Mayor Steinberg: Sacramento will continue focus on creating more shelter and cleaning up city

Sacramento (July 20, 2023) There's been a lot of back and forth the last few days on the crisis of homelessness, and what the city is doing to alleviate the suffering of the unsheltered and our entire community. 

I choose not to engage in the back and forth.  Instead, I will continue my and the city’s focus on enforcing our private property, critical infrastructure, and sidewalk ordinances and growing the number of sanctioned shelter beds and safe camping spaces for the unsheltered population beyond the 1,100 we have already created.

New tents preparing to open at Miller Park earlier this month

We will have an opportunity on Aug. 1 to do just that.  I have proposed authorizing the City Manager to stand up hundreds of new safe camping spaces as quickly as possible. That will be the most effective way to help more people and provide the legal, moral, and effective way to tell people where they may and may not camp.

I want to respond directly to one part of the dialogue these last days: namely the criticism of our City Attorney related to her interpretation of Martin v. Boise. The City Attorney’s interpretation is correct; the case clearly links moving people off public property to the greater availability of additional safe camping, shelter, and housing. 

Today our city is regularly taking action to move encampments that are blocking sidewalks or located on critical infrastructure or private property. Our Department of Community Response has responded to more than 13,000 calls so far in 2023, including 2,300 for blocked sidewalks. We’ve cleaned up 6,624 cubic yards of debris. Police have made at least 30 arrests for crimes such as theft, outstanding warrants or drug offenses. I fully support enforcing our laws and holding accountable those committing crimes.

Moving encampments wholesale is a different story — and not compliant with court rulings — unless we can offer individuals somewhere to go. Absent any approved destination, people ejected from one spot often just move a few blocks away, which is an exercise in futility that leads to more frustration.

Here's how it can work across the city after the City Council makes its bold decision on Aug. 1:

Yesterday, the city cleaned up the encampment at 28th and C streets, but we didn't just move people with no place to go.  The city offered everyone a spot at the Miller Park safe camping facility, and about 14 people accepted. Having more places for people to go will mean a cleaner, more humane city. We will have to continue following up with those who declined to go to Miller Park, but if we have shelter to offer then they can be moved again if they are disturbing residents and businesses on a new corner.

Amid the fury, frustration, and politics, we will stay the course with the city, county, and our community.   It’s the only way to achieve genuine progress.