Homeless Campers to Be Moved out of Sacramento's Tent City

[babylonsister]

Published on Friday, March 20, 2009 by the Sacramento Bee
Homeless Campers to Be Moved out of Sacramento's Tent City

by Cynthia Hubert


Homeless campers who live inside Sacramento's tent city will be asked to move to shelters and other indoor structures, officials said Thursday.


Carol Carlile walks to her tent in a homeless encampment known as 'Tent City,' in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, March 19, 2009. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Thursday that city officials have devised a temporary plan to offer shelter space and transitional housing to the estimated 150 homeless that occupy land along the American River on the northern edge of downtown Sacramento. Johnson said he will take the proposal to the Sacramento City Council for approval on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Responding to growing concern and criticism about the burgeoning homeless encampment north of downtown, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced a plan to move as many as 150 campers to "safer, more sanitary" grounds.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, which owns the bulk of the tent city property, plans to fence off the area within the next month, a spokeswoman said.

Homeless people have illegally camped in the area off the American River Parkway for years. But the issue took on new life when Oprah Winfrey featured it on a recent television program focusing on "the new faces" of homelessness.

The show sparked international interest and public outrage, prompting elected officials to convene meetings to figure out a solution.

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http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/03/20-11

[varkam]

1. And the solution is? Kick them out!

:argh:

[ColbertWatcher]

2. They ordered them out of the tents and into shelters. What shelters? n/t

[dkofos]

3. Here's a thought.

All the foreclosed homes with unpaid property taxes should be seized and used
to house the homeless.

[LeftyMom]

4. Many people don't WANT to stay in shelters.

More than likely this will just result in people moving the tents.

[juno jones]

5. Instead of providing

port a pots or anything else that would be 'sanitation' they kick them out.

I used to live in that neighborhood-well across the river in Del Paso District. I had a roof (30 ft trailer) so I was luckier than those who were camping on the American River Parkway there. It is centrally located to jobs, transportaion and assistance, it would be a pity for these people to be moved somewhere less accessable, especially those who are still job hunting or even still working because many homeless people work. Despite the seediness of the area, it is relatively safe. I suspect they are going to try to locate them in the SE part of the city which has the same problems only worse and is even further neglected due to distance from the gov's mansion. The hotel strip along West Sacramento must be full-up. How many of those people simply cannot find cheap digs as a transition?

Shelter admittance times (generally 5 or 6 pm to 6 am) make it very hard to work and keep a roof in that manner. I would bet that 30% - 50% of those people in that tent camp are still working.




Some enterprising souls need to go down to Del Paso and document the official cars that pick up their morning hookers in the area. State and city. We used to laugh about every day at work.