Judge Bars Sacramento Encampment Sweeps

A federal judge ruled that Sacramento can’t displace unhoused residents living in encampments until at least the end of August, reports Melanie Wingo for KCRA. “As part of its rationale for the ruling, the court made note of the Sacramento area's summertime temperatures.”

The ruling came in response to an action filed by the California Homeless Union. “Every time the city, either through the police, or code enforcement, or utilities department, breaks up an encampment, they exile people into the streets and areas away from where they had some means of protection,” said Anthony Prince, CHU lead organizer and general counsel. 

In addition to calling for more resources to place people in permanent supportive housing and make more affordable housing available to low-income residents, “The California Homeless Union also asked the court to require Sacramento County to open more cooling centers and extend cooling center hours.The judge did not do that, according to Prince.”

The city disputes the assertion that it has been conducting sweeps. According to a statement from the city, they “will be back before the court when the injunction expires in order to ‘inform the Court that it has not been sweeping encampments and welcomes the opportunity to continue to clarify its position and unhoused protocols – especially surrounding critical infrastructure — and to explore solutions with community partners.’”

Meanwhile, an article by Theresa Clift in the Sacramento Bee relates that “The Sacramento City Council could pull or alter a measure it placed on the November ballot that would force the city to provide more shelter for homeless residents, according to the lead proponent for the initiative.” The same article notes that roughly 9,287 people experience homelessness nightly in Sacramento, twice as many as in January 2019.