Talking Points — Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project

Alternative Housing Ordinance
Public Comment, 5:30 p.m., May 27
Rood Center, Nevada City

These talking points are suggestions. Pick one or two that resonate the most with you and make them your own. You will have three, maybe two minutes to speak, but a short and persuasive statement is often more effective than a longer speech.

Please remember, we are the good guys. We are polite, persistent and relentlessly reasonable. We don’t yell, threaten or insult. We offer solutions, not complaints.

Nevada County can mitigate the homeless/housing crisis by making RV/trailers safe, available and affordable without having to build anything or spend millions of dollars.
This is about solving a problem, not “addressing” the problem.
Alternative housing lowers the risk of a homeless campfire burning down the whole community. Getting people out of the woods is in everybody’s best interests.
Renting an AltDU to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction could provide extra income to pay for fire insurance.
Because of the potential for dangerous traffic congestion, moving a tiny home on wheels or other alternative dwelling unit (AltDU) on wheels during a wildfire evacuation warning or order should be prohibited.
We have a homeless/housing emergency. Redefining legal housing to include RV/trailers just makes sense, especially if you care about the welfare of our unhoused citizens.
Housing is healthcare. People in housing have far fewer medical and mental problems than people living in the wild. This saves taxpayers money.
Each AltDU must have code or code-equivalent septic and water management.
A person’s property rights end at his property line. No one is forcing him to put an AltDU on his property, but he cannot prevent his neighbor from exercising her right to rent one out on her property.
The regulations must not be so restrictive and expensive that nobody can comply. Overly stringent regs would become nothing more than housing on paper – a waste of staff time and taxpayer money.
Most homeless people are not mentally ill or addicts. They just need housing they can afford.
Excluding RV/trailers is implicit class discrimination. Just because we live in RV/trailers because that’s all we could find or afford doesn’t automatically make us “trailer trash.”
So many people already live in trailers that code enforcement would have to remain complaint driven – but the complaint must have merit.
Code Compliance’s first priority should be keeping people where they are and assisting them to come into compliance. Forced relocation/evictions should be a last resort.
Code Compliance must report the demographics of all the individuals who are forced to relocate.
Working-age adults coming out of homelessness need RV/trailers as first-step, transitional housing on their way to better housing once they get stabilized.
RV/trailers are a last resort for older and disabled people on fixed incomes who can’t find housing.
Currently, RV/trailers are the only truly affordable housing out there that doesn’t require government subsidy (our taxpayer dollars) to be affordable.
For extra income, property owners in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County who are not using their RV/trailers can choose to rent them out to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction.
People who have private property and the right hookups can rent space to people who have their own RV/trailers.
Renting homes on wheels on private property is what housing for the people by the people is all about.
Having a safe place to live is a human right. If there is no housing, we must at least establish safe places for people to camp or park with toilet facilities and garbage cans.

It is in the shelter of each other that we live.

Tom Durkin, Creative Director
Sierra Roots/No Place To Go Project

tomdurkin@sierra-roots.org
530-559-3199

Alternative Housing Ordinance
Public Comment, 5:30 p.m., May 27
Rood Center, Nevada City

These talking points are suggestions. Pick one or two that resonate the most with you and make them your own. You will have three, maybe two minutes to speak, but a short and persuasive statement is often more effective than a longer speech.

Please remember, we are the good guys. We are polite, persistent and relentlessly reasonable. We don’t yell, threaten or insult. We offer solutions, not complaints.

Nevada County can mitigate the homeless/housing crisis by making RV/trailers safe, available and affordable without having to build anything or spend millions of dollars.

This is about solving a problem, not “addressing” the problem.

Alternative housing lowers the risk of a homeless campfire burning down the whole community. Getting people out of the woods is in everybody’s best interests.

Renting an AltDU to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction could provide extra income to pay for fire insurance.

Because of the potential for dangerous traffic congestion, moving a tiny home on wheels or other alternative dwelling unit (AltDU) on wheels during a wildfire evacuation warning or order should be prohibited.

We have a homeless/housing emergency. Redefining legal housing to include RV/trailers just makes sense, especially if you care about the welfare of our unhoused citizens.

Housing is healthcare. People in housing have far fewer medical and mental problems than people living in the wild. This saves taxpayers money.

Each AltDU must have code or code-equivalent septic and water management.

A person’s property rights end at his property line. No one is forcing him to put an AltDU on his property, but he cannot prevent his neighbor from exercising her right to rent one out on her property.

The regulations must not be so restrictive and expensive that nobody can comply. Overly stringent regs would become nothing more than housing on paper – a waste of staff time and taxpayer money.

Most homeless people are not mentally ill or addicts. They just need housing they can afford.

Excluding RV/trailers is implicit class discrimination. Just because we live in RV/trailers because that’s all we could find or afford doesn’t automatically make us “trailer trash.”

So many people already live in trailers that code enforcement would have to remain complaint driven – but the complaint must have merit.

Code Compliance’s first priority should be keeping people where they are and assisting them to come into compliance. Forced relocation/evictions should be a last resort.

Code Compliance must report the demographics of all the individuals who are forced to relocate.

Working-age adults coming out of homelessness need RV/trailers as first-step, transitional housing on their way to better housing once they get stabilized.

RV/trailers are a last resort for older and disabled people on fixed incomes who can’t find housing.

Currently, RV/trailers are the only truly affordable housing out there that doesn’t require government subsidy (our taxpayer dollars) to be affordable.

For extra income, property owners in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County who are not using their RV/trailers can choose to rent them out to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction.

People who have private property and the right hookups can rent space to people who have their own RV/trailers.

Renting homes on wheels on private property is what housing for the people by the people is all about.

Having a safe place to live is a human right. If there is no housing, we must at least establish safe places for people to camp or park with toilet facilities and garbage cans.

It is in the shelter of each other that we live.

The Sierra Roots/No Place To Go Project was founded with a grant from the Upstate California Creative Corps. It continues with other grant funding and private, tax-deductible donations.

Alternative Housing Ordinance Public Comment, 5:30 p.m., May 27 Rood Center, Nevada City

These talking points are suggestions. Pick one or two that resonate the most with you and make them your own. You will have three, maybe two minutes to speak, but a short and persuasive statement is often more effective than a longer speech.

Please remember, we are the good guys. We are polite, persistent and relentlessly reasonable. We don’t yell, threaten or insult. We offer solutions, not complaints.

Nevada County can mitigate the homeless/housing crisis by making RV/trailers safe, available and affordable without having to build anything or spend millions of dollars.

This is about solving a problem, not “addressing” the problem.

Alternative housing lowers the risk of a homeless campfire burning down the whole community. Getting people out of the woods is in everybody’s best interests.

Renting an AltDU to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction could provide extra income to pay for fire insurance.

Because of the potential for dangerous traffic congestion, moving a tiny home on wheels or other alternative dwelling unit (AltDU) on wheels during a wildfire evacuation warning or order should be prohibited.

We have a homeless/housing emergency. Redefining legal housing to include RV/trailers just makes sense, especially if you care about the welfare of our unhoused citizens.

Housing is healthcare. People in housing have far fewer medical and mental problems than people living in the wild. This saves taxpayers money.

Each AltDU must have code or code-equivalent septic and water management.

A person’s property rights end at his property line. No one is forcing him to put an AltDU on his property, but he cannot prevent his neighbor from exercising her right to rent one out on her property.

The regulations must not be so restrictive and expensive that nobody can comply. Overly stringent regs would become nothing more than housing on paper – a waste of staff time and taxpayer money.

Most homeless people are not mentally ill or addicts. They just need housing they can afford.

Excluding RV/trailers is implicit class discrimination. Just because we live in RV/trailers because that’s all we could find or afford doesn’t automatically make us “trailer trash.”

So many people already live in trailers that code enforcement would have to remain complaint driven – but the complaint must have merit.

Code Compliance’s first priority should be keeping people where they are and assisting them to come into compliance. Forced relocation/evictions should be a last resort.

Code Compliance must report the demographics of all the individuals who are forced to relocate.

Working-age adults coming out of homelessness need RV/trailers as first-step, transitional housing on their way to better housing once they get stabilized.

RV/trailers are a last resort for older and disabled people on fixed incomes who can’t find housing.

Currently, RV/trailers are the only truly affordable housing out there that doesn’t require government subsidy (our taxpayer dollars) to be affordable.

For extra income, property owners in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County who are not using their RV/trailers can choose to rent them out to responsible people on the same basis as any other rental transaction.

People who have private property and the right hookups can rent space to people who have their own RV/trailers.

Renting homes on wheels on private property is what housing for the people by the people is all about.

Having a safe place to live is a human right. If there is no housing, we must at least establish safe places for people to camp or park with toilet facilities and garbage cans.

It is in the shelter of each other that we live.

The Sierra Roots/No Place To Go Project was founded with a grant from the Upstate California Creative Corps. It continues with other grant funding and private, tax-deductible donations.

Alternative Housing Ordinance
Public Comment, 5:30 p.m., May 27
Rood Center, Nevada City