A proposed Homeless Navigation Center in Fremont has roiled the city’s public discourse for months, highlighted the friction between residents concerned over the city’s deepening homeless crisis and homeowners who fear the facility could lower the value of their properties.
But the controversy has also revealed a burgeoning schism between two members of the Fremont City Council who have taken opposing stances on the location of the Homeless Navigation Center.
Fremont Mayor Lily Mei has been a leading proponent of the facility to help alleviate the city’s homelessness problem. Last month, Lei penned a letter to the community asking for compassion for the homeless.
Councilmember Teresa Keng, meanwhile, has sided with vocal and well-organized residents, many Asian American, from Fremont’s Decoto neighborhood, a second choice recommended by the city staff for the proposed navigation center.
But, the level of contention between Keng, the Decoto residents, and Mei has risen to an entirely new level, according to sources.
Earlier this summer, Keng distributed Mei’s home address on the messaging app WeChat in order to encourage opponents of the navigation center in order to pressure the mayor to place the navigation center at a location other than Decoto.
The strategy is often called doxxing, and is typically used with malicious intent to harass another.
Keng’s action against Mei created additional problems. After the incident, Fremont Police Department began patrolling the area around mayor’s home, according to sources, out of caution for Mei and her family’s safety.
Both Chinese American councilmembers are up for re-election next year. Keng won the newly-created District 1 council seat last November in the city’s first use of district elections. But due to the switch from at-large to district elections, the district Keng won is a short-term seat up in November 2020. Mei’s four-year term as mayor is also up for re-election next year.
But the doxxing controversy, in addition, to Keng’s gripes for not being included in some city functions, including a visit to Fremont by a Taiwanese official (Keng is Taiwanese), has led some to speculate she is eyeing a run for mayor next year.
ebcitizen.com 
I am not defending for anybody. However, before anyone wants to attack another person, please do your fact finding independently, instead of relying on rumors or speculation… Sometimes, the damage can be long lasting and have very negative impact to the innocent person(s).
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叔叔，你應該學會文明說話，因為議員肯格說話。她代表了弗里蒙特的所有真正的居民，並不關心你的想法，因為她有保證由人民選舉。沒有證據表明無家可歸者是中國人。我們照顧自己。讓這些混蛋死在大街上這是他們的命運。
shū shū ， nǐ yīng gāi xué huì wén míng shuō huà ， yīn wéi yì yuán kěn gé shuō huà。tā dài biǎo le fú lǐ méng tè de suǒ yǒu zhēn zhèng de jū mín ， bìng bù guān xīn nǐ de xiǎng fǎ ， yīn wéi tā yǒu bǎo zhèng yóu rén mín xuǎn jǔ。méi yǒu zhèng jù biǎo míng wú jiā kě guī zhě shì zhōng guó rén。wǒ men zhào gù zì jǐ。ràng zhè xiē hún dàn sǐ zài dà jiē shàngzhè shì tā men de mìng yùn。
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All Teresa Keng is good for is taking pictures and throwing up a peace sign. I still to this day have no idea how she was elected. Try to have a conversation with her that has any substance and you’ll understand what I mean.
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How is giving out someone else’s personal information okay? What if someone decided to bomb the Mayor’s house – how would you feel then. You DO KNOW that has happened in the passed with ex officials of Fremont! Why would you wish that on anyone? I for one am now AGAINST the Navigation center primarily because of these tactics!
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A burgeoning schism. Really?
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Councilmember Keng,
Just to be clear you did not distribute Mayor Mei’s home address on the messaging app WeChat? Please confirm. I am sure Steve will also want to reach out to you on what you did not and did not do.
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Mr Tavares and East Bay Citizen,
This is Teresa Keng, and I had never posted the mayor’s address or any other Councilmembers address in any group chat or private message. I’m demanding for the article to be retracted and an apology. Also I had voted for the Navigation Center while it was not an unanimous vote but glad it went through and now the city have been in the process of collecting public feedback and site studies to determine the best location.
When in doubt, please do reach out to people mentioned in your future articles published especially if you’re speaking of them negatively.
Regards,
Teresa Keng
Fremont City Councilmember
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I am concerned that all our citizens/residents’ voices and comments will not be heard… due to many of the council members are not listening, care, or have their own priorities and agenda… they are the ones who get to vote on a resolution(s) that will have/leave major impacts to our daily life and well-beings to us, our children, our families/friends, and our neighborhoods. For those who has some influences to those council members, please help us to pass through some of our messages/concerns to them before too late.. Thank you!
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The citizens in Fremont that live in a nice home with a good job that oppose helping the homeless should be ashamed.The greed. And unwillingness to help the less fortunate in their community is disgraceful.
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How about the empty land opposite Quart lakes near Isherwood for the Navigation Center?
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As much as I think homeless people need help, the costs incur to run the center don’t justify. 45 beds and 1 meal a day will cost the city $60,000 per year per bed. It also looks like 80% of the costs go to staffs, almost like 2 to 1 ratio, but only for six months. Witg a 10% successful rate to transfer people, how are the remaining 40 homeless going to do after Six months. More things need to be sorted out before just rushing in building a center.
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The fact is, most homeless do not want rules or to be confined. They should be moved to Fresno, or somewhere where the property is not expensive. Personally I would love to live in Palo Alto instead of East Bay. Do the residents of Palo Alto have an obligation to resettle me there, just because it’s nicer than here?? Of course not. Do not mix these homeless with the productive and thriving. You make your own bed! If you all insist homeless should be in Fremont, I vote for the Civic Center, so all the bleeding hearts can greet them morning, noon and night.
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Anonymous,
The Asian Community is not a single block of voters. What is true is that no one apparently wants to have a Homeless Navigation Center in the neighborhood where they live, own property, rent, have a business or where their children play. The Council is divided along political loyalties and contributions, as well as many collective prejudices or ignorance. Money I am sure plays a part in it.
What is refreshing so far is that none have yet said to pack up the Homeless and send them to Texas or Vermont. The Christians, Muslims, Sikh, Hindi, Jain, Catholics, Buddhists & Pagans have not yet risen to a position of leadership and have instead let the small minded NIMBYITES and Haters and their acolytes speak up and lead.
Perhaps Fremont will grow up, or join the exodus out of California. I hope not.
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Not all Asian Americans are against building the center in Fremont, not all residents are against it. We do need a practical, compassionate, and compromise solution, as is supposed to happen in a democracy.
I do know how hard it is to get there when the people is divided and our leaders are not leading, some rather taking advantage of the division. “Making America Greed” sounds familiar? If this is how western democracy goes down to doom’s day, then be it. I do hope people wakes up before then.
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I hope all council members are voting for the resolution (selection of the location for the Navigation Center) are based on facts, realistic expectation, long term commitments, workable solution to meet the needs of the targeted recipients. Decoto Road is not-friendly to the homeless due to lack of required/necessary facilities, such as health/medical, transportation, training, and grocery. City Hall Parking location has all these facilities in-placed and ready to serve. I would urge all council members to think wisely and objectively, and biased to their own priorities and believes to help our homeless situation. Please do more research and gather all facts and not rushing to any short-sighted decisions that will cause more harm than good. Please follow your conscious and your hearts! God blesses Fremont and all. Thank you for your time!
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Theomordha
This leaves Rick Jones and Raj Salwan to settle the issue. As long as the solution stays out of their districts, look for both to bend towards the mayor
On the above paragraph ( copied from your own post , you answered your own question )
One thing is a fact repeated over and over all around those locations now called ( transition centers ) , the areas surrounding these centers gets complectly turned into all kind a (dumping ) grounds for a ever increasing number of the very same people the community intended to help
Not everyone in those centers obviously does that , but the ones who do , do it with impunity , and so goes the neighborhood into a unlivable conditions first to the ones next block , and after a couple years it’s another few blocks and on from there
The ones withe the policial power to decide where to locate those ( transit centers ) for some reason do not ever choose their own neighborhoods as a ideal location , or even suggest it could be a area to make a study about potencial be one
I just wonder the reasoning why !
Yes , homeless is a huge problem , it became this big in part by the people who have been running the policial decisions to ever making developments more expensive with fees on anything they can come up , all those fees add cost to building new homes , therefor those costs are passed on to the buyers
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Do the residents really need to be identified as, “many of them Asian American,”? How about they’re just residents? The homeless situation is appalling in Fremont. They’ve taken over lake Elizabeth to the point that you dare not be out there close to sunset.
The homeless, or better defined as mentally ill/ addicts are not easily handled by adequate housing. They need specialized care to treat them something that income earning people are finding it harder to do. So how do you think the mentally ill/ addicted are to be addressed? It won’t be through housing. That’s only part of the problem. I don’t have the answer but creating some grandiose navigation center only engrains homelessness not help to eliminate it. And it’s not because of the cost of housing, it’s behavioral.
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Fremont’s average home price is one million dollars with lots of supposedly rich successful people… but is completely devoid of humanity. It’s the people that make a place great and if that place is filled with heartless greedy people: it’s nothing more than hell on earth.
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What a horrible misleading reporting, full of lies and malicious intentions.
There is no such thing as leaking Mayer’s home address, period. residents concerned about hnc in residential area are well educated people with valid concerns, as simple as that.
Residents are not politicians, they raise concerns.
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Word is that Teresa wants to run for Mayor which would be a train wreck for Fremont as she has been one of the worst City Councilmembers ever, period! She voted to kick thriving businesses out in Centerville for the Silicon Sage developer. She is just trying to get support for herself as she voted for the homeless navigation center resolution twice and now is pandering to the people against it.
I see her buddy Justin Sha is our there trying to defend her. Justin is an immature cry baby that is upset because he lost against Yang Shao and was not appointed to the city planning. He threw a temper tantrum when not appointed in front of everyone like a two year old. Threatened to sue the city. This is why I believe everything in this article as Teresa Keng will do anything at this point to try to extend her horrible political career. She will be the end of Fremont.
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No HNC for Fremont is the best choice. The funding should be used to strengthen the current program, instead of opening a can of worms.
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I live near Decoto Road and I have a homeless guy harassing me and my husband. He vandalized my porch and through a landscaping rock at my living room window. He threatened to kill me and my husband. I had to file a restraining order against him. Is this the beginning of future attraction of the center. More mentally ill people coming to my home. The Mayor should have the center near hospital. Not on a busy roadway. Where’s there no hospital close by? Give them what they really need ” medical help “. Why do I have to live in Fear for my life?
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We need to help homeless people. But HNC is not the suitable solution. City councils only spent 30min to adopt HNC. They did not do a thorough research. More than half of the fund for HNC goes to BACS instead of helping homeless people directly. Why we need such a luxury program which only acommodate 45 people for 6 months? Please don’t waste tax payers’ money!
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BTW Steven, the Mayor’s home address is online! Any one can find it!
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I think you have made very good points.
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Re: “Needs of the Clients”- So the nearest location to City & County services would be optimal… Civic parking lot it is!
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The Mayor does not support a navigation center near her home. The Mayor’s address was published which I believe was appropriate. The Mayor felt so threatened police patrols of her home were increased; BUT, residents who don’t want homeless roaming in their neighborhoods are called insensitive and unjustifiably fearful. Our Mayor is afraid of hardworking taxpaying citizens showing up in front of her house; but Decoto residents are irrational because we don’t want mentally ill, drug addicted individuals who are abandoned by their families due to psychotic behaviors showing up in front of our homes. Yeah…right!
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Fremont needs a housing navigation center! The location should be chosen based on the needs of its clients. So many disingenuous arguments against it.
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Why this article does not mention the fact that Rick Jones is backed by house developers near downtown Fremont?
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The author of this arcticle is a lier, there is no need to leak the adress of the mayer, it is online searchable.
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If the key facts of the story — that she led a crowd of angry people to the home of another official they were angry with — are true, then that move was bad politics, really bad judgment, and downright dangerous.
We can separate that, though, from the merits or demerits of the Navigation Center or any other strategy to help the homeless, and the selection of sites.
Sometimes when people argue these latter points they seem to be following a thought process a little like this:
Person 1: Let’s do Plan A to help the homeless.
Person 2: No, Plan A is a poor choice because [reasons]. Let’s instead do Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, or all three to help the homeless, because [reasons, reasons, reasons].
Person 1: You are un-Christian! You are heartless and inhuman! Why do you hate homeless people and enjoy seeing them suffer?
It’s as if there were only one possible way to help homeless people.
Please let me know if I missed anything.
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The permits were all granted under the last city council under Bill Harrison! Look at the voting records.
Theresa votes for the developer to tear down Centerville
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Fremont is looking more like third world country, I have lived in Fremont since 1956, the city has no direction, all they concerned about is lining there pockets, and I am now the minority in this town, no wonder so many people are leaving, the richest country try in the world ,there should never be any homeless in our country
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The mayor needs to be investigated for the EB5 scheme from Chinese investors as there was rampant housing permits granted disregarding traffic and road conditions in Fremont.
Paseo Padre overpass over 880 is still not fixed and the city is skirting away from fixing it by putting a watch for bump sign. Are you kidding it’s been 2 years now. I wish the citizens have right to audit the city as don’t know where all the tax money is going.
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NO Homeless Navigation Shelter! There is NO guarantee the City of Fremont will get the additional $10,000,000 to operate the shelter for years two through five. Where is that money coming from? How about a safe parking lot for those that live in RVS and cars?
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Very biased report. As a resident at Decoto, housing price is my least concern – I hope to pay less tax on that. I urge the writer to visit the decoto site to see how unfriendly the environment there to our homely friends.
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The Navigation Center is needed and should be built. The best interests of the people who will be served must be the deciding factor in selecting a location, not the unwarranted fears of nimby residents.
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This is stacking up to be the ultimate Fremont NIMBY Council Confrontation.
There are two votes for Lily Mei with the husband and wife team of Vinnie Bacon and jenny Kassan. Vinnie needs the support for his future and Jenny will vote to support her mate. They are both ideological supporters of this Navigation Center.
Theresa Keng needs to woo Yao Sheng much more effectively than she has so far. Can Taiwan actually get support from the PRC and Yao Sheng? Lots of pollical capital will be spent here.
This leaves Rick Jones and Raj Salwan to settle the issue. As long as the solution stays out of their districts, look for both to bend towards the mayor.
Leaking Lily’s home address is just the beginning of how ugly and divisive this can get. Naysayers need only look up bay to Alameda and Oakland to see how divisive the Homeless become.
Where are the Christians welcoming all to their brethren?
Certainly not in Fremont.
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