Safe Ground Sacramento
To Turn Lives Around
Being homeless, being in need, should not be a crime. And it can no longer be an invisible problem that we just turn away from, or that we assume can never be “solved.”
That’s why many of Sacramento’s largest and oldest homeless service organizations, including Loaves & Fishes, Francis House, Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee have banded together with other non-profit organizations, businesses and individuals to find a solution for the problem.
Tough times demand creative solutions. Sacramento has public land that no one is using – land that, along with a sleeping cottage can provide a homeless person with a safe place to stay for only $3,000 to $5,000.
We are asking the City to provide our homeless neighbors with the most basic human right – a safe place to be - and a safe place to rebuild lives - a place called “Safe Ground”.
"Safe Ground" is…
- A secure location, sanctioned by the city & operated by the residents
- A place with clean water, toilets, and garbage collection
- A place where residents can be free from harassment and danger
- A place where homeless people can access services they need to turn their lives around
Every day, more than 1,200 homeless men, women, and children are struggling to make it on Sacramento County’s streets.
Homelessness is not a new problem. But a bad economy means more people on the streets, and fewer government dollars to help them.
Making it a crime to be homeless means even fewer can work their way out. The City’s “camping ordinance” makes it illegal for anyone to use or store camping paraphernalia on public property. It makes being homeless a crime. [Link to ordinance]
The constant threat of arrest, the lack of sleep and of sanitary conditions, exacerbates any mental or physical impairment that may have contributed to their homelessness in the first place. And the lack of “safe ground” – where homeless people can stay, leave their belongings and be more accessible to service providers, lessens the chance they will be able to work their way out of homelessness. [Link to legal brief with psychologist’s statement]
It’s time that our state’s Capitol show some leadership on this issue. Sacramento can be a model for all cities around the state and the nation by being the first city in California to declare a “safe ground” for homeless people.
Take Action Now.
Media
Share
