Correction. A previous version of this story misstated that Mayor Kevin McCarty did not respond. He did respond. His comments are included in this story.
Enrique Espinoza has been staying in front of the City Hall building and Cesar Chavez Park recently. He says he feels safer in this area.
“Because of the cameras, the security, and people are protecting each other. I just recently started staying there [for] three months, and I feel safe,” he said.
Espinoza worries that if a new city ordinance passes, he will have to find an alternative place to stay. He is preparing to stay at city-operated shelters if it does.
The change would expand a policy passed six years ago to clear daytime encampments. But in practice, it has allowed people to sleep outside City Hall overnight. Mayor Kevin McCarty calls it a “loophole” he wants to close.
The proposal would prohibit sitting or lying down at City Hall at all times. It passed an initial council vote 6 to 3 to move forward on considering the measure. Supporters say it’s about public safety and maintenance. However, critics argue that it displaces people with nowhere else to go.
McCarty said the policy would bring City Hall in line with other public buildings that don’t allow camping, such as federal and state buildings. He said the $353,000 the city spends on cleanup annually could be used for investing in other homeless resources.
“We’re saving to not have to power wash literally feces and urine from the sidewalks every morning. We can redirect and have more programs for people to go to who are homeless,” he said.
Niki Jones, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, argues that the current site offers a level of safety and support that is not easily found elsewhere.
“City Hall has an overhang that provides protection from the elements during rain,” Jones said. “People stay together in order to prevent things like theft, assault… to share resources, share information.”
Jones also questioned the mayor’s emphasis on sanitation concerns.
“The mayor really only spoke to the issue of the smell of urine… which we know can be mitigated with… access to public restrooms,” she said. “An enforcement ordinance is not a cost saver.”
Councilmember Mai Vang, Lisa Kaplan, and Caity Maple voted against the ordinance, which will now be presented as an agenda item for the council's consideration.
In a statement to CapRadio, a spokesperson for Councilmember Mai Vang of South Sacramento wrote she will continue to support resting outside of the building until presented with more substantial evidence.
“It is important for Councilmember Vang to receive additional clarity from staff on the rationale behind the ordinance amendment and to be provided with the supporting data when the item returns to the Mayor and City Council,” she wrote.
If approved, the amended ordinance would eliminate the current overnight exemption. Violators may face misdemeanor charges and civil fines ranging from $250 to $25,000. McCarty said enforcement wouldn’t be heavy-handed, since security is already on-site.
“We have security here anyway, though. Just remind people there's no camping and will have to go someplace else,” he said.
Diane Blanchard is unhoused and has stayed near City Hall since 2022. She says the early wake-up rules already create problems.
“Well, it's only from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. But sometimes some people don't wake up on time because they didn't have a good neighbor to wake them up on time,” she said.
Jones warned the change would be more than just a rule adjustment. She said she worries the ordinance will scatter people into less safe areas.
“It is simply a land grab from the most vulnerable people by a mayor who does not like to see them,” she said.
The final vote on the ordinance is scheduled for July 22.
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