Loaves & Fishes has recently been given a four star rating by Charity Navigator the top charity rating and review site. Clearly someone thinks they are fiscally responsible. http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10626

Believe it or not, it's not the "homeless advocates" that have been showing up to the majority of the meetings but people who are in fact homeless. Also "homeless advocates" aren't the ones coordinating the effort, but once again people who are homeless that simply want to be heard. It's democracy in action!

Kathleen, you're right the council did vote and adopt the change already. Unfortunately, it didn't come to mine or Joan Burke's attention until after the fact, so we are trying to mobilize people to show up at the next meeting to express their concern and hopefully convince the council not to actually put the change into effect.

I don't think that the people who were at the SafeGround campsite owned those porta-potties. Usually they are rented from a company. So, it's a matter of the company sending out their truck to pick them up. Which I'm sure they will do.

They succeeded for ten days, no one even knew about the camp until the police showed up and the tv crews followed.

So I spoke with Sister Libby at Loaves & Fishes today. She said she slept at the SafeGround site last night with the other campers. The first thing she had to say was that it was loud, but not from the campers; from the train, the light rail honking, neighbors, and people passing by on the street. Apparently all the campers go to bed shortly after dark get up with the sunrise. Yes, the site has two outhouses, but they are well maintained and emptied regularly. They even have a hand washing station. A local musician came and played his guitar until about 8pm. The site most certainly does not stink. I've been there myself and there was no odor other than what you would smell anywhere else downtown. I hold sympathy for the homeowner adjacent to the lot if he has endured any hardship. But I would also, question whether the problems have been from the SafeGround group or others who were already in the area. Part of the idea here is to show that with just a little help from homeless service organizations and alot of cooperation and community building among people who are homeless they can have a quiet, safe, and low profile place to stay as an interim until more permanent housing is available.

Jerry, I apologize. I didn't mean to insult anybody. Especially the Irish, since I have good deal of Irish in me. I was unaware that paddy wagon was an insult, but now I know and I will in the future use the more accurate "police van".

Oracle, I think I understand what your getting at. No one wants to walk around a vibrant downtown and run into someone who hasn't showered in days or looks unsightly at every corner. It's an uncomfortable thing to encounter someone who is suffering. I don't think anybody is advocating to have people who are homeless camp out or sleep in the doorways of peoples business or homes. That would be terrible for business and our city, but above that it would be humiliating for the people doing the sleeping. The SafeGround site in question is not in the middle of downtown and it isn't highly visible. In fact effort seems to be put into keeping a very low profile, until the police show up, and of course the television crews behind them. The idea behind a SafeGround site is to give people who have no other options a place to sleep at night other than on the street or in a business doorway. Again, Oracle, I agree with you. I don't want people to be sleeping on the streets downtown or in front of businesses. I hate seeing people suffer. I hate seeing people who are down and out forced to beg. That's a life I wish upon no one. But I also don't just want to sweep them under the rug and make them invisible. So, it seems to me something like the SafeGround in question just might be a first step that starts the long process of restoring dignity for these human beings and restoring the image of our city.

Thanks for the update Jim. I believe a local community member donated the new tents so that people didn't have to sleep out in the open.

I don't know if you've ever been on C Street or in the area, but the homeless are already present. Setting up a SafeGround, in an area where the homeless are already present, doesn't seem to me to destroy the neighborhood but to help it because now people don't have to bee on the street or in front of your business, instead they have a secluded safe place to go. It's the same dynamic that takes place with any of the other homeless services Salvation Army, Union Gospel Mission, Loaves & Fishes. Each of these organizations take in people who are homeless either at night or during the day and give them a safe place with resources for them to go. When one of these places is closed for a day literally hundreds of people are out on the street, and yes because they have no place to go some end up in front of local business or on the rive banks. It is the homeless service organizations, and SafeGround, that keep people off the streets and in a place where they can be safe and obtain the help they need.

Casey, it is private property. Owned by Mark Merin, who gave permission for them to be there. The police came with a warrant so they could come on to private property. The crime? It is illegal to camp,even on private property, for more than twenty four hours. The police declared the site a crime scene. (How ghastly, people were sleeping in tents and sleeping bags) Thus were able to make everyone leave. However, after they had taken what evidence they wanted everyone was allowed to go back onto the site.

Tom, I doubt there would ever be any laws that directly come out and say "It is a crime to be poor." I hope none of our policy makers are that heartless. However, it can be done through indirect means. Whether it is intentional or unintentional I don't know. When someone doesn't have enough money to pay rent they are forced to leave. If they can't find any subsidized housing - which they often can't. they are forced to look for friends or family who can put them up. If they can't find friends or family then they are forced to look for emergency shelter. In Sacramento there are not enough emergency shelters and many have long waiting lists. If they can't find emergency shelter...well, then they must sleep on the river banks, under the bridges, or in the alley ways. But wait, don't they know it's illegal to camp. And it's not just illegal to camp on the sidewalks or in doorways - but anywhere. Even in far removed fields. Even on far removed fields where the owner says it's ok. Not all of the poor are criminalized by the anti camping ordinance. Just the 1200 poor people who were unlucky enough to not have any friends, family, or access to shelter.

Sacramento City Code 12.52.030 Unlawful camping. "It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia in the following areas: A. Any public property; or B. Any private property. 1. It is not intended by this section to prohibit overnight camping on private residential property by friends or family of the property owner, so long as the owner consents and the overnight camping is limited to not more than one consecutive night. 2. Nothing in this chapter is intended to prohibit or make unlawful, activities of an owner of private property or other lawful user of private property that are normally associated with and incidental to the lawful and authorized use of private property for residential or other purposes; and provided further, nothing is intended to prohibit or make unlawful, activities of a property owner or other lawful user if such activities are expressly authorized by the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance or other laws, ordinances and regulations. 3. The city manager may, as provided in Section 12.52.050 of this chapter, issue a temporary permit to allow camping on public or private property in connection with a special event. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor. In addition to the remedies set forth in Penal Code Section 370, the city attorney may institute civil actions to abate a public nuisance under this chapter. (Prior code § 44.03.007) http://www.qcode.us/codes/sacramento/view.php?topic=12-12_52-12_52_030&frames=off

Sounds like fun. Do I need reservations?