The Sacramento City Council delivered a harsh blow to the city’s most vulnerable residents in July, voting 6-3 to ban overnight camping outside City Hall and implementing a policy that advocates say criminalizes poverty instead of addressing its root causes. The decision reversed a 2018 ordinance that had allowed people experiencing homelessness to sleep on City Hall grounds between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Fines and Jail Time Over Solutions
According to The Sacramento Observer, Mayor Kevin McCarty’s proposed policy would impose fines up to $25,000 and jail time of up to a year for sitting or lying in front of City Hall between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. CapRadio reported that the measure passed with support from five council members, ending the 2018 policy that allowed overnight sleeping on the property.
The decision came despite passionate opposition from advocates who argue the ordinance pushes vulnerable residents into more dangerous areas. As reported by CapRadio, unhoused residents say it was one of the last safe and well-lit places to sleep.
Troubling Justifications
Mayor McCarty introduced the ordinance, saying the goal was to make the area safer for staff and the public, according to CapRadio. He said the city would work to inform those who regularly stay outside City Hall and offer them shelter and outreach services. However, critics point to a concerning pattern in the city’s approach.
During public testimony, attorney Ryan Hockbaum noted that “Since his mayoral term has started, fines and arrests have increased sixfold, and there has been no increase in shelter capacity or affordable housing throughout the city,” as detailed by CapRadio. The mayor justified the policy by citing cleanup costs, claiming “We’re saving to not have to power wash literally feces and urine from the sidewalks every morning.”
Sacramento’s Worsening Crisis
The context for this decision is particularly grim. The Sacramento Observer reported that since 2009, Sacramento’s homelessness crisis has only worsened, rising from 2,800 individuals in 2009 to 6,615 in 2024, with experts believing this is an undercount…