FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — Tents and tarps seem to be popping up along Fresno city waterways, like the canal along East McKinley Avenue.
Trash and large items seemingly discarded on the side of the road. Fresno City and the county are looking to solve the problem.
“As a city, we have invested more than 300 million dollars than housing more than 3,000 people,” said Fresno City Council Member Miguel Arias.
The city has been able to provide long-term housing to homeless individuals in renovated motels and apartment buildings thanks to funding from state and federal government grants like Project Home Key.
“We currently have more than ten shelters operated by the city of Fresno where the County of Fresno has zero shelters,” Arias continued.
While Council Members Arias argues the county is not doing enough Fresno County supervisor Nathan Magsig says the county has been there every step of the way providing resources for the unhoused
“We have actually been right there supporting a lot of these applications and a lot of the housing units the city of Fresno is building requires the county to provide back-end services so the Department of social services department of behavioral health department of public health we write these letters and actually work collectively on the city of Fresno is building,” said Magsig.
He also says the board provides services to the 15 cities throughout the county.
“Fresno County spends between one and a half and two billion dollars to social services to residents throughout the entire county,” Magsig continues. The board of supervisors will be discussing homelessness on Tuesday and will be speaking with the CEO of the California Association of Counties.