SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Heading out to support homeless people in the Fremont area with services they may need or with supplies to get by, Marisa Ornelas — associate director of outreach with Abode for Alameda County — said she’s worried a new city law threatens their efforts.
“We have our heart in the work," she said. "And I think, and I hope that, we're not penalized for, you know, doing a community service.”
Fremont has around 614 unsheltered homeless people, with a recent count finding 223 encampments.
The new law prohibits homeless people from camping on public land.
It also includes language that people aiding or abetting those in violation of the ordinance could be charged with a misdemeanor resulting in a fine or up to six months in jail.
Something Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said won’t apply to organizations aiding the homeless people.
“The aiding and abetting clause does not apply to if you want to give somebody food or water, give them a tent, hygiene kit," Salwan said. "You want to help them get services or outreach. All of that is allowed.”
The mayor said the new law is about public safety and that his office received numerous calls of unsafe and encroaching camp sites.
Even with that assurance from the mayor and city officials, CEO of Abode Vivian Wan said the new law is not cut and dry like the mayor indicates.
“We're actually consulting with our own legal team because how the city attorney is interpreting it isn't how many other attorneys are interpreting it, or our insurance carriers to that matter," Wan said. "So, you know, we actually have to go by what the law says.”
Wan isn’t alone.
Greg Ward, senior pastor at Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, explained how they hand out supplies in their blessing bags to homeless people in the area and feel the new law is very restrictive to their work.
“You know we are really thinking hard about how we can be most effective and most helpful to the people who need assistance right now," Ward said. "But also taking into consideration the risk that is involved with being in violation of the ordinance.”
The perception of the language in the new law and the surrounding uncertainty is enough, Ornelas said, to keep away those who may be considering helping homeless people.
“For people that are on the fence or haven't done this work, but like want to get into it, that's for sure going to be a big roadblock,” Ornelas said.
She said that means those who are most in need will continue to be underserved.
