The following testimony was shared by City Council Candidate Linda Akey at the city council meeting on Sept. 25, 2023:
“With the coming storm and rainy season, my heart is heavy because I feel for the people in our community who will be living through the season outside. I know some people reject help; however, anyone who has ever struggled with addiction or a family member who struggles with it knows that sometimes rock bottom helps a person decide their life is unmanageable and that they need help.
We must stop enabling homeless encampments and start working on sustainable solutions to help the unhoused move out of this limbo and danger and into safety and a path forward. I support passing the tent encampment ban and continuing to incentivize substance abuse and mental health treatment options with a path to recovery. We must reject tent encampments as a solution and shift the conversation to treatment and housing.”
