Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Sacramento City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood on Sept. 19 both issued statements about the lawsuit filed against the City by Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho regarding homelessness.
Their statements can be read below. In addition, you can find links to letters that Alcala Wood sent to Ho earlier this month.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg:
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.
City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood:
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.
Previous letters from the City Attorney to the District Attorney: