Sacramento would become the first city to establish a legal right to housing for homeless residents under a announced Monday by Mayor Darrell Steinberg. It would obligate unhoused people to accept housing or shelter when offered, making way for the potential clearing of more homeless encampments by 2023.
The plan, if passed by the City Council, would be the first of its kind nationally, and would force the city to deal with a growing homelessness crisis that has seen more than 10,000 people sleeping on the streets throughout a given year. It could also help the city comply with federal court rulings that have prevented local governments from imposing anti-camping ordinances if there isn鈥檛 enough housing or shelter to offer homeless residents.
鈥淧eople should be indoors,鈥� Steinberg told reporters during a video press conference. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so numb to (homelessness) now that we forget how inhumane it is.鈥�
The plan would require unhoused people to accept shelter when offered at least two alternatives. If they decline, they would be moved, even if they鈥檙e on public property.
Currently, Sacramento does not have enough housing or shelter beds to require homeless people to move from public property, unless there is an immediate safety hazard.
Local governments cannot arrest or cite people for sleeping on the street or force them to move without first offering them shelter, the result of a by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Martin v. Boise.
Civil and disability rights groups have opposed similar proposals previously for their potential to fine or jail homeless residents or force them to be held in a place they don鈥檛 want to be, including shelters.
Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, praised the current draft, saying it 鈥渕oves beyond symbolism and makes the right to housing very real.鈥�
However, he cautioned that Sacramento will need to pick up the pace of creating new shelter and safe ground spaces before any law could kick in.
鈥淎t the rate they鈥檙e creating those programs, there鈥檚 no way that they鈥檒l be ready to enforce anything in 2023,鈥� Erlenbusch said.
This summer, the City Council to build more shelters, tiny homes and city-sanctioned campgrounds. So far, however, only a few sites have opened.
The draft ordinance says Sacramento will provide enough housing units by Jan. 1, 2023, the mayor added temporary shelters will need to be used as the city builds more permanent homes.
鈥淕iven how much housing there needs to be produced to accommodate the homeless population,鈥� Steinberg said, 鈥渉ousing for purposes of this ordinance may include temporary shelters such as a tent, recreational vehicle trailer or tiny home in a city approved location, as long as the temporary shelter placement includes a plan for each person to obtain permanent housing.鈥�
Notably, Steinberg said police would not be involved in enforcing the requirement that homeless people move into housing or a shelter. Instead, he said the effort would be led by the city鈥檚 Department of Community Response 鈥渦sing a trauma informed care approach.鈥�
As proposed, the ordinance would only cover people who were housed in Sacramento for at least one year before becoming homeless. Steinberg said that requirement is needed in order to prevent the city from becoming a 鈥渕agnet鈥� for homeless people around the region.
If passed, the ordinance would allow a homeless person who qualifies to file a lawsuit against the city to be given housing.
Steinberg has long advocated for cities to be required to house all residents. In his role leading a state homlessness task force two years ago, to build more shelter beds 鈥� and then legally obligate homeless people to accept one if offered.
The mayor said on Monday that local governments don鈥檛 move fast enough to solve the crisis on their streets because they have no legal requirements to house people. He said his proposed ordinance could change that 鈥� at least in Sacramento.
鈥淚 want to move the needle and having the law behind us is important,鈥� Steinberg added.
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed , a similar law which would have created a 鈥渞ight to safe, decent, and affordable housing鈥� mandate for families and children at risk of falling into homelessness.
In his , Newsom called it 鈥渁 laudable goal鈥� but said he couldn鈥檛 support the bill鈥檚 $10 billion annual cost.
鈥淢oreover, I have always maintained that our efforts must come with greater accountability and better results. Although well-intentioned, this bill is duplicative of existing efforts and may ultimately force us to expend resources without commensurately creating new housing or services for people experiencing homelessness,鈥� he wrote.
The mayor鈥檚 plan will be discussed at Tuesday鈥檚 City Council meeting, though no vote has been scheduled.
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