Editor’s Note: Sacramento, among many other towns and cities, turned out to protest on April 22, the day of the Supreme Court argument in the Grants Pass case. In this case, unhoused plaintiffs challenged the Grants Pass ordinance that made it a crime to sleep outside, even when a city has no shelter available. Hundreds gathered in cities across the country to demonstrate against the criminalization of unhoused people who must live outside because they cannot afford to pay rent.
My name is Crystal Sanchez and I am the Western Regional Co-Director for the National Union of the Homeless and the President of the Sacramento Homeless Union.
The Grants Pass ruling would safeguard our unhoused brothers and sisters. This ruling provides crucial protection for us individuals facing homelessness, ensuring our rights are upheld and respected. The law’s stability within the court system offers a beacon of hope for vulnerable unhoused neighbors, emphasizing the importance of legal safeguards in supporting those surviving in this time of criminalization and oppression.
In the context of the Martin vs. Boise case, where municipalities cannot criminalize homelessness when there is no adequate shelter, the situation in Grants Pass highlights the importance of providing the rudimentary precautions we desperately need. Our survival gear, our tents and tarps, blankets, and things that keep people alive on these harsh streets. Despite legal precedents, local enforcement agencies continue to target our homeless brothers and sisters and their belongings through sweeps. The request to overturn the Grants Pass ruling serves as a crucial example of the ongoing challenges faced by our unhoused populations and the need for more comprehensive protection measures that are enforced by the courts.
Across the nation today we stand in solidarity, united as impacted voices fighting for justice. When injustice plagues our governments and oppresses the most vulnerable, the courts must intervene. This is a crucial aspect of the checks and balances system. Courts play a vital role in ensuring that the rights of all individuals, especially the marginalized and vulnerable, are protected. It is through the courts that injustices can be addressed and remedied, safeguarding the principles of fairness and equity in society which has been appropriately been done in Grants Pass ruling. We want housing and no more deaths on our streets
Thank you
Crystal Sanchez
(916)495-9026
sacramento.homeless.union@gmail.com
Sacramento Homeless Union – President
Solidarity Of Unhoused People 501c3 (Sac S.O.U.P) Founder- President
California Homeless Union Statewide Organizing Council- Executive Board Member
National Homeless Union Executive Board member, Western Regional Director
Crystal Sanchez is with the Sacramento Homeless Union.
