Sleeping Ban Debate – Broadcasted on Community TV. Voices of the Village

Sleeping Ban Debate – Broadcast on Community TV. Voices of the Village
6.36.010c, the camping ban, aptly called the "Sleeping Ban” by activists states that setting-up any sleeping or cooking equipment anywhere that is not intended for human occupancy with the intent to remain in that location overnight, is against the law. Sleeping in your vehicle or anywhere, including someone’s front yard with permission is a violation of this ordinance. This ordinance criminalizes sleeping on any and all public property – at night. Sleep is a human necessity. It is a human right.
6.36.010b, known as the "blanket ban", makes it illegal to set-up any bedding, even just having a blanket covering you on a park bench, between the same hours, 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.

People in violation of these laws face $95 tickets, despite our Vice Mayors confusion. According to reports, tickets can be dismissed from court because the city of Santa Cruz does not offer any legal sleeping option for people who do not have a legal place to sleep. Although the tickets may be dismissed in court, rangers and police regularly destroy or confiscate items belonging to homeless people, wake them up while sleeping, harass them and drag them through a revolving-door court system. You have to have the proper letter, walk to the shelter and hope the right person is there. It is not a solution with any dignity or compassion. These laws are demoralizing, unethical and unconstitutional in nature.
I have never seen this type of dialog happen in Santa Cruz, I hope to see more of it in the future. Vice Mayor Ryan Coonerty came across as a representative of business, with no real compassion for the plight of people in poverty. His lack of knowledge concerning fines, available shelter and financing astounds me. He states they do not take State and Federal funds. This is untrue. The Walk in Shelter is not allowed to allow Medicinal Marijuana patients because of the federal money they receive. He speaks of the interfaith program, which shut down last year and does not even know the amount a fine is for sleeping at night. Regardless the reason for his ignorance of the law, it shows a general lack of concern for the impoverished in Santa Cruz.

He continues to support laws that are aimed directly at the homeless. This affectively makes poverty illegal. People have offered up solutions for decades, as Robert Norse points out. I am glad Ryan agreed to this forum and I hope he will continue such dialog as allot more needs discussing. The truth seems to be that the general public is against this law. During my own discussions with people in the community including a few merchants, once they understand the law, they are appalled by it.

I urge anyone who feels that crimes of necessity are wrong to call and write the City Council and tell them to end the Sleeping Ban, the 15 minute parking lot paranoia law, blanket ban and all crimes aimed at the impoverished.

I have divided the video into three parts and will post them one at a time.

Anyone with a Sleeping ticket in Santa Cruz should call 831-423-HUFF to be a possible plaintiff in a lawsuit against the City.
HUFF – Homeless united for friendship and freedom
HRO– Human Rights Organization
HFH – Humanity for Homeless

http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us

809 Center St # 10
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 420-5020