Homelessness in Fremont, California—and across the country—is a growing crisis. But instead of asking how we can criminalize it, shouldn’t we be asking:
What can we do to fix it?
What do we need to implement?
What do we need to build?
What services must we create?
How can we better serve the underserved?
These are the real questions.
Criminalizing people who aren’t criminals won’t solve the problem. If someone is committing a crime, they should be held accountable—but simply existing without a home is not a crime. The real issue is deeper: a lack of affordable housing, mental health support, addiction recovery services, job opportunities, and community reintegration programs.
The root causes of homelessness—trauma, economic hardship, and systemic barriers—can’t be fixed with a citation or a jail cell. We need solutions that lift people up, not push them further down.
Having experienced homelessness myself, I know firsthand that people don’t need judgment; they need opportunity, guidance, and resources. The fix won’t happen overnight, but real change takes commitment and investment in sustainable solutions.
Fremont, are we even asking the right question? It’s time to stop debating whether we should punish the unhoused and start asking what we can do to build a future where homelessness is no longer an inevitable reality.
At Pathways to Services Development, we are committed to that future. Let’s build it together.
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