City of Sacramento to clear out homeless from midtown neighborhood
SACRAMENTO — A big midtown Sacramento homeless sweep aims to clear an encampment near a neighborhood park that has become overrun with transient tents.
The city is ordering the homeless out at 26th and C Streets. Their encampment has taken over the sidewalks, forcing people living next to it to change their everyday lives.
Chris Goblar has a 9-year-old daughter whose safety is his first concern.
"Well, we haven't played at the park since they moved in because I don't want her to step in something or someone to come up and say something weird," Goblar said.
Brandon Salvador has been living in the encampment for several months.
"It's humiliating," Salvador said.
"What would you like to happen from this point forward?" CBS13's Steve Large asked.
"Well for myself, in particular, I'd like for me to get out of this situation," Salvador said.
The City of Sacramento's Community Response team will offer people there a chance to move to its sanctioned Miller Park Marina safe zone. Salvador will not be one of them.
"You can't have guests, visitors, you know, you have to be in by a certain time," Salvador said.
This sweep comes as the Sacramento County District Attorney is investigating the city for its handling of the homeless crisis and whether it is enforcing its own laws.
Josh Wood is a political strategist who has tried to force the city to do more.
"We've seen the city stop and start before so we will see if this is going to be a change in enforcement," Wood said.
"I just hope wherever they get moved, they can make the right decision to get help," Goblar said.
Is this midtown sweep a signal the city's enforcement policy is changing, or just moving the homeless problem to another Sacramento street?
The sweep is happening at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Property left at the scene will be taken by police and stored for safekeeping until they can reclaim it.