Am I Not Human?: Homelessness & Sacramento’s Anti-Camping Ordinances
It’s been cold out, real cold. I lay in my bed last night with the chills because my husband was hogging the covers. Don’t I have nerve? I could have turned on the heater, or grabbed another blanket easily! What if I didn’t have the luxury of shelter, a heater, extra blankets like many families who are searching for a place just to rest as the shelters fill up!
In recent news, KCRA.com mentioned Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke publicly about the the city, county and federal government approving funds for Sacramento to “create 269 shelter beds.” That is great, but what is the city going to do about the many families that will still need shelter.
SafeGround Sacramento has a temporary solution and Mayor Kevin Johnson hears their voices. SafeGround Sacramento “called for a moratorium on enforcement of the city’s anti-camping ordinance.” As it stands today our homeless community is awoken when found sleeping on the streets to move or can be sited with a ticket for illegal camping. Imagine that, no place to sleep and you wake up to a ticket you can’t afford all because you have no where else to sleep. SafeGroundSacramento aims to help those who can’t just rest. Johnson hears their voices KCRA.com states he has “said he will have more to say next month about a permanent camping site for the homeless.”
Please reach out to SafeGround Sacramento and learn more about what their mission is by visiting their website (click here). You can see their flight on video by award-winning film maker, Costa Mantis as well by clicking here.
Note: Roots of Humanity ”On the 27thof each month a group of bloggers post on the subject of human rights. The Am I Not Human Campaign was designed to help bring awareness to social issues that you can help to work on solving.”
Thank you Roots for Humanity for calling for such an action! We all should take a stand and let our voices be heard!
My friends if you have a topic you like me to take a stand on with you or if you would like to give honorary mention to someone who is making a difference in a future post please comment below or use our contact us form.
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Thank you Mama! Go SafeGround!
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Love this program Jen. I mean seriously something needs to be done and I am glad that your city is taking a step in the right direction. Great post!
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Toya, I’m glad you love it! They work really hard rain or shine to bring it to the cities attention and get this fixed. Go SafeGround!
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you wrote:
‘As it stands today our homeless community is awoken when found sleeping on the streets to move or can be sited with a ticket for illegal camping.’
This brought tears to my eyes. I can’t even find the words for it. I don’t know how it’s possible for anyone to act or sanction an act this devoid of any human compassion. I’d like to repost this at the main blog with your permission. More people need to know about this. Can you let me know if that will be okay?
Thankyou for your joining the campaign
-PZ
PurpleZoe´s last blog ..Am I Not Human: Taser Justice
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PurpleZoe, it is very sad indeed. It’s bad enough to be homeless and then harrassed when all you want is rest. I’m sorry for the tears but I’m glad to have moved you. Please do post it on the main site. I’d be more then honored!!! I love the movement and want to thank you for such a great movement! Thank you for reading and posting as well!!!
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jennifer and Jennifer, Safe Ground Sac. Safe Ground Sac said: RT @ReedWhatMatters Am I Not Human?: Homelessness & Sacramento’s Anti-Camping Ordinances http://bit.ly/aapdO [...]
Still having problems wrapping my mind around it. I was fortunate in our city when I experienced a shelter bed. The shelter had its issues, but it was available so no one had to sleep outside. I can’t imagine having to sleep on the street, AND have to worry about being ticketed for it.
It’s more prevalent than it should be for some to turn a blind eye and consider people who find themselves homeless disposable.
You’d think there’d be more understanding, especially with how easily it could happen in today’s economic climate.
Thankyou again for posting about this important issue.
I’m posting it now at Roots of Humanity.
Shine on
-PZ
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Jennifer Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
@PurpleZoe, PurpleZoe Thank you so much for spending the time here on our site and for sharing your story. I’ve lived in motels about ten years back and was homeless as a child but thought I was camping due to my parents making things the best as they could be I had no clue I was actually homeless. I couldn’t imagine living without some sort of shelter as well. I’m more then honored that you posted this to your site. Thanks again!!!
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We started tackling the homeless problem here in Fort Worth several years ago, with the aim in mind of ending homelessness in the city in 10 years. The mayor has a committee on homelessness. We have a homeless czar to coordinate the transitional housing program, along with other related services, for issues such as alcoholism and drug abuse. Our local newspaper editor is deeply involved, and a recent Fort Worth Star-Telegram story featured a homeless firefighter. In today’s email, the editor tells me that relationship between the homeless and the police department has improved… in other words, FW police don’t wake them up with the issuance of a ticket. The police departments need to be more compassionate. [I wish that other cities would follow our lead in community relations. An active community solves problems.]
Eddie Griffin´s last blog ..Larger than Life Limbaugh: REJECTED
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Jennifer Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
@Eddie Griffin, Eddie, this news is wonderful and I agree that it is key for our communities to come together in these movements. Its not only time for change but great improvements in change. Our communities do need to come together, the more we do the more these improvements will be made. Thanks for sharing and reading our post!
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