SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With the WX "Safe Grounds" encampment along Highway 50 in Sacramento set to close by years' end, unhoused residents at the site were confused to see a flyer saying they might be forced out sooner.
The notices came down from the nonprofit First Step Communities, which is charged with running the encampment of about 100 people.
"We encourage you to get with your Case Manager and put a plan together as the days will go by quickly," stated the flyer with the nonprofit housing provider's letterhead. "Residents not engaged in an exit plan by 11/30/2021 will be exited from Safe Ground."
Public officials like Councilmember Katie Valenzuela quickly denounced the flyers as distributed without the knowledge or consent of the city.
Speaking with ABC10, First Step Communities Executive Director Stephen Watters said the preemptive notice was nothing more than staff error.
"Our staff went out and talked to all the people there, kind of apologizing for the error and recalculating with them on how to best help them by December 31," Watters said. "They are good staff. They've done a great job up there, but got a date wrong."
Stephen said his nonprofit helped house 140 people in Sacramento and that his staff will continue working with the unhoused community at the Safe Ground site to find more stable housing.
Though as the mutually agreed upon eviction date of Dec. 31 looms closer, Watters said he is waiting for the city to provide a more concrete exit plan for the people living in tents and vehicles along the strip of land.
A spokesperson for Councilmember Valenzuela's office described the developing plans to house residents at the encampment site as "in flux" — no finalized plan as of yet.
"We're working with (First Step Communities) to do the best we can for the Safe Ground for others," Skyler Henry, council representative, said. "Right now and there are several things that are on the near horizon that are very exciting, but they aren't nailed down yet. There's a lot of movement and things are in flux. So a little bit of difficulty in communication is going to be somewhat inevitable."
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