Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho announced Tuesday morning that his office has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Sacramento over its response to the growing unhoused population in the area.Ho said he filed the lawsuit around 9 a.m.“The community is at a breaking point,” Ho said in a press conference where other Sacramento residents claimed inaction by the city to their complaints.The lawsuit comes after months of back-and-forth between the city and the county regarding accountability over unhoused encampments.| VIDEO BELOW | Stephen Walton talks about response to homelessness in Del Paso HeightsIt alleges that the city “allowed, created, and enabled a public safety crisis regarding our unhoused,” Ho said. Ho said that the unhoused population in Sacramento has grown 250% in the last seven years, outpacing San Francisco. The district attorney said the city should consistently enforce its ordinances regarding unlawful camping, storage and sidewalk obstructions. “City Hall allows camping on City Hall property at night, but they don’t allow it during the day. I ask the city to extend the same protection they give to themselves to the rest of us,” he said.He also called for more professionally operated safe ground camping places. Earlier this year on July 26, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Ho met to discuss a partnership between the city and county to address homelessness issues. | VIDEO BELOW | Sacramento resident Emily describes living with encampment outside her homeHo responded to the city a month later with a letter that included data from his office’s survey on the Sacramento homeless response, which included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands.| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg responds to DA’s threat to sue city over homeless responseThe DA’s demands include requiring the city attorney’s office to prosecute codes and ordinances outside of his office’s jurisdiction, providing four additional city attorneys, creating more temporary emergency shelter and camping spaces, access to real-time data regarding shelter beds and a citywide daytime camping ban, among other things.Steinberg had responded to that letter by saying it “deflects responsibility, takes credit for programs the city initiated, lacks basic understanding of existing shelter management systems and funding structures, and includes a series of demands that would cripple the city financially.”| MORE | Sacramento City Attorney responds to DA’s letter requesting action regarding homelessnessHo said Tuesday his office will be “demanding text messages, emails and the production of documents.” He said they plan to call 400-500 witnesses “that will talk about the city’s actions and inactions.”The goal is to “ensure that the city follows through with its mandate,” he said.City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood released the following statement in response to the lawsuit:“The City has attempted to work with the District Attorney multiple times in recent months, stating that collaboration is the best path forward. However, it sadly appears the DA would rather point fingers and cast blame than partner to achieve meaningful solutions for our community. The City looks forward to responding to the DA’s claims in court.”Steinberg later said that the lawsuit was a “performative distraction” by the DA. Here is Steinberg’s full statement: “No local government in the Sacramento region has done more to address the crisis on our streets: 1,200 new emergency beds, ordinances to protect sidewalks, schools and other sensitive sites; a legally binding partnership with the county; thousands of new affordable housing units-to name a few. The frustration that members of our community feel is absolutely justified. The Council has endorsed and is pressing for strong enforcement of our codes and the law. But the DA’s lawsuit will not clear a single sidewalk nor get a single person off the streets. We are working day and night to enforce our laws and provide relief to our community while avoiding the futile trap of just moving people endlessly from one block to the next.Frankly, we have no time for the District Attorney’s performative distraction from the hard work we all need to do together to solve this complex social problem plaguing urban centers throughout the state and nation.The city needs real partnership from the region’s leaders, not politics and lawsuits. Let’s just do the work.”The Sacramento Homeless Union said in a statement Tuesday that it would file a motion and complaint for intervention in the Superior Court. The homeless union said the district attorney’s lawsuit targets unhoused residents “who are at the cross-hairs of both sides.””Both the City and the D.A. are complicit in the ongoing persecution of the unhoused and we will continue to take on both sides to protect the interests of our members,” the statement read in part.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho announced Tuesday morning that his office has filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Sacramento over its response to the growing unhoused population in the area.
Ho said he filed the lawsuit around 9 a.m.
“The community is at a breaking point,” Ho said in a press conference where other Sacramento residents claimed inaction by the city to their complaints.
The lawsuit comes after months of back-and-forth between the city and the county regarding accountability over unhoused encampments.
| VIDEO BELOW | Stephen Walton talks about response to homelessness in Del Paso Heights
It alleges that the city “allowed, created, and enabled a public safety crisis regarding our unhoused,” Ho said.
Ho said that the unhoused population in Sacramento has grown 250% in the last seven years, outpacing San Francisco.
The district attorney said the city should consistently enforce its ordinances regarding unlawful camping, storage and sidewalk obstructions.
“City Hall allows camping on City Hall property at night, but they don’t allow it during the day. I ask the city to extend the same protection they give to themselves to the rest of us,” he said.
He also called for more professionally operated safe ground camping places.
Earlier this year on July 26, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Ho met to discuss a partnership between the city and county to address homelessness issues.
| VIDEO BELOW | Sacramento resident Emily describes living with encampment outside her home
Ho responded to the city a month later with a letter that included data from his office’s survey on the Sacramento homeless response, which included a 30-day notice for the city to comply with the DA’s demands.
| PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg responds to DA’s threat to sue city over homeless response
The DA’s demands include requiring the city attorney’s office to prosecute codes and ordinances outside of his office’s jurisdiction, providing four additional city attorneys, creating more temporary emergency shelter and camping spaces, access to real-time data regarding shelter beds and a citywide daytime camping ban, among other things.
Steinberg had responded to that letter by saying it “deflects responsibility, takes credit for programs the city initiated, lacks basic understanding of existing shelter management systems and funding structures, and includes a series of demands that would cripple the city financially.”
| MORE | Sacramento City Attorney responds to DA’s letter requesting action regarding homelessness
Ho said Tuesday his office will be “demanding text messages, emails and the production of documents.” He said they plan to call 400-500 witnesses “that will talk about the city’s actions and inactions.”
The goal is to “ensure that the city follows through with its mandate,” he said.
City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood released the following statement in response to the lawsuit:
“The City has attempted to work with the District Attorney multiple times in recent months, stating that collaboration is the best path forward. However, it sadly appears the DA would rather point fingers and cast blame than partner to achieve meaningful solutions for our community. The City looks forward to responding to the DA’s claims in court.”
Steinberg later said that the lawsuit was a “performative distraction” by the DA.
Here is Steinberg’s full statement:
“No local government in the Sacramento region has done more to address the crisis on our streets: 1,200 new emergency beds, ordinances to protect sidewalks, schools and other sensitive sites; a legally binding partnership with the county; thousands of new affordable housing units-to name a few.
The frustration that members of our community feel is absolutely justified. The Council has endorsed and is pressing for strong enforcement of our codes and the law. But the DA’s lawsuit will not clear a single sidewalk nor get a single person off the streets.
We are working day and night to enforce our laws and provide relief to our community while avoiding the futile trap of just moving people endlessly from one block to the next.
Frankly, we have no time for the District Attorney’s performative distraction from the hard work we all need to do together to solve this complex social problem plaguing urban centers throughout the state and nation.
The city needs real partnership from the region’s leaders, not politics and lawsuits.
Let’s just do the work.”
The Sacramento Homeless Union said in a statement Tuesday that it would file a motion and complaint for intervention in the Superior Court.
The homeless union said the district attorney’s lawsuit targets unhoused residents “who are at the cross-hairs of both sides.”
“Both the City and the D.A. are complicit in the ongoing persecution of the unhoused and we will continue to take on both sides to protect the interests of our members,” the statement read in part.