‘Poverty is not a crime’: outrage after California city passes law targeting homeless encampments | California

north California The city issued a law targeting unlucky people who prohibit camping on public property and make “allowing, assistant, [or] Unlawful “camps”-a ruling that caused anxiety between non-profit organizations and preachers.

The city council in Freemont, California, adopted the full new decree – which was described as one of the mostwed uprs in the state – on Tuesday, when the Fermont mayor was arguing that this procedure is necessary to ensure the health and safety of the population in the Gulf region in the Gulf region in the Gulf region 226, 000. City officials were insisting on not using the law to target relief workers, but he refused to clarify that point in the same decree.

The proposal, in its extraordinary language about assistance and incitement, has attracted great attention and condemnation from civil rights groups and community organizations. Nearly 20 groups of these groups have signed a speech urging the council to vote against it, describing it as “misleading” and warning them that would create “legal responsibility and devastating humanitarian consequences.”

“This sweeping language will make a crime to be unrucked in the city of Frimont,” the letter says, adding that unique people cannot avoid living in the open air when there is no access to housing. “As such, there is no effective way for individuals who are not accredited to compliance with the proposal.”

The decree comes in Fremont at a time when cities across the United States break down the displaced camps in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court Last year’s rule Cities can criminalize people who are unable to sleep outside – even when there are no shelter spaces available.

Dozens of American cities have enacted more cruel policies to combat guarding in the wake of this decision. In California, which has The highest rate Of the unique people who live abroad in the country, the ruler issued Executive order Calling to remove camps on state property and encourage local governments to adopt similar policies.

In Frimmont, a 2024 count I found that 807 people in the city were suffering from homelessness and that 612 of them did not suffer from this – a decrease in 2022. But the city, just like many California, has seen a significant increase in displacement in recent years with the population increased from 608 in 2019 1 026 after only three years.

Frimont has a little more than 100 shelter beds.

David Boncori, a member of the Fremont Group for all the Fremont group for all and the former city advisor, said the city’s housing has not accompanied the increasing number of jobs.

In December, the Council began to think about proposing a camping ban on public property and making “assistance and incitement” a misdemeanor with a sentence of six months in prison and a fine of $ 1,000. This makes it illegal to store personal property in public areas.

Bonacorsi said that Freemont had a long history of working with non -profit groups and invitation, but that suddenly changed when the council moved to consider the decree without consulting these organizations. Sister Eileen Sanchez with the Holy Family sisters chanted this feeling.

“For this reason, it is a surprise because Frimon has achieved a lot of good with housing,” Sanchez said. It was a real reflection when we read this decree. Why did they not consult or contact some stakeholders? instead of [they crafted] A decree really criminalizes poor people, unlucky people. “

The Council submitted to the Council to this matter despite the protests of community groups who are afraid to be subjected to fines or arrest to provide support and assistance to unprecedented persons, and took a final vote this week.

On Tuesday evening, up to 700 people attended the rooms of the Freemont City Council, where the line was entered to enter the building and in a car park. Some carried signs of reading “do not criminalize relief workers” and “poverty is not a crime.”

Dozens of defenders and residents of the council begged not to pass the decree, on the pretext that it was harsh and will not solve the crisis, and instead criminalized the unique people and those who help them. Many speakers said that people are supposed to force people to leave camps even when there is no place for them.

“What do we do?” Thadius said the bribes. “We are playing musical chairs with people’s lives. This is not a solution.”

Kimberly Wise, who was homeless in Frimmont for more than a year, said.

But many others called for this with the presence of the residents, saying that they no longer feel safe in their community and found needles near their homes and companies. He informed some of the camps that were brought out against their characteristics and pose a danger and said that the situation negatively affects the city and the economy.

One of the residents said: “Mercy is not related to empowerment.” “There must be accountability.”

The city’s lawyer said that the decree does not make it illegal providing food or helping to people who are unprecedented. The council briefly looked at the amendment of the proposal, which expressly states that the decree will not affect relief workers, but in the end he chose the absence of a decree with one advisor who opposes it.

The mayor of the city, Raj Silwan, argued that despite the criticism that the council lacks sympathy, Frimon was pioneering in providing support to the unique population.

“It is not fair for people to have to move in their paths around these large camps,” he said. “These camps are not human for the poor. We have done more than any other city.”

“We are a leader in preventing the homeless,” he said, but the city “must balance the accountability with sympathy.”

With the end of the meeting in the middle of the night, people shouted “shame, shame and shame” in the council. JC CLARK, a Fremont, continued for life, screaming until she walks to her car.

“Poverty is not a crime. This decree says it is.”