SHOC

SACRAMENTO HOMELESS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND SACRAMENTO (LOCAL) POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN:  POSITION ON THE STOCKTON BOULEVARD CAMP AND MAYOR’S $40 MILLION PLAN

The Mayor’s $40 Million Plan Should Be Rethought Because The Proposed Emergency Shelters Will Not Make A Real Dent On Homelessness And The Money Would Be Better Spent In Supporting Permanent Housing, Jobs, And Self Governed Communities

We do not oppose shelters. People need to get out of the weather. Emergency shelter and its ability to connect people to resources and support services can play a role as an entry point and a transition from the street to permanent housing, if such housing is funded.  However, the plan to Spend $40 million for short term, emergency, mass shelters should be rethought. The emergency shelter model outlined is not cost effective. Such shelters would cover only a fraction of homeless people currently on our streets. (20% or less).  With thoughtful planning and diversification of strategies we could come much closer to ending homelessness for many more people with that $40 million.

1. Self-determined survival strategies, such as group camping, can also serve as entry points if the City and County supported such camps with dedicated sites, de-criminalization, sanitation, trash collection, improved shelter/tents, and services. Respect homeless residents’ civil rights, including search warrant requirements and expunging minor violations.
2. The plan links shelters with police services. This is unjustified, wasteful, and intimidating to homeless and other residents. It sends the wrong message and leads to criminalization of the poor.
3. Emergency shelters do not address root causes and will not stem the flow of homeless economic refugees who are without incomes and shut out of expensive housing.
4. Emergency shelters provide only a band-aid, as well as political window-dressing, and they cost a lot. A good example is the current $400,000 per month spent for a hundred-bed shelter. For this cost, many types of permanent supportive housing (such as group homes or apartment buildings) could be rented or purchased through leveraged funds.
5. A proposal for 2 years of funding is irresponsible and simply takes us into the next election.
6. Services for those with mental illness and for those in recovery must include the option of permanent homes.
7. The County as well as the City should be held accountable.
8. Homeless organizations and homeless individuals should be brought into decision making. A homeless commission to review plans and propose budgets should be created and should include these organizations and individuals.
9. Vacant, chronically tax delinquent, and abandoned properties should be claimed by eminent domain and made available to homeless and near homeless. Homeless people should be hired to fix and maintain the properties.
10. Self-governance of homeless communities, leadership development, and stability in place (right to rest) should be the governing principles for dealing with tent communities. Sanitation, trash collection, supportive services, and stability should be the key principles.
11. The government should fund, protect, and serve self-governing homeless camps so that the residents can maintain clean, attractive, well run communities. The Anti-camping ordinance should be modified or repealed. “Safe parking” spaces would allow people to sleep in their cars without threat of arrest.
12. Non-profits, including Sacramento Steps Forward, who have contracted to provide services should be audited to curb high administrative costs. These programs should be reconfigured and annually audited for complete transparency.

ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES

1. It’s not about the money – it’s how the money is used. A cot and a lunch bag does not address root causes. Managing the poor to get them out of view is not the answer.
2. Do not use homeless funds to pay for police services.
3. The City can use eminent domain to seize vacant and abandoned housing. These properties can and should be made available to house homeless people and families.
4. Local governments should employ homeless people to fix vacant properties so they can be rented for homeless and near homeless residents.
5. Sacramento should follow the lead of cities like San Diego that have funded and built permanent supportive housing units and other approaches to prevent homelessness and house the poor.
6. Sacramento should prioritize programs that allow groups of homeless people to earn enough collectively to pay first and last month’s rents, and deposits.
7. City programs should pay decent wages in cash and not simply gift cards. Landlords do not accept gift cards.
8. The city should help homeless people to get business licenses. Many people have good skills they can use but are discouraged by hiring discrimination.

THE STOCKTON BOULEVARD CAMP

1. Recognize the Stockton Boulevard camp as a contributing part of the Sacramento community.
2. The Stockton Boulevard camp is a good location for a self-governing homeless community because of the size of the lot, because it is accessible to public transportation, and because it is in a neighborhood of mixed residential and business uses.
3. A self-governed, clean, well-run tent community would be an asset to the surrounding neighborhood, including gardens and communal facilities. Clear the way for churches and other property owners to allow camping or shelter, as well as other services, such as communal meals.
4. When or if the land is taken for low income housing the tent community can be established elsewhere.
5. There are many models across the country for self-governing houseless communities. Sacramento Safe Ground (a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit) has developed models of self-governing communities and would provide assistance. Seattle has permitted and supported self-governing houseless communities. Portland has Dignity Village — a community of self-built housing. “Right 2 Dream Too” in downtown Portland, offers a safe nightly area for rest and respite on a tiny private lot. Clean and friendly, run by houseless residents, Right 2 Dream Too serves as a model for immediate relief.
6. In light of the goal of establishing a functional community, the county should support, protect and fund the Stockton Boulevard camp. Basic services, including trash collection, sanitation, services, and resources should be provided right away, and ongoing. The lot should be professionally cleaned to eliminate bio-hazards and pallets to raise the tents should be provided.
7. Leadership development, through immediate engagement of volunteer organizations, should start right away in order to support the creation of a governing council.
8. These are economic refugees and they should be afforded stability (the right to rest) dignity and respect. Do not disrupt this camp, do not arrest or scatter the people.

PRESS ADVISORY

Where are they to go? Where can they live?
Stockton Blvd houseless community face displacement by police

What: Solidarity with Stockton Blvd Encampment Residents

When:  Wednesday, February 12, 10 AM

Where: 5700 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA

Who:
Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Cathleen – (916) 801-4672)
Reckless Charity Entertainment (Crystal reckless.charity.entertainment@gmail.com)
Marysville Homeless Union
Salinas Homeless Union
California Homeless Union Organizing Council
ENGAGE, Inc, Kimberly – (916) 532-5604
Sacramento Safe Organized Spaced for Unhomed Youth

Governor Gavin Newsom today appointed Sacramento Mayor Steinberg to lead a new California commission on homelessness. How can the mayor be successful unless he, first, assures Sacramento is on the right track? It is not.  First, the City should start by allowing current residents living in tents on Stockton Blvd to stay where they are until they are able to get into a better situation–apartments, rooms, and other appropriate shelter. A fence has been built surrounding the community and it is expected that Wednesday morning service providers will come out to provide support (or will they coax residents to leave with the promise of a motel voucher for a couple nights? Or offer referrals to services that don’t exist?) They will probably be accompanied by police, during the services or afterwards. Afterwards, it’s expected that police may enforce eviction. Currently they have nowhere else to go. Shelters are full. Homeless housing programs are full. By forcing them to move, they leave what little stability they have found. They will have to leave the community that has formed by their need to help each other. This is only a first step since there is similarly houseless people living throughout Sacramento as individuals and in tight knit communities, who also need to be treated with dignity.

We want our city leaders to fight for their rights to survive and to exist. We want the city and county to not only protect their rights to not be displaced once again, but to allow and provide at least a minimum of services including portable toilets, water, garbage collection, and access to other services residents determine they need. Allow houseless members of our society to engage in self-determined survival strategies, including safe organized spaces, while they have no housing or shelter provided for them.

We want our city and county to appreciate and understand the 9^th Circuit decision in Boise vs Martin, that it is cruel and unusual punishment to make it a crime to live without shelter when there is not enough shelter beds or housing available to most of the houseless people in our community. The city camping ordinance that makes it against the law to merely live outdoors is a cruel law and an impossible law for thousands of people to obey because of the lack of alternatives.

Many individuals and groups have been helping the Stockton Blvd houseless community with food, supplies, help and friendship. Niki Jones (SHOC) said, “If you spent time with the residents of this encampment, too, then you would know that they were worth fighting for and their stability is worth fighting for.”

Members of California Homeless Union Organizing Council, Marysville Homeless Union, and Salinas Homeless Union heard about their plight and wanted to come to show their solidarity and support. Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee is exploring our participation and membership in this growing homeless lead movement.

SHOC joined this Lawsuit along with Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness  (SRCEH) and James (Faygo) Clark.

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Free Speech in Jeopardy

A panhandling ordinance will be brought forward at this Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Previously we’ve had an ordinance forbidding aggressive panhandling. If passed this new version will make it illegal to panhandle within 30 feet from an ATM, bank doorway, transit center, bus stop, and other place restrictions. Even if the person solicited isn’t using an ATM or at the bus stop.

When you pace out 30 feet, that length could take you across a two lane road plus parking space, a pretty long distance away to be considered intimidating. Panhandlers shouldn’t approach someone using an ATM, but everyone should be able to say “Spare change?” or “Can we bring about change?” anywhere else to anyone else in a non-threatening manner.

Let our city council know you want them to protect our constitutional right to free speech. Come to the City Council meeting Tuesday, 11/14/17, 5pm, email and/or call your councilmember and the mayor.

Copy of proposed ordinance

Articles: Sacramento City Council considers panhandling ordinance
Sacramento Panhandling Ban Could Go Into Effect Next Month

Mayor Steinberg  mayorsteinberg@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-5300
Dist 1 – Councilmember Angelique Ashby aashby@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7001
Dist 2 – Councilmember Allen Warren  awarren@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7002
Dist 3 – Councilmember Jeff Harris  jsharris@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7003
Dist 4 – Councilmember Steve Hansen  shansen@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7004
Dist 5 – Councilmember Jay Schenirer  jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7005
Dist 6 – Councilmember Eric Guerra  eguerra@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7006
Dist 7 – Councilmember Rick Jennings  rjennings@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7007
Dist 8 – Councilmember Larry Carr  lcarr@cityofsacramento.org (916) 808-7008

Camping Ordinance Trial Results

Ashmore et al vs City of Sacramento trial was challenging the city’s camping ordinance as being selectively enforced. The case began eight years ago stemming from multiple arrests and citations of a group of homeless people that formed a Safe Ground tent community. Attorney Mark Marin and his team that was challenging the City’s camping ordinance brought forward excellent witnesses including originally homeless and supporter plaintiffs, homelessness experts, a psychiatrist, and people that camped out at well-known events such as Camp Pollock and Fairytale Town camp outs, and Black Friday. Even the City brought forward a former police officer witness that testified homeless people are often harassed by law enforcement and have no other options. The city’s camping ordinance was upheld by a jury of twelve, with only three jurors voting that the ordinance was selectively enforced.

What comes next? SHOC and allies continue to fight to end this unjust law. Historically laws that sought to criminalize people in order to exclude them from public spaces or segregate them, such as Jim Crow laws, “Ugly Laws” which excluded people with disfiguring disabilities, “Anti-Okie” laws that excluded poor people from entering California, have all been overturned and we now cannot image these laws as acceptable. Overturning those laws took sometimes decades of hard work. Likewise our fight is far from over. The future includes legal battles, legislative enactments, public education, protests, marches, and reaching enough people who will finally understand that getting rid of homeless people happens only by ending homelessness.

Links to media about the trial:

Davis Vanguard Historic Homeless Trial Begins – Opposing Sides Tell Different Tales (Cres Vellucci) Sacramento News & Review Left in limbo – Homelessness on trial:  – Separate and unequal – Motions sickness  Sacramento Bee Jury sides with Sacramento – Does Sacramento unfairly apply its camping ordinance – I’ve watched people die outside – Homeless campers suing the city of Sacramento  ABC Jury: City of Sacramento didn’t enforce anti-camping ordinance only on homeless – A timeline – Lawsuit against Sacramento – What are the details?  KCRA Jury: Sacramento didn’t discriminate – Homeless advocates sue  Fox Jury Rules in City’s Favor – Trial Over   CBS Lawsuit Against Sacramento  Capital Public Radio Jury Sides With City