Sacremento 'Safe Ground' Homeless Campers Arrested

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-09-07 19:37:00 UTC
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Although Sacramento's infamous tent city has been dismantled, its former residents are still living precariously on the streets. Earlier this weekend, 15 homeless people and two homeless advocates (a pastor and a nun) were arrested at an area designated 'Safe Ground' for the displaced campers, begging the question: When will the persistent upheaval for Sacramento's homeless come to an end?

According to a Sacramento advocacy group, Loaves and Fishes, the newest version of tent city was erected on private property (owned by a local attorney who permitted the group to stay on the land). The campsite was arranged much like Seattle's Nickelsville, with elected leadership and policies preventing drugs, alcohol, and violence. Many residents are actively seeking work.

But on Friday morning, Sacramento police arrested 17 individuals for illegal camping. Local law enforcement claimed they had no choice after receiving complaints from a neighbor of the property, who said that individuals at the encampment have insulted him, littered, and "generally disrupted my life."

It's incredibly sad to see people without homes arrested for using their last available option: a tent city.

Below, Sister Libby of Loaves and Fishes details the arrests.

Photo and video from Loaves and Fishes.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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