SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A ballot measure that would require the City of Sacramento to create homeless shelter space and begin enforcing a camping ban could be at risk of being removed or drastically altered, according to a coalition of community members who worked with City Hall to draft the measure.
Discussions on the Emergency Temporary Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022 began in early January as a traditional ballot initiative and later moved to discussions with Sacramento City leaders as an initiative that would later be sent to the ballot by council.
If approved as is, the measure would require the City of Sacramento within 60 days to identify and establish enough emergency shelter space equal to 60% of the city’s homeless population. It would also make homeless camps of four or more unrelated people illegal, which could be enforced by police.
Finally, the measure would create an abatement and complaint process for businesses and residents to report any damages or injuries from homeless camps on city-owned property.
Daniel Conway is chair of the coalition known as Sacramentan’s for Safe and Clean Streets and Parks, which is backed by businesses, public safety, labor and community groups. The coalition had worked with council to approve language in the measure that would be approved in April to be voted on by the public in November.
Now, Conway says there have been discussions in City Hall to amend the measure to include requirements contingent on actions by Sacramento County leaders, which could mean any enforcement of the measure may take years.
“Now, at the 11th hour, the city is looking to break it’s promise to our coalition and our community and that frankly is unacceptable,” Conway said at a Thursday press conference in front of Old Sacramento City Hall. “The people of Sacramento have an expectation that they will have a voice this November, and yet now, we see that the city is trying to take away the voice of the people of Sacramento.”
As Conway and other members of the coalition spoke, they were interrupted by the voices of another coalition of community groups and homeless advocates, which is vehemently opposing the measure.
A woman who only identified herself as Shelly, said “housing” not simply shelter was the only way to approach the issue. She said simply housing people in tents was not dignified and should not be considered.
“It’s forcing. It’s coercive. There is nothing voluntary about it,” she said.
Changes to ballot measures must be completed by Aug. 12. It is unclear if or how City Hall may respond. ABC10 reached out to each Sacramento City Councilmember and Mayor Darrell Steinberg but requests for comment were not returned.
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