Join Gepe’s Fight to FIX the COMMONS

Dear Neighbors,

My name is Gepe Zurenda, and I’m running for Common Council in the 5th Ward. In the context of Donald Trump’s authoritarian takeover of Washington, D.C, under the false pretense of a crime spree, concerns surrounding public safety in our respective communities have entered the national spotlight. At a recent Common Council meeting here in Ithaca, there was an animated discussion regarding the deterioration of the environment on the Ithaca Commons since the Asteri development was completed. Several Council members went back and forth with one another, expressing their frustrations and concerns. Finally, the mayor put forth seemingly the only question that could end the debate: “Who has a legal idea of what we can do about it?” Suddenly, the council fell silent.

I get it. This is an issue that elicits strong emotion amongst our community; however, we can not fall prey to the tendency of municipal governments to partake in endless debate without taking action to address the issue. Thus, I am making the issue of homelessness and public safety on the Commons as central to my campaign as it is to the future of Ithaca. However, before illustrating my proposal to fix the current issue plaguing the commons, it’s helpful to conceptualize potential solutions from the framework of immediate, short-term, medium-term, and long-term.

Regarding immediate solutions, more security is needed on the Commons; however, it takes time and money to hire more police or temporary security. That’s why it is imperative that the Mayor and Common Council take swift action to instruct the city manager to shift budget priorities and make the appropriate adjustments to fund the necessary increases in security. As this is done, we must do a “Root Cause Analysis” to accurately diagnose what has caused the atmosphere of the commons to change. Adding more security will minimize the likelihood of criminal activity; however, if the root cause of crime in the Commons is a concentration of unhoused individuals suffering from addiction, simply adding security will not make it an attractive destination for our citizens and visitors.

I suspect a “Root Cause Analysis” will show that, rather than the core problem being too few safety officers, it is that too many of the homeless, who were moved to the commercial heart of our city, have co-occurring disorders that prevent them from acting as good neighbors. With that being said, it should be clarified that there are three distinct groups of the homeless. First, those who are homeless primarily because of economic setbacks. Second, those with substance abuse and mental health issues who are trying to work on those issues. And third, those who have substance abuse and mental health issues and are not willing to work on them at this time. Those who are simply suffering from economic setbacks should be welcome visitors on the Commons like every other Ithacan, and efforts should be made to provide these people with housing at the Asteri development. Generally, the same can be said for those actively attempting to fix any addiction or mental health issues that they may have. However, we cannot allow alcoholics and other addicts, who are not willing to work on getting better, to be invited to live in the economic center of our city. This viewpoint doesn’t stem from a desire to hide or ignore our city’s unhoused, but rather from an understanding that to ensure Ithaca can continue providing the unhoused with the services that they need, the economic center of our city and, in turn, its tax base must be protected.

Therefore, in the medium and long term, the City Government and Administration need to work with the County, the Developers of Asteri, and the banks and other funding sources to accomplish the following: Firstly, we must abandon the short-sighted idea of populating new, expensive buildings with active addicts. Second, adopt the concept of Second Wind in Newfield and house the portion of our homeless who have addiction issues in well-built, thoughtfully laid out, and maintained individual housing. Third, prioritize finding space to relocate the problem Asteri sub-group and move them as soon as possible, whether it is to the new facility I have just described or to an interim location.

I realize that to accomplish all of the above, we have to make it a win for all involved; for the developer of Asteri, for the three different homeless populations, all of whom need our support, and for the people of Ithaca who want to enjoy their downtown and have the right to a safe environment in doing so. This process will undoubtedly be difficult. However, it can and absolutely must be done. We must own up to the fact that the city has made some poor decisions in the past that have led to this situation and adjust our future calculations to avoid such outcomes. Only that way can we provide every Ithacan with the safe, pleasant, and thriving Commons which they deserve.  

Respectfully,

Gepe Zurenda