No silver bullets: Sacramento homelessness activists lobby city to repeal illegal-camping law

Sacramento’s anti-camping law banned camping and the possession of “camp paraphernalia” on public and private property. Last year, city police and park rangers cited 1,030 homeless people for through this ordinance, which leads to a misdemeanor and a $230 fine.

The Tommy Clinkenbeard Legal Clinic helps homeless people who have been cited under this ordinance. The clinic is run by Legal Services of Northern California and the Sacramento County public defender’s office.

The city had a budget surplus of $17 million the last fiscal year and has already spent $11 million. Advocates along with Steps Forward, a collaborative group on homelessness matters, wants $500,000 for programs to address homelessness.