Process to solve the problem: Sacramento takes action on homeless camp
SACRAMENTO -- On Friday, a Sacramento business owner turned to CBS13 for help after multiple unanswered calls to 311 about a homeless encampment that he said was impacting his business. Within 24 hours of our story, the city responded and the encampment was cleared.
Between April 29 and May 18, there were 30 reports to the city via 311 about a growing encampment on Yale Street between 21st and 20th streets, according to a City of Sacramento spokesperson. The complaints were about the encampment itself and the trash that was associated with it.
On Friday, CBS13 spoke to Ron Prand, the owner of A-1 Auto Repair, who was concerned about the impacts of the homeless encampment on his business and his bottom line. Prand said he was most concerned about fires started within the camp nearby to flammables at his business and the safety of his customers who parked on the street and walked into the shop.
Others told CBS13 they witnessed open drug use within the encampment as well as people defecating nearby homes and businesses.
In response to the reports, the city's Incident Management Team visited the area "multiple times", according to a City of Sacramento spokesperson, to conduct compliance work and outreach. The city also called in a contractor for cleanup.
"The City remains committed to helping people experiencing homelessness connect with available resources while ensuring compliance with laws and ordinances," the spokesperson said.
Homeless encampment response workflow
The City of Sacramento created its Incident Management Team last year to respond to the homelessness crisis and manage resources.
There is a response workflow outlined by the city from a homeless encampment service call entered into 311. It starts by determining if the report is a "concern call" or a "violation call". From there, the response is determined between a "general response," a "coordinated response," or a "rapid response."
The city breaks 311 responses into three levels: priority, moderate and low—levels 1,2 and 3, respectively.
The highest level response is determined if the encampment poses a threat to safety or health or is blocking critical infrastructure.
