WHERE DO WE GO CITY OF SACRAMENTO?

Regarding the City’s proposed Levee ban ordinance, scheduled on the 2 pm calendar. (Also, camping ban proposed for around infrastructure and hollow sidewalks)

WHERE : 915 I st Sacramento, CA (by fountain)

WHEN: 1:15PM 2/25/2020

WHO: Sacramento Homeless Union- camp representatives.

The Sacramento Homeless Union with Stockton SOS Camp members, The river area camps, TB and Freds Bayside Camp, X Street camps and more impacted voices will be speaking on behalf of the proposed ordinance.

While we understand the vital needs to protect our infrastructure, levees, Rivers and public utilities; We are asking the public to see there is literally nowhere for us to go. If this ordinance goes into place people will be dispersed from places like the river, Morrison Creek, under the Bridges and many other locations in the city. The reality of this is we will be displaced in front of businesses in neighborhoods which will then put pressure on our Police Department, fire departments code enforcement. Which will also increase sweeps. Sometimes these sweeps happen between every 24 to 72 hours. Also they are funded as homeless services. We could utilize those funds into services that actually help us. One must understand that homelessness is a crisis and we do not have adequate shelter space at this time. Nor do we have the adequate wraparound services that we need.

The Sacramento Homeless Union has made multiple requests for impacted voices to be heard and be in these meetings especially when ordinances and policies will be directly causing us harm. Recently by Morrison Creek we were given a 72-hour notice to move by the impact team. Unfortunately 72 hours is not much time to move all of your belongings so we were separated. This led to one of our Union Executive council members from Stockton SOS members Vanessa having both of her arms and her neck broken and sodomized may she rest in peace . She was out on 5700 Stockton Blvd as well. Since January 1,2019 we have had 5 deaths in district 6 alone. Homelessness and bad policies put us in direct harm in many situations.

The bigger question that needs to be addressed here is why are our local municipalities and our leaders trying to find a loophole in Martin vs Boise instead of spending the effort and time into actually aiding those of us who are dying on the streets. The policies and ordinances are creating city and county dangers to us. We have people who are being dumped off from the hospital, seniors, veterans, children, families who have been evicted, people hiding from domestic violence and so much more. Now here is a realistic look at this; if you had one bad seed in your neighborhood how would you feel about having your whole neighborhood uprooted and shoved around with nowhere to go.

We understand the concerns for the fires on Morrison Creek however the person who did this was not part of the self govern camp we have running. Why is our municipalities and Council not coming directly out to us to see how we can better the situation as a community in whole. Why are our elected officials not bringing out fire extinguishers, teaching people how to build appropriate fires, issuing fire permits to ensure responsibility. We are doing what we have to do to survive! We have to eat! We have to stay warm! We have to stay together to stay safe! We have had candidates like Katie Valenzuela and Waverly Hampton come out and they served. They talked to us with dignity and respect and listened patiently to try to understand what we need. While we have people sitting in seats making decisions for us that are not realistic to our needs because they won’t hear us.

Now you want to place this Ban, however, you have not addressed the solutions for what is going to happen when everybody is removed. We ask that you have a meeting with the Sacramento Homeless Union who will bring a representative from each area to discuss how we can move forward in a way that is safe for all of us. We are all your constituents we need to be treated like it.

Crystal Sanchez

President of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Homeless Union

sacramento.homeless.union@gmail.com

916-495-9026

Main gist of the proposed ordinance:

8.140.030 Prohibited activities.
A. It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to camp, occupy camp
facilities, or use camp paraphernalia at the following locations:

1. Critical infrastructure;
2. Within 25 feet of critical infrastructure;
3. Within 25 feet of a vehicular or pedestrian entrance or exit of critical
infrastructure;
4. On those portions of a right-of-way that are required by local, state, or federal
law to be free of obstruction to first responders, including but not limited to members
of law-enforcement, fire-prevention, or emergency-medical-services agencies;
5. Above or within a hollow sidewalk; or
6. Wildfire risk area.

B. It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to store personal property,
including camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, in the following locations without the
written consent of the owner, except as otherwise provided by resolution of the city
council:
1. Critical infrastructure;
2. Within 25 feet of critical infrastructure;
3. Within 25 feet of a vehicular or pedestrian entrance or exit of critical
infrastructure;
4. On those portions of a right-of-way that are required by local, state, or federal
law to be free of obstruction to first responders, including but not limited to members
of law-enforcement, fire-prevention, or emergency-medical-services agencies;
5. Above or within a hollow sidewalk; or
6. Wildfire risk area.

Photo from William Burg “Here’s a map of underground sidewalks, historic underground spaces that Preservation Sacramento (our predecessor SOCA) paid to survey in 2009.”