2.-B. ID 25-1625 Actions pertaining to the amendment of various ordinances:
1. BILL - (For Introduction) - Amending Chapter 9 Article 31 Section 9-3104 of the Fresno Municipal Code, relating unlawful possession and abandonment of carts
2. BILL - (For Introduction) - Amending Chapter 9 Article 25 Section 9-2507 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to exposure of minors to tobacco products
3. BILL - (For Introduction) - Amending Sections 10-2101 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to the prohibition of camping in public places
4. BILL - (For Introduction) -Adding Chapter 9, Article 37 of the Fresno Municipal Code, Relating to unauthorized possession and use of a City, an Authorized Cart/Bin Collection Agent, or Authorized Roll-Off Collector owned trash containers
5. BILL - (For Introduction) - Adding Chapter 9, Article 38 of the Fresno Municipal Code, Relating to criminal prosecution of wage theft
I couldn't have said it better than RM & Cynthia below, and I agree that this ordinance is a violation of the 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment, and excessive fines). I remember when this first came out, there were over 4 hours of public opposition in the first meeting alone. At the time, I said that this ordinance would resolve absolutely nothing about our current housing crisis, creating a vicious and ineffective cycle: a jail sentence will further impact someone’s ability to find employment and housing on multiple levels, and a fine will only add to financial burden, making stable housing that much further away. Additionally, the ongoing confiscation and destruction of personal items will further harm and traumatize people already living in incredibly difficult circumstances, as well as stymie efforts to work on their situation. I have heard awful stories of people's medication being destroyed, or other sentimental items, such as photos.
This takes it further. Someone could set their things on the sidewalk to rest, and because that takes up the sidewalk, they could get a fine of up to $1,000, or up to a year in jail, or both! Additionally, each day that they sleep, lie down, sit down, or "stand in the way" in public, is a separate offense, which means it could be a separate misdemeanor! I am disgusted by this ordinance and the effort to expand it.
We need ethical, effective solutions. This is neither.
Item 2B, City of Fresno you will be in complete violation of Amendments 4 and 8 in the US constitution. Affordable housing is unattainable due to our city being 10 yrs behind in building such. Thus making housing harder to achieve. There is no where for our unhoused to live!!!! With the closing of 2 shelters and 2 more in 2026 we really have a problem. From the streets to shelter to housing is NOT WORKING. By adding and amending existing laws to no sit, no sleep,no lay your not reaching for solutions, you are dehumanizing our unhoused. It is not a crime to not have a home to live in. SAFE LOTS. Also I have grandkids that are Afro-American and they ride the bus and my fear is has these teenagers and young children are at the bus stop that they can be mistaken for an unhoused Community member and get arrested or cited by our police department. Just for standing on the street!!! This is way too generalized. I strongly oppose.
Our unhoused neighbors aren't there by their own choice. The choices of others have denied them the resources they need to stay housed. And now this council makes even more choices for them to deny them even the indignity of sleeping in public. Not because there's more resources available to house our neighbors. Oh no. It's because the well-off in the city do not want to see what happens when choices are made for you that strip you of everything. The County itself made me homeless in 2019 and did nothing to help until we had less than $20 to our names. The only reason I'm housed now is because we took the only offer and it was a roach infested dump with a landlord currently under investigation for being a slumlord. These are the options given to our unhoused neighbors, and they're awful. Inhumane. The City cannot keep imposing criminal charges on a situation these people did not put themselves into. Their bosses, their landlords, the City and County make these decisions and it costs someone their entire life and then acts like an abusive parent forcing certain behaviors in order to earn help. Being alive means they deserve to live in dignity. Our unhoused neighbors owe us nothing and we owe them so much more than they're given because the City wants to play abusive parent to grown adults. Not on my time or my dime. Find funding to help them or leave them alone. Quit charging poor people for being poor in public.
I couldn't have said it better than RM & Cynthia below, and I agree that this ordinance is a violation of the 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment, and excessive fines). I remember when this first came out, there were over 4 hours of public opposition in the first meeting alone. At the time, I said that this ordinance would resolve absolutely nothing about our current housing crisis, creating a vicious and ineffective cycle: a jail sentence will further impact someone’s ability to find employment and housing on multiple levels, and a fine will only add to financial burden, making stable housing that much further away. Additionally, the ongoing confiscation and destruction of personal items will further harm and traumatize people already living in incredibly difficult circumstances, as well as stymie efforts to work on their situation. I have heard awful stories of people's medication being destroyed, or other sentimental items, such as photos.
This takes it further. Someone could set their things on the sidewalk to rest, and because that takes up the sidewalk, they could get a fine of up to $1,000, or up to a year in jail, or both! Additionally, each day that they sleep, lie down, sit down, or "stand in the way" in public, is a separate offense, which means it could be a separate misdemeanor! I am disgusted by this ordinance and the effort to expand it.
We need ethical, effective solutions. This is neither.
Item 2B, City of Fresno you will be in complete violation of Amendments 4 and 8 in the US constitution. Affordable housing is unattainable due to our city being 10 yrs behind in building such. Thus making housing harder to achieve. There is no where for our unhoused to live!!!! With the closing of 2 shelters and 2 more in 2026 we really have a problem. From the streets to shelter to housing is NOT WORKING. By adding and amending existing laws to no sit, no sleep,no lay your not reaching for solutions, you are dehumanizing our unhoused. It is not a crime to not have a home to live in. SAFE LOTS. Also I have grandkids that are Afro-American and they ride the bus and my fear is has these teenagers and young children are at the bus stop that they can be mistaken for an unhoused Community member and get arrested or cited by our police department. Just for standing on the street!!! This is way too generalized. I strongly oppose.
Our unhoused neighbors aren't there by their own choice. The choices of others have denied them the resources they need to stay housed. And now this council makes even more choices for them to deny them even the indignity of sleeping in public. Not because there's more resources available to house our neighbors. Oh no. It's because the well-off in the city do not want to see what happens when choices are made for you that strip you of everything. The County itself made me homeless in 2019 and did nothing to help until we had less than $20 to our names. The only reason I'm housed now is because we took the only offer and it was a roach infested dump with a landlord currently under investigation for being a slumlord. These are the options given to our unhoused neighbors, and they're awful. Inhumane. The City cannot keep imposing criminal charges on a situation these people did not put themselves into. Their bosses, their landlords, the City and County make these decisions and it costs someone their entire life and then acts like an abusive parent forcing certain behaviors in order to earn help. Being alive means they deserve to live in dignity. Our unhoused neighbors owe us nothing and we owe them so much more than they're given because the City wants to play abusive parent to grown adults. Not on my time or my dime. Find funding to help them or leave them alone. Quit charging poor people for being poor in public.