What exactly is uncomfortable about Sacramento? Is it the culture? Is it the food? The community? It’s clear from social media threads and public meetings that what many find uncomfortable about Sacramento is the unwavering crisis of unwell and unhoused citizens embedded in the heart of the city – an issue many hospitality workers are on the front lines of.
It’s safe to say that the majority of Sacramento, especially areas to grab a bite to eat, are public property and available to anyone. Nevertheless, restaurant and shop owners on the Downtown scene are frequently subjected to mentally and physically unwell citizens without homes or access to healthcare services, sometimes disrupting commerce or even driving customers off. Who’s ultimately responsible to ensure the safety of not only those in need of medical or psychiatric intervention, but also business owners or their customers who are threatened, injured, or sometimes even robbed?
Mayor Kevin McCarty recently posted a bleak update through his ‘Mayor McCarty Memo,’ asserting, “At the current rate, getting our unhoused neighbors off Sacramento streets and into permanent supportive housing would take 125 years.”…