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Council earmarks $1.76 million to buy navigation site for homeless
navigation center rendering
A rendering of what the proposed Manteca homeless navigation center may look like.

A homeless navigation center is moving forward at the backside of the largest remaining vacant parcel in central Manteca.

It’s not only official but the money has been obtained as well.

The City Council Tuesday earmarked $1.76 million of the $2 million they secured in the form of pass through state homeless money from the San Joaquin County to go toward acquiring 8 acres at 682 South Main St.

It was a 4-1 vote with Councilman Dave Breitenbucher dissenting.

Breitenbucher, who joined Manteca Police officer Mike Kelly and San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar earlier in the day checking on homeless hot spots around Manteca and crime issues related to the five most egregious actors within the Manteca homeless community, is still convinced the South Main Street site is the wrong location for a navigation center.

Nearby residents east of South Main Street agreed.

They argued crime related to the homeless now in the area due to the nearby emergency shelter is not being tabulated as they contend formal police reports aren’t being generated when citizens — who they say call the police as a last resort — make complaints.

Opponents also believe navigation centers are an unproven social experiment. They declared a similar concept in place in San Francisco “a failure.”

City staff, for their part, said they have stepped up patrols in the area around the emergency tent shelter at 555 Industrial Park Drive and are addressing issues.

Officer Kelly also noted that the Bakersfield navigation center — that is not a drop-in facility for the homeless but one they are taken to — city officials toured has absolutely no homeless sleeping in RVs, cars, or makeshift encampment in the vicinity.

The remaining $240,000 from the $2 million will go toward the construction of navigation facilities.

Later in the meeting, the council in a consensus directed staff to bring back to a council meeting an agenda item to discuss whether a future police station or affordable housing will be placed along South Main Street on the 8-acre parcel.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com