by Bill Knowles
TRINIDAD — Council member Carlos Lopez addressed the Trinidad City Council Tuesday night and ran into resistance as he spoke of the city becoming involved in permanent supportive housing to aid in relief of the homeless that have been increasing in Trinidad over the past several years.
The degree of city support Lopez’s idea would require wasn’t presented in terms of dollars, but financial support was alluded to during the presentation. Comments from most council members reflected a cautionary mindset, with more questions needing to be answered before making a decision.
Lopez said the proposal was an alternative-housing program designed to help the chronically homeless in Trinidad. He would like to bring in representatives from organizations such as La Puente in Alamosa to make a presentation, which member Michelle Miles said would be good to have in a council work session.
“This is not a homeless shelter. It is just like what we currently have with our housing authority units except this is more for those who are in a precarious situation where they do not have anything,” Lopez said.
The intention is to help those who’ve had poor opportunity in their lives and, according to Lopez, giving the homeless a place to reside may be what’s needed to help get them turned around.
According to Lopez, the aesthetic and health issues caused by the homeless could also be somewhat alleviated, and Trinidad’s burden would, to some degree, be reduced. The use of police, ambulance, and emergency medical services, and the city’s financial responsibility would also be reduced.
Offering mental health services, drug rehabilitation, and personal life-skills development, would bring the residents a level of security allowing for a progression in growth toward jobs, said Lopez.
Lopez explained it would be an affordable housing program similar to Space to Create, and would bolster Trinidad’s economic development. A similar program is currently ongoing in Alamosa.
Funding for housing the homeless is available through a grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) who has $15.3 million in grants, coming from marijuana tax revenues, to be awarded statewide for such programs. Vouchers are also available from both the state and federal governments.
“We have an opportunity to place these people in homes and do right,” Lopez said.
Lopez has been scouting possible locations for a building to house such a program and liked the old East Street School. However council member Joe Bonato observed that it would take at least $1.5 to $2 million for an asbestos mitigation program to even prepare the building for the work needed to turn it into safe housing. Lopez said he had found a certificate stating that the asbestos had been abated. Council member Joe Bonato requested to see the certificate.
Mayor Phil Rico touched on the aspect of state funding for such a facility. “What would happen if the state ran out of money? It would come back on the city to pick up.”
Miles’ concern was that there is absolutely no path for these people. “If they left the facility they would go back to the streets. There’s no path, no expectations, it feels like warehousing to me.”
At the end of the presentation several supporters of Lopez’s idea were heard applauding from the gallery.
In actions taken: the council voted 7-0 to approve the minutes for the Feb. 6, regular council meeting; appointed Lawrence Kiefer and Marjorie Kiefer to the library advisory board; and reappointed Carol Blatnick-Barros to the Tourism Board.
Also approved on 7-0 vote was a security agreement with the Mt. San Rafael Hospital for the city to provide a full-time sworn security officer on-site for $66,000 a year.
They also approved the payroll for Feb. 10 through Feb. 23, 2018, and approved the bills but a question arose concerning the sewer fund.
Approved in the miscellaneous business section of the agenda was a motion to approve a resolution setting policy regarding the allocation and expenditure of the proceeds of the city’s five percent marijuana sales tax revenue.
The council moved to executive session at 7:17 pm.
