HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-18-2024_Open Session_Item 16_Isenberg, Jody_any links sanitizedFrom:Jody I
To:PublicComments
Subject:City council agenda item #16 for 9/18/24 council meeting
Date:Wednesday, September 18, 2024 1:51:42 PM
Caution - This email originated from outside the City - Verify that the Email display name and Email address are consistent. - Use caution when opening attachments.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council members,
I am a long time resident of the city's fourth ward. I am also vice president of the San
Bernardino Area League of Women Voters. I submit this comment in both capacities.
We have a humanitarian crisis on our streets. During the recent heat wave, I took water and ice
to places in our city where our unhoused residents stay. I have never seen this level of misery
in our unhoused community. The heat, as you know, was unrelenting; it did not cool off at
night enough to provide relief. And that was before the wildfires added smoke and ash to the
equation. The human beings living on the streets of San Bernardino, many of whom
are medically fragile, had no way to escape from these dire outdoor conditions. Cooling
centers are not accessible without transportation, most are not open on the weekends, and only
one that I could find is open on Friday. Our parks do not have water or bathrooms. While we
were in our houses, AC on full blast, windows closed against the unbreathable air, our
unhoused residents had no escape or relief. I have learned from reliable sources that at least
three people died as a result of exposure during the recent heat emergency.
The city apparently has unspent ARPA funds of nearly $1 million allocated to hotel vouchers.
PLEASE use those funds to help people living on our streets get shelter during these weather
emergencies.
Respectully submitted,
Jody Isenberg
VP San Bernardino Area League of Women Voters.