East Palo Alto Mayor Calls for Peninsula Collaboration on Homelessness

East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez unveiled a new plan to address homelessness during a press conference outside Redwood City Hall on Wednesday. He urged other Peninsula city leaders to adopt a strategic approach that prioritizes compassion over criminalization. Lopez's proposed ordinance would require that unhoused individuals in encampments receive at least two written warnings and two offers of shelter before any clearance actions are taken. This approach contrasts with cities like San Francisco, which have intensified sweeps of homeless encampments in response to recent legal rulings. Lopez emphasized that criminalizing homelessness would exacerbate the issue, citing concerns from advocates like Nisha Kashyap, an attorney representing the Coalition on Homelessness. Instead, Lopez's plan aims to provide immediate shelter and support services, reflecting a more humane response to the crisis. Recent data shows that Redwood City's unhoused population decreased from 245 to 169 between 2022 and 2024, while many other cities in the county experienced increases. The mayor's initiative includes connecting unhoused individuals to essential services such as housing, mental health, and substance use treatment through local organizations like Star Vista and LifeMoves. Lopez highlighted the success of an emergency shelter in East Palo Alto in reducing homelessness. However, he did not clarify the city's next steps if individuals decline the offered services. The proposed ordinance will require approval from the East Palo Alto city council before it can be enacted.