Editor’s Note: In August 2024, the city of Sacramento made good on their threats to break up Camp Resolution, a self-sustaining RV community that had endured for 17 months. A majority of its residents were women, over 55, many disabled. In the middle of an historic heat wave, the city stopped giving material support to Camp Resolution, including trash removal, water drop-offs, and other basics. Otherwise, the community cost the city — which spends millions to run often crowded and dangerous shelters — nothing.
Below are portraits of two of the women who are former members of Camp Resolution, written by Sacramento Homeless Union President Crystal Sanchez, who has been tirelessly trying to get displaced elders to safety.
The two portraits were written before the sweeps, knowing they were coming.
Shonn
The city still hasn’t been able to find a place for Shonn that accompanies her disabilities. They are planning on taking the camp down on Monday. Shonn has messaged me expressing her fear. Her trailer has a ramp and her generator provides power for her oxygen machine. She has an important fur baby named honey. Honey has been Shonn’s support animal since Shonn’s daughter passed. Shonn has repeatedly told me she is afraid that she’s going to die if they move her.
The story rings similar for the other residents who are in distress. This is mental warfare the city is placing on these individuals. This is a public piece of property that has no immediate need to be cleared. They have passed the fire marshal and inspection and the water board cleared it till December.
Disability Rights of California has sent a letter to the city. We have sent letters talking about the serious danger they are placing the 44-48 disabled residents in by forcing them to go to the Roseville road shelter which is not ADA compliant
The City is a hundred percent aware they’re violating these disability rights. Any other department that engages in this week will also be violating the rights for those at Camp Resolution who are experiencing chronic illness and disabilities.
Jeanne
Jeanne is a beautiful musician and resident of Camp Resolution. She is beyond talented and plays at local venues with bands. On Monday August 26th, the city of Sacramento is displacing the residents of the Camp. 44 out of 48 of the current residents on the campus live with chronic medical conditions and disabilities. The city has actively worked on destabilizing this encampment over the past few months in order to clear it, removing bathrooms and putting constant pressure on the camp. They called in the fire department who has since cleared any violations. The land variance was extended until December. It is an empty parking lot the city has zero use for it, but right now they are clearing this because Camp Resolution, along with the Union, has been a bold political movement of unhoused union members raising their voices making national news.
Jeanne has had over 325 seizures in a year. She relies on her community at campus Resolution to not only keep an eye on her, but help her get through the seizures. The camp also helps her stabilize as it takes her hours and sometimes days to completely come back. She’s has kidney failure and other conditions as well. Due to the seizures she has memory loss. Without her trusted community she has nobody to assist her.
On Thursday I asked her what she needed besides housing and how I could help support her during this situation. She told me she wanted a tent and she started crying and told me she was going to die in that tent. She’s being kicked out of the city trailers that FEMA provided during COVID there is no reason to this place this shelter besides the fact that the city can’t make money off of it or control it and that is why they are doing this.
Crystal Sanchez is with the Sacramento Homeless Union.
