Fremont is at a dangerous crossroads. While the City Council has moved forward with a strict city-wide camping ordinance—essentially making it a crime to exist in public spaces—we are simultaneously seeing the closure of essential safety nets like the BACS Wellness Center.
Last year, BACS provided over 14,000 service visits, offering hygiene, mental health support and a path toward housing. By allowing these “front door” services to vanish, the city is creating a “no-win” cycle. We are telling our unhoused neighbors they cannot be on the streets, yet we are shuttering the very places they go to get off the streets.
If the city is serious about its “Shelter Crisis Declaration,” it must prioritize maintaining drop-in wellness centers. Without them, the camping ban isn’t a solution—it’s just a shell game that moves people from one sidewalk to another while stripping away their dignity and access to help.
I urge Mayor Salwan and the City Council to stop the closure of BACS wellness services and provide the necessary funding to keep these doors open. We cannot police our way out of a humanitarian crisis while closing the only exits.
Reiko Contreras
BACS clients, South Bay Wellness Center
