Street Roots director Israel Bayer has a thoughtful and punchy analysis of Thursday’s housing candidate forum over at his personal website.

I don’t personally know Nick or Jim, but they both seem like amazing individuals.

I haven’t decided who is the better candidate to move our city forward, but I’m strongly leaning on the Middaugh side of the fence.

Nick Fish was prepared. He was focused with his message, on target and well-versed in the policies of homelessness and housing.

I do think he dodged the question on civil rights. When asked what he would do to protect people on the streets civil rights, he gave the safe and bland answer, “being homeless is not a crime.”

Well, in fact, yes it is. And there’s several laws on the books that makes homelessness a crime. Instead of talking about the real issues surrounding civil rights and homelessness, he chose to talk about the day access center in Old Town/Chinatown, which in my mind has nothing to do with civil rights and everything to do with politics.

Middaugh on the other hand came out and said that the city needs to revisit the camping ordinance, sit-lie, and in his written answer talks about private security downtown. Will he follow through on these promises? Well, considering not even the great Erik Sten, who I consider one of my true heroes walked down that road. He held the powers that be off time, and time and again, but was never able to move us in a different direction on civil rights and homelessness.

Still, Jim has the guts to talk about the issue in an educated manner, much like Erik does. One of the most brilliant things about Erik’s tenure as a commissioner was he knew the role grassroots organizations played in the larger movement to get things done. I think Jim gets this.

It’s good to see homeless civil rights issues having a direct impact on candidates’ chances in this race. And I share Bayer’s enthusiasm for a public discussion of those issues. We’re yet to make an endorsement in this race, but I’d be curious to see what Nick Fish’s response is to Bayer’s musings…