PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council has scrapped the controversial "Camping Ordinance" and sees hope in an outreach program that connects unhoused individuals with resources. 

"It was a bad idea, please file it," Mayor Peter Marchetti said to the council on Tuesday about the ordinance that would have banned public camping and storing of personal items. 

The ordinance was sent to the Board of Health last year, and after months of consideration and a visit to the Northampton Division of Community Care, health officials recommend piloting an alternative community response program with two new homeless service coordinators who would begin work in the spring.  

"Our conclusion from that is very important. It is that street homelessness is a visible symptom of an underlying issue of deeper housing instability, complex health, and behavioral needs," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said. 

"While enforcement was an option, enforcement alone cannot address the underlying conditions that I just mentioned. These conditions are what's contributing to the downtown experiences that were presented to you, and also what's happening in the community at large." 

The camping ordinance was filed, and the BOH's recommendations were sent to the Public Health and Safety subcommittee. 

The BOH found that homelessness is multi multifactorial, with intersections of housing instability, economic vulnerability, mental health challenges, and substance abuse. They also found that Pittsfield's current engagement response is reactive, with co-responders handling crisis calls, but there is no consistent municipal public health approach. 

The pilot will establish two dedicated community health workers in the Health Department who focus on serving unhoused individuals in the downtown and larger community. The team will coordinate closely with agencies already doing this work, Cambi said, and without duplicating it.