'Yes, hold me accountable': Steinberg responds to critics from homeless advocacy groups

Advocates blame city officials for lack of shelter; Sacramento mayor insists issue stems from 'systems failure in society'

Advocates blame city officials for lack of shelter; Sacramento mayor insists issue stems from 'systems failure in society'

STEINBERG’S RESIGNATION. KCRA 3’S BRANDI CUMMINGS EXPLAINS. BRANDI: HOMELESSNESS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE, WITH MANY OPINIONS ON HOW TO SOLVE IT. >> THE TARPS ARE GONE. PEOPLES’ CLOTHES ARE GONE OR DESTROYED, EITHER BY THE RAIN THE WIND OR BOTH. SO IT’S TERRIBLE. BRANDI: BOB ERLENBUSCH IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SACRAMENTO REGIONAL COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS. HE’S PLANNING A VIGIL SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY TO REMEMBER THE UNHOUSED PEOPLE WHO’VE RECENTLY DIED. VISIBLE. BRANDI: KCRA 3 HAS CONFIRMED TWO HOMELESS PEOPLE WERE FOUND DEAD AFTER TUESDAY’S STORM, ALTHOUGH IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THE DEATHS WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO WEATHER. ONE PERSON IS BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED BEFORE THE STORM STARTED. THREE OTHER UNHOUSED PEOPLE DIED THAT WEEK, A TOTAL OF SIX. THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY CORONER HAS NOT DETERMINED THEIR CAUSES OF DEATH. >> THESE ARE PEOPLES’ MOMS, THEIR DADS, THEIR BROTHERS. BRANDI: HE SAYS SACRAMENTO’S CITY MANGER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DECISION NOT TO OPEN THE SHELTER THE NIGHT OF THE STORM. >> IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE CITY MANAGER MADE THAT DECISION ON HIS OWN. >> WE ARE GIVING DARRELL STEINBERG 72 HOURS TO RESIGN OR WE WILL START THE RECALL PROCESS. BRANDI: AT THE SAME TIME, THE SACRAMENTO HOMELESS UNION SAID OVER THE WEEKEND THAT THE MAYOR HASN’T DONE ENOUGH TO HELP PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN SACRAMENTO. THEY’RE CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION. >> IN THIS CASE, I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE. BRANDI: MAYOR STEINBERG RESPONDED TO THE BACKLASH MONDAY NIGHT ON KCRA 3, SAYING, THERE IS A COUNTRY-WIDE SYSTEMIC FAILURE THAT HAS LED TO THE HOUSING BEING OPTIONAL INSTEAD OF SOMETHING GOVERNMENTS ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO. >> THE COUNTY, ALL OF US, NEED TO DO A LOT BETTER ON THE IMPLEMENTATION FRONT. AND YES, WE SHOULD HAVE NOT JUST WARMING CENTERS OPEN EVERY NIG THROUGH THE WINTER. IN MY VIEW WE OUGHT TO HAVE , SHELTER FOR PEOPLE YEAR ROUND. BRANDI: IN SACRAMENTO, BRAN

'Yes, hold me accountable': Steinberg responds to critics from homeless advocacy groups

Advocates blame city officials for lack of shelter; Sacramento mayor insists issue stems from 'systems failure in society'

A local advocacy group for homeless people wants Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg out, though another group blames the city’s manager for not doing enough to help people experiencing homelessness.The Sacramento Homeless Union said over the weekend that the mayor hasn't done enough to help people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.“We are giving Darrell Steinberg 72 hours to resign, or we will start the recall process,” Union president Crystal Sanchez said in a video news conference Sunday.The group doesn’t believe Steinberg has done enough statewide either in his capacity as chair of California's commission on homelessness. The group wants him to step down from that post too.“Steinberg holds a high opinion of himself as wanting to be a champion of the homeless,” Sanchez said. “Yet he will not listen to those who are most impacted. The unhoused.”"My response to my critics is, Yes, hold me accountable. I'm going to continue to fight. I'm going to continue to work hard. I'm going to continue to bring the resources, and I'm going to continue to do my very best to make a difference," Steinberg said Monday.The group’s demand for Steinberg’s resignation comes just days after a major rain and wind storm tore through the region on a night the city's warming centers didn't open for those without shelter.Under Sacramento County's severe weather guidance, temperatures must reach 32 degrees or lower to activate warming centers. The City of Sacramento also followed that guideline Tuesday night when the overnight low was 41 degrees.KCRA 3 has confirmed two homeless people were found dead following Tuesday's storm, although it's unclear whether the deaths were directly related to weather. One person is believed to have died before the storm started, according to Sacramento County Coroner Kimberly Gin. Both causes of death are pending toxicology testing. Three other unhoused people died that week, she said via email. “I don’t currently have any reason to believe any of these individuals died due to the storm,” Gin said. “We’ll know more when the pathologists issue causes.”The Sacramento Homeless Union has claimed at least four people died and that many more suffered hypothermia.“This storm completely devastated these camps,” said Sanchez. “Trees on top of tents — trapping people. Tents were ripped to shreds. Everything, soaking wet. People, wet to the bone.”After the storm, Sacramento's City Council issued an emergency declaration, committing to opening more shelters for the homeless."We ought to have shelter for people year-round," Steinberg told KCRA 3. "On Wednesday, the city made a decision to divorce itself finally from the temperature criteria and say, 'We're going to keep warming centers open for as long as we have to this winter.'"In a statement, Mayor Steinberg told KCRA 3: "I've done more than any public official in Sacramento history to address the issue of people experiencing homelessness, but obviously we must do much more. I will continue my fight to get people indoors through whatever means necessary."The Sacramento Homeless Union also said in a news release that it plans to file a complaint with the state's attorney general requesting a criminal investigation.“It should not take death for us as a community to care about each other,” said Sanchez. “No matter what our housing situations look like.”Bob Erlenbusch, founder of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, said he believed that those who died recently would be alive if they weren’t outside without shelter. But he has not signed on to the campaign against Steinberg for failing to open warming centers. Instead, he blames the city manager, Howard Chan. Chan's office sent KCRA 3 the following statement:“As City Manager, nothing is more important to me than the well-being of all Sacramentans. Along with our City Council members, I will continue to work to ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect all of our residents.”His organization also plans to push for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to open warming centers for all of winter. | RELATED | Sacramento opens parking garage to provide homeless shelter from winter stormsSteinberg said the approach to addressing homelessness is a result of a "systems failure in society." He also said he wants to have discussions with homeless individuals who prefer to live outdoors to help them find shelter. The issue at hand on top of personal reasons is space."It's a little bit of a hollow discussion if government at all levels has not built enough capacity to be able to offer them a place inside in the first place," Steinberg said.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

The Sacramento Homeless Union said over the weekend that the mayor hasn't done enough to help people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.

“We are giving Darrell Steinberg 72 hours to resign, or we will start the recall process,” Union president Crystal Sanchez said in a video news conference Sunday.

The group doesn’t believe Steinberg has done enough statewide either in his capacity as chair of California's commission on homelessness. The group wants him to step down from that post too.

“Steinberg holds a high opinion of himself as wanting to be a champion of the homeless,” Sanchez said. “Yet he will not listen to those who are most impacted. The unhoused.”

"My response to my critics is, Yes, hold me accountable. I'm going to continue to fight. I'm going to continue to work hard. I'm going to continue to bring the resources, and I'm going to continue to do my very best to make a difference," Steinberg said Monday.

The group’s demand for Steinberg’s resignation comes just days after a major rain and wind storm tore through the region on a night the city's warming centers didn't open for those without shelter.

Under Sacramento County's severe weather guidance, temperatures must reach 32 degrees or lower to activate warming centers. The City of Sacramento also followed that guideline Tuesday night when the overnight low was 41 degrees.

KCRA 3 has confirmed two homeless people were found dead following Tuesday's storm, although it's unclear whether the deaths were directly related to weather. One person is believed to have died before the storm started, according to Sacramento County Coroner Kimberly Gin. Both causes of death are pending toxicology testing. Three other unhoused people died that week, she said via email.

“I don’t currently have any reason to believe any of these individuals died due to the storm,” Gin said. “We’ll know more when the pathologists issue causes.”

The Sacramento Homeless Union has claimed at least four people died and that many more suffered hypothermia.

“This storm completely devastated these camps,” said Sanchez. “Trees on top of tents — trapping people. Tents were ripped to shreds. Everything, soaking wet. People, wet to the bone.”

After the storm, Sacramento's City Council issued an emergency declaration, committing to opening more shelters for the homeless.

"We ought to have shelter for people year-round," Steinberg told KCRA 3. "On Wednesday, the city made a decision to divorce itself finally from the temperature criteria and say, 'We're going to keep warming centers open for as long as we have to this winter.'"

In a statement, Mayor Steinberg told KCRA 3: "I've done more than any public official in Sacramento history to address the issue of people experiencing homelessness, but obviously we must do much more. I will continue my fight to get people indoors through whatever means necessary."

The Sacramento Homeless Union also said in a news release that it plans to file a complaint with the state's attorney general requesting a criminal investigation.

“It should not take death for us as a community to care about each other,” said Sanchez. “No matter what our housing situations look like.”

Bob Erlenbusch, founder of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, said he believed that those who died recently would be alive if they weren’t outside without shelter.

But he has not signed on to the campaign against Steinberg for failing to open warming centers.

Instead, he blames the city manager, Howard Chan. Chan's office sent KCRA 3 the following statement:

“As City Manager, nothing is more important to me than the well-being of all Sacramentans. Along with our City Council members, I will continue to work to ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect all of our residents.”

His organization also plans to push for the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to open warming centers for all of winter.

Steinberg said the approach to addressing homelessness is a result of a "systems failure in society." He also said he wants to have discussions with homeless individuals who prefer to live outdoors to help them find shelter. The issue at hand on top of personal reasons is space.

"It's a little bit of a hollow discussion if government at all levels has not built enough capacity to be able to offer them a place inside in the first place," Steinberg said.

'Yes, hold me accountable': Steinberg responds to critics from homeless advocacy groups

Advocates blame city officials for lack of shelter; Sacramento mayor insists issue stems from 'systems failure in society'

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