Legal News

ACLU goes to bat for homeless in Santa Barbara

By Richard Binder

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the city of Santa Barbara on behalf of the homeless population, claiming city officials have committed ?unconscionable? violations in prosecuting transients.

The ACLU filed the federal lawsuit over the weekend in the hopes of overturning the city?s bans on sleeping in public and camping at parks and beaches. The attorneys also said they would seek a court order to keep all 200 beds in Casa Esperanza, a Santa Barbara shelter available after April 1, when half of them are scheduled for their annual closure until December.

At a press conference in front of City Hall on Friday morning, March 6, seven homeless advocates decried the inhumanity of the city?s 30-year-old anti-sleeping and anti-camping ordinances. Lynn Jahnke, a physician who treats the homeless, said with only 30 medical beds after the first of April, Casa Esperanza will have to decide who is sickest and relegate those deemed less ill--people who also have acute and chronic illnesses--to sleeping under bushes.

Santa Barbara officials said the city has been considering whether to expand the use of Casa Esperanza.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on March 09, 2009 (boomark / email).