Special to the Vanguard
Statement of the Sacramento Homeless Union on “Sacramento Self-Help Housing” ending contract with the County
On March 22, 2023 the Sacramento Homeless Union learned that “Sacramento Self-Help Housing, Inc.” has lost its contract with the County of Sacramento and some 570 current residents in 58 scattered site houses may, once again, become homeless.
Under no circumstances can we let this happen. Our Union has dozens of members in SSHH housing and we have been on the front lines fighting longstanding abusive treatment and wrongful evictions by SSHH management. Recently, the Sacramento Bee exposed widespread misconduct and failure to file reports by SSHH ( https://www.sacbee.com/article269536632.html ). We have filed lawsuits against SSHH as well as the County’ Department of Human Affairs, which has rubber stamped much of 
SSHH’s unfair treatment of its residents.
We cannot let SSHH or Sacramento County now add insult to injury and endanger the safety and lives of hundreds by pushing SSHH residents into the streets!
The residents of Sacramento Self-Help housing are in fear and have notified us that in order to become SSHH residents they were required to sign a form “agreeing” to vacate their homes in 24 hours if “asked” to do so.
The population in Sacramento self-help housing is primarily high risk highly vulnerable disabled individuals. We know that we are in a housing/ homelessness crisis and that these people will not be rolled over into housing but in fact back to the streets. We are also aware with the shutting down of the program there will be multiple displacement of jobs as well. Sacramento self-help housing tends to hire individuals who are formally homeless and or are in poverty with lived experience. Many of these people are house leaders as well.
We therefore demand that the lines of communication be opened up immediately, not only with the residents but with the community as a whole. We are also concerned that even if residents are not immediately evicted, Sacramento County may bring in another irresponsible organization, or a contractor who will avoid accountability as SSHH has done.
Sacramento County, including by way of the authority of the County Health Officer, has the authority and obligation to step in and ensure that no one currently in SSHH housing is removed because SSHH lost its contract. This is because pushing 570 men and women into the streets– many disabled, aged or otherwise at risk — would be a public health emergency.
We urge the broader community to contact County officials and demand that NO CURRENT SSHH RESIDENTS SHALL BE FORECED LEAVE unless they are first immediately provided with alternative safe, indoor, durable and accessible housing.
