meal goes a long way when you’re staying in a storm relief center and it’s pouring rain and windy outside,” said Poverello House CEO Zack Darrah.
The city’s homeless task force will visit encampments to distribute flyers informing about the storm center services. The city will provide free FAX bus service to the centers, and Poverello House will also provide transportation. The rides are available by calling 311.
The Red Cross will also help, providing trailers, cots, and blankets.
The centers are located at:
The city said any normal programming at the centers scheduled for this week has been suspended.
In a news release issued Monday, District 3 Councilmember Miguel Arias said that mobile showers will be available at the Maxie Parks center throughout Sunday, as well.
In anticipation of this week’s storms, the @CityofFresno will have 24/7 weather shelters for our unhoused. We will provide free transportation to sites, as well as 3 meals and on-site security. On my authority, Code Enforcement will not be disrupting any encampments this week. pic.twitter.com/JWJqC3DhEk
— Tyler Maxwell (@Maxwell4Fresno) January 9, 2023
Last week, several homeless advocates complained at the Fresno City Council meeting, that code enforcement agents broke up encampments during the rain.
Fresno City Council President Tyler Maxwell instructed the code enforcement department to hold off on breaking up encampments for the week.
“I want to make sure that we’re not just not disrupting anybody, but we’re helping as many of the homeless folks in the city of Fresno as possible,” Maxwell said.
Last month, the Fresno City Council, in an emergency meeting, established warming center hours from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., which went into effect Dec. 27 through the end of January.
Dyer said that the Wills Center had the most traffic, at 60 people per day. He anticipates a 24-hour police presence there because of high usage. About 30 people a day visited the Maxie Parks center, with 10-12 at both Pinedale and Mosqueda.
“We do expect those numbers are going to increase dramatically over the next week as we start to see more and more rainfall and more and more wind,” Dyer said.
Dyer also gave basic recommendations for weather safety — drive cautiously, report debris, and work from home if possible.
The city also urges residents to report any problems through the FresGo smartphone app or call 311.
Watch: Heavy Rains Submerge Fresno Streets
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email
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