This mayor’s daughter was homeless. He’s pushing a bill to fight the problem

Three years ago while Fresno Mayor Lee Brand still was a city councilman, his daughter was living homeless on the streets of Fresno.

Charity Brand was battling drug addiction when she was kicked out of her parents’ house first, then her grandmother’s house.

“I know personally the pain parents go through,” Fresno’s mayor told The Bee. “The hard part is not to enable them.”

Charity Brand, 43, lived on the streets of Fresno for about a year before turning her life around. She now lives drug free in Indiana with her boyfriend and has a stable job.

Mayor Brand referenced the deeply personal experience on the steps of California’s capitol Wednesday morning when he spoke in support of AB 3171, a bill targeting the state’s $6.1 billion surplus budget to fight homelessness.

The bill is a bipartisan effort from the mayors of California’s 11 largest cities, each battling homelessness in different ways. The bill calls for one-time funds to be allocated to cities on a matching basis.

Cities and counties have tackled homelessness locally through programs and voter initiatives, but the issue needs more attention, according to the bill text.

“This is a crisis that requires an all-of-the-above approach and the State of California should take steps to become a meaningful partner in combating this human tragedy,” the bill reads.

A 2017 survey estimated 1,572 people were living without permanent homes in Fresno – an increase of about 20 percent from 2016 numbers. California’s homeless population ballooned to 134,278 in 2017, according to statewide counts.

Although Fresno doesn’t yet have solid plans for the money, it likely will be funneled to local partners after an intense vetting process, said John Ellis, Brand’s government affairs manager.

“Getting the money is only half the problem,” Brand said. “The real challenge is spending the money judiciously and in a responsible way that sees results.”

Brand considers homelessness a “quality of life” issue for all Fresnans, including business owners and people living on the streets.

The Fresno City Council in August passed the Unhealthy and Hazardous Camping Act, making camping on public or private property without the owner’s permission a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to six months in jail. Although businesses say the law has reduced nuisances and cleaned up the street, people without a home say the law shuffles them from place to place while police confiscate their belongings.

Homeless advocates have said Fresno lacks temporary housing for people who seek out services and are motivated to find housing.

Brand acknowledged how pricey affordable housing is and said he believes substance abuse and mental health services are important pieces of addressing roots of homelessness.

“There’s no easy solution to it,” he said.

This story was originally published February 21, 2018 at 11:00 AM with the headline "This mayor’s daughter was homeless. He’s pushing a bill to fight the problem."