I would like to commend Supervisor Hill for his continued advocacy (and commitment to civility in public discourse) concerning the issue of homelessness.

In working and volunteering with local agencies, along with producing a documentary on the topic that won an award at this year’s SLO International Film Festival, I have personally witnessed the strong dedication exhibited by countless local volunteers, human service providers and donors in solving this issue.

Sadly, there have been many missed opportunities for our local business community to become engaged. Over the last year, I’ve witnessed the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce’s paid director of legislative affairs regularly attend SLO City Council meetings and perpetuate a “NIMBY” attitude towards any proposed solution put forth by our community. This irresponsible and reprehensible behavior was the reason why I recently quit the Chamber after being a member on its diversity committee for more than seven years.

Fortunately, unlike the SLO Chamber under its current myopic leadership, there are many other segments of our local business community who do have the economic means and altruistic capacity to help solve the issue of homelessness. I am optimistic that this unrealized potential will increasingly materialize in the year to come.