Fresno County says a proposal from the City of Fresno to purchase a former juvenile boot camp in Caruthers to turn it into a homeless shelter is off the table.
The county pushed back against an idea floated by the city on Thursday, saying the site would not be suitable for a shelter, citing a year’s old proposal to turn a 300-acre farm and boot camp into a law enforcement training facility.
Driving the news: Thursday’s Fresno City Council meeting included an item in closed session regarding the negotiation on a property at 500 E. Elkhorn Ave. in Caruthers.
- The Fresno City Attorney’s Office placed the item on the closed session agenda.
- Councilman Miguel Arias told Fresnoland that the facility could be used for a homeless shelter in partnership with the county, given new policies by the city and county to enforce anti-camping bans.
The big picture: Fresno County released a statement on Thursday saying the city has not contacted anyone at the county about the facility.
- The county, however, says it is willing to discuss any viable city or county-owned sites for a partnership to help serve the homeless population.
- But such a site is not the property in Caruthers. In December 2022, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to transition the facility into a multipurpose training facility for law enforcement.
Go deeper: Further, the county said the Caruthers facility would not be suitable for a homeless shelter, starting with the fact that it is located in a rural area that sits around 15 miles outside of the city.
- The city does not currently have any bus routes that travel to the facility, nor are there any behavioral health services in the area.
- There are not any medical services or social services offices near the Elkhorn facility either.
- Homeless people living in the proposed shelter would not have close access to any government offices.
What they’re saying: The county said in a statement that the location of the Elkhorn facility would remove the homeless from their community and support systems, which could exacerbate their situation.
- “Because of the location and lack of nearby essential offices and services needed for an individual to successfully exit homelessness, the County believes the Elkhorn facility would be unsuitable for the councilmember’s alleged proposed use,” the county said.
- The county also said that it believes the state would not support using the facility as a homeless shelter because it is not in a strategic location that provides access to supportive services.
- “The State has consistently communicated this position and expectation through requirements and guidelines for various homeless funding programs,” the county said.
