Platform
Homelessness
Being homeless is not fun. Far from it. A normal person would find it depressing to be in this situation. And the daily grind continues. And the depression continues. We need to bring hope. A sense of optimism. A better tomorrow is possible. We must bring hope.
Secondly, each homeless person is his/her own person. With a unique life story. A unique set of skills and needs. There is no policy, no process and no procedure that would work for everyone. The City should personalize a solution for each of them. The City cares. With actions. That is the common starting point.
- 1) Homeless is not fundamentally a housing issue. It is a financial problem. They don’t make enough money. Or no income. All effective, long-term solutions involve helping them getting back on their feet. These people deserve to live independently. With dignity.
- 2) Many volunteers are currently taking care of some homeless people. They already have the most important qualifications. They are not doing it for money. Many of them spend their own money. They care. Their hearts are in the right places. And they know the homeless people that they serve. Let’s train and empower them. Perhaps they can work with a food bank. Let them share food, and hope. Let’s support them.
- 3) Each homeless person that the City is helping should have a single point of contact with the City government. Someone they know. Someone who knows them. One person. Not City department(s).
- 4) Some homeless people have mental issues. Our City doesn’t have sufficient resources to truly take care of this group. There is no choice but to refer them to the County. And The City should follow up. The County should know that our community wants to know what they are doing with these people. It is not a black hole.
- 5) Some have medical issues. I would like to start a “helping hand” program so that different doctors and nurses can donate half a day each month or every other month to address this need. Perhaps over the weekend. The doctors and nurses should go to where their patients are. Can someone please help fellow Americans?
- 6) Yes, some people want to go back to work. The important point is that their skills must be current. Up to date. The City has partners. Fremont Adult School. Mission Valley ROP. Ohlone. Let’s create some intense. half-a-year programs to help fill the skill gaps.
- 7) Some people are already working. They don’t make enough money. They may be out on the streets or at risk. I would like to help them learn a new trade and earn more money. In the mean time, provide some short-term help if necessary. See #6.
- 8) It is easier to find a job when someone can take a shower, has a working phone and an address. Electricity. At the end of these programs, I like to see the City starts offering short-term rental subsidies if needed. The City should partner and see if it is possible to get some discount rental rate
- 9) For others, the first step may not be going back to schools. Instead, they may appreciate directly going back to work. Any job. Just getting used to the routines of working again. Going to work on time. Communicating with others. Working with a team. That’s fine. They can take a two-steps process to return to the work force.
- 10) The City has limited resources. It is not possible to help everyone all at once. So the City starts with a selected group, helps that group of people get back on their feet, and moves on to the next group. It is also possible that the City can help a new person when someone has finished.
- 11) Some people have substance abuse issues. There is no hope for this group of people holding jobs. They have to agree to treatments. If not, we can’t help them.
- 12) What about the people that we can’t help? Or people that refuse our help? If they stay away from all residential areas, schools, parks, libraries, all places of worship and all retail businesses, we leave them alone. If they do, we ask them to leave. Yes, ask. Voluntary. If they don’t listen, fines and code enforcement will follow. There is no other reasonable, realistic choice left.
Below is how I would like to solve this problem:
As all of us go forward together, of course some details would change. We learn. We find a better way. That’s all normal. This is a start point. Would you like to join me? Would you like to join this movement to finally do the right thing? If so, on November 5th, please vote for Hiu Ng. A vote for me is a vote for a better future.
Jobs
Homeless is fundamentally a financial, not housing, issue. We need to approach the entire “job training” in 2 ways. First of all, we will find minimum pay jobs for anyone. We simply want people to get back to the routine of working. Staying clean. Working with a team. Going to work on time. And then we train. Seriously train. We have partners. Fremont Adult School. Mission Valley ROP. Ohlone. Everyone has the option of learning a skill with sufficient pay. Fremont youths could also take advantages of these programs to learn a trade.
Fiscal Accountability
Fremont City Council spends 7 million dollars on the homeless issue. Much of it goes to intermediaries. Classic middle men. Or pointless services. Very little goes directly to the homeless. If our City Council does nothing but write checks, say 30k to 50k per person, it would be able to help a lot of homeless people. I am not suggesting that City Council should just write checks. But you get my point. We should make sure that the middle layer is as thin as possible. And we will re-purpose the rest.
Public Safety
Since the start of 2024, the Fremont police has stopped reporting on homeless disturbances calls. Why? The people have the right to know. Short of men-power? No. Fremont police department’s police record group has 16 people. 1 police record administrator. 3 police record supervisors. 9 police record specialists. 3 police record assistants. All data from the City’s 2024-25 budget. No change from previous years.
Fix Our Roads
I am tired of all the cracks and potholes. You?
Future Action
We intend to launch a ballot measure on 2026. The ballot measure will reflect our current position. More to come
Conclusion
I started working when I was 15. 10th grade. $2 per hour. It was not exactly a glamourous beginning. But I survived. I am 66 years old now. Diabetic. Perhaps I will write a book someday. What is important is this: if I am elected to become Fremont Mayor, I promise to move mountains if necessary to get the jobs done. I care about Fremont. It is my City. Please support. Your vote for me is a vote for a better Fremont.