Homelessness Is Not A Crime
We are among the Board Members of the Sonoma County Task Force For The Homeless who are acutely disappointed in the action of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors which took place on September 14, 2004. They approved an ordinance to criminalize people sleeping in their vehicles. A person camping in a public place or sleeping in their vehicle for as little as three hours can be given a ticket for $100 to $500. People too poor to afford housing are ill equipped to pay such a fine. They can also be arrested and put in jail for up to 60 days, for the “crime” of being homeless. This ordinance was proposed by West County Sheriffs deputies in cooperation with Supervisor Mike Reilly.
There has to be a better solution to this complicated problem than ticketing or arresting homeless persons attempting to shelter themselves in vehicles. At the same time that Sonoma County Courts and other community programs are attempting to design solutions to keep the homeless population from recycling through the Criminal Justice system for want of housing or treatment with the Court Homeless Protocol Program, this ordinance takes a punish-the-victim approach.
The Sonoma County General Plan indicates that State and local government have an obligation to make adequate provision for the housing needs of all segments of the community. There has been no productive attempt by Sonoma County government to address the snowballing problem of the lack of affordable housing along the unincorporated lower Russian River. The first concrete action taken by the Board of Supervisors is to criminalize those who cannot afford traditional housing, but who attempt to keep body and soul together by living independently in their vehicles. This ordinance may result in their only remaining shelter being taken away from them if they are unable to pay fines, as well as steep vehicle towing and storage fees. Taxpayers will end up paying a large price in increased jail and hospital costs, and even more desperate people on the streets, for this unwise decision by our elected officials.
Homelessness is a problem that needs to be addressed by social service programs, not the criminal justice system. It is a problem that can be most successfully addressed with affordable housing and supportive services. Agencies such as Community Resources for Independence and COTS are working with homeless persons to repair their credit, so they may someday be able to obtain a rental. These efforts are undermined when elected officials plan to impose fines that will further damage their credit. There is no plan to provide for the housing needs of the poorest residents of rural Sonoma County. Providing a legal place to park for those housed in vehicles would be a reasonable first step.
The authors of this article each made several attempts to find out when this proposed ordinance would be placed on the agenda of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. We were told by their staff not to worry about the date, and we would be notified. We were not notified. Due to lack of notice, few people were present to speak out against the proposed ordinance, which criminalizes homeless people and goes into effect on October 21, 2004. We deeply regret the suffering, injustice and cruelty this ordinance will impose on homeless people.