The Braver Angels Riverside Alliance asked two Riversiders the same question: how living without a secure home worsens mental health, and what Riverside's programs would look like if treatment came before permanent housing. One of them buried a son who spent years on the street. The other spent a career teaching children with disabilities.
Mike Gardner: A Carrot and a Stick
Mike Gardner is a former Ward 1 councilmember who writes the Gardner Gauge for the Gazette.
I write this as the parent of a child who became a methamphetamine addict in junior high school. This caused or contributed to a mental health condition where he would not allow himself to succeed, suffered depression and acted compulsively. He lived on the streets off and on for many years. He took his own life at age 35.
Simplistically, there are three basic types of homeless people:
- Those who have fallen on hard times and want to return to a secure life. This population is fairly easy to help because they want services and to get back on their feet.
- Those who, for whatever reason, choose to live outside the norms of society but are physically and mentally able to work. This population is harder to help, but services should continue to be offered.
- Those who are unable to make rational decisions, work or take care of themselves. This population is the hardest to help and includes the people who are most visible and generally cause the most problems for the rest of society.
I have always believed that dealing with the homeless populations requires both a carrot and a stick. We should provide housing and other needed services to those who will accept it. At the same time, the fact a person is homeless does not entitle them to violate the law, and the rest of the population deserves to be protected from illegal activity.
I believe having a safe and secure place to live is important to a person's overall well-being and contributes to their ability to accept and gain from mental health and substance abuse treatment. I support the Housing First concept with the caveat that taxpayer-funded housing only be available to people willing to participate in ongoing treatment of any underlying condition that contributes to their situation, whether it be job training, education, mental health, substance abuse or something else. This is not to say that they cannot have relapses, only that they must actively participate in treatment. It is wrong to ask taxpayers to subsidize housing for people who will not try to address their own problems.
Riverside lacks sufficient supportive housing and treatment options for much of the homeless population. We need the ability to move people from overnight shelters into intermediate and long-term housing, but those accepting those services must participate in programs to address their issues.
For those who cannot make rational decisions or care for themselves we need laws and the political will to compel them to accept services, inpatient if needed. We currently lack both sufficient mental health and substance abuse treatment beds. Proposition 1, which passed in 2024, provided substantial funding for this purpose and several new facilities are in various stages of permitting and construction in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
CARE Court was supposed to assist people unable to care for themselves, but it is voluntary and only covers two years of treatment. We need state legislation that will allow compelling a person to accept services for as long as they need them, and the political will to use that law to move some people off the streets and into treatment.
We can never eliminate homelessness, but we can absolutely make things better for those who are homeless and we can do much better at reducing the burden of homeless activity on the general population.
Marty Ross: Recovery Requires Stability
Marty Ross is a retired Riverside Unified special education teacher.
My belief that housing is a human right does not erase the reality that solving homelessness requires a practical, balanced approach. Most people agree that a crisis exists, even if they disagree about its causes and solutions. The real challenge is not finding a perfect answer, but finding a workable one that people across the political divide can support and improve over time.
I believe the most effective response is a partnership between government and nonprofit organizations, both faith-based and secular, working together to distribute resources responsibly. Government can provide funding and oversight, while community organizations often have the trust, experience and compassion needed to serve vulnerable people well. Neither can solve this crisis alone.
These partnerships must be built on transparency, accountability and ethical decision-making. Special interests, financial pressures and politics can distort good intentions. That is why oversight committees and ongoing review are essential. Programs must remain focused on helping people, not on protecting institutions or interests.
Housing First programs should also include embedded social service professionals and strong support systems. Housing is the first step, but it cannot be the only step. People need access to mental health care, addiction treatment, employment support and help rebuilding daily routines and personal responsibility. The goal is not simply to move someone indoors, but to help them move from crisis toward stability and community.
At the same time, programs must have clear expectations. Rules of conduct should be established and enforced. People who repeatedly threaten the safety or well-being of others must be removed from participation. Compassion and accountability are not opposites; both are necessary.
We also need to be honest about life on the street. It is extremely difficult, and often impossible, to begin recovery while living outside. When a person is focused on finding food, staying warm, avoiding violence, protecting their belongings and surviving the night, there is little room for therapy, treatment or long-term planning. Recovery requires stability. It requires sleep, safety, hygiene, transportation, a phone and the ability to keep appointments. It is very hard to join a program or stay engaged in treatment when every day is consumed by survival.
This is why housing must be available without unreasonable barriers as the first step toward recovery and reintegration. A person living on the street is rarely in a position to navigate a complicated system before receiving help. Stability creates the foundation for change.
In Riverside, we need to move beyond ideological battles and seek compromise. The ideal solution may require significant investment, but waiting for perfection only prolongs suffering. My view is that the proposed Quality Inn conversion on University Avenue, while far from perfect, represented an opportunity that could have meaningfully improved the circumstances of many people experiencing homelessness in our community. The loss of significant grant funding and the possibility of future legal challenges resulting from inadequate solutions are deeply unfortunate. There have also been concerns about the influence of business and financial interests in decisions surrounding such projects. Regardless of the motivations involved, the result highlights the need for greater cooperation, transparency and willingness to compromise in the future. A practical solution that reduces street homelessness and helps people rebuild their lives is better than continued disagreement.
Most importantly, we must change how we see people experiencing homelessness. They are not statistics or problems to be removed. They are members of our community who deserve dignity, respect and a real chance to recover.
Gardner: A Step Further
Marty Ross's most important point is that people without homes, regardless of how bad their issues and behavior may be, are still people, and I think most Riversiders would like to help them help themselves. I agree, and have seen firsthand, that people with no resources facing daily uncertainty in food, shelter and safety find it very difficult to focus on much of anything else.
This is why I support Housing First programs. Marty says these programs should include embedded services, and I agree. But I would go a step further for taxpayer-funded programs and require active participation in mental health, substance abuse or job training as a condition of receiving publicly funded housing. I believe that had the Quality Inn conversion project included these requirements it would likely have been approved and been a positive step forward in Riverside's efforts to house and provide needed services to homeless people.
Marty notes that "Compassion and accountability are not opposites; both are necessary." This comports with my position that being homeless does not entitle a person to break the law or impose unduly on the rest of the population. We must have compassion for both, and protection for both.
The hardest cases remain those who cannot care for themselves or make rational decisions. We all see them every day. They walk into traffic. They are passed out on the sidewalk in the middle of the day. They cannot rationally process offers of help. We must have legislation that will permit mandatory treatment, including inpatient, for as long as is necessary. And we must have the political will to use these laws.
Riverside must do better than it has in addressing homelessness. Together we can make it better for everyone.
Ross: Contingency Becomes a Barrier
Mike, first, I want to acknowledge the profound loss of your son. I am deeply sorry. His struggles with housing were only one part of a much larger tragedy, and no family should endure such suffering.
While we share many goals, I differ on several key points. First, dividing people experiencing homelessness into three categories oversimplifies a complex, highly diverse population. Effective solutions must reflect that complexity. Second, although you recognize Housing First, making housing contingent on treatment weakens its effectiveness. Many unhoused individuals distrust systems after repeated trauma and avoid services tied to conditions. Contingency becomes a barrier. Research has consistently shown Housing First outperforms treatment-first models in achieving long-term housing stability. From a stable position, individuals often seek and accept treatment. Third, accountability for criminal behavior absolutely should apply equally to everyone, regardless of housing status. Suggesting Housing First advocates oppose accountability mischaracterizes my position. Finally, while involuntary treatment has an important role during acute psychiatric crises, lasting recovery from addiction is more often driven by personal motivation, stable housing and ongoing support.
We agree on much: Riverside needs more supportive housing and treatment capacity, public safety matters, some individuals require involuntary care, and relapse should never automatically disqualify someone from receiving help. Those shared values provide a strong foundation for effective, compassionate solutions. Thank you for joining me in discussion and working together toward such a solution.
About the authors
Mike Gardner spent more than two decades in environmental planning and has 35 years of experience in utility management, oversight and policy. He represented Ward 1 on the City Council from 2007 to 2019 and has served on the Western Municipal Water District Board of Directors since 2020, leading it as president in 2023 and 2024. For more than a decade he was the governor's appointee to the California Seismic Safety Commission, serving under three governors.
Mike's family is all over the place politically; he leans conservative. Mike has worked since he was 8 and had to earn half the cost of his first bicycle. He feels strongly that people should work for what they want in life. A hand up when warranted is a good thing, but an ongoing handout is not helpful. He is glad to help you help yourself, but expects you to be an active participant.
Mike and his wife Joyce have been married 53 years. They have lived in the same house in the Grand Neighborhood for 52 years.
Martin "Marty" Ross is a retired special education teacher with the Riverside Unified School District, where he was privileged to learn from — and hopefully give something back to — students with significant cognitive, intellectual and physical disabilities. He holds a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology and, over the years, has worked in a variety of industries and roles, giving him a fairly broad view of people, work and the communities we share.
Politically, Marty has identified as both a Republican and a Democrat at different points in his life. These days, his philosophy is more closely aligned with liberal values. But he believes wisdom isn't owned by any political party. He believes progress comes from being willing to listen, question our assumptions, talk honestly about our differences and sometimes find solutions somewhere closer to the middle.
Marty is married to Vicky and is happily owned by Harry, a little dog who has made it abundantly clear who actually runs the household.
The Braver Angels Riverside Alliance is the local chapter of Braver Angels, a national citizens' movement founded in 2016 that brings conservatives and liberals together through workshops, debates and community events. The Alliance selects each month's question and pairs the writers, who draft their opening arguments separately and exchange them before writing their responses.
